The Minimoog is easily the most-emulated synthesizer of all time. For any monophonic analog synthesizer to succeed, it must survive some comparison to the Minimoog to be considered worthy of consideration. Unfortunately, real Minimoogs range in price up to $4,000.00, depending on whether you’re looking at a true vintage Model D, reissue, Voyager, or one of the many boutique emulations that have come along from other manufacturers.

Minimoog Software Emulations

Until recently, the only way to really get a Minimoog emulation for anything less than 4 digits was by settling for a software emulation. In fact, tehre are some quite respectable options in this category. Synapse Legend and U-He Diva come to mind. If you have a powerful CPU, we highly recommend either or both of these as part of your DAW rig, as they are truly excellent emulations, and offer some features that an hardware analog mono cannot, such as polyphony, and the ability to use multiple instances within a project.

But what about real analog hardware?

Moog stopped production of the Minimoog in 1981, and did not begin producing the Minimoog Voyager until 2002. This created a market for clones by other manufacturers during that time, but the options were far from inexpensive. The best-known is the Studio Electronics SE-1, which even made its way into Keith Emerson’s rig as a reliable backup for his massive and moody modular system.

After the Voyager took its rightful place as the reinvigorated Moog’s flagship synth, even Moog began to fulfill the demand for more cost-effective options with its Little Phatty and even less-expensive desktop-module version, the Slim Phatty, a synth which we love and was recently reviewed on this site. While these instruments are legends on their own terms, and a great buy for the price, the Minimoog’s full features were still out of reach for anything less than several thousand dollars.

Enter The Behringer Model D

In 2018, Behringer turned the vintage analog synth market on its head by introducing the Model D, by all standards a faithful desktop/rackmount module version of the classic Minimoog Model D. The emulation is, by nearly anyone’s standards, so close to the original, that it attracted nearly as much anger as it did joy, if for the simple fact that it provides such a precise replica at such a dramatically reduced price, that many wonder if just because it could be done, whether it should be done.

We encourage you to watch and listen to this demo below. If you’re convinced, don’t hesitate to snatch one up quickly. Recent closures and shipping delays due to the pandemic have reduced available inventory, and it may be a long wait before inventory is replenished after retailers run out of current stock.

Categories: Gear Reviews

J.P. Fontana