Robert Moog Lives On

By Sarah Sofian  •  in News
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Robert Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer, would have been 78 today. Sadly, he passed when he was 71 in 2005 due to a brain tumour.

Nonetheless, the world has not forgotten his contribution to the electronic music industry and it was shown today as Google prepared a Google Doodle in his honour in the form of a virtual synthesizer. Equipped with mixer, filter, oscillators and envelope knobs, the virtual instrument also allows users to record their own masterpiece that they have created using it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9oKxl-yoA&feature=related[/youtube]

There is not one person in the music industry who has not heard of the Moogerfooger line of effects pedals. From the likes of ABBA to MGMT, The Beatles to Incubus, Alicia Keys to Deadmau5, Thursday to Radiohead and about a gazillion other musicians, they have nothing much in common except the fact that they have, at one time or another, incorporated the sounds made from a Moog synthesizer to create their wonderful music.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SHS6X6bMmg&feature=related[/youtube]

Not only that, the Moog synthesizer has also been used in the creation of video game soundtracks, most notable of all is the Super Mario Brothers and Legend of Zelda soundtracks, composed by Koji Kondo.

On the whole, Robert Moog has played a huge part in bringing music to the next level, creating a futuristic yet classic sound through his outstanding line of instruments.

The Moog synthesizer is still popular today, even in the digital era, with many DJs and indie musicians opting to use it while performing. Here’s one of our favourite bands, Japanese manic prog outfit Polysics, with an ode to the Moog!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6R6L8fjhR8[/youtube]