Robert Moog was an American inventor who developed the Moog
Synthesizer. It was one of the first synthesizers to gain widespread use
as a musical instrument. Moog's synthesizers were an important part
of musical innovation in rock and jazz music in the 1960s and 1970s.
(5) Robert Arthur Moog was born in Queens, a borough of New York City
75 years ago. He became fascinated with electronics as a teenager,
particularly an early electronic music instrument called the theremin.
Moog studied physic and electrical engineering at Queens College and
Columbia University, both in New York City, and later received a Ph.D. in
(10) engineering physic Cornel University in Ithaca, New York. In 1954, while
still an undergraduate student, Moog formed his own company to sell
theremins and theremin kits.
Soon after, Moog began working on a keyboard instrument that could
replicate the sound of any musical instrument electronically. Working with
(15) American composer Herbert Deutsch, Moog introduced the prototype
Moog Synthesizer at a convention in 1964. The device represented a
significant advance over previous electronic synthesizer because of
its use of new semiconductor technology, which made Lt smaller and
considerably cheaper than earlier machines. The Moog, as it was known,
(20) was soon in demand by musician all over the world.
In 1964, Moog began a collaboration with American composer and
organist Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos), who released the bestselling
electronic music album Switched-On Bach in 1968. Rock groups such as
the Beatles and Yes and jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Chick
(25) Corea began incorporating Moog Synthesizer into their recordings, a trend
that increased when the company introduced the compact and portable
Minimoog in 1970. A Moog Synthesizer was also prominently featured on
the soundtrack to the movie A Clockwork Orange in 1971. Encyclopedia
of World Biography, 2008
1. The word "prominently" in paragraph 3 can easily be replaced by ...