Moogerfooger
Encyclopedia
moogerfooger is the trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

 for a series of analog
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...

 effects pedals manufactured by Moog Music
Moog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...

. There are currently five different pedals produced, however one of these models is designed for processing control voltages
Analog signal processing
Analog signal processing is any signal processing conducted on analog signals by analog means. "Analog" indicates something that is mathematically represented as a set of continuous values. This differs from "digital" which uses a series of discrete quantities to represent signal...

 rather than audio
Audio signal processing
Audio signal processing, sometimes referred to as audio processing, is the intentional alteration of auditory signals, or sound. As audio signals may be electronically represented in either digital or analog format, signal processing may occur in either domain...

 signal. A sixth model, the Analog Delay, was released in a limited edition of 1000 units and has become a collector's item.

Audio moogerfoogers consist of a black wedge-shaped box, approximately 5 by, with walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...

 edges. The face contains an array of knobs, switches and LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....

s. All moogerfoogers have a knob that allows the user to fade the effect from a completely dry (100% original input) to a completely wet (100% processed) signal. There is also a stomp switch that allows the user to toggle the effect on and off and a knob that controls the gain
Gain
In electronics, gain is a measure of the ability of a circuit to increase the power or amplitude of a signal from the input to the output. It is usually defined as the mean ratio of the signal output of a system to the signal input of the same system. It may also be defined on a logarithmic scale,...

. True to the nature of modular synthesizer
Modular synthesizer
The modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer consisting of separate specialized modules connected by wires to create a so-called patch. Every output generates a signal – an electric voltage of variable strength...

s, all parameters on the pedals are variable using control voltages which may be plugged into the rear of the pedal using 1/4" jacks
Jack (connector)
In electronics and electrical assemblies, the term jack commonly refers to a surface-mounted connector, often, but not always, with the female electrical contact or socket, and is the "more fixed" connector of a connector pair...

.

MF-101

The MF-101 is an independent analog low-pass filter
Low-pass filter
A low-pass filter is an electronic filter that passes low-frequency signals but attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. The actual amount of attenuation for each frequency varies from filter to filter. It is sometimes called a high-cut filter, or treble cut filter...

. Based on the amplitude
Amplitude
Amplitude is the magnitude of change in the oscillating variable with each oscillation within an oscillating system. For example, sound waves in air are oscillations in atmospheric pressure and their amplitudes are proportional to the change in pressure during one oscillation...

 of the dry audio signal, an envelope is generated. This envelope alters the filter's cutoff frequency
Cutoff frequency
In physics and electrical engineering, a cutoff frequency, corner frequency, or break frequency is a boundary in a system's frequency response at which energy flowing through the system begins to be reduced rather than passing through.Typically in electronic systems such as filters and...

 and its amount is variable. Knobs also allow controlling of the filter's frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...

 (from 20 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....

 to 12 kHz) and resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...

. The resonance can be increased to the point of self-feedback producing a pitch that follows the filter cutoff frequency. The MF-101 was released by Big Briar (now Moog Music) in 1998.

MF-102

The MF-102 is an analog ring modulator. This moogerfooger heterodyne
Heterodyne
Heterodyning is a radio signal processing technique invented in 1901 by Canadian inventor-engineer Reginald Fessenden where high frequency signals are converted to lower frequencies by combining two frequencies. Heterodyning is useful for frequency shifting information of interest into a useful...

s the dry audio signal with a carrier
Carrier wave
In telecommunications, a carrier wave or carrier is a waveform that is modulated with an input signal for the purpose of conveying information. This carrier wave is usually a much higher frequency than the input signal...

 frequency that is generated by an internal oscillator. The user can vary the frequency of the carrier oscillator from 600 mHz (0.6 Hz) to 4 kHz. The MF-102 also features an independent low frequency oscillator (LFO) that changes the frequency of the carrier oscillator. The user can select the frequency (from 100 mHz to 25 Hz) of the LFO and whether the signal is a square
Square wave
A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels...

 or sine
Sine wave
The sine wave or sinusoid is a mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation. It occurs often in pure mathematics, as well as physics, signal processing, electrical engineering and many other fields...

