Joren wrote: I think the first one who played it must've been Bob Moog himself!

 And to think we're worried about the youth of today. Nice going, Joren. LOL

danbo wrote: Joren wrote: I think the first one who played it must've been Bob Moog himself!  And to think we're worried about the youth of today. Nice going, Joren. LOL

I think it's just logical... You wouldn't sell one if you didn't even know how it sounded, would you?

I talk about prog artists not about his conceptor...funny guys!!

Others suggestions?

philippe wrote: I talk about prog artists not about his conceptor...funny guys!! Others suggestions?

You gotta admit Phillipe, Joren is pretty sharp for a Young man. The old guys like Peter and Jim missed that one by a mile.

Okay, y'all...I'll give a free trip to the dark side of the moon to anyone who can answer the following:

Where did Bob Moog get the idea for the synthesizer?  And no, it was not an original idea...

Good luck!

Jim Garten wrote: danbo wrote: philippe wrote: I talk about prog artists not about his conceptor...funny guys!! Others suggestions? You gotta admit Phillipe, Joren is pretty sharp for a Young man. The old guys like Peter and Jim missed that one by a mile. If it wasn't for my arthritis, rheumatism & quadruple incontinence, I'd come over there & give you a damned good thrashing, young man!

Please, stop killing each other, oldtimers! You are both important members here!

 Kind of like a sword fight with wet noodles, ain't it?

Phillipe:

Well, although what you say might be true, let me give you a hint.  Bob Moog got the original schematics for the first synthesizer from someone else.  Who?

Peace.

philippe wrote: you are true...Wendy Carlos & Keith Emerson were the first. However only Carlos and Florian Fricke has composed a whole album with the Moog synth : 'Switched on Bach' for W. Carlos & 'Affenstunde' for F.Fricke.

No, it is not exact.

At this time Wendy Carlos was Walter Carlos as she is a transsexual woman.

Check the BSO of Clockwork Orange.....

Tauhd Zaïa wrote: philippe wrote: you are true...Wendy Carlos & Keith Emerson were the first. However only Carlos and Florian Fricke has composed a whole album with the Moog synth : 'Switched on Bach' for W. Carlos & 'Affenstunde' for F.Fricke. No, it is not exact. At this time Wendy Carlos was Walter Carlos as she is a transsexual woman. Check the BSO of Clockwork Orange.....

I perfectly know this story, but who cares? Wendy & Carlos, it's the same...but yes she first started as Walter Carlos.

Tu savais cela ???

Et bien je suis époustouflée

And who cares ??? : ME

Keith Emerson may indeed have been the first prog artist to record with the Moog synthesizer, but he was far from the first artist to record with it, as was Walter Carlos. The truth is, no one, not even Bob Moog himself, can seem to remember which album was the first to feature his instrument (at that time the big modular Moog). What is known, is that in 1966 he allowed electronic music pioneers Gershon Kingsley and Jean Jacques Perrey, to use the first modular Moog on what would be that duo's second album "Kaleidoscopic Vibrations". That album was not released until early 1968 however, and it was preceded by at least 3 other "Moog" releases. In the summer of 1967, Paul Beaver (one of Moog's in-house techs) took a modular Moog to California to display it at the Monterey Pop festival. While there, several bigtime groups expressed interest and would go on to puchase one (including the Rolling Stones and the Monkees). As far as is known though, the first albums recorded and released featuring the Moog synthesizer are the following, all released in late 1967:

1. Mort Garson "Zodiac Cosmic Sounds"

2. Hal Blaine "Psychedelic Percussion"

3. Emil Richards "Stones"

All three of those albums were recorded using virtually the same group of musicians, with the last two being cut during the same few days. That much is certain, and one of these three (probably the first one listed) was the first recording featuring the Moog synthesizer.

Now, the first album that was done entirely on the Moog synthesizer was Walter Carlos' "Switched-On Bach" in 1968. There have been MANY albums recorded using nothing but Moog synthesizers, or even a single Moog. There were so many Moog releases between 1969-1974 that I don't have nearly all of them, and I'm a pretty big collector.

Florian Fricke was an early pioneer, in the sense that Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman were... certainly Fricke was among the first prog artists to use the Moog. However, by the time of Affenstunde there had literally been hundreds of albums featuring the Moog synthesizer. In fact, the first rock album to feature one was the Monkees' "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones" in late 1967. Even the Beatles used one on Abbey Road (1969).

 Anyhow, I found this discussion while searching on Google, and thought I'd drop in. I hope I've been helpful. If you're really interested in Moogs send me an email.

 Interesting thread!

 Good one, Phillippe!

Well, maani, after posing the question, what is the answer you were looking for?

This thread: http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/moog/index.html - http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/moog/index.html  mentions that Moog "absorbed ideas" from Harald Bode and that he designed the first instruments in "collaboration with" the composers Herbert A. Deutsch, and Walter (later Wendy) Carlos. But that does not appear to be the answer you were looking for. So who was it?!

