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Vintage synths & drum machines
Vintage Synthesizers

Moog · Analog monosynth · Pre-MIDI classics

Moog Taurus I

The Taurus is a synthesizer you play with your feet. Moog Music brought it out in the mid-1970s, and the original model, now called the Taurus I, ran until 1981. It has 13 pedals, two oscillators and Moog's 24 dB low-pass filter. Three preset sounds are called Tuba, Bass and Taurus, and a fourth is yours to set with knobs under a removable plastic cover. Big foot sliders on each side control filter cutoff and volume, and latching foot switches handle glide, decay and octave. Rush, Genesis, Yes, U2 and the Police used them, and Phil Collins took the sound to Top 40 radio with I Don't Care Anymore. The 1981 Taurus II is a different instrument, with 18 pedals and the Rogue's circuitry, and Sound On Sound rates it well below the original. Moog's 2010 Taurus 3 was a limited run of 1,000 modeled closely on the first one, with MIDI and USB added. Count the pedals in the photos so you know which one you're buying.

Spec at a glance

Brand
Moog
Type
Analog monosynth
Made
1975–1981
Voices
Monophonic
Keys
13 pedals
MIDI
No (pre-MIDI)

What to check before you buy

Sound On Sound calls the pedal contacts the Taurus's Achilles heel, because they pick up grime. That shows up as pedals that trigger unreliably or notes that hold on longer than they should.

  1. 01Pedal count: Count the pedals in the photos. A Taurus I has 13, and 18 means a Taurus II.
  2. 02Every pedal: Ask the seller for a video pressing each pedal in turn on the Bass preset. Each note should start cleanly and stop when the foot comes off.
  3. 03Presets: Ask for a clip of the Tuba, Bass and Taurus presets and the user sound. All four should sound distinct and full.
  4. 04Foot sliders: Ask the seller to sweep both foot sliders slowly while holding a note. Filter and volume should move smoothly, with no crackle or dropouts.
  5. 05Foot switches: Ask for a clip switching glide, decay and octave on and off. Each switch should change the sound when pressed.
  6. 06User cover: Look for the plastic cover over the user-sound knobs in the photos. It's removable, so ask whether it's included.

Find one on eBay

We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay for it and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a video of every voice and a note of anything that’s been serviced or replaced.

Search “Moog Taurus bass pedals” on eBay ↗eBay search

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