-like (really a triangle
Triangle wave
A triangle wave is a non-sinusoidal waveform named for its triangular shape.Like a square wave, the triangle wave contains only odd harmonics...

) wave. The user can also vary the amount, if any at all, which the LFO affects the carrier frequency. Like the MF-101, the MF-102 was released in 1998.

MF-103

The MF-103 is an analog twelve stage phaser
Phaser (effect)
A phaser is an audio signal processing technique used to filter a signal by creating a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. The position of the peaks and troughs is typically modulated so that they vary over time, creating a sweeping effect...

. The user can control the "sweep" which moves the phaser's frequency response
Frequency response
Frequency response is the quantitative measure of the output spectrum of a system or device in response to a stimulus, and is used to characterize the dynamics of the system. It is a measure of magnitude and phase of the output as a function of frequency, in comparison to the input...

, yielding the classic phaser "whooshing" sound. The user can switch to 6-stage mode to produce a subtle change in harmonic response. The user can also control the phaser's resonance, changing the height and sharpness of the phaser's frequency response peaks. Like the MF-102, the MF-103 has an independent LFO, however in this instance it is used to vary the "sweep" parameter. The MF-103 was released in 1999.

MF-104

The MF-104 is a completely analog delay
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...

. The effect allows the musician a delay time between 40 millisecond
Millisecond
A millisecond is a thousandth of a second.10 milliseconds are called a centisecond....

s and .8 seconds. However the most remarkable feature is the use of an internal/external feedback loop. The feedback loop from the MF-104 could be routed through another effects processor and back into the delay unit, allowing processing of the echos
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...

 as they are being generated. As with most analog delay processors, a desirable warmth of sound is created by the increasing natural decay of the original audio signal through the continuation of echoes.

Released in 2000, the MF-104 was manufactured in a limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...

 of 1000 units. A special "bucket brigade delay chip
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...

" was employed to allow the effect to be completely analog, however the supply of these chips was limited. The final units were sold in 2001 and the MF-104 Analog Delay remains the most sought-after of the moogerfoogers. In 2005, Moog Music announced the planned re-release of the MF-104, dubbed the MF-104Z. The new pedal will have the same functions as the original, but will feature a longer possible delay time (slightly longer than 1 second). At the same time, the MF-104SD was released in a limited edition of 250 units. The MF-104SD had a maximum delay time of 1.4 seconds, slightly longer than the MF-104Z.

MF-105

Better known as the MuRF, the MF-105 or Multiple Resonance Filter Array is an original effects processor, designed by Bob Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...

 in 2004. The MuRF has 8 band-pass filter
Band-pass filter
A band-pass filter is a device that passes frequencies within a certain range and rejects frequencies outside that range.Optical band-pass filters are of common usage....

s whose levels are controlled by 8 sliders which resemble a graphic EQ
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...

. The filters' center frequencies are set at 200 Hz, 300 Hz, 450 Hz, 675 Hz, 1 kHz, 1.5 kHz, 2.2 kHz and 3.4 kHz and their sliders adjust the gain
Gain
In electronics, gain is a measure of the ability of a circuit to increase the power or amplitude of a signal from the input to the output. It is usually defined as the mean ratio of the signal output of a system to the signal input of the same system. It may also be defined on a logarithmic scale,...

 of each filter. The Bass MuRF or MF-105B, designed for bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 players, has slightly lower center frequencies of 110 Hz, 160 Hz, 240 Hz, 350 Hz, 525 Hz, 775 Hz, 1.2 kHz and 1.8 kHz. In addition, the 110 Hz filter was changed to a low-pass filter
Low-pass filter
A low-pass filter is an electronic filter that passes low-frequency signals but attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. The actual amount of attenuation for each frequency varies from filter to filter. It is sometimes called a high-cut filter, or treble cut filter...

.

The gain of each filter is further controlled by an envelope that is triggered by any of a number of preset animation sequences
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...

. The user can select one of 24 animation patterns. Rhythmic variations can be created by adjusting the levels of the filters, speed of animation, and envelope amount.