The first Moog modular synth created in 1967.

...popularised by the music of Walter (Wendy) Carlos "Switched on Bach" (1969), many prog electronic bands as Tangerine Dream, Ashra Tempel...and art rock as ELP, Yes...

I believe that The Rolling Stones used a Moog in December of 1967 on Their Satanic Majesties Request, though it may have a mellotron.

Stones is believed to have been the very first album (obscure or otherwise) to ever feature a Moog. Emil Richards, who did it, was also a member of The Zodiac. They did Cosmic Sounds. Then Beaver sold a Moog to Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and it was used on Pisces, Aqaurius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. Of all the groups I would have guessed brought the Moog in to mainstream, The Monkees were a surprise!

The Monkees did actually used a Moog on one of their albums in the last 60s. On the 1967's "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd." - the song was "Daily, Nightly" I believe. But as I recall they also showed Micky playing it on the show...

Actually later on.. on their "Instant Replay" album (without Peter Tork) Micky got very progressive with his "Shorty Blackwell" track that he wrote himself.. and on the remastered cds; you get bonus tracks that also follow in that direction.

Avram Fawcett wrote: I believe that The Rolling Stones used a Moog in December of 1967 on Their Satanic Majesties Request, though it may have a mellotron. Stones is believed to have been the very first album (obscure or otherwise) to ever feature a Moog. Emil Richards, who did it, was also a member of The Zodiac. They did Cosmic Sounds. Then Beaver sold a Moog to Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and it was used on Pisces, Aqaurius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. Of all the groups I would have guessed brought the Moog in to mainstream, The Monkees were a surprise!

Mellotron for sure - I remember Brian Jones doing a BBC radio interview with the rest of the Stones a week before that  album was released in the UK. He was most lucid when enthusing about using  this new instrument the Mellotron - he did sound in a bad state for most of the show.

I'm not sure but I think one of the firsts was a group called United States of America sometime in 67 or 68.

PS concerning BOB's name, having attended an expo where he was displaying his most recent wares (in 77 if a I remember right), the pronunciation is like in "rogue". 

Rael

Fitzcarraldo et al:

I'll give you another hint.  A certain electronics wizard - who predates Bob Moog  by at least a decade, possibly two - was toying around with the idea of creating a guitar synthesizer.  However, after designing the initial schematics, he put the idea on the back burner.  Years later, he met Bob Moog, who was hot on the idea of a keyboard synthesizer.  This gentleman then handed Bob Moog the original schematics he had developed, and essentially told him: "Have fun!"  About three years later, the protoype "Moog" synthesizer was revealed.

Well?

Fitzcarraldo:

Actually, the theremin works on a slightly different principle than a synthesizer.  By the way, there was also the famous "tubon," a keyboard-like instrument developed by Kurzweil for Kraftwerk, which made a sound somewhere between a sax and a kazoo.  Only a handful were ever created - and one of them is available on Ebay!

The answer to my question is still wanting...

Peace.

Leo Fender?

I know he was instrumental in the echo-plex and many other gadgets.

Danbo:

Oh!  Missed by one!  ....?

Peace.

Les Paul?

Fitzcarraldo:

Got it!  Yes, although the history books don't tell it, it is the truth.  Les - who invented not only multi-track recording, the sustaining solid-body electric guitar, the first disc-cutting lathe, and early echo, chorus, delay and other guitar effects (and also had a small hand in "stereo," developed by his pal, Jim Palmer) - happened upon (i.e., created) schematics for a synthesizer when Bob Moog was still in college (well, maybe grad school...)  However, Les ultimately got involved in many other guitar-related projects, and put those schematics aside.

When Bob first met Les in the early to mid-60s, Bob was going on about this idea he had for a keyboard that would produce multiple sounds through electronic gates and other technical effects.  Les told Bob that he had come up with early designs for just such a thing, and asked Bob if he'd like to have them.

A little less than three years later, the prototype Moog synthesizer was revealed.

And while there is no question that Bob refined the schematics - perhaps a great deal - the original idea and initial schematics were developed by Les.

I'll give you another great little-known Les Paul story.

As you know, Les did all the recording of himself and Mary Ford at home, on early multi-track recording devices created and built by him.  He had just finished multi-tracking Mary's parts for a song, when he was visited by a young man who  had made an appointment to meet Les, just because he was a fan.  (Les is one of the most "available" legends in the world.)

As the young man came in, Les wanted to "show off" the new multi-tracked parts.  So he turned on the tape player.  However, he had accidentally set the speed from 33 to 45.  When he realized this, he stopped the tape, reset the speed, and played the tape.  However, the young man said, "Hey, could you play that back again the way it was the first time?"  Les obliged.  The young man said, "Do you mind if I use that idea?"  Les told him to feel free and "have fun."

The man was David Seville, and thus was born Alvin and the Chipmunks.  So Les even had a hand in that!

A true story...

Peace.