MOTM

I used to work on synths as well, many years ago I was the service 
manager of a chain of music stores.  Some minis sounded really good 
and some did not.  The circuitry was exactly the same.  I would say 
that the filter was the main component in the sound but there were 
certainly other factors as well. 
 
On the ergonomics issue, I think the MOTM is very user friendly.  
The controls are well labelled and the jacks are out of the way 
except of course when draped with patchcords.  Many of the older 
modulars, by contrast, were illogically laid out and there was 
almost nothing to differentiate one function from another visually. 
 
I think what some would like to see is a layout where signal flow 
was obvious visually.  While this works in the mini and many other 
nonmodular synths, the very nature of a modular synthesizer 
prohibits this as signal flow could go anywhere.  I have found that 
it helps to cluster like modules into groups, but some may prefer to 
scatter VCAs or EGs, mixers and the like because they can be used 
anywhere along the signal flow, but really almost any module can be 
placed anywhere in the signal path.

In comparing the MOTM to a mini, one of the things I like about the 
MOTM is that every oscillator sounds the same and as some know I 
have gone to extremes to make sure they all track the same as well.  

It might be possible to make a sort of monster mini with programming 
by laying out a large panel as logically as possible, tying the 
controls to A/D converters, and replacing the pots and switches in 
the circuitry with analog switches and voltage controlled resistors 
controlled by D/A converters.  The whole thing could be 
programmable, you could have presets, and you could have a very 
logical intuitive layout as well, but it would no longer be a 
modular synth and I certainly wouldn't want to tackle the design, 
although it is interesting to think about.  Kind of like the 
Andromeda, but single voiced and with more controls to play with.