The Studio Electronics Midi Mini Synth - a vintage clone of a vintage classic
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- Опубліковано 12 бер 2020
- Whilst synth clones are cropping up left, right and center at the moment, it isn't a new idea. A case in point is the Studio Electronics Midi Mini from 1989.
From asking around I've gathered that SE started this concept by taking the boards out of actual Minimoogs and housing them in a rack mountable case with extra features and midi. The midi to CV was done by Frankensteining a Roland MPU-101 into the rear of the synth and this was dubbed the "Midi Moog".
At some point SE started cloning the boards themselves from scratch and I presume this was because they wanted to produce bigger quantities and sourcing old Minimoogs and MPU-101s wasn't really practical when it came to that ambition. This new version was called the "Midi Mini" and that's what we're looking at today. To confuse things, I'm told that there were some Midi Mini's with original Moog boards inside them too.
In addition to all the original features of the Model D, the Mini Midi adds a dedicated LFO, velocity sensitivity, aftertouch, oscillator sync, extra keyboard modes and more. This gives you the timeless sound of the Minimoog with extended sonic possibilities and seamless connectivity to a digital audio workstation.
SE released an updated anniversary version last year which you can read about here: www.studioelectronics.com/pro...
Thanks for watching.
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0:00 - Quick riff (triple sawtooth)
0:32 - Intro
0:57 - Features of the Midi Mini
4:35 - Music Demo
6:14 - Summary
Studio Electronics should give you a new V30 to review! This was an excellent explanation, and the demo at the end was a superb way to show off the range of sounds.
I've got an ultra rare studio electronics midimini 'max' (tim & bob edition) with original model d boards and a chrome faceplate. It has two extra functions like overdrive from the headphone output (with a switch and knob, no cables needed), ring modulator and envelope invert!! It's an incredible synth! Thanks for this demo Alex!
Wow, what a fascinating clone. Love how it just adds features on top to make it easier, and also makes it way more versatile too with the LFO and the sync and other stuff.
Yes, they thought through the updates and the format.
It's laid out in a slightly weird way, but everything is there on the front panel and it's dead easy to use.
Maybe my favorite demo song I've heard of yours honestly. Super vaporwavey
Sounds fantastic . Love how buff that bottom end is . Great share Alex :-)
Yes, sounds marvelous. Fat oscillators and that wonderful ladder filter. Gormet synthing.
Studio Electronics just reissued the Midimini!
Fantastic video. Very informative. Loved the tune you made with it.
I wasn't paying much attention to synth cloning till that newer clone company started making cheap unauthorized clones based out of a place that’s very difficult to bring infringement suits against.
Great review of a classic synth. The Midi Mini sounds awesome and i really like your demo song. Great work!
Thanks Thorsten.
I remember seeing adverts for this in Contemporary Keyboard Magazine back in the day. Very cool! Thanks for the video. :)
Quite an interesting piece of history. Does sound pretty damn good.
AWESOME Demo!!!
Buy far my favourite mega grungy synth so far, keep up your fabulous work Alex.
Yeah, it's got some weight to it for sure. :)
Love that bass sound. Great stuff Alex! 🎹👍👏
Cheers Bob. It's that ladder filter for sure. Doesn't lose the bass when resonance is added.
Amazing sounds!
Ace video, love the Midi Mini and I'd have to admit I'd never heard of it before. Brilliant performance piece at the end too :-)
Killer jam. Great video
Sounds fantastic, cool video, thanks!
As with every synth the person controlling it is where the magic happens. That is one solid tune!
Thanks.
I’d say kinda…there are a lot of synths that sound pretty crummy and despite the efforts of players, they can only sound so good. Synths like this just sound phenomenal and add in a talented player it elevates that sound. Crappy sounding synth will always be a crappy sounding synth.
Excellent, quality info on all of these synths you demonstrate in your videos! I must add that your opus is the video you did on ARP! I started watching it when you released it; right before bedtime. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well that night, as the creative portion of my mind was on overdrive! LOL
I'm glad to have kept you awake. :)
Ridiculously awesome, as usual.
Studio electronics is awesome! I have 3 SE-02’s!! I plan to scoop up more if they ever get real cheap. Polychaining them is awesome. You really need at least 3 before having real fun.
Awesome sound, great demo!
Thanks Marc.
Gary human getting funky on intro...last song sounds soooo good !
very nice demo Alex
Just need a Taurus to pair it with. ;)
my god that first riff sounds enormous
Yes, Moog triple sawtooths. The original phatty.
