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The Moog synthesizer was one of the first widely used electronic musical instruments.
Robert Moog created the first playable modern configurable music synthesizer in 1963, and showed it at the AES convention in 1964. It sometimes took hours to set up the machine for a new sound. It is believed the first record to feature a Moog synthesizer was Cosmic Sounds by The Zodiac. The first mainstream music album to feature the record was Pisces, Aqaurius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. by The MonkeesThe Monkees were a four-person band who appeared in an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. History of the series The television show first aired on September 12, 1966 on the American NBC television network and. Wendy CarlosWendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos November 14, 1939) American composer and electronic musician. Carlos was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Wendy Carlos was one of the first famous performers of electronic music using synthesisers. Her first recordings wer (then Walter Carlos) released two major Moog albums in 1968: Switched-On BachSwitched On Bach is a 1968 album by Wendy Carlos (then named "Walter Carlos") on CBS Records. It was the first record to popularise music performed on synthesizers, and resulted in a huge increase in interest in synthesizers, particularly Moog synthesizer and The well-tempered synthesizer. The former earned Carlos three grammys.
Robert Moog set up a company to manufacture and market his synthesizers. Unlike the few other 1960s synthesizer manufacturers, Moog shipped a piano-style keyboardThe musical keyboard also known as the piano keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers on a musical instrument which produce notes. Many musical instruments which have a key for each note lay them out in the standard way shown in the graphic: the as the standard user interface to his synthesizers.
Moog also established standards for analog synthesizer control interfacing, with a logarithmic 1-volt-per-octave pitch control and a separate pulse triggering signal.
The first instruments were modular synthesizersThe modular synthesizer is an early type of synthesizer consisting of separate modules which must be connected by wires to create a so called patch. These synthesizers are very flexible. Instead of audio, every output generates a voltage (or a current).. In 1971 Moog broke into the mass market with the MinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Robert Moog. Released in 1970, It was among the first widely available, portable and relatively affordable synthesizers. The Minimoog has four sound sources: three voltage-controlled oscillators Model D, an all-in-one instrument. The Minimoog was a 44 key scaled-down version of Moog's custom modular synths and featured 3 oscillators with six choosable waveshapes, an oscillator mixer, and a pitch wheel and a modulation wheel. The third oscillator could also function as an LFO (low frequency oscillator). The Minimoog attained and remained the status of "the ultimate monophonicMonophonic can mean: In music, see: Texture (music). In recorded audio, a recording with only one channel. Compare: stereophonic, quadrophonic. In synthesizers, capable of only sounding one voice, or note, at a time. Compare: polyphonic. Also related, see synthesizer" during the 70s.
Another widely used and extremely popular synth of Moog's was the Taurus bass pedal synthesizer. Released in 1974, these pedals were similar in design to organ pedals , but triggered bass synth sounds, instead. They were known for their huge, "fat" bass sound and were used by musicians such as Rush, U2, Yes, The Police, and many others. Production of these amazing synths was discontinued in 1981.
Eventually, digital synthesizers began to replace their analog counterparts. However, since the mid-1990s they have seen a resurgence in popularity and are now highly sought after and prized for their "retro" sound. As of 2004, more than 15 companies are making Moog-style synthesizer modules.
The company making the Moog synthesizers went through various changes of ownership, eventually being bought out by musical instrument manufacturer Norlin. Norlin produced a number of synthesizers under the Moog name, but they were less successful than Moog's own designs. Moog Music closed its doors in 1986.
After leaving his namesake firm, Bob Moog started making electronic musical instruments again, with a new company, Big Briar. Their first specialty was theremins, yet by 2000 Big Briar was producing synthesizer modules again. Moog managed to buy back the Moog Music name in 2003 and is producing a new version of the Minimoog called the Minimoog Voyager. The Voyager features all of the above in regards to the model D, as well as a variable waveshape controller, dedicated LFO, FM capabilities with oscillator 3, and expansion capabilities via the Moogerfooger effects and the VX-351 Voyager Expander.