Moog

Bob Moog started it all — the sound of synthesis itself

There is no synthesizer story without Moog. Bob Moog didn't just build instruments — he built the entire foundation on which electronic music stands. The Minimoog is the most important synthesizer ever made, the modular systems are the cathedrals of analog sound, and the Moog name remains, six decades later, the single most resonant word in synthesis.

History

Robert Moog started building theremins as a teenager in the 1950s, selling kits from his parents' home in Queens, New York. That early fascination with electronic instruments led him to develop voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers in the early 1960s — the building blocks that would become the Moog Modular Synthesizer. Working with composer Herbert Deutsch, Moog debuted his modular system at the Audio Engineering Society convention in 1964, and the world of music was permanently altered.

The early Moog Modular systems were enormous, expensive, and impossibly complex — walls of patch cables, knobs, and blinking lights that looked more like telephone switchboards than musical instruments. They were adopted primarily by avant-garde composers and adventurous studio musicians. But in 1968, Wendy Carlos recorded Switched-On Bach — a full album of Bach compositions performed entirely on the Moog Modular — and it became a massive commercial hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Classical chart and winning three Grammy Awards. Suddenly, the synthesizer was a mainstream instrument.

The Minimoog Model D, released in 1970, was the instrument that truly democratized synthesis. Bill Hemsath, a Moog engineer, built the prototype by taking three oscillators, a filter, and two envelope generators from the modular system and packaging them in a compact, portable cabinet with a built-in keyboard. The Minimoog was pre-wired — no patch cables required — which made it accessible to musicians who had no interest in electrical engineering. It sounded massive, thanks in large part to the legendary Moog transistor ladder filter, a 24dB-per-octave lowpass filter whose warm, musical resonance character became the gold standard against which all other synthesizer filters are measured.

The Minimoog became the most important synthesizer in popular music. Rick Wakeman used it with Yes. Keith Emerson wielded it with ferocious virtuosity. Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters and Stevie Wonder's classic albums showcased its versatility. Kraftwerk used it to build the future. Sun Ra used it to channel the cosmos. Gary Numan used it to soundtrack alienation. And when hip-hop and electronic dance music arrived, the Minimoog's bass sound — fat, warm, and devastatingly powerful in the low frequencies — became the foundation of entirely new genres.

Moog Music went through periods of financial difficulty, and Bob Moog lost control of the company name for many years. He continued building instruments under the "Big Briar" name before reacquiring the Moog Music trademark in 2002. He passed away in 2005, but the company he founded continues to build analog synthesizers in Asheville, North Carolina, maintaining the traditions of hand-built American craftsmanship that Bob Moog established. The Subsequent 37, Grandmother, Matriarch, and Moog One carry the legacy forward, each one honoring the philosophy that a synthesizer should sound warm, feel immediate, and inspire musicians to discover sounds they never imagined.

Notable Instruments

Minimoog Model D

The Minimoog is the most important synthesizer ever made. Not the most powerful, not the most versatile, not the most technically advanced — but the most important. It defined what a synthesizer looked like, how it was played, and what it sounded like. Its three-oscillator architecture, its pitch and modulation wheels (an interface innovation that persists on virtually every synth made today), and above all its filter — that glorious, singing, harmonically rich Moog ladder filter — established a sonic template that has never been surpassed.

The Minimoog's bass sound is the bass sound. The low end is so full, so warm, so physically present that it's less like hearing a note and more like feeling a weather system move through your body. Bernie Worrell's bass lines with Parliament-Funkadelic, Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters grooves, the rolling sub-bass of countless house and techno tracks — all of these owe their impact to the Minimoog's extraordinary low-frequency power. But the Model D is equally brilliant at soaring leads — Keith Emerson's screaming runs, Jan Hammer's guitar-like lines with Jeff Beck and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Rick Wakeman's orchestral passages all demonstrated the instrument's remarkable range.

Moog Modular System 55

If the Minimoog is a sports car, the System 55 is a Formula One machine — not something you'd use for a casual drive, but an instrument of breathtaking capability in skilled hands. The System 55 was the largest standard configuration of Moog's modular system, offering multiple oscillators, filters, envelope generators, sequencers, and processing modules in a massive wooden cabinet. With patch cables, you could connect anything to anything, creating signal paths and modulation routines limited only by imagination and module count.

