Cinco perguntas para Herb Deutsch

Herbert Arnold Deutsch nasceu no dia 09 de fevereiro de 1932 em Baldwin, Nova York. Ele e sua mãe perceberam muito cedo que a música teria uma importância muito grande na vida de Herb, então ele começou a ter aulas de piano aos 4 anos. Aos 11 anos resolveu tocar trompete, influenciado pelo jazz. Tocou em bandas durante todo o colegial e na faculdade. Depois da formatura, ele entrou em uma banda do exército dos EUA (Herb teve o músico de jazz Wayne Shorter como companheiro de banda durante este período), continuou a estudar, graduou-se em duas faculdades de música e, no início dos anos anos 60, tornou-se professor na Hofstra University, onde ele ainda trabalha, há mais de 50 anos.

Em 1963 Herb Deutsch conheceu Robert Moog em uma conferência da NYSSMA (New York State Music School Association) em Rochester, NY. No ano anterior Herb havia construído um theremin modelo Melodia, a partir de um artigo escrito por Robert Moog para a revista “Electronics World", no qual Bob explicava passo a passo como montar o theremin e este foi o assunto inicial da conversa entre os dois. As idéias evoluíram muito rapidamente até que ambos decidiram trabalhar juntos no projeto da construção de um sintetizador de sons, com base nos princípios de voltagem controlada, que já vinham sendo desenvolvidos por Bob. Em 1964 eles projetaram e montaram o protótipo do primeiro sintetizador Moog e foi Herb quem, entre outras coisas, insistiu na idéia de utilizar um teclado semelhante ao de um piano, pois seria mais prático para os compositores e também ajudaria a aumentar as vendas do novo instrumento. E como ajudou! Em 1968, Wendy Carlos gravou o primeiro álbum de música clássica executado exclusivamente no sintetizador Moog ("Switched-on Bach") e isto não só impulsionou as vendas do instrumento como também fez com que MOOG se transformasse em sinônimo de modernidade e mudasse toda a história da música.

Herb não só trabalhou ativamente com Bob Moog na invenção e desenvolvimento do instrumento como também foi um dos principais artistas a utilizar um equipamento destes, especialmente nos primeiros anos do sintetizador Moog. Ele compôs a primeira música de todos os tempos feita em um Moog ("Jazz images, worksong and Blues", 1964), realizou o primeiro concerto utilizando o equipamento ao vivo (com o "NY Improvisation Quartet" no Town Hall, NY, em setembro de 1965) e também conduziu e tocou com o seu quarteto no famoso concerto "Jazz in the garden" no MoMA (Museu de Arte Moderna, Nova York, em 28 de agosto de 1969), no qual foram utilizados pela primeira vez quatro sintetizadores modulares Moog ao mesmo tempo no palco. Nos anos 70, Herb escreveu algumas músicas na área do jazz-rock e uma de suas composições mais conhecidas deste periodo é "Lost your number", baseada em um número de telefone (cada nota tocada no tema principal corresponde a um dígito do número de telefone!).


Paralelamente à sua carreira como compositor e ao seu trabalho como educador musical na Hofstra, Herb lecionou em várias outras instituições. Entre 1979 e 1983 ele trabalhou como diretor de marketing e vendas da Moog Music (foi ele quem desenvolveu e escreveu o manual do sintetizador Moog Opus 3 - lançado em 1980 - e também escreveu o manual do sintetizador Moog Rogue - lançado em 1981 – e do Moog Vocoder - lançado em 1979). Em 1972, Herb fundou (com a compositora Marga Richter) a Long Island Composer’s Alliance, um dos mais antigos coletivos de compositores dos Estados Unidos (Herb é o atual presidente da L.I.C.A.).

Entrei em contato com Herb Deutsch pela primeira vez há cerca de um ano, para verificar sobre as possibilidades de trazê-lo ao Brasil para palestras. E, obviamente, eu queria entrar em contato com um dos meus grandes super-heróis. Meus amigos Michelle Moog-Koussa (filha de Robert Moog e presidente da Bob Moog Foundation) e Brian Kehew (grande músico, produtor e escritor que é atualmente o arquivista histórico da Moog Bob Foundation) me colocaram em contato com Herb pela primeira vez e, desde então, toda vez que eu envio um e-mail ele me responde gentilmente, assim que sua vida atribulada permite. Fiz essa entrevista com Herb por e-mail e eu ainda procuro uma boa oportunidade para trazê-lo ao Brasil para palestrar. E espero conseguir com que isso aconteça em breve!!!

