Moog Music is an American synthesiser company founded in 1953 by American engineer Robert Moog.
Robert Moog designed and sold theremins. These were electronic musical instruments that were played without being touched. Instead, the movement of hands near metal antennas creates sound.
Robert met a composer named Herb Deutch who made music using a theremin, a tape recorder and a single-pitch oscillator. This was a laborious and time-consuming process. Both Robert and Herb felt the need for a solution that was portable and easy to use.
And so, the Moog synthesiser was born. Often referred to as the first commercial synthesiser it also spawned different models, such as the Minimoog.
These synthesisers were highly influential in the music of the second half of the 20th century.
The Moog synthesiser pioneered concepts such as voltage-controlled oscillators, envelopes, filters and sequencers.
What is a synthesiser?
Synthesisers are used to create electronic music in live and recorded performances.
Synthesisers also enable sampling, a huge influence in genres such as electronic and hip-hop music.
The Moog Prodigy
The Moog Prodigy was a synthesiser manufactured by Moog Music between 1979 and 1984. It could create a wide range of synthetic sounds, from sub-bass lows to high flute sounds and could detune up or down by more than a fifth of an octave.
These capabilities made it popular with electro-pop bands of the 1980s and 1990s, including The Prodigy.
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Musical Instruments
Moog Controversies
Because the Moog synthesiser could recreate the sound of string instruments it threatened the livelihood of session musicians. As a result of this, it was banned from being used in commercial work from 1982 until 1997. Some bands even used ‘no synths’ stickers on their album covers.
What songs use a synthesiser?
The Moog synthesiser entered the mainstream with the release of the album ‘Switched-On Bach’. This was an album of classical music by Bach and other composers like Monteverdi, arranged for the Moog synthesiser.
Released at a critical moment in the mid-20th century revival of interest in Baroque music and musical instruments, it is impossible to overstate the impact made by these recordings. It took the music from the hands of a dedicated, but largely academic and niche, group of early music enthusiasts, into the popular sphere.
It was a giant step towards introducing not only the synthesiser itself, but also that particular music, to a larger and more diverse audience. The tongue-in-cheek vibe generated by the cover art, together with the ear-opening improvisatory, but stylish, liberties taken in interpretation, acted as signals that this music, too, was delightful, fun and for everyone.
Switched-on Bach also stood out because it was not trying to replicate any so-called ‘authentic’ sound. Authentic in itself, it was about enjoyment in the here and now, using the newest sounds modernity had to offer. A transformative album, it helped expand the possibilities for what followed.
In the 1960s the Moog synthesiser was used by bands including the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. In the 1970s it was used by bands such as Yes and Tangerine Dream.
The Moog Prodigy not only inspired the naming of The Prodigy but also featured in music made by Blur, Massive Attack, and Nine Inch Nails.