Robert Moog has passed away.

LOFA · Post by **LOFA** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:47 pm

This is so sad. I would have liked to have known that he could have made it to see a better worldly clilmate, but at least he can rest in peace. My girlfirend just sent me this link from CNN. How very sad this is.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/08/22/moog ... index.html

Ted 3000 · Post by **Ted 3000** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:01 pm

Dr. Robert Moog was an American original. He was a genius, living in an exciting era of invention and creativity and awakening.

I owned one of his synths once, it was my most treasured object. It was hard to let go. As it is with our heroes.

tribalogical · Post by **tribalogical** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:27 pm

wow, first Hunter S. Thompson, and now Robert Moog.... two of my favorite heroes of popular culture.....

may they finally find their greener pastures.....

peace,
tribalogical

Macrostructure · Post by **Macrostructure** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:45 pm

Well at least we still have his heavy expensive elitist synthesisers....

DEdge · Post by **DEdge** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:51 pm

I was lucky enough to meet Bob Moog just before he fell ill. We had a Synth Legends event with Bob, Tom Oberhein, Dave Smith, and Roger Linn. About 100 people made it out and it was an incredibible night. Bob was extremely witty and one of the nicest people I have ever met. Some of his comments had the audience laughing for days.

It was only a few weeks or so after the event that he started to feel ill. He had enjoyed the event so much we planned to do another next year. I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to meet him. Also, his synths are pricey, but if you have messed around with a new Voyager you know it is really something. Beatiful instrument.

About a month ago I bought the Moog documentary -great disc. Highly recomended. You can read a wrap up of the Synth Legends night here:
http://www.audiomidi.com/classroom/gene ... egends.cfm

We hope to make the video available soon

-DEdge

FaX-01 · Post by **FaX-01** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:33 am

Macrostructure wrote:Well at least we still have his heavy expensive elitist synthesisers....

What's so elitist about them.
A Voyager is way cheaper than a high quality Cello , DoubleBass , Oboe , Altosax , Piano , Flugelhorn etc etc ...
Modulars are pricey irrespective of brand.
Quality cost's in the hardware instrument world particularly when we talk fine quality acoustic and analog instruments.

milfbait · Post by **milfbait** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 4:29 am

Macrostructure wrote:Well at least we still have his heavy expensive elitist synthesisers....

LMAO. You think a Voyager is expensive? Man before Moog came around, the only places you could find a synthesizer was a major hollywood studio, or maybe a rich university. They cost more than a large house back then.

Moog is quality. It's made by hand, in America, not stamped out on some chip by a kid in Korea. Yes it's heavy, and well built, the wood is real! It's one of the few products still made that aren't complete shite, or planned obsolescence. Just because somebody wants a quality instrument, does that make them a purist?

Moog kept it pure analog until the end. He could have sold out and outsourced a bunch of digital clones to Korea or somewhere, but he truly took pride in quality over quantity and profit.

Have you ever played a real synth?

Macrostructure · Post by **Macrostructure** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:08 am

Well yeah, I think Moogs are expensive now. It doesn't matter how much other synths cost when Moogs first came out. Sure, they are well made, but so are lots of synths actually. I don't agree with your "hand-made American" elitist attitude. Sound more like hand-job to me. And bigotted. some of the worst tat I have ever bought came from US companies.

Yes, I would say that if someone wants a quality instrument that does indeed make them a purist of sorts, certainly in the case of Moogs.

milfbait wrote:Have you ever played a real synth?

Yawn....I believe my Dad is bigger than your Dad...and you have a stupid name...so there...

His historical contribution to elecronic music was massive, but nowadays perhaps not very relevant on a practical level to the majority of people making electronic music today? i.e. with computers. Electronic music has been democratised by computers and that's great.

On the flipside, I'm sure he was a really lovely guy and I am glad people enjoyed his company at the recent event described in this thread. It sounds like fun

milfbait · Post by **milfbait** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:29 pm

Macrostructure wrote: And bigotted. some of the worst tat I have ever bought came from US companies.

Yeah I guess that was rather bigoted. I have nothing at all against Korea. And yes, America can build some complete shite. I hate American cars. I guess what I meant was his products are built by people earning a fair wage. He could have outsourced the labor, and had more units built cheaper, but he never did. It is my understand he was a pretty hands on kind of guy when it came to the manufacturing, he took pride in quality. That is a rare trait these days, and yes it costs more money.

So I take it you've never laid your hands on a real analog...To each his own. I love soft synths, but a real synth is a different experience, and many people prefer hardware and are willing to pay for it. I just don't think they are elitists because they like Moogs. I just think whatever people are doing, they should have a little respect those that were doing it before them. Especially when they are dead.

Macrostructure · Post by **Macrostructure** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:28 pm

milfbait wrote:
Macrostructure wrote: And bigotted. some of the worst tat I have ever bought came from US companies.

Yeah I guess that was rather bigoted. I have nothing at all against Korea. And yes, America can build some complete shite. I hate American cars. I guess what I meant was his products are built by people earning a fair wage. He could have outsourced the labor, and had more units built cheaper, but he never did. It is my understand he was a pretty hands on kind of guy when it came to the manufacturing, he took pride in quality. That is a rare trait these days, and yes it costs more money.

So I take it you've never laid your hands on a real analog...To each his own. I love soft synths, but a real synth is a different experience, and many people prefer hardware and are willing to pay for it. I just don't think they are elitists because they like Moogs. I just think whatever people are doing, they should have a little respect those that were doing it before them. Especially when they are dead.

I'm all for pride in quality (or at least in effort!), having built my own hi-spec DIY midi controller http://www.macrostructure.net/unitfive.htm so we can agree on that one

Yeah, I've used a few real analogues, the Alesis Andromeda sticks in my mind as one of the more useable ones. I do not have a favourite soft synth I have to say. Most of them bore me, in that they are boring to use, click click drag drag....what a drag. You have to spend a lot on a soundcard to get the best from them. My favourite hardware synth is the Nord G2, and yes I do own one.

I have respect for the achievements of late R Moog, but no more today than I did last week when he was alive. To do otherwise would be hypocritical.

I think the Cult of Moog (and yes it is exactly that) is elitist and silly but you have been very tolerant of my provocative position in this thread so I'm not going to push this any further - thanks for being polite and pleasant!

All the best

ms