Bem, vamos à entrevista!



ASTRONAUTA – Herb, eu li em algum lugar que você começou a estudar música muito cedo, ainda na infância. Também li que o seu primeiro instrumento (ou o principal) foi o trompete, pelo menos naquela época. Como o seu interesse pelo theremin - quando você já estava com 30 anos de idade - e, posteriormente, pelos sintetizadores influenciou sua música a partir desse momento (início dos anos 60)? Seus conceitos sobre música mudaram depois da entrada desses novos equipamentos eletrônicos na sua vida ou as novas possibilidades abertas por eles foram adicionados aos conceitos que você já tinha sobre a música?

HERB - Comecei meus estudos de música aos 4 anos de idade, tocando piano. Quando eu tinha 11 anos comecei a ouvir jazz e resolvi tocar trompete. Na escola e mesmo mais tarde, em uma banda do exército dos EUA, eu era trompetista. Mesmo quando eu compus "Jazz Images", usando o Moog pela primeira vez, eu escrevi para um solista de jazz tocando piano e trompete.

ASTRONAUTA – Segundo me consta, entre suas principais contribuições para a invenção do sintetizador Moog está o fato de você ter sugerido a Robert Moog que utilizasse um teclado no sintetizador. Você também sugeriu a ele que o sintetizador Moog deveria ter controles de "attack" e "decay" (posteriormente chamado de "Envelope Generator"). Existe também um fato curioso sobre a criação do "Envelope Generator" - a famosa história que, durante uma conversa entre você e Bob sobre o assunto, ele pediu para você atravessar a rua e comprar uma campainha em uma loja de ferragens e, quando você voltou, em cerca de meia hora Bob ja tinha um "Envelope Generator" praticamente pronto. Naqueles primeiros dias você tinha contato diário com Robert Moog ou pelo menos ia com freqüência à oficina dele? Como era este lugar e onde ficava esta oficina onde vocês desenvolveram suas idéias iniciais para o novo instrumento?

HERB - Durante o desenvolvimento do primeiro protótipo do sintetizador eu fiquei acampado em Trumansburg, NY, em um acampamento estadual com minha esposa e minha filha pequena e nós ficavamos todos os dias, durante quase três semanas, com Bob na sua loja e estúdio. Para deixar claro, a campainha foi o primeiro "trigger" para acionar o “Envelope Generator”. Este conceito tornou-se o padrão de “trigger pulse”, utilizado em todos os sintetizadores analógicos daquela época.



ASTRONAUTA – Além de estar presente e trabalhando com Robert Moog quando ele dava seus primeiros passos na invenção do sintetizador Moog, Herb Deutsch é responsável por, pelo menos, três momentos memoráveis no início, quando tudo ainda era novidade e ainda estava em fase de testes: a primeira composição feita com um sintetizador Moog (a peça "Jazz images, worksong and blues", escrita no outono de 1964); a primeira utilização de um Moog Modular ao vivo (no Town Hall, NY, em setembro de 1965, com o "NY Improvisation Quartet") e o concerto "Jazz in the garden" (realizado no MoMA, em New York, no dia 28 de agosto de 1969, no qual foram utilizados quatro sintetizadores modulares Moog simultaneamente). Quais são as suas memórias sobre esses fatos? Existem fotografias ou filmagens dos dois concertos em algum lugar?

