from cnn.com RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- Robert A. Moog, whose self-named synthesizers turned electric currents into sound and opened the musical wave that became electronica, has died. He was 71. Moog was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, detected in April. He died Sunday at his home in Asheville, according to his company's Web site. A childhood interest in the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments, would lead Moog to a create a career and business that tied the name Moog as tightly to synthesizers as the name Les Paul is to electric guitars. As a Ph.D student in engineering physics at Cornell University, Moog -- rhymes with vogue -- in 1964 developed his first voltage-controlled synthesizer modules with composer Herbert Deutsch. By the end of that year, R.A. Moog Co. marketed the first commercial modular synthesizer. The instrument allowed musicians, first in a studio and later on stage, to generate a range of sounds that could mimic nature or seem otherworldly by flipping a switch, twisting a dial, or sliding a knob. Other synthesizers were already on the market in 1964, but Moog's stood out for being small, light and versatile.
RIP Moog, and thanks for creating one of the greatest instruments ever! In your honor, I will be listening to some Gary Neuman and also The Rentals today. Maybe even some Flock of Seagulls! I have a friend that owns a theremin. Talk about literally hours of entertainment. Those things are a blast to play with. Funny moog story: When I was in HS, my band decided (for some unknown reason) to play La Villa Strangiato by Rush for the Senior talent show. We borrowed a moog from a friend and since there were only 3 of us, the bass player decided he would put the moog on the floor and play the part with his foot by way of a popsicle stick tied to his shoe! When we got to the part with the moog, he (of course) played the wrong note with his popsicle stick and the sound guy, thinking that he couldn't hear the moog in the mix, cranked it all the way up. He quickly turned it back down when he discovered that the wrong note was sustaining. Unfortunately , it wasn't quick enough.... Needless to say, it was a trainwreck. I still have it on video and I occasionally use it to blackmail my bass playing friend who is now a straight laced attorney here in Houston.
RIP. My Mom used to date Robert Moog in High School. She went to the New York High School for Music and Art. One of her other classmates was Cicely Tyson.
man, do i feel like a dumbass. all these years i prononuced moog like "moo" cow and its actually like "vogue". ive played w/ quite a few moog owners and most pronounced it "moo" as well. never owned one, but ive got a casio sk-1 that gets alot of use.
That's what I thought too. A place I used to work at, we recieved boxes upon boxes of old donated records that we would listen to while working. There were a whole set of "Moog" themed albums we got from the early 70's that were great to listen to. RIP.
