Mini V3

In the 1960s, synthesizers were large machines that very few musicians could afford, let alone play. This all began to change in 1970 when Moog Music released the Minimoog, a cheaper and more intuitive instrument that was also portable (compared to their previous machines which were stuck in a few studios). The rest is history, as the Minimoog was employed by a wide array of musicians and helped revolutionize genres such as progressive rock, disco, pop, electronica, ambient, new wave, techno, and hip-hop; it became the most famous synthesizer in the history of music.

Many musicians today are still amazed by the Minimoog’s warm analog sound. If you want to integrate the synth into your music productions, then you don’t necessarily have to buy the machine; there are many Minimoog emulation plugins, and the Mini V3 is one of the most faithful replicas.

Since Arturia designed their Mini V in collaboration with Robert Moog, it’s no wonder that this emulation looks so much like the original. On the interface, you can find an oscillator bank with three oscillators, a mixer with various controls (including noise volume), a filter section, and a section for loudness contour. When you expand the interface, you get plenty of new features that make the Mini V3 a proper virtual analog experience.

You can create chord patterns from the LFO/ARP section or from the Motion Recording section, where you can actually shape your music with a few drawing tools. You also have a modulation matrix and a section that allows you to add three effects: delay, chorus, and a complex vocal filter.

If you’re still new to the world of synths, the Mini V3 comes with a few tutorials that will help you understand the basics of the interface, and even a few techniques for creating classic sounds. The presets show the instrument’s versatility and capabilities, and while browsing through them and playing them, you realize that the Mini V3 is so much more than an emulation.