HERB - O “NY Improvisation Quartet” realizou o primeiro concerto real utilizando o sintetizador Moog modular em setembro de 1965. Nós executamos obras minhas e também a peça "Refrain Fur drei Spieler", de Stockhausen (sem o Moog Modular nesta peça). O concerto de setembro, foi de grande interesse para os críticos, mas foi realizado exatamente durante uma greve dos trabalhadores do jornal de NY, então nunca foi resenhado, exceto por uma estação de radio que elogiou muito. O concerto no Museu de Arte Moderna, que aconteceu em agosto de 1969, foi um evento emocionante e espetacular para milhares de fãs, porém bem menos espetacular para os músicos. Os quatro sintetizadores modulares não estavam concluídos até um dia antes do concerto e tiveram que ser levados às pressas para o centro de NY e consertados em um hotel. Isso fez com que o único ensaio de verdade fosse feito somente na noite anterior ao concerto, com 8 ou 10 pessoas tocando com instrumentos nos quais eles nunca haviam encostado e sequer sabiam como operar! Eu tinha reunido um quarteto de jazz que incluia o grande pianista de jazz Hank Jones. Ele se apresentou com um instrumento que foi praticamente empurrado para ele. A outra banda era constituída por artistas do mundo do rock, com mais liberdade. Como todos sabem, o público estava realmente muito chapado, alto e animado. As apresentações foram tão boas quanto poderiamos esperar e o final acabou por se tornar um sucesso absoluto. No auge de uma improvisação livre (como toda a noite estava sendo) uma das pessoas da platéia, que estava tentando tirar uma fotografia pelo que fiquei sabendo, pisou no único cabo de força e desligou toda a iluminação e sonorização, deixando todos os presentes na escuridão. Foi espetacular! Os comentários, no entanto, não foram muito generosos com nenhum de nós. Eu posso incluir uma foto muito rara desta noite, se eu conseguir localizá-la.

ASTRONAUTA - Eu acho que o sintetizador Moog é uma das maiores invenções da humanidade. Também acho que a tecnologia utilizada nos sintetizadores analógicos foi pouco explorada em comparação com as possibilidades que poderiam ter sido levadas adiante. Nos anos 80, com o surgimento e popularização dos instrumentos digitais, os sintetizadores analógicos foram perdendo terreno e levou quase 20 anos até que Robert Moog conseguisse retomar os direitos de utilizar novamente o nome "Moog" e, a partir dai, o instrumento voltou a ser popular. Como você vê, tendo participado ativamente do nascimento do sintetizador Moog, este "renascimento" da fábrica e a crescente popularidade da marca Moog novamente?

HERB – Eu fico muito satisfeito com o trabalho que tem sido feito pela nova Moog Music Company. Eles mantiveram as idéias musicais dos instrumentos originais, eles mantiveram o amor de Bob pelos theremins e eles estão entrando de forma criativa no mundo dos aplicativos digitais.

ASTRONAUTA - Eu assisti a um vídeo muito interessante no youtube, de uma das suas apresentações ("From Moog to Mac"). Você faz esta apresentação com regularidade? Você tem ou teria interesse em trazer levar palestra/apresentação para outros países?

HERB - Eu realizo a palestra-performance “Moog to Mac” com bastante frequência e muitas vezes troco algumas das músicas que eu toco. Lançarei um CD Enchanced pela Ravello Records em maio, que incluirá links para algumas belas apresentações minhas. Também estou no YouTube, claro. Confira, procurando por Herb Deutsch e Minimoog, um vídeo 14 minutos, muito bem produzido, que está tendo um grande número de acessos.

Bem Astronauta, aqui estão alguns comentários para sua entrevista. Enviarei as fotos em um email separado. Elas também estarão no CD "Moog to Mac", pela Ravello.

Herb.






Aqui está uma foto muito rara do concerto "Jazz in the garden", que Herb gentilmente enviou-me para ilustrar nossa entrevista:


“Aqui está a foto do MoMA. O synth que eu estou tocando foi enviado para Keith Emerson posteriormente! O homem em pé está conversando com Hank Jones, que mal pode ser visto e à sua direita está Art Doolittle, que está tocando o sintetizador de baixo. O sintetizador de percussão não pode ser visto, mas o tocado foi Jim Pirone." - Herb Deutsch

Astronauta Pinguim e Herb Deutsch - São Paulo, 26 de julho de 2013.

Five questions to Herb Deutsch

Herbert Arnold Deutsch was born on February 9th, 1932 in Baldwin, New York. He and his mother realized very early in his childhood that music would be very important in his life, so he began to play piano lessons at age 4. At 11 he started to play trumpet, influenced by jazz. He played in bands throughout high school and college and after graduation he entered a U.S. army band (Herb had the jazz musician Wayne Shorter as a band mate during this period), continued to study, graduated with two degrees in music and, in the early '60s, became a professor at Hofstra University, where he still works for more than 50 years.