Wendy Carlos, Keith Emerson, Isao Tomita, and Tangerine Dream all used large Moog Modular systems to create some of the most significant electronic music recordings in history. The system's sound — rich, complex, and almost orchestral in its depth — set the standard for what "analog" meant in synthesis. Modern Eurorack modular culture owes its existence directly to the Moog Modular concept, and the System 55's reissue by Moog Music proved that there remains an audience willing to invest in the ultimate analog synthesis experience.

Moog Taurus I

The Taurus bass pedals are proof that sometimes the simplest idea is the most powerful. A set of foot-operated bass pedals with the Moog filter and a sound so massive it could shake the foundations of an arena — the Taurus gave guitarists, singers, and other non-keyboard players access to that legendary Moog bass without needing to learn piano. Rush's Geddy Lee, The Police's Andy Summers, Genesis' Mike Rutherford, and U2's The Edge all used Taurus pedals to add earth-shaking low end to their performances. The original Taurus I, with its raw, uncompromising analog sound, remains the most sought-after version, and working units command extraordinary prices.

Analog Synthesizers

• Multimoog — The Moog Multimoog (1978–1981) is a duophonic 44-key synthesizer with polyphonic aftertouch, three oscillators, a 24 dB/octave filter, and six patch memories — a performance instrument that put expres…
• Prodigy 336A — Moog Prodigy 336A (1979–1984) — entry-level dual-oscillator monosynth with 24dB/oct Moog ladder filter. The affordable Moog that became a techno bass staple.
• Synthesizer III — Moog Synthesizer III (1967) — the largest of Moog's first modular systems, used by Keith Emerson and Florian Fricke. Reissued in 2018 as the IIIp at $35,000, only 40 units.
• Taurus — Moog Taurus bass pedal synthesizer — two oscillators, patented 24dB/oct ladder filter, 7 lb chassis, 24V AC supply. The floor-standing Moog bass.

Analog Synthesizers

• Lamarr (1984) — Moog Lamarr (2019) — an obscure compact effects pedal from Moog Music. Little documented beyond its production year and a $199 price point.
• Minimoog Model D (reissue) (2016-2022) — Moog Minimoog Model D reissue (2016-2022): hand-built analog monosynth with 3 VCOs, ladder filter, MIDI, CV outs. Limited run at $3,749.
• Polymoog 203a (1975-1978) — Moog Polymoog 203a (1975-1978): Moog's divide-down polyphonic analog synth with eight presets, 24dB/octave ladder filter, and touch-sensitive keyboard. Used by Prince on For You.

Bass Synthesizers

• Taurus II (1981) — Moog Taurus II (1981) pedal bass synth — Minimoog-derived VCOs and 24 dB/octave ladder filter, 18-note pedalboard, EPROM presets, no MIDI.

Effects Processors

• Moogerfooger — Moog Moogerfooger series (1998-2018): analog CV-capable effects pedals including MF-101 filter, MF-104M delay, MF-105 MuRF, and CP-251.

Guitars

• Guitar — Obscure Moog-branded electric guitar with onboard filtering; little documented beyond a prototype and custom artist model distinction.

Modular

• Model 10 — Moog Model 10 — page pending verification. No verified facts available; supplied sources describe a TASCAM mixer, not a Moog synthesizer.
• Model 12 — Moog Model 12 (2025) — 12-voice semi-modular analog synth, 24 VCOs, 12 ladder filters, 32×32 modulation matrix, $1,999.
• Modular 55 (1970-1981) — The Moog Modular 55 (1974–1981) was the flagship modular system, featuring the 960 sequencer, 961 interface, and ultra-rare LHC controller.
• Modular System 55 (1964-1981) — A hand-wired, 200-pound titan of voltage-controlled sound that didn’t just define electronic music—it built the blueprint.
• Synthesizer IIIc — Rare early Moog modular analog synthesizer (c.1968-1970), 49-key keyboard version of the IIIp, used in Abbey Road demo by Ken Scott.
• Synthesizer IIIp — Moog Synthesizer IIIp (1969, reissued 2018) — the first portable Moog modular, limited to 40 units, 37 discrete hand-soldered modules, no op-amps.
• System 55 — Moog System 55 modular synthesizer — the top of Moog's 1974 Professional Systems line at $8,795, built around 921-series oscillators and sold as a configured-to-order studio instrument.

