[sdiy] Moog ladder filter transistor matching and recommendation for new DMM

[anthony]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but when you match transistors for 
a Moog-style ladder filter, are you just matching them in pairs?

I was wondering what would stop me from, say using NTE42's at the top and 
bottom and NTE44's (or whichever of those NTE parts that has a common base) 
for the "rungs"?

My one guess would be that the hFE is too high in these transistors since 
the 3046 doesn't have a super-high hFE and the NTE42 is pretty high.

My other one guess would be that the NTE44 isn't matched well enough: I 
don't think they are actually monolithic. Stimmt dass?

Maybe I will just have to break down and buy a new DMM. My trusty old 
Micronta has just been dropped and stepped on too many times. The last time 
I stepped on it, it broke the PCB right where the rotary switch contacts 
are. I did some intricate PCB surgery, but it has never been the same since 
(Integrating the switch into the PCB was a bad design choice). But any piece 
of gear that will last 21 years for me is a good thing. But quality in Radio 
Shack tools has gone down so much in those intervening years, I will not be 
purchasing a new DMM from them especially not for the prices they are 
asking.

It's been tough finding one that has all of the features I want for the 
price I want. I'd like to have inductance & capacitance and a transistor 
checker in the deal as well. I wish I could still get one of those 
transistor checkers from Radio Shack. Mine got trashed in a basement flood. 
I tried putting it back together, but it won't work. If I just knew what the 
little transformer inside its specs, I could replace that. It was pretty 
good for matching transistors.

I'd like a resistance range out to 100 MOhm - actually I would prefer that 
one in an analog meter. Maybe I can find a good accurate VTVM with a 
precision Ohms scale.

Ideas for what to look out for on eBay, both analog and digital. Maybe an 
analog meter with a precise enough scale would be better for transistor 
matching too?

cheers,
aa