In 1963 Herb Deutsch met Robert Arthur Moog at a conference of the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) in Rochester, NY. The year before, Herb had built a Melodia model theremin, from an article written by Robert Moog on “Electronics World” magazine, in which Bob explained step by step how to assemble the theremin and this was the initial subject of conversation between them. The ideas evolved very quickly, and they decided to work together in a project to build a sound synthesizer, based on the principles of voltage controlled that were already being developed by Bob. In 1964 they designed and assembled the first prototype of the Moog synthesizer and, among other things, it was Herb who insisted on the idea of using a keyboard similar to a piano, because it would be more practical to composers and it would also help to increase the sales of the new instrument. And how it helped! In 1968 Wendy Carlos recorded the first album of classical music performed entirely on the Moog synthesizer ("Switched-on Bach") and it boosted the sales of the instrument and MOOG became synonymous of modernity and changed the whole history of music.

Herb not only worked actively with Bob Moog in the invention and development of the instrument but also was one of the main artists that used one of those, especially in the early years of the Moog synthesizer. He composed the first composition ever made on a Moog ("Jazz Images, worksong and blues", 1964), performed the first live concert using the equipment (with the "NY Improvisation Quartet" at Town Hall, NY, in September 1965) and also conducted and played with his quartet in the famous concert "Jazz in the Garden" at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art, NY, on August 28th, 1969). that was the first time in which four Modular Moogs were used at the same time on stage. In the '70s, Herb wrote some jazz-rock pieces and one of his most well-known compositions of that time is "Lost your number", based on a phone number (each note played on the main theme corresponds to a digit of the phone number!).


Parallel to his career as a composer and his work as a music educator at Hofstra, Herb taught in several other institutions. Between 1979 and 1983 he worked at Moog Music, as the Director of Marketing and Sales (he developed and wrote the manual of the Moog Opus 3 synthesizer - released in 1980 - and he also wrote the manual of the Moog Rogue synthesizer - released in 1981 - and the Moog Vocoder - released in 1979). In 1972, Herb founded (with composer Marga Richter) the Long Island Composer's Alliance, one of the oldest collective of composers from the United States (Herb is currently L.I.C.A.’s president).

I contacted Herb Deutsch for the first time about a year ago, to check about the possibilities of bringing him to Brazil for lectures. And, of course, I wanted to make contact with one of my greatest superheroes. My friends Michelle Moog-Koussa (Bob Moog’s daughter and president of Bob Moog Foundation) and Brian Kehew (a great musician, producer and writer who is currently the Archives Historian for the Bob Moog Foundation) put me in contact with Herb for the first time and, since then, everytime I write an email to Herb he promptly replies as soon as his very busy life allows. I did this interview with Herb via email and I still hope and I'm searching for an opportunity to bring him to Brazil to a lecture. And I hope it can happen soon!!!

Well, let's go to the interview!



ASTRONAUTA – Herb, I read somewhere that you began your musical studies very early in your childhood. I also read that your first (or your main) instrument was the trumpet, at least at that time. How your interest in the theremin - when you was already 30 years old - and, subsequently, by the synthesizers influenced your music from that time (early 60's) on? Did your concepts about music changed after these electronic new equipments came into your life or the new possibilities opened by that were added to the concepts you've ever had about music?

HERB – I began my music studies at 4 years of age on the piano. When I was 11, I began to listen to jazz and wanted to play trumpet. In school and even later in a US Army Band, I was a trumpet player. Even when I composed "Jazz Images" using the Moog for the first time, I wrote it for a jazz soloist playing both piano and trumpet.

ASTRONAUTA – As far as I know, among your great contributions to the invention of the Moog synthesizer there's the fact that you have suggested to Robert Moog to use a keyboard interface on the synthesizer and you also suggested him that the Moog synthesizer should have "attack" and "decay" controls (later called "Envelope Generator"). There is also a curious fact about the creation of the "Envelope Generator" - the famous story that, during a conversation between you and Bob about that, he asked you to cross the street and buy a door bell in a hardware store and when you came back, in about half an hour Bob had an "Envelope Generator" almost ready. In those early days, did you had daily contact with Robert Moog or, at least, did you went frequently to Robert Moog's workshop? How was this place and where was this workshop where both of you developed your early ideas for that new instrument?