Very good synth skills, awesome track!
So many great options to expand on the mini platform. An absolute wet dream.
A wet tangerine dream.
Wow, the MIDI Mini is aftertouch responsive!
Before I grabbed my Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue, I was frankly debating the purchase of an ATC-X, since it resembled a rackmount edition of the Source and could include other additional filters to the Moog 4012. Never owned a Studio Electronics module, but I do respect them.
I seriously don't understand a single thing. But I am obsessed with synth videos. So fascinating!
I just say "control voltage" a lot but I have no idea either. Nor does anyone else.
Just go along with it. 😉
@@AlexBallMusic Yeah right: The ring modulator gives the difference between the A and B inputs and you can then pipe that into the sample and hold while modulating the sample rate with an LFO sweeping through the lower parts if the audio range and essentially get a LO-FI downsampling vibe going on with all sorts of aliasing and artifacts happening just as if it were in the digital domain......Alex Ball.
Awesome! They nearly NAILED the sound of the Behringer D here! Well done 😄
;)
Great demo and seriously thick sounding, reminds me of a John Carpenter and Alan Howarth collaborative track
Sounds great!
Wounderful demo! Theres less than handful of people on youtube able to pull off the one synth multi-track thing. Its a tie between you and Firechild for the first place. :)
Thanks Stefan. Pontus does some great stuff, do enjoy his uploads. My personal favorite guys multi-track thing are Synthetic Machines. Have you heard their demos?
@@AlexBallMusic No, but I will check them out right now! Thanks for the tip! :)
I had the SEO1!! OMG that thing was amazing and I got the SeO2 now and she is better and a monster in a little box! I use it for Talkbox, my key bass rig and with my MPC Live!!!!! Love that analog circuitry!!!!
I played an SE-02 when it first came out and the massive sound coming out of a tiny box was pretty eye opening.
Super sweet!
😀
Sounds nice bit of kit
Hey that's a rev2!!! I just got mine in the mail last week. I bought it because of your prophet series video. I'm going to be putting together an album heavily inspired by carpenters films.
Great! You'll have a lot of fun with that I'm sure. 🙂
LOVE IT 🤩
😉
I find it very interesting that they made this in 1988, when analogue popularity had been overtaken by digital and hybrid synths. And also MiniMoogs were not that expensive on the second hand market.
Sounds very impressive though!
Rapidly became a popular bass machine for people producing house music, which happened to be exploding around the same time. First versions came with a separate rack-mounted Roland MPU-101 as the midi interface - found this out when I bought one off E-Bay and the seller had forgotten it needed the second piece (thankfully they were able to find it and send).
Demo!❤
Thanks Nik.
I have here a MIDImoog - which is the original version of this containing actual minimoog PCBs. MIDImini has clone PCBs because (I think) Moog put a stop to SE using originals
Sounds great and those added features are pretty awesome. It’d be interesting to see and hear what you think about the Poly-D though.
Not seen a Poly-D anywhere. The earlier Behringer Model-D did sound very good when I tried it a while back, although it was quite small and fiddly. Presumably the Poly is better on that front as it's a decent size.
Love my se02. Xmod!
I tried one of those a couple of years back and thought it sounded fantastic.
I thought the midimini was literally a kit for putting your minimoog circuit board into a rackmount with midi. I guess it makes sense that they made clone circuit boards.
Yes, it's a complete instrument. I'd never heard of it until last year. Curious bit of synth history.
Originally, customers brought their minimoogs to SE and they would pull the circuit boards out and build them into the rack. The cloned boards came later. If you buy a MIDI Moog or MIDI Mini, check the boards. They are interchangeable. The first versions had a 1U breakout MIDI to cv/gate, and this was later built in. It was actually a Roland MPU-101. I owned serial number 6 of the originally MIDI MOOG, used it every track for 10 years and only sold it when I bought the MINIMOOG Reissue.
The opening riff made me wonder what would it be like if someone mashed Human League's Being Boiled with Human Resource Dominator.
I have the SE 01a which s kind of a later 90s iteration of this idea. Has the same characteristically 'thick' sound. I love it ...
Have just been looking at those. The original SOS review says they licensed the oscillator, filter and VCA design from Bob Moog (who was involved at the time).
Guess that's why it sounds so good.
The SE-02 is great little synth but if they'd made it polyphonic (like the other Boutiques) and maybe with a bigger keyboard enclosure, Behringer probably wouldn't have bothered with the Poly D.
