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Summary of Contents for Moog MESSENGER
- Page 1 MESSENGER MESSENGER USER’S MANUAL...
- Page 3 Musical instruments have always, from the very beginning of human history, used the most advanced technology of their time. Musicians need advanced technology that’s appropriate. DR. ROBERT MOOG...
- Page 4 UNPACKING AND INSPECTION SETUP AND CONNECTIONS MESSENGER OVERVIEW PLAYING MESSENGER KEYBOARD AND LEFT-HAND CONTROLLER LOADING AND EXPLORING SOUNDS CREATING AND SAVING SOUNDS SYNTHESIZING WITH MESSENGER GETTING STARTED BUILDING A SOUND SHAPING A SOUND SAVING A SOUND ASSIGNING MODULATION MESSENGER CONTROLS...
- Page 5 50 or 60 cycles (Hz). NOTE: Messenger is an analog instrument and should be allowed 10-15 minutes to warm up before use. In cases where it has been left in a cold car overnight, for example, it may take as long as 25 minutes before oscillator tuning has stabilized.
- Page 6 KEYBOARD AND LEFT-HAND CONTROLLER Messenger has a keyboard of 32 keys covering 2 ½ octaves which can be transposed up to 2 octaves above or below its default keyboard range using the KB OCTAVE switches. With oscillators set to 8’ and the keyboard in its default range (KB OCTAVE switches unlit) the lowest C (Do) corresponds to Middle C (C4 –...
- Page 7 - the PITCH of all three oscillators, the CUTOFF of the filter, or the AMPlitude (i.e. volume) of Messenger. PITCH WHEEL - Bends notes by detuning all oscillators up or down by a predetermined amount.
- Page 8 LOADING AND EXPLORING SOUNDS Messenger contains 16 banks of 16 presets and comes with 240 pre-programmed factory presets in banks 1-15. Bank 16 is reserved for your own user presets. The PROGRAMMER is found above the keyboard and primarily consists of program buttons 1-16 as well as the six buttons on the right (SETTINGS/BANK/PATCH/SAVE/SEQ/ARP) to modify operation of the PGM 1-16 buttons.
- Page 9 Pressing the PANEL button on the right of Messenger will override any patch settings and revert Messenger to the settings currently expressed by the knobs and switches on the front panel. This is a great starting point for creating new sounds since all panel controls will visually align with their current setting.
- Page 10 The fundamental building block of sound on a synthesizer like Messenger is an oscillator. An oscillator creates a repeating shape that our ears hear and our brains interpret as a stable pitch. Press a key and you will hear OSCILLATOR 1 –...
- Page 11 Let’s set the SUB WAVE to the same square shape as OSCILLATOR 1 (which on the SUB WAVE control appears around 10:30). Messenger contains two independent oscillators since layering two tones and having them play with each other can create far richer sounds than with just a single oscillator. Raise OSC 2’s level in the MIXER and play with the OCTAVE and WAVESHAPE controls to hear the effect of layering tones on top of each other.
- Page 12 RESONANCE. This has been a characteristic of the legendary Moog ladder filter for over sixty years. The filter on Messenger is the same, but we’ve developed a new way to preserve the low-end if you so desire by engaging the RES BASS switch. Turn up RESONANCE to noon to...
- Page 13 SYSTEM KEYBOARD REAR PANEL AND CONNECTIONS AUDIO OUT – 6.5mm/¼” TS output containing the line level main output of Messenger with its volume set by the VOLUME control. HEADPHONES – 6.5mm/¼” TRS output for headphones. EXT IN – 6.5mm/¼” TS external audio input, which is mixed with the MIXER output at a level set by the FB/EXT IN control and sent to the FILTER.
- Page 14 POWER – Power is supplied to Messenger via included 12V DC power supply. OSCILLATORS Messenger features a powerful dual oscillator section for creating a wide range of tones – from cutting bass sounds to FM bells and growling leads. Both of Messenger’s OSCILLATORS can be independently set to traditional waveshapes like triangle, sawtooth, and pulse, or wavefolded using the unique diode- transistor hybrid wavefolder design from the Moog Labyrinth.
