The book is kinda expensive, maybe do an inter library loan
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This book has so many patch ideas, but it also breaks down every aspect of subtractive synthesis in amazing and easy to understand descriptions.
Moog also has a playlist on YouTube dedicated to the semi Modularās that have patch ideas that apply to any of the gear.
You got plenty of great resources at your disposal and it gets easy once you start making music, which is ultimately the best way to learn once you get a jump start.
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Thanks very much! I really appreciate all the help and insight! Iāll report back as I dive in more!
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Itās also great as a history lesson.
And the manual is also probably the best manual Iāve read (for both the matriarch and grandmother, I assume all Moog products are like that). Itās not just a manual for the device but for subtractive synths in general. But copying those patches at the back is a good way to sort of learn what everything is doing. Patch a cable, play a note, patch the next cable, play a note, etc.
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Thatās exactly what I did. I made every patch in the manual, then played with some knobs to get a track going.
I go back and do that every once in a while when I feel stuck.
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Oh, one thing I would suggest is get more patch cables and get those stacking cables and or knuckle bones which act like more multis. It will give you a way to get more out of your attenuverter and LFO being able to send them to multiple destinations at once (of course, you do have the multi thatās there but thatās just one).
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After a while, you remember the patch without the manual and what each cable does.
Not the Matriarch though. That thing is still a puzzle to me.
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YES!! Sweetwater has decent prices on Black Market cables. Itās a brand I like.
And I got two Hosa knucklebones. They act as multis and extenders.
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Man I know how you feel, I had the same experience when I first got the GM. Itās a very big unit for a āsimpleā monosynth, but it feels so much like an instrument instead of just another piece of gearā¦
Itās the only hardware synth I have set up in my studio as Iāve found itās the perfect analog hardware synth. For all other sounds software is good enough, but I needed that one inspiring, raw sounding beast that is the GM. Iāve though about upgrading to the matriarch, but decided that the GM is actually perfect for what it is.
I use it without any modules, but just added my el capistan pedal to the output for some delay and wow/flutter. Sounds amazing.
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Delay is the perfect partner for the GM.
I still half regret selling mine to buy a Matriarch. The GM is so immediate, but also super deep.
Iāve been thinking that the 0-CTRL might be a great way to p-lock the GM or Matriarch, especially paired with the on-board sequencer.
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Iām totally with you. As someone that has never been huge into synthesis, this seems like the absolute sweet spot for me as well. I think the Matriarch would actually be too much (not that I could fit it), and when looking at polysynth videos I realized that Iām just more into this kind of mono synth. Blasphemy to synth enthusiasts Iām sure. Iāll connect the Volante later to give the delay a whirl.
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i love using the modulation section SINE wave as an oscillator, patched from WAVE OUT into the MIXER (usually noise), to create super deep wall shaking basslines. just tweak that MOD RATE and FILTER till you get the tone you wantā¦ yummy.
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I think the coolest thing Iāve done with the Matriarch (apart with messing around with the stereo filter and modulating the delay settings) is just simply using it as a Faux bi-timbral synth where I had three oscillators tuned to the same pitch and with the same waveform and then the fouth oscillator a different wave form and Iād play chords with the first 3 notes and then have a lead sound with that one different oscillator.
Iām pretty sure Loopop has a video where he made the grandmother duophonic some way, splitting the oscillators so they could be pitched by the keyboard separately.
But yeah, Grandmother is just a top tier simple mono synth. Sounds great and doesnāt have so many features that itās overwhelming and thereās definitely room for a synth like that in the world.
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I spent an hour or two with the GMa last night and it was just so therapeutic. Sounds lovely through the Volante and Flint (plate, harmonic trem, etc). Even without patching Iāve found so many beautiful sounds. Itās easy to get lost in arpeggios and drones.
Iām not much of a keyboard player, but this feels like the perfect gateway for experimenting not just with synthesis, but with different chord progressions and scales using the arpeggiator and figuring out bass lines and melodies. Iāve definitely never felt this kind of connection from a synth before. Serious props to Moog for creating such an accessible and wonderful instrument.
Iām running it through a Boss RC-600 looper, so it will be fun layering sounds and combining it with other instruments, and then sampling the loops into the SP404mkii for arranging.
@BLKrbbt I ended up ordering the book you recommended. I couldnāt find it here in Japan, so I ordered it from Amazon in the US. It looks like a great companion piece to have while Iām still so excited. I figure itās a good time to ride the momentum and learn as much as I can about this instrument and itās possibilities.
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The problem with that book is it might convince you to buy more Moog gear lol
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Yeah, gonna have to be strong. Haha.
I just have to keep reminding myself that complex workflows have never worked out for me, so it would be a terrible idea to add anything until Iām very well-versed on the GMa. I wouldnāt rule out more Moog in the future since I love this one, but not for a while.
Iām also a bit lucky that I have limited space. Physical constraints keep me in check. If I lived in a huge house I would be in a lot of trouble. Haha.
Iām so glad I could help. It gets technical and has loads of patches.
Also, patches for other synths in the book can apply to the Gma. An LFO is an LFO. So if you see similar components on a DFAM or Mother 32 being patched, donāt forget to try it on the Grandmother.
I love the fact you got some pedals to mess about with. It might be interesting to try patching the pedals into the line in of the spring reverb to see what sonic accidents you come across.
I think one of the greatest ālimitationsā is its monophonic keys. I canāt play piano either, so detuning the voices to make chords while running the arp.
Running the LFO to audio rate can make three voices.
It really never ends.
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That photo is even more dangerous than the book. Looks amazing. 
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