Robert Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog, founder of Moog Music, was an American engineer and pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionInventor
Date of Birth23 May 1934
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
composer electronic kit met music opened together
When I opened the T-burg shop, I thought I was going into the electronic kit business, ... Then I met a composer who wanted to make electronic music on tape. We got together just for fun.
although artistic call certainly designers electronic high instrument maybe rather technology tools
It's certainly more than a technological activity, although we instrument designers certainly use electronic technology as a design tool. But I wouldn't call it an artistic activity. We're toolmakers. Making tools is a craft, maybe even a high craft. I'd say that we are craftsmen rather than artists.
american-inventor expand musicians possibilities range sounds source
To me the synthesizer was always a source of new sounds that musicians could use to expand the range of possibilities for making music.
building early electronic few hobby parts popular projects work
Back in the '40s and early '50s, building simple electronic projects was a popular hobby of many people. Back then, you could buy, you know, a few parts and - with tubes and build something on your kitchen table, and it would actually work.
break cause confirmed fail opposite people room stories supposed work
There are confirmed stories of people who can break instruments and cause them to fail by walking in a room. I'm the opposite - I can walk into a room and something will work better than it is supposed to.
custom musical setting shop
I'm finishing building a house and setting up a shop to build custom electronical musical instruments.
electronic experience musical perhaps time
By the time I got to building synthesizers, I had perhaps 20 years' experience building electronic musical instruments.
design people
The point is that I don't design stuff for myself. I'm a toolmaker. I design things that other people want to use.
conceived gig guy originally session
The mini-Moog was conceived originally as a session musician's axe, something a guy could carry to the studio, do a gig and walk out.
design designs details great hidden ingenious original perfectly subtleties
Leon Theremin's original designs are elegant, ingenious and effective. As electronics goes, the theremin is very simple. But there are so many subtleties hidden in the details of the design. It's like a great sonnet, or a painting, or a speech, that is perfectly done on more than one level.
My transition from scientist to entrepreneur? Some would say that I still haven't made that transition.
musicians
I'm an engineer, ... I see myself as a toolmaker, and the musicians are my customers. They use the tools.
final weeks
In the final weeks of his life, he was bedridden,
brought changed electronic hear masses music
He brought electronic music to the masses and changed the way we hear music.