- Page 15 WAVESHAPE - Sets the waveshape of OSCILLATOR 1/2. A clean triangle wave is achievable around 11 o’clock (triangle symbol on the panel control). Turning WAVESHAPE counter-clockwise from triangle increasingly folds the triangle wave using a unique diode-transistor hybrid wavefolder. Turning WAVESHAPE clockwise from triangle blends to a sawtooth wave (noon), square wave (around 1 o’clock), and narrows the pulse width to around 2% at fully clockwise.
- Page 16 MIXER The MIXER brings together Messenger’s two primary oscillators, sub oscillator, and a noise generator. Unlike some other Moog mixer designs, this mixer does not saturate – each channel is at clean unity gain when set fully clockwise. OSC 1 - Sets the level of OSCILLATOR 1.
- Page 17 FILTER The FILTER allows for tonal shaping of the sound coming from the MIXER. Messenger uses a unique filter design never before seen on a Moog instrument - a twist on the legendary transistor ladder filter capable of highpass/bandpass modes in addition to the traditional lowpass mode via creative mixing of the filter pole outputs.
- Page 18 RES BASS - In the classic design of the Moog transistor ladder filter from the 1960s, bass content in the filter would be attenuated as the RESONANCE control was increased. With the RES BASS switch disengaged this behavior is preserved. Engaging RES BASS utilizes the distinct twist in the ladder filter design used by Messenger to preserve bass content in the filter as RESONANCE is increased.
- Page 19 RELEASE - Sets the length of time it takes for the envelope to fall from its current value to zero after a key is released. MULTI-TRIG – Messenger’s envelopes respond by default in the same way as the Minimoog Model D when playing legato – they will not retrigger until all keys have been depressed.
- Page 20 Only one AMPLITUDE ENVELOPE modulation routing may be programmed this way per patch. OUTPUT VOLUME - Sets the volume level of Messenger’s output signal at the AUDIO OUT output jack. PANEL - When engaged, Messenger’s synthesis engine will reflect the position of all physical panel controls, ignoring any presets loaded.
- Page 21 LFO 1 is found in the top-left of Messenger and is a flexible modulation source which can be routed to multiple destinations. LFO 2 is a triangle-wave modulation source and lives in the Left- Hand Controller (see KEYBOARD AND LEFT-HAND CONTROLLER above).
- Page 22 Hold down a chord and the ARPEGGIATOR will play the notes of that chord back in a configurable pattern at a time determined by TEMPO. Pressing the ARP button on the right of Messenger allows you to use the PGM 1-16 buttons to program a rhythm, while arpeggiation pattern, octave range, and more are configured in SETTINGS.
- Page 23 LENGTH. SEQUENCER OPERATION Each PATCH on Messenger contains a single sequence of up to 64 steps. To record a sequence, first switch DIRECTION to SEQ. » Press RECORD to enter record mode. As you play notes on the keyboard those notes will be indexed note by note into the sequencer.
- Page 24 The PROGRAMMER consists of the 16 PGM buttons in the center and six buttons on the right of Messenger. These controls allow you to do anything from browse banks and presets, edit sequences, and configure deeper programmatic options on Messenger.
- Page 25 SAVE – Enables saving of the current patch. Refer to CREATING AND SAVING SOUNDS above for a breakdown of how to save patches. SEQ – Puts the PGM 1-16 buttons into sequencer mode, with each 1-16 button (in combination with the PAGE switch) representing a step of the current sequence. Press again to set SEQ blinking which enters the sequencer PARAM RECORD mode.
- Page 26 Ascending order Down Descending order Order Played in order played on the keyboard Non-Serial Random Random order but notes may sequentially repeat Leapfrog Up +2 -1 Ascending order in pattern of two steps up, one step down Leapfrog Down –2 +1 Descending pattern of two steps down, one step up Inner ->...
- Page 27 3 – GATE LENGTH - Selects a gate length for the SEQ/ARP. Gate lengths are selectable either continuously via TEMPO knob or in discrete levels via the PGM 1-16 buttons. Button 1 represents a gate length of 6.25%, button 8 a gate length of 50%, and button 16 a gate length of 100%.
