Moog DFAM: build a kit
15 drum sounds this box makes on its own, in the order to build them.
Record each hit with the sampler, recorder, or DAW you use.
Routing — Plays its own 8-step analog sequencer. Clock it at ADV / CLOCK — one step per rising edge, and the TEMPO knob is then ignored.
This block draws on the Moog DFAM Owner’s Manual, pp.13-20; its values are starting points.
1KICK 1Square kick with the pitch envelope doing the whole thump
Routing — No patch cable: the VCO envelope is normalled to both oscillators and VCO 1 EG AMOUNT is the only thing that decides how far the pitch falls
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY22% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL82% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF320Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY90ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT26% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY26% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY16% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT46% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME76% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as KICK 1.
2KICK 2Triangle kick, filter almost shut, the tail allowed to ring
Routing — p.19: at 12 o'clock the VCF decay "is useful for allowing the decay of kick drums, toms, and other sounds to ring through naturally"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY18% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 1 LEVEL86% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF180Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE22% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY260ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT14% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY36% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY22% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT32% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME74% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as KICK 2.
3KICK 3Kick with noise shaking the filter, mixer pushed into clipping
Routing — p.16 warns that high mixer levels "produce a more aggressive and clipped sound" on this all-analog path — here that is the point
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL95% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL28% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF420Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE58% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY120ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT34% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY28% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY14% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT52% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME78% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as KICK 3.
4SNARE 1Snare from noise over a short square body, high-passed
Routing — p.16: the white noise generator is "useful for creating snare drums and high-hats, and also for adding depth and attack to pitched percussion sounds"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY52% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL76% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF420Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY90ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT30% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY14% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT26% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME72% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as SNARE 1.
5SNARE 2Snare with the body thinned right out and the noise on top
Routing — p.17: high-pass mode is "ideal for crafting bright, thin, or snappier sounds"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY58% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 1 LEVEL24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL84% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF900Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY60ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT22% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY12% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT20% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME70% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as SNARE 2.
6CLAP 1Clap: noise only, fast attack, decay just long enough to have a body
Routing — p.21: a VCA decay around 9 o'clock is "useful for creating short blips, hits, and claps where a small portion of the body of a sound is desirable"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL92% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF700Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE38% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY70ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT34% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY22% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD44% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME74% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as CLAP 1.
7TOM 1Triangle tom with the drum-head punch p.15 describes
Routing — p.13: the triangle wave is "useful for crafting organic percussion sounds like toms or marimbas". p.15 puts the VCO decay at 9-10 o'clock for "the punch that occurs when a drum head is hit with a drum stick or beater"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY36% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 1 LEVEL88% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF900Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY240ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT16% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY38% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT34% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME72% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as TOM 1.
8TOM 2Tom with an exaggerated pitch spike and noise on the attack
Routing — p.16: "larger values will result in more exaggerated and extreme sounds". The noise is p.16's other use for that channel — "adding depth and attack to pitched percussion sounds"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY40% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 1 LEVEL80% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF1400Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE40% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY150ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT28% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT64% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME74% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as TOM 2.
9CLOSED HAT 1Tight hat: noise, high-passed, the shortest decay on the knob
Routing — p.15 puts SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF for "droning and non-pitched percussion sounds like high-hats"; p.21 calls the minimum VCA decay "ideal for crafting short sounds with sharp attacks, such as tight hi-hats"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY64% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL12% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL88% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF3200Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE26% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY30ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT18% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY8% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD24% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME66% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as CLOSED HAT 1.
10OPEN HAT 1The same hat with the amplifier let go, so it rings instead of ticking
Routing — One knob apart from the closed hat, which is what "open" means on a box with one voice: p.21's VCA decay is the whole difference
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY64% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL12% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL88% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF3000Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE28% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY240ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT16% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY42% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD26% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME66% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as OPEN HAT 1.
11RIDE 1Cymbal sizzle: noise on the filter, long decay, nothing pitched
Routing — p.20: modulating cutoff from the noise generator is "useful for adding sizzle to cymbal sounds"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY70% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL18% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY76% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 2 LEVEL18% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL78% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF4200Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY900ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT12% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY58% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCON
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD66% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME64% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as RIDE 1.
12METALLIC 1Hard sync and FM together: the sharp, clangorous end of this box
Routing — p.14: hard sync is "useful for creating sharp, metallic, and flange-like sounds", and the page says the two oscillator interactions "can be utilized individually or at the same time"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY46% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL40% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY72% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 2 LEVEL72% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF1200Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE42% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY140ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT30% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY26% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY18% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT38% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 2
- HARD SYNCON
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT58% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME70% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as METALLIC 1.
13METALLIC 2Oscillator 2 patched into the filter, so pitch shakes the cutoff
Routing — p.20's TIP verbatim: "Try patching out of VCO 2 into the VCF MOD input. With the NOISE / VCF MOD knob set at maximum, listen to how the Pitch of Oscillator 2 affects the sound of the Filter."
- OUT · VCO 2IN · VCF MOD
Replaces white noise as the filter’s modulation source, so oscillator 2’s pitch shakes the cutoff instead
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY42% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL58% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY78% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 2 LEVEL44% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFHP
- CUTOFF1600Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE56% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY180ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT22% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY30% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT30% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD100% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME70% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as METALLIC 2.
- OUT · VCO 2IN · VCF MOD
14NOISE 1Noise alone, with the filter shaken by the same generator
Routing — p.20: modulating cutoff from noise gives "dirty, distorted, or lo-fi sounds"
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL100% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF2600Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE62% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCF DECAY320ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT-24% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY34% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODOFF
SEQ PITCH MOD at OFF leaves it unpitched
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD88% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME68% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as NOISE 1.
15IMPACT 1One hit with everything open: the loudest thing this box does
Routing — p.21 at 10 o'clock is "ideal for short, but hard-hitting thumps"; the resonance here is p.18's self-oscillation territory, which adds a sine on top of the hit
- VCO 1 FREQUENCY20% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 WAVESQUARE
- VCO 1 LEVEL96% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 FREQUENCY50% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 2 WAVETRIANGLE
- VCO 2 LEVEL0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / EXT LEVEL46% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCFLP
- CUTOFF700Hz(20…20000 Hz)
- RESONANCE78% travel(0…100 % travel)
Past 3 o’clock in LP it self-oscillates
- VCF DECAY420ms(10…10000 ms)
- VCF EG AMOUNT44% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCA EGFAST
- VCA DECAY46% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO DECAY26% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VCO 1 EG AMOUNT70% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- VCO 2 EG AMOUNT0% travel from centre(-100…100 % travel from centre)
- SEQ PITCH MODVCO 1&2
- HARD SYNCOFF
- 1→2 FM AMOUNT0% travel(0…100 % travel)
- NOISE / VCF MOD36% travel(0…100 % travel)
- VOLUME82% travel(0…100 % travel)
Record one hit with your recorder as IMPACT 1.
Not in this kit
Bring rim from another box or a sample library.