HERB – During the development of the first prototype synthesizer I stayed at Trumansburg camping at a New York State campground with my wife and baby daughter and spent every day of almost three weeks with Bob at his shop and studio. To clarify, the doorbell was the first "trigger" for turning on the envelope generator. That concept became the trigger pulse that was used in all analog synthesizers from that time.






ASTRONAUTA – More than being present and working with Robert Moog when he took his first steps in the invention of the Moog synthesizer, Herb Deutsch is responsible for, at least, three memorable moments in the beginning, when everything was still new and still in testing phase: the first composition made with a Moog synthesizer (the piece "Jazz Images, worksong and blues", written on the fall of 1964); the first live use of a Modular Moog (at the Town Hall, NY, in September 1965, with "NY Improvisation Quartet") and the concert "Jazz in the garden" (at MoMA, in New York, on August 28, 1969, in which were used four Modular Moog Systems simultaneously). What are your memories about those facts? Are there photographs or filming of these two concerts somewhere?

HERB – The NY Improvisation Quartet performed the first true concert using the modular Moog Synthesizer in September of 1965. We performed works of mine and also performed the Stockhausen "Refrain Fur drei Spieler" (without the Moog for that piece). The September concert was of great interest to critics, but was performed exactly when a NY Newspaper work strike took place, and it was never reviewed except by one music radio station which was very complimentary. The Museum of Modern Art concert that took place in August, 1969 was an exciting and spectacular event for thousands of fans, but was generally less than spectacular for the musicians. The four modular synthesizers were not completed until the day before the concert and were rushed down to NY City and set up in a hotel. That forced the only real rehearsal to be held the night before the concert with 8-10 people playing on instruments that they never touched and had no idea about the operation of them! I had put together a jazz quartet which included the great jazz pianist Hank Jones. He performed on an instrument that was basically THROWN together. The other group was made up of performers more from the FREE ROCK & ROLL world. As all know, the audience was actually pretty stoned, loud and very excited. The performances were about as good as could be expected and the closing turned out to be a DYNAMIC SUCCESS. At the very height of a free improvisation (as the entire evening was) one of the audience members trying to capture a photograph, i've been told, stepped onto the ONLY power plug and threw the evening into surprise black out of sound and light! It was spectacular!! The reviews however were not very kind to any of us. I may include a very rare photo from that night if I can locate it.

ASTRONAUTA – I think the Moog synthesizer is one of the greatest creations of the mankind. I also think that the technology used in analog synthesizers was underexplored in comparison with the possibilities that could have been taken forward. In the eighties, with the emergence and popularization of digital instruments, analog synthesizers were losing ground and it took about 20 years before Robert Moog got the rights to use the name "Moog" again and, from that time on, the instrument became popular again. How do you see, having participated actively on the birth of Moog synthesizers, this “rebirth” of the factory and the resulting growing popularity of the brand Moog again?

HERB – I have been very pleased with the work that has been done by the new MoogMusic Company. They have retained the musical ideas of the original instruments, they have retained Bob's love of Theremins, and they are moving creatively into the world of digital apps.

ASTRONAUTA – I watched a very interesting video on youtube, from one of your presentations ("From Moog to Mac"). Do you do this presentation with some regularity? Do you have interest or would be interested in bringing this lecture/presentation to other countries?

HERB – I give the lecture-performance of MOOG TO MAC fairly often and frequently change some of the music that I play. I will be releasing an Enchanced CD on Ravello Records in May which includes links to some nice perfomance of mine. I am also on YouTube, of course. Check under Herb Deutsch and Minimoog for a very well produced 14 minute video which is getting a lot of hits.

Well Astronauta, here are a few comments for your interview. In a seperate email, I will send a few pictures. They will also appear on the upcoming "Moog to Mac" Ravello CD.

Herb.





Here's a very rare photo of the "Jazz in the garden" concert that Herb gently sent me to illustrate our interview:


"Here is the MoMA photo. The synth that I am playing was later sent to Keith Emerson!!! The man standing is talking to Hank Jones, who can barely be seen and to his right is Art Doolittle who is playing the bass synthesizer. The percussion synthesizer is not seen, but the player was Jim Pirone." - Herb Deutsch.

