4 Minimoog VSTs That Perfectly Replicate the Original

For over 50 years, the Minimoog Model D has stood as one of the most iconic and recognizable analog synths of all time. But vintage instruments are hard to come by. And while modern reissues are available, the heavy price tag makes them inaccessible for most home studios.

Thankfully, several companies have made software recreations of this legendary instrument. This post will go over the best Minimoog VSTs and plugins available right now.

At a Glance: The Best Minimoog VSTs and Plugins

The college I attended had a vintage Minimoog in the music studio. I quickly fell in love with its huge, warm sound, and I’ve been looking for something like it ever since. In my quest, I’ve found these digital Minimoog alternatives.

1. UAD Moog Minimoog — Top Pick

If you’re looking for a Minimoog VST, why not go with the official release?

The UAD Moog Minimoog was co-developed by Universal Audio and Moog Music. Can’t get any more official than that!

It faithfully recreates the iconic warm sounds of the original instrument, down to all the subtle nuances and imperfections. Craft sounds from scratch, or browse all the presets to find your new favorite leads and basses.

On top of that, the UI looks and acts just like the original too. If you used a Minimoog back in the day, you’ll feel right at home with this plugin.

The one major downside with UAD Minimoog is it lacks polyphonic support. So you’re stuck playing mono lines.

You can find more of my thoughts in my UAD Minimoog Review.

2. Arturia Mini V3 — Also Great

As the oldest plugin on this list, the Arturia Mini V has long been one of the best Minimoog VSTs available. It’s an incredibly faithful emulation of the original Minimoog, while adding a few quality of life features. And with the current V3 version, it’s better than ever.

The Arturia team has done an amazing job of recreating the Minimoog’s oscillators and filters. As a result, the V3 sounds just like the real thing.

It also comes with some welcome enhancements over the original. For starters, it offers standalone LFO modulation. This allows for effects like vibrato to work independently from the oscillators, freeing them up for more sound design.

The Mini V also comes with additional effects, such as talkbox FX, chorus, and independently adjustable stereo delay channels.

These new features don’t distract from the original spirit of the Minimoog. They’re nice to have, but you can ignore them altogether if you’d like.

All in all, the Arturia Mini V is incredibly versatile and has some obvious advantages over the original. It gives you all the tools you need to create everything from classic analog basslines to modern electronic music.

3. Cherry Audio Miniverse — Budget Pick

Cherry Audio’s Miniverse is a great option for budget-minded musicians. It offers a great balance of authenticity and modern features while maintaining an affordable price tag.

Here are some of the things that make Miniverse great:

• Amazing sound — Miniverse is one of the most accurate and faithful Minimoog emulations on the market. You can craft anything like phat analog basses, etherial pads, and modern electronic leads.
• Added polyphony — The classic synth only offered monophonic sound. Miniverse adds up to 16-note polyphony.
• 250+ presets — Miniverse comes with a wide variety of factory presets to help you get the creative juices flowing right away.

Beyond all that, Miniverse is one of the most affordable Minimoog emulations on the market today. It’s a great option for those who want to get the classic Minimoog sound right away without buying expensive upsells or bundles.

4: Native Instruments Monark — Bonus Pick

Monark isn’t a standalone VST, so I didn’t include it in the top 3. It requires either the Reaktor or Reaktor Player plugin from Native Instruments.

Like the other synths on this list, Monark doesn’t hide its inspiration. Everything in the UI looks and feels like the original Minimoog.

It sounds incredibly faithful too. And it even includes presets that recreate sounds from iconic songs.

• Speaking of presets, you can get more use out of Monark thanks to Native Instruments’ Expansions. Check out our Byte Riot review for an in-depth look at one of those expansions.

But to be honest, it’s not worth buying on its own. The real value is getting it with one of the Komplete bundles, which include dozens of other virtual instruments, plugins, and presets.

If you’ve bought a version of Komplete in the past several years, congratulations! You probably already have Monark.

If not, do yourself a favor and get Komplete.

Why We Picked These Minimoog VSTs

If you search for “best Minimoog VSTs”, you’ll see huge lists filled with lots of virtual analog synths — some of which, while great, aren’t the exact emulations you’re probably searching for.

We wanted to feature true virtual replicas of the Minimoog Model D. That means they had to:

• Sound just like the original
• Have the same oscillators and filters
• Look and function like a Model D

Each of the four synths on this list undeniably scream “Minimoog” in their presentation. Not only do they sound like it, but they also feature a GUI that closely resembles the Model D’s layout. So if you know your way around a Minimoog, you’ll be right at home with any of these plugins.

Other virtual synths and VSTs, while Moog-like, either over-simplify or over-complicate what many consider a perfect instrument.

Which Minimoog VST Should You Get?

Honestly, any one of these Minimoog VSTs will do the trick. The differences are subtle, and so your decision will come down to budget and software needs.

• UAD Minimoog: Get the UAD plugin if you want a true one-to-one alternative to the original Minimoog. It features the same design and comes the absolute closest to replicating the Model D’s sound.
• Arturia Mini V3: Pick up the Mini V if you want a close Minimoog sound with some modern features. If you’re interested in other classic synths, get it with the Arturia V Collection.
• Cherry Audio Miniverse: Get this if all you need is a budget-friendly version of the Minimoog and you’re not interested in any bundles or upsells.
• Native Instruments Monark: Don’t get this plugin by itself. Get it as part of a Komplete 14 bundle. You can compare each version of Komplete 14 here.

Our Favorite Minimoog VST: UAD Minimoog

You can’t go wrong with any one of these plugins. But for what it’s worth, I like the UAD Minimoog best. Here’s why:

• UAD Minimoog was co-developed by Moog Music itself.
• As a result, it has the most genuine Minimoog sound out of everything here.
• The dedicated LFO opens up additional sound design possibilities.

Want More Virtual Synths? Try the Arturia V Collection

While you can get the Mini V plugin as a standalone product, you’ll get the most value by picking it up with the Arturia V Collection. 

The bundle contains 30+ virtual instruments, most of which are digital recreations of classic synths and keyboards. In my opinion, it’s one of the best deals in music production right now.