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Moog’s achievements spread by word of mouth, and Moog, always keen to elicit the
feedback of his customers, continued to add further modules to his line. Wendy Carlos’
LP release “Switched-On Bach” (1968) was responsible for the breakthrough of Moog’s
instruments. The record featured Moog’s modular synthesizers and was one of the earliest
commercial multitrack recordings. The album’s success introduced the synthesizer to a
wider audience and made the name Moog synonymous with the instrument. Hoping to
capitalize on the new sounds that synthesizers made available, and match Carlos’
commercial success, numerous studios, producers, and musicians acquired Moog modular
synthesizers. In 1969, as many as 42 employees produced two to three complete modular
systems every week at Moog’s production facility.
Working independently, an engineer named Donald Buchla had conceived and
implemented the concept for a modular, voltage-controlled synthesizer. This coincided
with Moog’s version. Buchla also developed his first instruments in close cooperation
with users. The inspiration for his first synthesizer originated with composers Morton
Subotnik and Ramon Sender, of the San Francisco Tape Music Center. Although he began
working on this instrument in 1963, it didn’t make its public debut until 1966. By design,
Buchla’s instruments catered primarily to academia and avant-garde musicians, so they
never garnered the public attention and acclaim of Moog’s synthesizers.
Compact and Cheap
These early voltage-controlled synthesizers were modular.One (or several) chassis housed
the power supply and the actual modules. The inputs and outputs of the modules had
to be interconnected via a confusing tangle of patch cords before the synthesizer would
actually make a sound. Establishing these connections properly was an art unto itself,
and obtaining useful settings on the modules required significant expertise.
Moog realized that these modular synthesizers were too complex and expensive for the
average musician and were likely to fail if sold through traditional music retailers. In 1969,
Moog collaborated with engineers Jim Scott, Bill Hemsath, and Chad Hunt to design a
compact, portable, affordable, and easy-to-use synthesizer. After three prototypes were
built, the Minimoog Model D was released in the summer of 1970.
Unlike previous modular synthesizers, it was neither necessary (nor possible) for players
to connect the modules of the Minimoog as they saw fit. All of the modules’ connecting
circuitry was hard-wired at the factory. The type and number of modules was also fixed.
This simplified manufacturing considerably, and cut costs dramatically. Hard on the heels
of a major marketing campaign, the Minimoog became a huge success. Without alteration
in its basic design, 13,000 Minimoogs were sold worldwide, right up to 1981.
558 Appendix Synthesizer Basics