The Moog Synthesizer was one of the first modular voltage-controlled synthesizers and amplifiers, originally designed by Robert Moog.
Robert Moog’s synthesizers were the first to completely enable individuals to create and control electronic music. His initial prototype consisted of two voltage-controlled oscillators and a voltage-controlled amplifier. The first oscillator permitted users to modify a generated sound’s pitch through varying control of the voltage, which could then be modulated by the second oscillator to produce effects such as tremolo.
It’s the 60th anniversary of the first Moog Synthesizer. Electronic sound synthesizers already existed at that time but they were the size of entire rooms. Moog, a fan of the theremin – the 1920s touchless electronic instrument – experimented with adding amplifiers to the synthesizer’s oscillators to create a more portable version of the machine.
In addition to being the first portable modular synth, it was also one of the first affordable ones. Well, sort of. The original Moog Synthesizer cost $10,000 in 1964. After adjusting for inflation, that’s approximately $100,000 in today’s dollars. So, it wasn’t exactly affordable, but it was significantly less expensive than its competitors, which would have cost millions of dollars in today’s market.
The first client was British-American composer Eric Siday, who had commissioned Moog to create it for him and requested the addition of a keyboard. Other composers interested in experimenting with electronic music continued to commission Moog and asked for extra filter features, leading to the creation of new sounds, such as the “wah-wah” effect.
People flocked to Moog’s innovative synthesizers, and before long, the first remarkable piece of music was produced. One of the first artists to pioneer the Moog Synthesizer was Paul Beaver, who, along with Mort Garson, created the album ‘The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds’, which has been cited as an inspiration to many experimental musicians that followed. Later, in 1968, the album ‘Switched-On Bach’ saw Wendy Carlos reinterpret Bach’s compositions to significant commercial and critical success. It won three Grammy Awards and was the first classical album to be certified platinum.
– especially ‘Strange Days’, the title track from The Doors’ second album released in 1967. Beaver brought his synthesizer skills and Jim Morrison’s modulated lead vocals to create the haunting soundscape of the track. Shortly after, the Moog became extremely popular when it was used on ‘Abbey Road’ by the Beatles. Other early users included The Monkees, The Grateful Dead, and The Rolling Stones, as well as jazz musicians Herbie Hancock and Sun Ra.
Today, electronic music is everywhere, and electronic synthesizers are manufactured by numerous companies, in addition to being mimicked through digital music creation software. However, that did not mean Moog took a break from innovating.
In 1970, Moog introduced a new synthesizer, the Minimoog. This more portable version of the original synthesizer was incredibly successful. Initially, Moog predicted that they would sell around 100 units, mainly to professional musicians, but the Minimoog sold in the thousands over the next decade, laying the groundwork for subsequent products like the Vocoder, the Micromoog, the Multimoog, and the Polymoog. This popularity transformed Moog into a well-known brand in the music industry and its synthesizers were prominently featured on albums by innovative rock bands such as Yes, Tangerine Dream, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The Minimoog is arguably Moog’s most commercially successful product from the 1970s, thanks to its extensive use in Donna Summer’s hit song ‘I Feel Love’, which was almost entirely created using the Moog.
As competition for Moog’s electronic instruments increased in the early 80s, his company faced financial struggles. More specifically, digital synthesizers from companies such as Yamaha made it extremely difficult for Moog to stay competitive, ultimately leading to the company’s bankruptcy in 1987. However, by 2002, people began to fondly look back on Moog’s legendary synthesizers. This nostalgia paved the way for Moog to reintroduce a new line of electronic instruments. Moog passed away in 2005 at the age of 71, but his legacy endures, with his company continuing to produce electronic synthesizers, including the latest Spectravox, Labyrinth, and Muse models, which were released this year.
