The A-Z of analogue

Our definitive directory of every analogue synth in the history of the whole world ever. Included are keyboards, expanders and sound modules, readers are invited to expand upon or correct any part of the A-Z. Parts 1-18 may be ordered from the Music Maker hotline: (Contact Details)

Part 19 — compiled by Peter Forrest

Mixturtrautonium

Development of early electronic instrument, the Trautonium (qv). c.1952. Oskar Sala (born 1910) first worked with Friedrich Trautwein, the Trautonium's inventor, in the early 30s. He was still playing the only two extant Mixturtrautoniums in his studio in 1993.

• Most famously used for the soundtrack of Hitchcock's The Birds.
• Two "keyboards", with bendy levers instead of keys, which press down on something a bit like a ribbon controller, to vary resistance and change the pitch of the note. Thus vibrato and portamento are possible, and the whole thing is harder to play, but potentially more emotive, than a standard keyboard.
• Velocity-sensitive, affecting attack. Sub-oscillators; foot swell pedal; up to an amazing 150 watt amplification.
• Most recent models (all hand-built by Oskar Sala himself) look quite like an E-mu modular, with a vertical back panel, including 12 LED digital readout, lots of knobs and switches, and a further control panel set at a slope behind the top keyboard.

Moog

If there's one name that dominates synthesiser history it's Moog. Robert A. Moog virtually invented voltage control, developing the first modular synthesiser that actually worked, and the first portable synthesiser on which you could play a tune and expect it to sound as intended. (Although the Minimoog was pipped to the post by the VCS3 as the first portable synthesiser, you couldn't honestly say the VCS3 was a reliable melodic instrument.)

Bob Moog started out building Theremins in the early 60s, and has returned to this early love in the 90s. In between times, he designed the greatest monosynth ever, presided over the construction of the classic modular systems, laid down (in the Minimoog) the standard signal path for all monosynths and many of the greatest analogue polysynths, saw his company produce the first polysynth with a touch-sensitive keyboard (the Polymoog). He also inspired more designers and musicians than anyone else in the keyboard field in the 20th century, through his articles, his lectures, and probably above all the quality of the instruments that bore the Moog name.

Even after he left the company, they went on to build arguably one of the four or five great polysynths of all time — the Memorymoog. Not bad for one company: Probably the number one modular system; definitely the number one monosynth; and one of the top five analogue polysynths ever (respect to the CS80, Prophet 5, PS3300, Jupiter 8 and Matrix 12).

Moog's current firm is Big Briar, Inc., (Contact Details).

• Moog's Modular Systems

Users include (exact model unknown): Paul Beaver, Ernest Berk, Malcolm Cecil, Chick Churchill / Ten Years After, Vince Clarke, Comfortable Chair (John Densmore's other band), Florian Fricke / Popol Vuh, George Harrison, Mick Jagger (in Performance, onscreen), Gershon Kingsley, Bernard Krause, Lothar and the Hand People, Robert Margouleff, Roger McGuinn, Sun Ra, Tomita, Mel Wesson / T V. Smith's Explorers, Stevie Wonder (Talking Book: "Stevie Wonder plays the Arp and Moog synthesisers")

Although, not surprisingly, different modules were invented at different times, virtually all modules are interchangeable. The most complete list I have runs like this:-

• 3C/2C/1C

Classic early modular synthesiser systems. c.1967 - c.1972
Original price: 3C: £4455, 2C: £3420, 1C: £2400 (1972)
Target price: 3C: £5000 - £10000, 2C: £2500 - £5000, 1C: £1800 - £3500
Users include: John Cage, Walter/Wendy Carlos, CBS Records, Nik Condron / Streetnoise Synthesizer Studios, Earthstar, Electric Lady Studio (1C), Elektra Records, Keith Emerson (3C wth extra modules, some working, some for show — five-tier; with pre-sets), NBC, Alwyn Nikolais, Eberhard Schoener, Klaus Schulze, Tomita (Firebird, etc.), Tonto's Expanding Head Band (TONTO — 'The Original New Timbral Orchestra' is a drastically expanded Series 3), Mike Vickers, Yellow Magic Orchestra / Hideki Matsutahe.