Astronauta Pinguim and Herb Deutsch - São Paulo, July 26th 2013.

Minimoog model D (text in english)

In the early 50's Robert Arthur Moog - then a student and future electronic engineer - became interested in the functioning of theremins and began to manufacture and sell kits to assembly the instrument. In 1953 he founded his own company, R. A. Moog Theremins Co. In the beginning Robert Moog manufactured vacuum-tube theremins but, in 1961, he marketed his first transistorized theremins and it was precisely this novelty, the transistor (much smaller and cheaper than traditional vacuum-tubes) the element that enabled the research, invention and development of the instrument that was about to completely change the music world: the Moog synthesizer!



In late 1963 Robert Moog met the composer and teacher Herb Deutsch at a conference in New York and throughout the following year they worked together on the development of a sound synthesizer prototype. The first public presentation of this new instrument was in October 1964 and the big novelty was the use of Voltage Controlled, developed by Robert Moog, which (applied to the oscillators) allowed the instrument to be played through a keyboard similar to an organ or a piano, with certain stability in pitch. This first model still took three years of improvements until 1967, when the NY musician and recording engineer Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos) shown interest in the Moog Synthesizer and purchased some modules to build her own synthesizer. Carlos also suggested several changes and facilities to Robert Moog and in the same year the world saw the released the first Moog synthesizer to be marketed, the model 900. A demonstration record, written and produced by Carlos, was made. In the following year - 1968 - Walter Carlos and Rachel Elkind (then secretary of the CBS president, Goddard Lieberson) began to record a series of Johann Sebastian Bach pieces, fully realized on the Moog - some pop artists had already used the Moog on records, but the first experience using only the new instrument was the album that resulted from these recordings: "Switched-on Bach"! This album is still one of the higgest selling classical music records ever released! "Switched-on Bach" not only paved the way for an infinite number of Moog records that would come later but also it definitely put the Moog synthesizer on the spotlight!


But the first Moog synthesizers were still huge modular instruments, full of patch cables connecting its modules and its shipping was too complicated to use in shows (although Keith Emerson used to play one with his band The Nice since 1968). So at the end of 1969 Robert Moog, along with electronic engineer Bill Hemsath, began the project to build a portable model called Minimoog (there were three prototypes - A, B and C - before the now classic Minimoog model D went into the production line). This model was manufactured for more than a decade (1970-1981), and is the best known of all Moog synthesizers (although only 13.259 Minimoogs were manufactured).

The original concept of the Minimoog was based on the use of some basic components of the modular synthesizer and integrated them into a compact unit that did not required the use of patch cables interconnecting the modules. The initial idea was that the Minimoog buyers would be basically musicians who wanted a smaller version of the Modular Moogs to use in shows. Robert Moog had no idea how this portable unit would be mounted - put side by side the photos of a Minimoog and of a Modular Moog Synthesizer and you'll undestand why - so many sketches were made untill they had the final design (and almost nothing changed on it during the following years!). Many of the first designs and prototypes used plastic on the Minimoog chassis, but the decision to use wood in the final version was made because, with wood, it would be possible to make the chassis inside the workshop installed in R. A. Moog Co. The first public demonstration of the Minimoog was in June 1971 (more than 40 years ago) at the convention of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).



The Minimoog is relatively simple to operate. Its system consists of three oscillators (each with a selector for six variations in the waveforms generated, another switch to select octaves and individual tuning knobs in ocillators 2 and 3), a mixer, a pink/white noise generator, a VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) and classic and unbeatable - and characteristic of the Moog synthesizers - 24dB/oct filter. In the audio output stage a switch that triggers a note A (440 hz.) is placed on the right side of the instrument's front panel and a completely independent output for headphones is also featured. A knob for tuning the Minimoog, another to add noise to the modulation wheel and another to add portamento between notes complete the front panel of the Minimoog. On the left of the keyboard - with extension of 44 notes, from F to C - there are two wheels: one to control pitch and another one to control modulation. The Minimoog is a monophonic instrument so only one note can be played at a time (the priority is to the lowest one).








