Moog connectivity
〉We have to start at the very beginning, with the godfather of subtractive synthesis, Robert Moog. The son of an electrical engineer, Bob Moog’s interest in electronic musical instruments started very young. Aged just ten years old, he started building simple radio circuits and other electrical projects, one of which was a threenote electronic organ.
One of the great wonders of DAW-based plugins is that they are easy to install and use, with no requirement for additional hardware. That said, the Arturia Mini V is NKS compliant, so you can take huge advantage of its interfacing options with hardware through the use of Native Instruments or Arturia MIDI controllers.
Listen and you decide…
A move to the Bronx High School of Science allowed the teenage Bob to take his interest more seriously, and it was at the tender age of 15 that he built his first Theremin as part of a science fair. Further projects followed, which included more electronic organs and even a Geiger counter, but Bob was utterly captivated by the Theremin, continuing to revise his selfbuilds as part of a business that he started with his father. This fledgling business called Ramco, was renamed in 1954 to R. A. Moog Co. Yet more Theremins followed but one model, called the 351, offered tone shaping capabilities, setting the direction for much greater things to come.
While Moog’s own iPhone/iPad app can be used in a standalone format, the addition of further enhancements will hugely benefit the quality of the experience if you intend to get serious with the app. Adding a MIDI/USB MIDI interface will help with triggering, while the presence of some form of iOS compliant audio interface will immeasurably improve the quality of the sonic reproduction. The IK Multimedia iRig range has a wealth of products for all scenarios that are perfect solutions for iOS connectivity.
We have several audio examples from all three of our Moogs for you to listen to (download them from filesilo.co.uk). Our software signals have been generated within the DAW, with the hardware and iPad versions being played directly into a high-quality audio interface, with no additional hardware. No smoke or mirrors! Just unadulterated clean Mini audio.
Moog’s debut modules
Meanwhile, if you’re lucky enough to have access to a hardware Minimoog, you’ll need an audio interface to get your audio into your DAW. While you will also need a MIDI interface if you want to connect one of the reissued models via MIDI, the vintage originals present more of a challenge! You’ll need a MIDI to CV/Gate convertor to trigger the Minimoog, and depending on age and condition, you might find this can be a little unreliable. That’s vintage!
In most cases we’ve attempted to play the same thing so comparisons will be as close to ‘like with like’ as possible. The audio is as follows (from each of our three ‘Moogs’).
It was some ten years later that Moog began collaborations with other like-minded individuals, creating early synthesiser modules that would respond to voltage control. These new technologies gained interest from notable composers and experimental musicians, such as John Cage, and formed the blueprint for what would become the first synthesisers which were released in 1967, branded Models I, II & III. Not only were these the first machines of their kind, but they were also instrumental in the introduction of the word ‘synthesiser’ into the musical landscape (although probably ‘synthesizer’ given the US origin).
1. SAW – raw with wide open filter
iOS v hardware v desktop (out of shot). In shot: yes that’s a Schmidt synth. Yes, we’re showing off
2. SQUARE – raw with wide open filter
3. SHARKTOOTH – raw with wide open filter
4. 3 OSC (2 SAW + 1 SQUARE SUB) – raw with wide open filter
The popularity and acceptance of these early modular machines was fairly swift, with early demonstrations of the system from electronic pioneer Wendy Carlos, alongside usage on rock and pop albums by The Doors and The Monkeys. It was the release of the legendary album Switched on Bach in 1968, winning two Grammy Awards the following year, that really cemented the arrival of synthesiser technology, although Bob Moog was unhappy with the original album cover. Portraying J.S. Bach himself, in a slightly giggling-pose in front of a Moog Modular System, the first incarnation of the cover seemed to trivialise the sound that the instrument made, as Bach mugged at the camera, as though he were hearing a strange sound. To make matters worse, the headphones were plugged into the input of a filter, which would have resulted in no sound. The same actor portraying Bach was booked for another photo shoot for a replacement cover. It was reshot in an altogether more serious and stately pose, this time with a correctly connected pair of headphones!
5. FILTER SWEEP – 20% Resonance -sweep modulated via Envelope (Counter Generator)