Moog System 35 (1972)
The Moog System 35 is a performance modular, built for musicians who had to haul their gear on stage. Introduced in 1972, it sat alongside the larger System 55 as one of the company's most significant designs. Kraftwerk, Yes, Pink Floyd, Chick Corea, and Sun Ra all used one. It is described as a portable three-VCO modular synthesizer built almost entirely from discrete components, arranged in a three-tier configuration. The "35" in the name is tied to its module count, though the surviving documentation doesn't clearly pin down how that number maps to the actual complement of modules.
The System 35 was planned for live use. The big studio modulars were meant to live in one room and be patched at leisure. This one was, in the words of one historical survey, a "great performance instrument" that remains highly sought after today. The module complement included the standard Moog 901 oscillators, and the system was built around the same 900-series discrete circuitry that defined the classic Moog sound of that era.
Moog Music confirmed in August 2014 that the System 35 was back in production for a limited reissue run. The announcement noted that original vintage units were typically selling for $9,000-$11,000 on the used market at that time. The reissue itself listed for around $10,000. Studio Sound (January 1981, p.95) carried classified ads in this period for professional studio gear, so the System 35 was being bought, sold, and used alongside serious recording equipment well into the next decade.
The record on this model has real gaps. There is no detailed module list beyond the 901 oscillators, no full technical specifications, no dimensions, and no original 1972 list price. The System 35 is distinct from the smaller portable System 15.
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Related Models
- Moog Modular System III (1968-1970)