During a recent visit to the Moog Factory, Professor Herb Deutsch, synth pioneer and collaborator of Bob Moog, gave an impromptu discussion on the evolution of the Minimoog. www.moogmusic.c...
I studied electronic music with Prof. Deutsch at Hofstra University and I can say without a doubt that he is one of the nicest, most humble, and most knowledgeable people I have ever met.
Me too in 2000. Was very lucky to get to see him demo his Moog and play it as well as learn tape techniques. Great class. More fun than anything in my major sadly
So did I in ‘92. I couldn’t believe I could actually take a class in electronic music. But when Dr. Deutsch first said he co-designed the Moog synth, I really didn’t believe him... until he showed us photos of him and Bob Moog conniving together in the sixties! Suddenly, Dr. Deutsch was a God to me, but a humble patient God. I said, so YOU were responsible for all those cool, iconic (and sometimes scary electronic sounds of my childhood in the seventies? (Yes, Moog sounds we’re actually sometimes thought of as scary when they were first unleashed on the public as people didn’t know what to make of them. The music world has come a long way since then, thanks in a small but important part to Herb Deutsch.)
As a proud owner of a MiniMoog Voyager i can truely say without a second thought it is a masterpiece, and the greatest synth i have ever heard! Thank you Bob and Herb :D
He was given a Minimoog Model D by Bob Moog. It's the 100th one, and I can tell you, that you don't need a Voyager when you have an R.A.Moog Minimoog Model D :-)
This is great! It's enlightening to see a member of the team that designed the synthesizer. Mr. Deutsch's enthusiasm for the instrument is contagious. A true musical pioneer. I have to go play my Moog right now!
Imagine the late 1960s. Some scientists worked on the Apollo program and tinkered to land a man on the moon. Other scientists decided to buy a doorbell to trigger an envelope generator, and made the world a much better place.
Herb is such a nice guy, I got to meet him at the moog factory during moog fest. He preformed with allesandro cortini and Richard Devine and was so excited to be up there with his minimoog. He has a great passion for what he does.
Herb Deutsch only people like him are made to evolve humanity, thanks for all and especially about how we realize what we call "electronic music". You have revealed a world that was never imaagined before ! a pioneer among with Moog himself.
I'm sceptical on the idea of presets on synthesisers. My first ever synthesiser was a Korg MS20 and only having basic knowledge of subtractive synthesis I sat down and began working my through it to get a sound I like. Starting from the first oscillator and working my way through the signal path I learned how my synth operated, all from scratch. If I was in the same place with say a Minimoog Voyager, I would just flick through the presets, not learning anything about my synth apart from what its capable of. What I liked about my MS20 is the fact that when I achieved a certain sound and I knew exactly how I got to it. It was also fun not knowing what it was capable of and so I was thrilled when I patched something incorrectly and got a completely unexpected sound. Now working as a sound designer this experience is vital so I can achieve these unexpected sounds fast, but I still sit down every once in a while, reset all the settings and just think to myself "What new world will I create today?". I'm not saying that the Voyager is a bad synthesiser, or that presets are a bad implementation (fantastic for live purposes), but I feel like this is something that can have a limitation on creativity and imagination if used incorrectly.
There is just ONE thing i really HATE about the Minimoog Voyager. The blue LEDs...... And it's horrendous price tag. Ok, that's two things. But that's really it. Also, wasn't there even a Minimoog Voyager without Displays and saveable presets?
Why are keyboardists so allergic to one-finger bass? Let’s be honest, 99% of the iconic sound from these synths was from simple bass lines. It really shines once you remove so much wank.