@@AlexBallMusic Supposedly the SE-1X has snappier filters but I love my SE-1
Its got a huge sound, 3 LFO, 3 Envelopes, ladder and SEM style filters.
Great for Bass, leads and FX, and the menu modulation routings for envelopes and lfo make it pretty flexible.
We are spoiled for minimoog clones these days but this ol' gal from 1994 is still worth a look imo
Se-02 😀 thank you for the video
Really like the SE-02.
Alex Ball me too, I have 2 for the moment
Studio electronics se1x, the midimini or the new prophet5 for bass ? 😃 thanks!
Feel the girth!
The music demo has first Human League albums vibes. Good job Alex. 👏
Thanks. Was going for more of a Tangerine Dream thing, but I'll take the Human League. 🙂
@@AlexBallMusic i think he mean the song black hit of space with this noise snare drum
Studio Electronics is KING of beefy bass!
Great video as usual! You always help to cut through the NOISE when SIGNALING trends. It's a SINE of things to come - with increasing FREQUENCY, manufacturers will WAVE originality in favor of ANALOGUES of old instruments. Personally, I OSCILLATE between modern and vintage, because sometimes you need to SWEEP aside the old in favor of the new. Still, one has to ATTACK every problem with a SUSTAINED concentration, and without DELAY, since creativity tends to DECAY unless it's RELEASED on a regular basis. I hope this has not been too much of a rant - sometimes, I just have no FILTER.
Oh my gosh....despite my better judgement I must commend you. Great job. 😂
Can I get these puns in rackmount format with midi?
HEE HEEE. PERFECT.
I really need to TUNE out people like you... Leaves a harsh RINGing in my ears.
Cool as ever :-) Behringer!
Given the MidiMini's origins as a minimoog in rackmount form, it's odd that Studio Electronics didn't include the 3 control inputs present on the back of the original model D.
Alex, if you put just the (very cool) song out as a "no talking" demo of the synth and I bet it will get even more views long term. As always, love your videos!
Nice. Have you still got it?
@@AlexBallMusic i sure do! i recall going to a house and purchasing it out of the garage... 🤣 IIRC they were _just_ transitioning from the Moog circuit boards to their own clones...
For non-synth savvy people, that video would sound and look like if you watch a game of cricket, but you don't know what tf cricket is all about.
Btw, Alex...just to mention that you're a F-in legend! Love your stuff mate. 🎹🎹🎹
I think this summarises things nicely: ua-cam.com/video/KQ3mdrQeTHE/v-deo.html
Amazing bass patch, do you have it available somewhere? Great video thanks
BEEN WATCHING LOT OF MIAMI VICE.. THIS WOULD GO WELL ON IT. IM GUESSING ITS A ON THE FLY EFFORT. VERY NICE.
5:25 = f-ing amazing
Are you using a Prophet as a Midi controller or it was playing along 😅?
It's different than most clone, actually I wouldnt call it a clone because what SE did back in the days is built the midimini from original Model D parts, this is an actual moog sounding machine, just midi.
with a couple of super cool extra features
My Midi Mini has authentic Moog boards inside, hence it's a Midi Moog but with the Midi Mini name.
:D ..thats what they called 'mini' back then
Hej Alex! I actually think this was no clone. It's an actual Mini put into a new box. Or was that just how it began and then transformed into using new parts?
They apparently started out as exactly that - Minimoog boards and a Roland MPU-101. They were called the "MidiMoog" which had to be changed to MidiMini.
At some point they actually started cloning the boards themselves, presumably to be able to make them in bigger quantities.
According to an old SOS review I found, the later SE-1 licensed the oscillator, filter and VCA designs from Bob Moog. Whether the MidiMini did too, I'm not certain but it certainly sounds like a Mini.
Would be interested to know what's inside this one.
@@AlexBallMusic Right! Good info. Is this an original or with new parts?
Sounds great anyway really.
Only thing might be the attack being a bit too hard compared to a Mini?
I've heard that the envelopes are not as quick on this clone?
Didn't notice them being slow but then I didn't do a direct comparison to anything else.
Don’t know about it being the most famous synth, think the SH - 101 is way up there. But I know what you mean.
Yeah, I mean in terms of it being the first performance synthesizer and the most influential. It was certainly outsold by loads of other synths as the demand and markets grew.
Synths like the SH-101 benefitted from being released in an era when components (particularly in Asia) were far more affordable and synths were manufactured and sold in the tens or even hundreds of thousands for the first time. So it became a lot of people's first synth for that reason I guess.