MF-107

The FreqBox or MF-107 was added to the moogerfooger series in early 2007. It was not designed by Bob Moog and it was the first new stomp box to be produced by Moog Music after Bob Moog's death. In general the FreqBox sounds similar to a synthesizer because its interior is actually a VCO
Voltage-controlled oscillator
A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic oscillator designed to be controlled in oscillation frequency by a voltage input. The frequency of oscillation is varied by the applied DC voltage, while modulating signals may also be fed into the VCO to cause frequency modulation or phase...

 that is modified by the input signal.

On the left hand of the box the FreqBox contains a VCO which has two knobs to control frequency and waveshape. The waveshape runs from triangle wave
Triangle wave
A triangle wave is a non-sinusoidal waveform named for its triangular shape.Like a square wave, the triangle wave contains only odd harmonics...

 to sawtooth wave
Sawtooth wave
The sawtooth wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform. It is named a sawtooth based on its resemblance to the teeth on the blade of a saw....

 to square wave
Square wave
A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels...

 to pulse wave
Pulse wave
A pulse wave or pulse train is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform that is similar to a square wave, but does not have the symmetrical shape associated with a perfect square wave. It is a term common to synthesizer programming, and is a typical waveform available on many synths. The exact shape of...

. There is a hard sync on/off switch that turns on hard syncing the VCO signal with the input signals frequency. The amplitude of the VCO is controlled by the amplitude of the input signal.

On the right hand side there are three knobs. A mix knob to mix the level of input signal with the level of the VCO signal, a FM Amount knob that allows the input signal to modulate the VCO with frequency modulation
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...

, and an Env. Amount knob that sets an envelope to the frequency modulation.

CP-251

The CP-251 is a control voltage processor that is designed to be used with any of the moogerfoogers or any other audio device that can be manipulated with control voltages. It does not process sound, only the voltages that control the various parameters on other audio equipment. The control voltages act as invisible hands which "turn" the knobs and controls on the other gear. The CP-251 has a total of 9 knobs and 23 1/4" jacks.

The CP-251 features an LFO with adjustable rate and square and sine outputs, a lag
Lag
Lag is a common word meaning to fail to keep up or to fall behind. In real-time applications, the term is used when the application fails to respond in a timely fashion to inputs...

 processor that can alter the rise and fall of a signal, a multiple jack that splits one signal into three identical signals, a white noise
White noise
White noise is a random signal with a flat power spectral density. In other words, the signal contains equal power within a fixed bandwidth at any center frequency...

 generator, two attenuators, a four-way mixer
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...

 that can process four signals into one, and a sample and hold
Sample and hold
In electronics, a sample and hold circuit is an analog device that samples the voltage of a continuously varying analog signal and holds its value at a constant level for a specified minimal period of time. Sample and hold circuits and related peak detectors are the elementary analog memory...

. The sample and hold samples a voltage (the noise source) every time a trigger voltage (the square LFO) crosses the threshold. The sampled voltage appears in the output. The user can also use alternate sample and/or trigger voltages to produce desired effects.

The 4'33"

In late March 2005 Moog Music's website announced a new moogerfooger as an April Fool's Day joke. The moogerfooger 4'33" supposedly had only one button, which would silence any inputs for exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The name and function of the unit was a reference to John Cage's
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...

 famous non-performance piece 4′33″.

MF-106TC

On April 1, 2009 Moog Music's website announced another new moogerfooger as an April Fool's Day joke. The MF-106TC Analog Time Compressor supposedly had the ability to compress the time stream rather than expanding it like a delay pedal, which would then give musicians the ability to hear notes before they actually played them.

Software plugins

In 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....

, digital effects recording studio Bomb Factory
Bomb Factory
Bomb Factory is a recording studio and manufacturer of music plugins based in Los Angeles, California.-Music studio:Bomb Factory Studios features an extensive collection of vintage and historic equipment and musical instruments...

 worked with Bob Moog to develop music plugins for Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...

 based on the MF-101, MF-102, MF-103 and MF-104. The plugins allowed the user to replicate the effects of the moogerfoogers while editing or processing digital audio
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...

on their computer.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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