Modular Synthesizers

• Modular System III (1968-1970) — Moog Modular System III / Synthesizer IIIp — 1969 modular synth, $7,985 original, reissued 2018 at $35,000 for 40 units. Used by Wendy Carlos and Tomita.
• System 35 (1970-1979) — Moog System 35 modular synthesizer, introduced 1972. Portable three-VCO performance system used by Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Sun Ra. Reissued in limited run 2014.

Synthesizer

• SH-101 — The SH-101 is a Roland, not a Moog — a battery-powered mono synth with arpeggiator and 100-note sequencer, remembered as a rave-culture staple.
• TB-303 — No Moog TB-303 was ever made — the Bass Line is a Roland design. A correction page explaining the misattribution and the period print trail.
• TX-816 — The TX-816 is catalogued here under Moog, but period studio documents place it firmly in Yamaha's FM rack line. A source-limited entry.

Synthesizers

• Grandmother — A semi-modular analog monophonic synthesizer released by Moog Music in 2018. Find full specifications and production years here.
• Matriarch — Moog Matriarch — 49-key semi-modular analog synth with 4 oscillators, stereo filters, analog delay. Discontinued 2022. Find the complete spec table here.
• Memorymoog (1982-1985) — A six-voice analog titan with three oscillators per voice, born too late for the golden age but too powerful to be forgotten.
• Minimoog Model D (1970-1981) — The Minimoog Model D wasn’t just the first portable analog synthesizer designed for live performance—it was the instrument that dragged synthesis out of the academic lab and onto the rock stage, one f…
• Minimoog Voyager (2002-2015) — A monophonic analog synthesizer with expanded keyboard and modulation, built in the USA. Includes full specifications and production years.
• Minitaur — Moog Minitaur (2012) analog bass synth: 2 VCOs, Moog ladder filter, CV/USB, 128 presets. Compact wedge-shaped design for deep, punchy low end.
• One — Moog One (2018–2023): 16-voice analog polysynth with dual filters, 75 lbs of modern Moog power. Flagship complexity meets tuning quirks.
• Polymoog — The Moog Polymoog (1975) was the first fully polyphonic analog synth—71 voices of unstable, glorious sound that shaped new wave and prog rock.
• Prodigy (1980–1984) — Moog Prodigy (1979–1984) — 32-note analog monosynth with dual VCOs, genuine 24dB Moog ladder filter, and two ADSR envelopes. Europe's affordable Moog.
• Sub 37 — Moog Sub 37 analog synth, 22 lbs, limited edition with pitch wheel issues. Weighty legacy, spotty reliability. This page has detailed specs.
• Subsequent 37 — Moog Subsequent 37 (2017) semi-modular analog synth — 37 keys, 3 oscillators, overdrivable ladder filter. A modern Moog workhorse, now discontinued.
• Taurus I (1975-1981) — A 13-note pedalboard powerhouse that let keyboardists stomp out seismic analog basslines while keeping their hands free for solos, chords.
• Theremini — A theremin with integrated pitch correction and a synth-derived wavetable engine, designed for accessibility and performance.
• Voyager — Moog Voyager (2002–2015) analog synth — Bob Moog's final design, 18 kg command center with 3 oscillators, 896 presets, and MIDI.

Unknown

• 80V — No verifiable documentation exists for a Moog 80V; the period record shows Arturia's CS-80V software synth instead. Includes when it was made.