Alex Ball I remember seeing Vince Clarke with the SH - 101 , playing it as you would a guitar. Then went out and got one on the strength of that. Memories !
I just got informed that Behringer is going to release a copy of the Studio Electronics Midi Mini synth. A copy of a copy of a copy (*queue NIN music*).
Surprising considering they've already done the Model D and the Poly D.
@@AlexBallMusic That's the joke ;).
@@XavierRadix Haha, OK that was a bit r/woosh on my part.
Alex, are you in Bandcamp?
Cool! You are!
I’m following you now. Looks like some more great music for my collection is going to be purchased soon. Thanks!
How does it compare to some of Studio Electronics' other Minimoog clones like SE-1 and SE-1X? I like the fact that it's hands on and it doesn't have a display and such, which is something that the SE-1X has, but I'm curious what they added to the later models that they didn't have on the Midi Mini.
Not sure on either of those as I've never seen them in the flesh. They licensed designs from Bob Moog for those, so presumably they have _that_ sound too. Would be interested to find out myself.
The se-1x nova is better for basses and leads. The midimini is more organic and alive and warmer
dunno why but i find it better sounding than the mini
Pretty beefy sound, yeah.
Nice song , top skills , I used my Boog the other week after like a year not using it , and I got some good sounds from it - but again ... after an hour or so the frustrating tiny knobs made me give it up once again - Just cant use it - the knobs are so close together you keep brushing your fingers accross the next dial - the spacing on SE synth are far more practical - nice song - like your authentic 80s horror type carpenter scores
Yes. Whilst I totally understand the practical reasons for Eurorack scale, the full sized instruments are always going to be far more natural for human hands. That's one of my favourite things about vintage stuff, it always feels like a real instrument.
@@AlexBallMusic man I hear you , like those new behringer minis look so good for what? 49 a module , incredible. However they are so small. I will get the system 55 one , or say half of it as it’s so cheap. Nearly bought the poly d last night as it’s like 600 or something. It is a decent size. May buy today to cheer myself up what with all this terrible news. By way soz I slagged off justice but you know the whole clipping sound ... the crushing ... my head will never go there , yes it’s shocking and in your face but I prefer charming any day of the week , great skills on your new vid
@@justinb9387 The Behringer System 100m clones? Think they're $49 - $99 a module or something like that. I'm confused as to why they called it the "System 100" when that's a different Roland synth entirely, but anyway I imagine they'll shift a lot of units at that price.
Justice - all good. I'm not in the band. 😉
@@AlexBallMusic no no no , they have remade the system 55 - the moog 55. You are right there is also the roland one , who knows that one maybe better. The initial demo of the 55 was unflattering. I'm done with these tiny knobs though - i do have small hands lols but even for me its like flamming irrititating. I have the JP08 and I have never used it , plus it doesnt sound any good anyway - but its a case of this thing is insanely tiny. Im looking at selling loads of crap ive had lying around - unused , even my SEM ive had for a year has been unused - the reissue doesnt have much charm tbh. Though the two voice one sounds great when i heard it. This poly d , im in two minds with - it doesnt sound like a real model d - it doesnt do a creamy lead properly , but it does sort of have something good about it. Yeah Justice lols , I did some justice type tracks ( on the band wagon ) about 7/8 years ago , got it signed at the time - but i hated it , i still do hate it. Its so in your face. I've been trying to get my 'delicate' new music signed and the librarys im with dont want it lols ... justice .... ugh so in your face like LISTEN TO ME , LISTEN , I WILL FORCE YOU !!! :-)
@@justinb9387 Ah yes the 55, sorry. I've seen a couple of the Moog reissues of those in the flesh, but never played one.
On the small / full scale thing I totally agree. I've got a Roland System 100m and System 500 paired and they sonically match really nicely, but the 100m is so much easier to use once there's patch cables everywhere. You also have much more control over small changes as the sliders and knobs have more throw.
Guess it's the practicality of space / cost etc that drives forward boutiques, desktop modules, eurorack etc. A "needs must" situation.
SEM - the original 70s Oberheims are at the top of my bucket list. I had a fleeting moment with an Oberheim Eight Voice but I didn't have time to play with it properly. I was tempted by the TVS Pro when it came out but didn't have the cash and then it was discontinued.
Justice - ha. I had a thing like that about Oasis in the 90s. Used to get so frustrated that people loved them. It all seemed like bland Beatles rip offs at the time. I quite like them nowadays.
