During Moogfest 2014, Moog Music facilitated a two-day workshop in which Moog engineers assisted 125 participants in building Werkstatt, an educational, patchable analog synthesizer designed specifically for the event. It was Moog’s first workshop since 1997 when Bob Moog held a theremin workshop in Portland, Maine. Led by Steve Dunnington, Moog Product Development Specialist, the Moogfest 2014 synth building workshop received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants and since then, Moog has fielded numerous requests to offer the Werkstatt analog synthesizer in a wider release. In an effort to bring this educational synth to more customers, Moog is releasing a no-soldering-required version of Werkstatt called, Werkstatt-Ø1 Moogfest 2014 Analog Synthesizer in extremely limited quantities at select US dealers only.
“We created Werkstatt specifically as an educational tool for teaching electronics assembly techniques and analog synthesizer circuit design in a workshop at Moogfest 2014.” said Steve Dunnington. “That workshop was very special for the Moog engineers. We learned so much from the experience and each of the participants.” Over the last six weeks since the end of Moogfest 2014, Moog has moved quickly to satisfy demand and modify Werkstatt to make it appropriate outside of a workshop setting. “Assembly of the Werkstatt-Ø1 is extremely simple, so any user can quickly build and also study the circuits of an analog synthesizer that’s based on classic Moog circuits at home. While we can’t duplicate the experience of the Moogfest 2014 Engineering VIP Workshop, Werkstatt-Ø1 will still offer a valuable and fun educational experience for customers.”
The Werkstatt-Ø1 Moogfest 2014 Analog Synthesizer features a single voltage controlled oscillator with two selectable waveshapes, saw and pulse. This section also includes a control for adjusting pulse width modulation and oscillator frequency, which extends from 8Hz to 16KHz. The voltage controlled filter section houses a classic 4-pole Moog Ladder Filter with 20Hz-20kHz frequency response, and a variable resonance control that is capable of driving the filter into self oscillation.
Werkstatt-Ø1 has two selectable modulation sources; a dual waveshape LFO with 0.2Hz-600Hz sweepable range, and a variable attack/decay envelope section with sustain on/off switch. Modulation sources are easily assigned via dedicated VCO and VCF modulation sections, each with a variable control for modulation amount.
Also included in each Werkstatt-Ø1 is a breadboard-style patchable header, which significantly expands it’s creative sonic abilities. This patchable header features a dedicated external audio input, and control voltage inputs for VCO linear FM, VCO exponential FM, VCF, VCA, and LFO. CV outputs are in pairs, and include dual outputs for Keyboard CV, EG, LFO, VCF, VCO, Gate, and Trigger.
The Werkstatt-Ø1 Moogfest 2014 Analog Synthesizer will cost $329 and is available in extremely limited quantities, at the following dealers: Switched On, Robotspeak, Perfect Circuit Audio, Analogue Haven, Big City Music, Noisebug, Midwest Pro Sound, Nova Musik, Foxtone Music, Main, Drag Music, Sweetwater Sound, Alto Music, Three Wave Music and Control