At the back of the Minimoog (or at its top, since the instrument's panel is foldable, which allows better access to all controls), there are two audio outputs (low and high impedance) and there's also an audio input that allows to pass any signal through the filter. Moreover, an S-trigger input and jacks for external controls of loudness, filter and oscillator allow the use of ribbon controller, a sample-and-hold unit and many more accessories that have been invented and developed for use with the Minimoog.





It's almost impossible to compute the number of artists that used - and still use - the Minimoog in their recordings and concerts. To name the most popular (and my favorites, so the most important according to my conception) artists I mention the jazz musician Sun Ra (I had already mentioned him as one of the first artists that recorded with a Wurlitzer electric piano). Robert Moog gave him one of the first prototypes of the Minimoog, the model B, and there is even a video of him playing this instrument! Keith Emerson was the first artist that put a Minimoog on the road, on Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Pictures at an Exhibition" tour, in 1970. Another important figure in the first days the Minimoog was David Borden. In 1969 he formed the Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co., considered the first band to use exclusively synthesizers (even before Tonto's Expanding Head Band and Tangerine Dream). David had a very close contact with Dr. Robert Moog and was also one of the first artists to use a Minimoog in a concert, in June 1970 at Trinity Church, in New York.



Other great and very well known artists that used (some of them still use) the Minimoog are: Kraftwerk (on youtube there are several videos of Ralf Hutter using a Minimoog, mainly for the bass lines of the songs), Rick Wakeman (in almost all of his records, both on solo career and with Yes. Three of his solo albums are worth listening: "Journey to the center of the earth", "Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the knights of the round table" and "No Earthly Connection"), Benny Anderson (his Minimoog was painted white and there is a video of an Abba concert at Wembley Stadium, in London, in which Anderson appears playing the famous intro to "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A man after midnight", sampled by Madonna in her song "Hung Up"), Mark Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale (Casale used one to play the bass lines of various songs from Devo), Fabrice Quagliotti (from the french space-rock band Rockets), Gary Numan (his 1979 album, "Replicas", was almost entirely recoded with a Minimoog), David Bowie, Tangerine Dream, Ultravox, Blondie, Vince Clarke (with Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure), Giorgio Moroder, Brian Eno, Bernie Worrell (from Parliament/Funkadelic and Talking Heads), Manfred Mann, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Rod Argent (with Argent, his progressive rock band), Patrick Moraz and Geoff Downes (both from Yes. Patrick used a "double Minimoog" with Yes on some of their 1975 "Relayer" shows), Steve Hillage (he had a blue colored one), Tony Carey (with Rainbow and in his solo career, which is pretty cool), Chick Corea, Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Klaus Schulze, Harald Grosskopf, Francis Rimbert, Herbie Hancock, Flavio Premoli (from the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi. There is a video on youtube in which Flavio demonstrates a Minimoog on the Italian TV channel RAI UNO, in 1972), the french band Space, Larry Fast (in his solo project, Synergy, in Peter Gabriel's band and as a musician and synthesizer programmer in Serge Gainsbourg album "Love on the beat"), the electronic band Hot Butter and my (now) friends Gershon Kingsley (composer of "Popcorn"), Brian Kehew (Moog Cookbook, his duo with former Jellyfish member Roger Manning Jr.) and Herb Deutsch (already mentioned in this text).


I bought my Minimoog in September 2008. A few weeks earlier I had gone to visit Cardoso, my friend and the great technician who repairs my equipment. When I arrived at his workshop, the first thing I did was to put my eyes on the Minimoog that was there. I asked Cardoso who was the Minimoog's owner and he informed that it belonged to Angelo Pastorello (former bassist of 80's brazilian band Violeta de Outono) and he also told me that the band's keyboardist, Fernando, had brought it to calibrate and fix. And he also said that Fernando was going to be there within some minutes! I waited Fernando to arrive, got Pastorello's contacts and we began to negotiate. At first he asked me much money, but I bought for half of what he wanted (which still was a small fortune, to me at least). Finally we had a deal, money on his bank account but I still had to pick up the instrument at Fernando's home - at this point the Minimoog had already been repaired by Cardoso. As any money I owned was used to purchase the instrument, no way to go by taxi. I went and returned from his house (very far from mine) by bus, bringing the Minimoog with me. And without a hardcase! But every effort was worthy, the instrument is in great condition, I believe that it has not been widely used in shows by Violeta de Outono, although all of their albums (untill 2008 at least) has the sound of this Minimoog! I use my Minimoog whenever is possible, in concerts and recordings. My latest album, "Zeitgeist / propaganda", is almost entirely based on the sounds of this Minimoog (either as the lead instrument or using low-frequency oscillators as the basis of rhythmic music or even passing the Minimoog through the vocoder). I'm also using it on stage with Lirinha, a brazilian artist that I play with.The serial number of my Minimoog is 9071 (it was tested and left the factory on July 13, 1977)!