Other Models

• 901 — Moog 901 oscillator bank (1967–early 70s). The original 900-series VCO, paired with 901A/901B controllers. Heard on Switched-On Bach. Replaced by the 921 series.
• 901 Oscillator — The Moog 901 is the original voltage-controlled oscillator bank from the 900-series modular systems — the oscillator sound that predates the better-known
• 901B — Moog 901B oscillator — the early modular bank oscillator with sawtooth and variable-width pulse outputs, retracked by resistor or trimmer depending on serial number.
• 904B — Moog 904B voltage-controlled highpass filter — $275 modular module, 20 Hz–30 KHz cutoff, half of the 904A/904C filter trio.
• 921 Oscillator — The Moog 921 is the voltage-controlled oscillator module from the classic Moog modular systems of the mid-1970s. Released around 1974, it was a more
• 921B — Moog 921B modular VCO — the slave oscillator driven by the 921A. Sawtooth, triangle, sine, rectangular; ±1 Hz scaling spec.
• 950B — Moog 950B Scale Programmer (1969) — a rare sixty-knob microtonal accessory for the 950 Keyboard Controller, bypassing equal temperament note by note.
• 960 — Moog 960 Sequential Controller — the first Moog sequencer, 3×10 analog step sequencer used on Switched-On Bach. Produced 1968–1972, originally $525.
• 960 Sequencer — Moog 960 Sequential Controller — three rows of eight analog voltage steps from the 1960s modular system, reissued circa 2016.
• 961 Interface — Moog 961 Interface — the trigger-conversion module that lets a 960 sequencer drive 911 envelope generators, and turns audio into voltage triggers.
• 984 — Moog 984 — a little-documented analogue monophonic synthesizer from 1980-1984. Known facts: £295 original price, designed by Rich Walborn and Tony Marchese.
• CP-251 — Moog CP-251 Control Processor — four-input CV mixer, lag processor, 0.2–50 Hz LFO, sample-and-hold and noise for Moogerfooger rigs. Originally $299.
• MF-101 — Moog MF-101 Moogerfooger lowpass filter — a Minimoog ladder filter with CV patch bay in a stompbox, $299 at launch and beloved by synth and guitar players alike.
• MF-102 — Moog MF-102 Moogerfooger ring modulator, Big Briar era, $299, dual-range carrier 0.5Hz–4kHz, LFO to 3 octaves, CV I/O.
• MF-105 — Moog MF-105 MuRF — eight resonant bandpass filters, 24 animated patterns, true bypass, and CV control in a Moogerfooger stompbox.
• Micromoog — Moog Micromoog (1975–1979): compact monophonic synthesizer, a one-oscillator Minimoog with the classic 24 dB filter.
• Minimoog — Moog Minimoog Model D (1970–1981) — 44-key monophonic analog synth with legendary ladder filter. At 35 lbs, it’s heavy, but its fat, warm sound shaped rock.
• Minitmoog — Moog Minitmoog (1975–1978) — compact portable analog synth, first with hardwired signal path, 3 oscillators, classic 24dB ladder filter.
• Modular — Moog Modular (1965–1981, 2014–present) — analog modular synthesizer system with VCOs, fixed filter bank, and patch-based architecture.
• Modular System 35 — The Moog System 35 occupies a slightly unusual place in the Moog modular family. It was a smaller sibling to the enormous System 55 — a 5-generator
• Mother-32 — A semi-modular analog synthesizer and step sequencer in a tabletop format, introduced by Moog Music as their first Eurorack-compatible instrument.
• Music Inc. — Moog Music Inc. is a manufacturer name, not a product. The archive documents its Buffalo and Norlin-era service manuals, patents, and press mentions only.
• Polymoog 280a — Moog Polymoog 280A (1978-1980), the streamlined 71-note velocity-sensitive polyphonic successor to the Polymoog 203a.
• Subsequent 3 — Moog Subsequent 3 — no such model exists in the record; the entry is corrected to the Subsequent 37, a paraphonic analog synth with 256 presets and classic Moog filter.
• synthesizer — Moog Synthesizer — the modular category, not a model. Robert Moog's 1964 invention, the 1C (1967–1973) and portable Ip, documented honestly.
• Synthesizer 15 — Documentation on the Moog Synthesizer 15 is genuinely thin — the archive record holds no confirmed production years, no original price, and no formal
• Synthesizer 35 — Moog Synthesizer 35 — an obscure mid-1970s modular synth documented only in a 1975 Studio Sound survey listing its module complement.