Moog, Robert

1934–

Inventor of the Moog Synthesizer

Robert Moog, a musician, electrical engineer, and physicist, invented the Moog Synthesizer in 1964 to aid in the production of new musical sounds. Using electricity, Moog's synthesizer can imitate the sounds made by any musical instrument, as well as generate new ones. Moog's invention permanently changed the world of music.

Moog was born in New York City in 1934. His association with music became pronounced as a child through the influence of his mother, who introduced him to the piano; his father, an amateur radio operator, introduced him to engineering. After reading an article describing how to build Theremins—small wooden boxes with antennas that emitted the first form of electronic music—Moog began constructing his own as a hobby at the age of 15. By age 19, he had published an article instructing readers on how to build their own Theremin kits.

The foundational design used in Moog's unique synthesizer came from applied concepts in physics, electrical engineering, and music. His education generously supported such designs. He received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Queens College, and also received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University. In 1965, Moog received a doctorate in engineering physics from Cornell University. By the time he had finished his education, he had already started his own company.

In 1954, Moog began the first of a series of companies when he founded the R. A. Moog Company, which filled orders for custom-built Theremins and other innovative instruments. In 1964, he introduced the Moog Synthesizer, which attracted the attention of musicians from a wide variety of musical genres. When it was introduced to the general public in 1968, after it was used on Walter Carlos' “Switched on Bach” recording, the instrument became an instant hit.

Moog's Synthesizer captured the attention of the music world due to its revolutionary design. Journalist Frank Houston described the revolutionary instrument as being the first to offer a process called attack-decay-sustain-release (ADSR) envelope shaping, where each envelope corresponds to a physical characteristic of sound. The concept of attack represents the rate at which sound achieves its highest volume. Decay corresponds to the volume level of sound heard after a note reaches its maximum value. Sustain represents the volume and continuation of sound heard after a note is released. Finally, release corresponds to a rate that defines the length of time before a sound falls silent. Taken collectively, these factors made the Moog Synthesizer adjustable and able to copy any instrument, as well as to create entirely new sounds.

In 1971, Bill Waytena bought the R.A. Moog Company, merged it with his own company, Musonics, and changed its name to Moog Music. Waytena's interest in the company came from a desire to improve productivity by building and marketing an even newer electronic synthesizer that appealed to the ordinary consumers. The lucrative company was sold to Norlin Music, Incorporated in 1973. Moog remained in the newly appointed division of Norlin Music, Inc. until 1978, when he moved to North Carolina and started his present company, Big Briar. Big Briar produces various types of Theremins and musical instrument digital interfaces (MIDIs).

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