- Page 28 8 – SWING – Adds swing to the sequence, shifting off beats a bit later with SWING above 50% or a bit earlier with SWING below 50%. SWING of 50% represents no swing. Saved per-patch. 9 – CLOCK DIV – Selects a clock division for SEQ/ARP playback. Division is applied to master clock set by TEMPO, MIDI clock, or incoming analog clock via CLOCK IN.
- Page 29 Saved per-patch. 14 – EXPRESSION - Expression pedal (via EXPRESSION input on rear of Messenger) selectable as a modulation source which can be routed to modulate a panel control. See KB S+H above for modulation assignment procedure.
- Page 30 16 - CONFIG - Enters CONFIG view, offering further configuration settings such as control ranges, glide behavior, MIDI configuration, and more. Press SETTINGS and then PGM button 16 (CONFIG) to enter the CONFIG view. The CONFIG setting to edit is selected by a combination of the PAGE toggle and the PGM 1-16 buttons.
- Page 31 LOCATION GLOBAL/ NAME DESCRIPTION PER-PATCH (PAGE, PGM) PGM 1 = Relative Knob Modes Global PGM 2 = Snap PGM 3 = Pass Thru PGM 1 = Use Preset Volume On (lit) Off (unlit) Preset Global PGM 2 = Use Preset Mod Wheel Setting On (lit) Off (unlit) Exclusion PGM 3 = Use Preset KB Octave On (lit) Off (unlit) PGM 1 = Reset at PLAY...
- Page 32 Patches on your computer as .syx files may be sent to Messenger via a program such as SysEx Librarian. Once the SysEx file has been sent the preset will be active on Messenger but you will have to save it via the SAVE button for later recall.
- Page 33 The Warranty Period is one year from the date of purchase. If, in Moog’s determination, it has been over five years since the product shipped from our factory, it will be at Moog’s discretion whether to honor the warranty regardless of the purchase date. During the Warranty Period, any defective products will be repaired or replaced, at Moog’s option, on a return-to-factory basis.
- Page 34 APPENDIX A: MIDI NAME TRANSMIT RECEIVE NOTES BASIC INFORMATION MIDI Channels 1--16 1--16 Note Numbers 0--127 0--127 Program Change 1--128 1--128 Bank Select Response Modes Supported: Mode 1: Omni-On, Poly Mode 2: Omni-On, Mono Mode 3: Omni-Off, Poly Mode 4: Omni-Off, Mono Multi Mode Note-On Velocity Note-Off Velocity...
- Page 35 NAME TRANSMIT RECEIVE NOTES RPN 04 (Tuning Bank Select) RPN 05 (Modulation Depth Range) MIDI TIMING AND SYNCHRONISATION MIDI Clock Song Position Pointer Song Select Start Continue Stop MIDI Time Code MIDI Machine Control MIDI Show Control EXTENSIONS COMPATIBILITY General MIDI Compatible (Level(s)/No) Is GM default power up mode (Level / DLS Compatible (Level(s) / No) DLS File (Type(s) / No)
- Page 36 NAME TRANSMIT RECEIVE NOTES OSC 2 - Cutoff Amount MIN TO MAX (0 to 16383) Filter Resonance MIN TO MAX (0 to 16383) [-]MAX TO [+]MAX (0 to 16383 Filter EG Amount BIPOLAR; 8192 = 0 AMOUNT) Filter EG Attack MIN TO MAX (0 to 16383) Filter EG Decay MIN TO MAX (0 to 16383)
- Page 37 NAME TRANSMIT RECEIVE NOTES 0-63 = SINGLE TRIG; 64-127 = Multitrig MULTITRIG LFO 2 - Pitch 0-63 = OFF; 64-127 = ON LFO 2 - Cutoff 0-63 = OFF; 64-127 = ON LFO 2 - Amp 0-63 = OFF; 64-127 = ON...
- Page 38 Devoted to the Development and Manufacture of Electronic Instruments for the Musician Devoted to the Development and Manufacture of Electronic Instruments for the Musician...
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