Hey guys
Trying to get a Moog Prodigy mk2 triggered by the A4…
this is the version that has a connector on the back that looks like a MIDI port but I assume this must be the CV/Trig (? or Gate) port…
How would I set this up with the A4? What sort of values… I tried many things… just once I got it to make a tiny popping sound that was the actual rhythm trigs from the A4 so something must come through but no idea how to get it to work properly… Any suggestions welcome…
cheers
is this it ? not much like a MIDI connector !
anyway - S Trig is unusual on Moog, normally you’d want V Trig - the A4 can deal with this - but you’d need to have an old synch plug like so
but given you’ve been experimenting it’s hard to know what you are using and up against
essentially it’ll be a mixed bag of S-Trig and V/oct
You can still buy the appropriate cable for that. Synthesizers.com sells them:
https://www.synthesizers.com/qmvs.html
Incidentally, the jack/plug are Cinch-Jones connectors. I use the above cable for my vintage Minimoog and it works quite well indeed. I’ve seen some others on eBay, but have no direct experience with them. That cable is meant to be used with something that outputs V-trig, so you’d need to set the A4 to produce V-Trigs, even though the Moog wants to see S-Trigs. The cable contains and active circuit that does the conversion bit.
I’ve just confirmed that the above-mentioned cable works with the A4 (well, the AK, in my case). I was reminded that - at least on my Mini - it is necessary to ensure that the lowest C on the Minimoog be the last key played from its own keyboard if I want the 1 volt to equal C1 (or C2, whatever) from an external source.
The setup was dead simple. I routed the AK’s CV A port to the Minimoog’s Gate/Trig input (using the Synthesizers.com cable) and I set the AK’s A Output to spit out 5V V-Trigs. I set the AK’s CV B output to V/Oct with the first note being C0 and a 0 volts. The second note was C5 with a value of 5 volts.
That’s it. After that, I made sure to tap the lowest C note on the Minimoog itself, and I was happily sequencing the Mini from the Analog Keys.
no, its not that - it really looks like a MIDI connection.
Has somebody replaced that jack with a DIN jack? Or (too good to be true?) maybe retrofitted the Prodigy with a MIDI input? Did you try sending MIDI?
If they simply swapped the Jones connector for a DIN connector, you will likely have to figure out how it has been wired.
Got a photo?
I tried connecting it to my Octatrack - When I do that, the moment I put in the MIDI cable the Moog P. just makes a sustained tone.
I also tried connecting it to the MIDI of the A4 set to Sync24 whatever the f that protocol is…
And I tried putting in a DIN to STereo Jack cable and putting that in the CV/Gate outputs of the A4… That once resulted in the Moog subtly popping in the rhythm of the trigs programmed on the A4…
The thingy above the port is a Button… It presses in and out, and when pressed in, the Keyboard of the Moog doesnt work anymore so I assume this must be some kind of CV/Gate
By the way, I own this Moog Prodigy since 2002 and it came with this obscure DIN / MIDI / whatever port on it.
This looks a bit like the MIDI mod kit called MIDIJack. Looks as if they are still around. http://www.synhouse.com/midijack.html
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yup although i dont see the switch in the kit
and as said, i tried midi on it and it doesnt work - just a long endless tone
Hmmm, I was certain the Synhouse MidiJack’s had buttons. I’ve installed a number of those, but it was over fifteen years ago. Maybe they’ve changed the design or maybe I’m remembering a different MIDI retrofit.
In any event, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what it was. It may need to be repaired. Hmmm… I just remembered that the MIDImplant kit has a button that is used to “learn” MIDI. That’s be a nice bonus if it turned out to be that one. I have made a few modules using that little board.
Have you ever opened up the Prodigy and looked inside?
i just looked inside - but i think there is no MIDI kit in it. the wires to that DIN are connected to the keyboard and a few other points on the ‘motherboard’ but no extra board for the MIDI stuff… So i think its a bad mod from previous owner
Or maybe it is even some kind of output for the keyboard to trigger another synth!
Yeah, sounds like someone tried to modify it to use a MIDI connector to do some other job. It’s always an adventure trying to decipher modifications on old synths. My ARP 2600 is full of mods with many unlabeled switches added to the front panel and a bunch of add-in circuits. It took me a while to figure out what they all are and it makes it a little tricky to work on the thing.
i just found this: http://blog.cornbeast.com/2016/04/adding-cvgate-to-a-moog-prodigy/
looks super simple
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I forgot that the initial units lacked CV/gate altogether. That looks like a fun project.
but hasn’t the previous owner already provided you with a breakout Port for the multiple signals you can tap - seems plausible if you look at the other Mk2 picture
You’d just need to do a bit of detective work (and resist plugging any regular midi cable in anywhere else) if you’re that way inclined, should be easy to narrow things down and make a breakout loom to whatever cable type you need - (not sure what your switch would be for tbh)
a bit like I did here (using DINSync with some sockets I had spare)
according to the Kenton mod website, Prodigies with a serial number higher than 4500 are Rev 2 and come with CV gate jack ports
but mine is 5400 serial no and has none, maybe the website got it wrong…