photos: Kay Mavrides/internet

I recorded this video on Friday, June 24th 2011!



Here's a video from Violeta de Outono playing Beatles' song "Tomorrow never knows" live at Teatro do SESI, São Paulo, on august 21st, 2001. The bass player Angelo Pastorello plays the intro on the Minimoog that now belongs to me (he gently sold me it on september, 2008). Angelo doesn't play on Violeta de Outono anymore and he is a very well known photographer here in Brazil!



...and now I use this Minimoog on almost all my works, both on my solo career and playing with Lirinha. In these video we play "Ducontra" at SESC Pompéia on february 10th, 2012 (I'm playing the Minimoog, a Wurlitzer 200A electronic piano and a Crumar organ):



Other cool videos are:
Brief history of the Minimoog:



Excerpt from a documentary made by BBC in 1980 with Dr. Robert Moog Minimoog demonstrating a Minimoog:



Herb Deutsch talks a little bit about the Minimoog (his R. A. Moog era Model D is serial number 94) and plays his piece "I lost your number):



Sun Ra using his Minimoog model B (prototype "borrowed" by Dr. Robert Moog):



Emerson Lake and Palmer - Karn Evil 9 live at California Jam, april 6th, 1974.
Keith Emerson plays the bass lines on the Minimoog during Greg Lake guitar's solo and his own first Hammond organ solo. In this show Emerson also used the prototypes of Moog Lyra and Moog Apollo (known as the Moog Constelation or Moog Polyphonic Ensemble, along with Moog Taurus Bass pedals). The Moog Constellation was planned as an answer to the Yamaha GX-1 (premiered in the US in 1973 at the NAMM convention), the three units were also going to be sold separately but however, the Constellation was never sold (Moog Taurus was sold as a separate unit later that year and the Moog Apollo prototype was redesigned and became the famous Polymoog Synthesizer in 1975):



Kraftwerk - Autobahn (live on US tv, 1975):



A very early Devo show at Kent State University, US, 1973)



Rick Wakeman - Arthur (live 1975):



Abba - Gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight), live at Wembley, 1979.
Benny Anderson playing his custom white painted Minimoog:



Bob Marley - Stir it up



Chicory Tip - Son of my father (1972)
A Moog/MuSonics Minimoog here. There was a very short period during 1971/72 in which Moog Music - which had just merged with the smaller muSonics company - manufactured this one (note the different nameplate and the transparent pitch and modulation wheels):



Rockets - Cosmic Race (1978)



Space - Magic Fly



Steve Hillage - It's all too much (live in Berlin, 1977)
Paul Hodge on Minimoog/keyboards, Basil Brooks and Miquette Giraudy on other synthesizers:



Ultravox's singer Midge Ure demonstrates a Minimoog (modified by Warren Cann, Ultravox's drummer)



Premiata Forneria Marconi - Dove... Quando (live at RAI Italian tv channel, 1972)
Flavio Premoli demonstrates the Minimoog and the Mellotron:



The Rah Band - The Crunch (Top of the pops, 1977)



Mother Mallard
David Borden interview and excerpts from some of Mother Mallard presentation in NY on june 29th, 2011:



Photo of the Minimoog Model A:



Photo of the Minimoog Model B:



Another photo of the Minimoog Model B:



Photo of the Minimoog Model C:



Photo of the four Minimoog models side by side:



Robert Moog with two Minimoogs:




Original ads I found on the Internet:






Two rare photos of David Bowie with a Minimoog:

And here is the manual of the Minimoog Model D (downloadable in pdf):
http://www.vintage-manuals.com/category/35-moog-minimoog.html