Moog's Source was their first to offer patch memory storage as well as some other new features. It boasted 16 memory locations so you could finally save and recall your synth patches. A casette-tape jack was also implemented to transfer your patches to and from an external tape and free up the on-board memory for additional new patches. But in an effort to modernize with the eighties, the Moog had replaced all buttons, knobs and sliders with flat-panel membrane buttons and a single data-wheel assignment format. At the time, this may have seemed far-out, but in all actuality it is the Source's downfall.

Parameters are edited not with hands-on sliders and knobs but by assigning a selected parameter to the dedicated data wheel. This is very tedious and does not allow for true hands-on tweaking during performances nor can you adjust different parameters simultaneously or while playing. These days, the membrane buttons don't always seem to work quite right either. However, those famous monophonic Moog sounds are still inside this synth which has two fat analog oscillators and the legendary 24 dB Moog filter.

The Source has been used by Tangerine Dream, Jan Hammer, Depeche Mode, Devo, Vince Clarke, New Order, Ultravox, Josh Wink, Front Line Assembly, Moog Cookbook, Kitaro, Imperial Drag, The Cars, Phish, The Rentals, King Crimson, Blur, and Gary Numan.

Danalogue

May 28, 2012 @ 9:55 am

I have recorded a detailed description of the history and functionality of this synth covering all the parameters if anyone out there is interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSl7LEjNcQs

bobby h.

May 20, 2012 @ 12:39 pm

Mike Rutherford of Genesis used the Source in his studio rig in the 80s and 90s.

greg

April 11, 2012 @ 3:54 pm

btw, I owned the Source in 1983 and found its oscillators to drift, the ADSR envelopes mushy and the encoder weak skpped around badly when trying to edit). Sound was, eh, meh. It was no MiniMoog. I'll take the slim phatty over its sound, anyday. Plus side, it looked cool on stage with that big MOOG on the back.

greg

April 11, 2012 @ 3:51 pm

I love how this site infers that if a famous person/group used a synth that the rest of us will have the ability to create something good with it. So, I guess there is no logic behind tthe name dropping other than to prove what? DM would've made good music no matter what synths they used considering the studios they worked in (Millions of dollars in recording gear). Also, if you have no talent, assuredly, you won't get a record contract end up in a synth supergroup nor sell a million records simply because you own this synth. Food for thought.

crifox

April 3, 2012 @ 1:27 pm

Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) used it in early songs. It appears during Broken Frame Tour in 1982.

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