It is not a clone, it is unofficial upgraded minimoog with original minimoog boards inside)
This particular model contains cloned boards. The originals did have original boards in them as you say.
Although, SE did license patents from Bob Moog, so they're pretty legit.
This isn't a clone unless it's a very late model. SE had to stop using the MidiMoog name and switched to the MidiMini instead. Almost all of these actually have original Moog boards in them and not cloned boards. At some point towards the end of the run, SE did switch to clone boards but it was very few of the late model that contained them. They had already started to transition into full clone builds for newer synths because the original designs made it impossible to easily add patch storage and other features. This would eventually lead to the SE-1, ATC and others.
When these were first being made, you could get a mini for a couple of hundred dollars. Much cheaper to buy an old unit, pull the board, and mod it in, than to build and populate a new board by hand.
I've never seen a log of serial numbers as to which have which board though. Only way to tell is to look inside.
It also gets worse than that. Some of them have original Moog VCO boards and SE everything else. Some have SE VCO boards and Moog Filter and VCAs. Here's a link to one that is a real Frankenstein, www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=203358
For what it's worth SE still makes a Midimini v30 today, that is entirely a clone with lots of extras added.
Is that so? Will have to ask the owner as to which one this is.
I have since read that SE licensed the oscillators, filter and VCA designs from Bob Moog at the time.
By 1989, I don't know how much Moog was licensing to anyone.
It would be cool if the owner would let you take the top off and video the inside. You can likely tell the boards just by the color without removing anything. Inside shots are pretty rare and most techs have completely different experiences with what boards are in which units.
SE also reused lots of original pots on these units, along with many other parts.
I believe that as SE ran out of original parts, they started to clone boards as needed. I do know that they offered clone boards for Minimoog repairs and often used them in their own repairs. There are lots of Minis floating around with SE envelopes or VCO boards in them. I think that's part of the reason no two minis sound alike, in addition to Moog manufacturing changes and aging of parts.
its better than the moog it copy. evolution of synths, they all copy each other just like music is just reiterations of basics. love moog but they did a good job with this synth
Well, it has the Minimoog sound and adds a bunch of features, so I guess it is arguably better.
Although I've always wanted an original.
It looks like an old piece of laboratory equipment
I want to be a scientist in that lab.
When i spoke of the behringer model d not doing soft leads and nor the poly d - i compare it to someone like this guy - i love his stuff - sort of tangerine dream like - great to see an older guy doing such peaceful stuff - so dreamy - like these remakes dont do the soft soulful lead - i may just hang on till i can aford a real model d - prob best thing to do - like my recent vp330 - it does sound great but i just never use it - only once - what is it with it , it sounds ok , but i dont know , i will not use it. im not a snob , but somethings not right with it , if i had a real vp330 i prob would - check this guys stuff - ua-cam.com/video/eOrSm2APbd4/v-deo.html
Interesting to see no criticism of a company copying another here. Just saying.....Im no fan of who we are all thinking about, but I just cant stand hypocrisy.
Murky topic. One difference with SE is that they licensed the designs from Bob Moog.
However, I've owned and used lots of software emulations (and some hardware) that haven't licensed from the originals. So it would be entirely hypocritical for me to say cloning is unilaterally wrong and so that's why I've never made such a statement.
Most people's issues I know (including my own) don't relate to cloning itself. I'll probably leave it at that.
@@AlexBallMusic Ah didn't know that...BTW I hope you didn't think that I was aiming my comment at you, rather all the other comments written on other platforms, websites etc... As you can probably see i'm more of an Oberheim man myself.
@@mookmusik No I didn't think it was aimed at me. It's all good, constructive criticism is welcome anyway.
Oberheim - a story I'd love to delve into one day. A SEM based synth is a bit if a holy grail in my eyes. I see one in your profile pic. Lovely.
It's 3K$ -.-
Something like $2,800. Yes.
There's the Roland SE-02 for $399 or the Behringer Model-D for $299.
@@AlexBallMusic Would they be the same thing?
@@klaustelenius Never sat them side by side by the SE-02 sounded massive when I tried it in a shop a couple of years back. The Behringer Model-D has had pretty solid reviews and I thought it sounded good when I tried it. My only criticism of these two is they're really small and fiddly. But then they're 10% the price of a Minimoog reissue or a Studio Electronics version.
6th
Was mainly using 5ths. 😉
Studio Electronics just reissued the Midimini!
They did indeed, the V30. Looks to be updated and the ergonomics sorted.