{"id":29830,"date":"2013-02-07T15:48:23","date_gmt":"2013-02-07T15:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greatsynthesizers.com\/?post_type=test&p=13310"},"modified":"2019-03-26T17:27:14","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T17:27:14","slug":"moog-sonic-six-the-eugene-zumchak-synthesizer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatsynthesizers.com\/en\/review\/moog-sonic-six-the-eugene-zumchak-synthesizer\/","title":{"rendered":"Moog Sonic Six – the Eugene Zumchak synthesizer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Moog Sonic Six is different in many little ways. At the start, it looks just like any ordinary synthesizer. Nice keyboard, beautiful knobs (especially those big ones in the LFO section), two oscillators and a strong filter.<\/p>\n

T<\/span>he ring modulator is a real bonus, rather rare on Moog instruments. And you’re allowed to set your own scalings in the oscillator section. Playing Arabian music?\u00a0No problem with the Sonic Six. The one lone envelope is the sad side of the story, but then there are two independent signal-mixers for bombastic rich analogue sounds and, last but not least, you have your own built-in speaker for plug & play.<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-01\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Anyone interested in the muSonics V \/ Moog Sonic Six story should read through Gordon Reid’s wonderful Sonic Six review<\/a>. Reid offers us an alternative view of the development of the Moog synthesisers.<\/p>\n

In fact, he tells us that Ukranian Gene Zumchak was the designer of the original Sonic V. At first, Bob Moog was not interested in that instrument’s concept at all. But once muSonics bought the insolvent R. A. Moog Inc. company, everything changed.<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-04\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Despite his personal antithesis towards Zumchak, Bob Moog obviously liked his design because, once Zumchak had departed for the second time, Moog decided to take the Sonic V and turn it into a Moog product. To do so, he made just one significant change; he returned to one of the rejected 1969 drawings for the Minimoog (one that never made it, even as a prototype), and installed the Sonic V’s circuitry and keyboard into this. He then added a pitchbend wheel and glissando control. The result was the Zumchak Sonic 6… oops, I mean the Moog Sonic 6.” <\/i><\/p>\n

(Gordon Reid)<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more about Moog\u2019s singular behaviour and the unusual Sonic Six story in Reid’s review. It’s full of bristling historical background information and explains the instrument’s architecture in detail.<\/p>\n

Exploding the myth – the Sonic Six’s value<\/h2>\n

T<\/span>he Sonic Six was produced from 1974 to 1979. Original retail price of the instrument was about the same as for the Minimoog. That was a really bad buy for musicians, at least for those who wanted a classical Moog synthesizer. But let’s ignore the fact that this instrument is based on a very off-the-line concept and concentrate on its sonic richness. Doesn’t it sound wonderful ..? (Time to listen to some of the soundfiles attached to this review).<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In my opinion, the Sonic Six sounds better (and is more interesting) than many other Moog instruments. It has an overwhelming, aggressive sound. It’s not only an ordinary synthesizer, it’s a real analog monster!<\/p>\n

Just a few months ago I planned to sell the Sonic Six (boy, am I glad I didn’t). There’s a Prodigy and a very nice Minimoog in my Setup as well, so why the hell would I need the Sonic Six? It\u2019s just another 2-VCO synthesizer with the famous Moog ladder filter, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

Well, reducing the Sonic Six to any classic synthesizer concept is definitely a big mistake. If you\u2019re just out for creamy, solid lead- and bass-sounds, the Minimoog fits the bill perfectly. Looking for tremendously colourful and warm sync-sounds puts the Prodigy on top of the mountain.<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-14\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, in case your studio houses enough bass-\/lead-\/classic-\/whatever-synthesizers, you might per chance happen upon another category of vintage synthesizer – the …<\/p>\n

Analog Monster<\/h2>\n

D<\/span>o you know what that is? I’d say there are only a few out there, so maybe you\u2019ve never even gotten acquainted with one. The Minimoog, admittedly, is beautiful. A classic instrument – reliable, user-friendly and rich sounding. But it’s no monster. Roland’s Jupiter-8 is another all-time standard, this time polyphonic. Again, a classic. But the monster of Roland’s family is little brother Jupiter-4. A nasty looking instrument with weird, often uncontrollable sounds. And Moog’s monster is the Sonic Six… (of course, we leave modular systems out, they are a class in their own).<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Unusual Concept<\/h2>\n

A<\/span>lthough the instrument’s panel is quite large and clear, fiddling around with the knobs takes more time than you’re used to. That’s due to its slightly unusual concept. First, the only two “real”\u00a0Moog knobs belong to the LFOs (and not to the oscillators, as you might expect). Second, there’s not a single fully equipped envelope. Third, you get two independent mixer modules. Fourth, the instrument is covered with tons of modulation possibilities. Not only standard LFO-sources, but also cross modulation, ring modulation, vast trigger modulation options etc.<\/p>\n

The hardware is a little unusual, too. Housed in an ABS briefcase, the Sonic Six features a little recess inside for your leads (or possibly for your sandwiches, as Peter Forrest suggests). All interfacing lies behind the generous 4-octave keyboard: inputs to the right and outputs to the left. Gone are the characteristic Moog dual pitch\/modulation wheels, to be replaced by a single, transversely mounted pitch wheel…<\/p>\n

\"Moog-SonicSix-11\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, let’s have a closer look at the instrument’s architecture…<\/p>\n

The Sonic Six features …<\/h2>\n