Synthesizer Pioneer Bob Moog Gets His Own 'Moogseum' (fastcompany.com) 49
harrymcc writes: In the 1960s, Bob Moog helped invent electronic music as we know it by popularizing the synthesizer. He died in 2005, but Moog synthesizers are still widely used by top musical acts. And now his life, work, and legacy are the subject of a new museum in Asheville, NC, his hometown. Over at Fast Company, Sean Captain took a look at the museum, Moog's accomplishments, and the history of music produced with his instruments -- from the classical blockbuster "Switched-On Bach" onwards.
Moogseum (Score:1)
Does it have an attached punitarium?
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Yes. First exhibits are old enough: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Switched On Bach (Score:5, Interesting)
Ah man my Dad had "Switched On Bach" on quadraphonic record, with the full quad set up back in the mid 70s, long long before we had surround sound we had quadraphonic and it was a revelation to those that made the investment to buy the kit and the records. I just loved Switched On Bach, it was the first taste of electronic music I heard as a 6 year old kid, my parents loved mostly 50s/60s/70s guitar music so this was just such an odd album for them to buy. Music moved on through the more commercial sounds of Jean Michel Jarre but there's something truly beautifual about the raw Moog sound, each component has to be selected carefully and you hear that in good electronic music. I love Boards of Canada's music for the same reasons I first loved Carlos' Bach interpretations.
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It was a few years after that, but I remember when Apollo 100 cracked the top 100 for 1972 with their version of Joy. That may have been an electronic organ rather than a Moog, though.
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Ah man my Dad had "Switched On Bach" on quadraphonic record, with the full quad set up back in the mid 70s,
I've still got my (heavily worn) album, and listened to it in stereo. We had one of those large wooden standalone combined record/radio cabinets with speakers on either side. That record also prompted me to buy a Radio-Shack "Stereo to Quadraphonic" converter which worked.
(OK, sound came out of all 4 speakers; I called that "working.") I also bought a few other quad-albums. That, of course, never took off. Now there's 8.2 audio-systems and what-not.
I've settled though for a sound-bar that normalize
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then you will enjoy jean jacques perrey
there were hundreds of novelty acts using the moog in the lates 60s early 70s
Better transients (Score:2)
I find the Mellotron has better transients and a firmer soundstage.
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I think Hoggy's trolling, poking fun at audiophiles.
The irony is that nowadays, synth snobs pine for that "warm, natural analog sound" and decry digital and VST synths as cold, artificial, and lifeless...exactly the same charges "real" musicians levied at analog synths back in the '60s and '70s.
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"Moog" Doesn#t Rhyme With "Droog" (Score:3)
I thought it was pronounced to rhyme with "rogue", which makes a nonsense of the headline...
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I thought it was pronounced to rhyme with "rogue", which makes a nonsense of the headline...
That was always my understanding too, but it's still cool, even if it's pronounced "Mohgseum".
Kackle Confirms It (Score:2)
Anyone can play classic Moog synths today (Score:3)
Well, if you have an iOS device and a few bucks!
There's iPhone and iPad versions of the 1970 iconic Minimoog Model D and also a Model 15 app. Both are great and even improvements over the hardware ones (but you can't replace the fun of turning real knobs, that said, you can simply connect any external MIDI controller). Simply look for them in the app store.
Moog Music also launched an iOS-only synth named Animoog. Go to Animoog.org for thousands of free presets and timbres. Those apps won multiple awards, they're very well done. They support the modern stuff such as MPE MIDI (part of upcoming MIDI 2.0).
Thanks Bob for the ladder filter and all your contributions to sound synthesizing :-)
Fast Company article has errors (Score:3)
That is false. I have been a synthesizer enthusiast since 1981 who has read a lot of history on synthesizer development and there is no record of that. Moog Music and ARP never partnered on anything, the companies were rivals during that time. Pearlman was solely responsible for solving the problem with drifting oscillators and he had the patent on it. Moog Music caught ARP infringing on their patented ladder filter that they were copying in their systems - the circuit was encased in epoxy which made it harder (but not impossible) to inspect. ARP had to discontinue the use of the infringed ladder filter and replaced it with their own filter design.
While the companies were rivals, the engineers were not. Al Pearlman and Bob Moog later admitted that they had great respect and admiration for each others' work.
The article further claims that the Minimoog had a pitch ribbon that detected static discharge from the player's fingers. Not only did the Minimoog never have the pitch ribbon as stock (it was available only as an option), but the ribbon detected pressure and position - not static discharge.
Yamaha DX7 (Score:1)
Just heard a Whitney Houston song on Internet radio half and hour ago. Every time I hear a DX7, I long for the "real" synthesizer sounds of the Moog. They say that video killed the radio star, but the commercialization of synthesizers killed the music.
Went to my High School (Score:2)
And it was rumored when I was there that one of the rooms in the basement had a predecessor that he did for shop class in the safe.
Never got to meet Bob at any of the reunions, unfortunately.
Interestingly, he is FAR from the most famous person to have attended the school (Bronx HS of Science)