Inventions That Changed Music: The Moog
The Moog Synthesizer changed the course of music history.
A device created by Bob Moog on October 12, 1964, the invention was made for Herb Deutsch, a composer and music teacher at Hofstra University. Deutsch wanted a device that would create experimental sounds that couldn’t be made on other instruments.
Together, Deutsch and Moog developed the Moog Modular Synthesizer. The device was not entirely new, as it possessed pieces of other plans for similar devices. According to moogmusic.com, the Moog Synthesizer “sprung from a powerful new combination of existing ideas. The concepts, when combined with some elegant design choices, made a very powerful and revolutionary new system.”
The Moog synthesizer was an instrument that offered a wide range of tones through the use of modules. The instrument produced sounds that varied in pitch and even mimic the sound of a person singing. These modules allowed users to customize their instrument through a distinctive set. Through this process, the instrument continued to grow as new modules were added.
