Moog Celebrates 70 Years With A New Interactive Website To Explore The Iconic Synthesizer

Just a year ago, I wrote about how 85-year-old Tom Oberheim was back in the business of making synthesizers. These electronic instruments were incredibly popular from their conception in the 1960s to their peak in the 1980s music scene when no recording was complete without a synth or two.

Perhaps the most well-known synthesizer brand was Moog. Electronic music pioneer Bob Moog founded the company in 1953, and to celebrate Moog’s 70th anniversary and Dr Moog’s birthday, today sees the launch of a brand new website.

The Minimoog Model D was launched in 1970 and changed the face of modern music, serving as the blueprint for all subsequent synthesizers. The all-analog instrument won acclaim for blending the colossal sound of the 1960s Moog modular synthesizers with the accessibility of pre-wired modules, meaning the Model D could be played instantly and intuitively without the need for patch cables.

This integrated approach to synthesizer design was groundbreaking. The Minimoog was embraced by diverse performers, such as Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Jan Hammer, Sun Ra, Giorgio Moroder, Parliament Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, and Gary Numan. Each artist shaped unique sounds using the Model D and created new genres with the instrument.

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To mark the anniversary, Moog Music and Pentagram invite fans to dive into the whimsical world of electronic sound with a new interactive web experience that takes the visitor on a journey through the songs, sounds, and history of the Minimoog Model D. The website is packed with fun for musicians and synth fans. You can visit minimoogmodeld.com and take a tour of the Moog factory.

This integrated approach to synthesizer design was groundbreaking. The Minimoog was embraced by diverse performers, such as Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Jan Hammer, Sun Ra, Giorgio Moroder, Parliament Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, and Gary Numan. Each artist shaped unique sounds using the Model D and created new genres with the instrument.

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To mark the anniversary, Moog Music and Pentagram invite fans to dive into the whimsical world of electronic sound with a new interactive web experience that takes the visitor on a journey through the songs, sounds, and history of the Minimoog Model D. The website is packed with fun for musicians and synth fans. You can visit minimoogmodeld.com and take a tour of the Moog factory.

Each facet of the new website has been designed to offer visitors a digital door to walk through that leads to each new section of the site. Here’s a taster if what visitors can expect:

Jukebox: The synthesizer’s sound is now as ubiquitous as the human voice. From prog-rock and disco to reggae and hip-hop, this is the place to explore a collection of more than 45 of the most influential songs featuring the Minimoog Model D.

Practice Room: Here, visitors can play their favorite Minimoog lead, bass, and percussion sounds using the site’s free emulation inspired by the Minimoog Model D. The interactive synthesizer enables users to create, share and save their original recordings.

Archives: This is the place for exploring the history of this iconic synthesizer, the people who designed it, and its impact on the world of music.

Each facet of the new website has been designed to offer visitors a digital door to walk through that leads to each new section of the site. Here’s a taster if what visitors can expect:

Jukebox: The synthesizer’s sound is now as ubiquitous as the human voice. From prog-rock and disco to reggae and hip-hop, this is the place to explore a collection of more than 45 of the most influential songs featuring the Minimoog Model D.

Practice Room: Here, visitors can play their favorite Minimoog lead, bass, and percussion sounds using the site’s free emulation inspired by the Minimoog Model D. The interactive synthesizer enables users to create, share and save their original recordings.

Archives: This is the place for exploring the history of this iconic synthesizer, the people who designed it, and its impact on the world of music.

Each facet of the new website has been designed to offer visitors a digital door to walk through that leads to each new section of the site. Here’s a taster if what visitors can expect:

Jukebox: The synthesizer’s sound is now as ubiquitous as the human voice. From prog-rock and disco to reggae and hip-hop, this is the place to explore a collection of more than 45 of the most influential songs featuring the Minimoog Model D.

Practice Room: Here, visitors can play their favorite Minimoog lead, bass, and percussion sounds using the site’s free emulation inspired by the Minimoog Model D. The interactive synthesizer enables users to create, share and save their original recordings.

Archives: This is the place for exploring the history of this iconic synthesizer, the people who designed it, and its impact on the world of music.

In collaboration with the Bob Moog Foundation, Moog Music is celebrating the return of the Minimoog Model D and Dr. Bob Moog’s birthday with a special raffle to win serial #1 of this latest version of the instrument.

Built by hand, the new Minimoog Model D delivers the quality, feel and authentic sound of a pristine vintage Moog. For $4,999, the three-oscillator, monophonic, analog synthesizer is encased in an Appalachian cherry cabinet and hand-finished aluminum chassis. Moog claims the Model D sounds as vibrant and deep as ever; its legendary low-pass ladder filter, powerful oscillators and rich saturating mixer retain the exact component placement and through-hole design of a 1970s-era Minimoog Model D.

All proceeds from the Minimoog Model D Serial #1 Raffle will benefit the Bob Moog Foundation and its mission to “inspire people of all ages through the intersection of science, music, technology, and innovation.” Founded in 2005, the Bob Moog Foundation provides hands-on opportunities for children and adults to explore the science of sound and synthesis through three main projects: Their hallmark educational project Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, the preservation of the vast and growing Bob Moog Foundation Archives, and the Moogseum, an interactive facility in downtown Asheville, NC, where Bob Moog’s legacy comes alive to inspire people.