Synthesiser pioneer Dr Moog dies

[emad]

Synthesiser pioneer Dr Robert Moog has died at his North Carolina home aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Born in the New York district of Queens, his instruments were used by The Beatles and The Doors among others.

Dr Moog built his first electronic instrument - a theremin - aged 14 and made the MiniMoog, "the first compact, easy-to-use synthesiser", in 1964.

He won the Polar prize, Sweden's "music Nobel prize", in 2001.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4173510.stm

[no name no slogan]

1. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAMMIT, I didn't even know he was ill!!! OMG, this is a tremendous loss to the entire music community.

What's amazing is that his new company has been so successful, reproducing/updating his designs from 30+ years ago.

What a huge loss this is. Tragic. :cry:

[MN ChimpH8R]

2. A giant, a revolutionary and a visionary has passed

:cry:

Bob Moog changed the world of music forever.

[asthmaticeog]

3. I didn't know he had cancer.

What a shame. I've been through a few Moog synths in my day, and they are wonderful creative tools, and they remain much more intuitive and improv-friendly than the digital synths that followed in their wake. Of the few people who can really be said to have changed music, Bob Moog was among the giants.

[no name no slogan]

4. digital sucks-- LONG LIVE ANALOG!

I love Moogs for the same reason you do-- the dials, the sliders, the lights, the real-time control...

My first "real" synth back in the mid-80s was a used MicroMoog, from the early 70s. I got it for about $400, as everybody and their aunt Mabel were buying DX-7's and didn't have any time for that monophonic, analog crap. Of course, nowdays everybody wants that "vintage" analog sound, and you can pick up a used DX-7 for peanuts.

[asthmaticeog]

6. Have you checked out Novation's stuff?

They make digital synths, but with real analog oscillators and real-time LFO, Envelope and Mod control, just like on an old Moog. Best of both worlds. I LOVE my K-Station.

I've had a MiniMoog, a MultiMoog, and for a time, I borrowed a MemoryMoog. Superb instruments, all, but the Multi was my favorite. I was going to buy a Moog Rogue from a friend a few years ago, but he suddenly up and moved to West Virginia before we closed the deal. :grr:

[XNASA]

7. I had a Rogue.

I had a couple of Moog Sources too. Best bass sounds ever.

[no name no slogan]

9. Those hybrids are cool

they're a bit spendy for my budget (I'm a guitarist, but I do play guitar synth, too). I own a couple $200 knockoffs of the Novations-- a Red Sound Dark Star XP2 and a Roland SH-32. The Dark Star is a very cool instrument, and has much the same feel as the old Moog synths. The SH-32 is more "classic" Roland synth, like the SH-101 but digital.

I never did get on the digital bandwagon, and all those menus and stuff still confuse me. I used to own a Roland GR-50 guitar synth and got rid of it because of the hassle of the menus.

Give me a panel full of knobs any day.

[XNASA]

5. That's a shame.

Great guy.

[H5N1]

8. Mini Moog!

I owned a Mini Moog back when I played a Rhodes and B3.
Music used to be fun fun fun.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I Had The Sonic 6

Lower than a Mini, higher than the Micro. Still two oscillators, but fewer routing choices. (The micro was single oscillator. Blech!)

I didn't have the B-3 though. I was far too lazy to move something that big around. I adapted to get a big, angry organ sound. It wasn't a B-3, but it wasn't bad and less heavy lifting.
The Professor

[progmom]

10. i have this memory of him coming and playing his synthesizers in my school

auditorium.

I wonder if that really happened... :shrug:

[redqueen]

11. .

:(

[ProfessorGAC]

12. I Knew It Wouldn't Be Long

I signed the cyber "get well" card a couple months back. But, at his age, and with that kind of illness, it seemed pretty bad.

RIP, Bob.
The Professor