The chances of getting anywhere near the perfect version of an instrument at first attempt might seem to be pretty slim, but Moog did it with their modular series (and then did it again with the Minimoog).

Each system was put together by hand, and could be varied to order, so there isn't any exact complement of modules that absolutely every, say, 3C had. There is also some confusion about what each system was called: You might assume, seeing as how a 3C generally came in three wooden cases, that a 2C always came in two cases, and a 1C in one. That doesn't always seem to have been the case.

A list of modules in a standard complement:

• 1C: 901, 901A, 2x 901B, 2x 902, 903A, 904A, 905, 907, 910, 911, 950, 956, 991, 994, and space for one single-unit module. Plus various output / interconnection / attenuation panels: 2x No3, 1x No4, 1x No8.
• 2C: 901, 2x 901A, 5x 901B, 2x 902, 903A, 904A, 904B, 904C, 905, 907, 910, 2x 911, 950, 956, 984, plus various output / interconnection / attenuation panels: 3x No3, 1x No2 (inc HPF and LPF), 1x No6, 1x No8.
• 3C: 901, 3x 901A, 9x 901B, 3x 902, 903A, 904A, 904B, 904C, 905, 910, 3x 911, 950, 956, 984, 992, 993, plus various output / interconnection / attenuation panels: 4x No3, 1x No2 (inc HPF and LPF), 1x No8.
• With each of these systems, you could also go for the sequencer set-up, which was available as either a single or double set, costing £1158 and £1980 respectively in 1972.
• Complicated to use: You get no sound till you use some patch-cords, unlike on, say, an ARP 2600 or Korg MS20. Very easy to get swamped with patch-leads as your sound gets more complex; and obviously very difficult to make quick changes.
• Moog designed four with simple pre-set programs to a commission for a series of concerts at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. One of them later found its way to Keith Emerson in England, so he immediately used it on 'Lucky Man'. This machine, much modified and expanded, remains in his possession and occasional use (despite a time in the 80s when the Moog was stored, in its flight-case but outside, through a Buffalo winter).
• Early modules have discreet 'R.A. Moog' logo; later ones have larger Moog logo as on all the other Moog synths.
• Massive sounds available: 3Cs usually had nine VCOs, which you could put together for absolute killer sounds. Deep warm bass, wickedly squelchy filter effects, subtle phasing and detuning (not always deliberate, but no problem in a recording environment), bland or spiky timbres readily available — once you'd found your way around the modules.
• Even with only 3x8 steps available, elaborate constantly changing sequences are possible (as long as you didn't have to sync to anything else — instead, you'd set up a sequence and then play along to it).
• The sequence doesn't just have to be pitch-based; filter cut-off, volume, and any number of other controls like attack or filter resonance can change as well or instead. And if it is pitch-based, it doesn't have to be standard scaling: You can set intervals you like the sound of, which may end up being more in tune than using a quantised system.
• Visually, an absolute gem. Walnut cabinets, solid modules with chunky knobs and elegant silver-coloured edging; lovely lit-up switches, and massive lights to give a visual representation of the sequencer's progress through its steps.
• MT retrospective: Sep 92.

• 3P/2P/1P

Portable versions of the series 3, in flight cases. c.1970 - c.1972
Original price: 3P - £4050 (1970); 2P - £3225 (1972); 1P - £2400 (1972)
Target price: £ same as 3C.
Users include: Tomita ('Bermuda Triangle', etc.)

• Instead of vertically-stacked walnut boxes, the P came in equally smart but more roadworthy flight-cases, which in the case of the 3P would usually be arranged in an arc facing the player.

• 10

A slimmed-down 1C, but with a longer (61-note C-C) keyboard., c.1971 - 1973
Original price: £1668 (1972)
Target price: £1400 - £2200

An attempt to make modular synthesis affordable — but you could have very nearly bought three Minimoogs for the same money.

• Standard complement of modules: 901, 901A, 2x 901B, 902, 903A, 904A, 907, 910, 2x 911, 951, console panel no.11, with four-input mixer, multiples, attenuator, 2x control voltage and trigger outs, two audio outs.
• Came with 10x30cm, 8x60cm patchleads, two S-trig cords (Moog's curious trigger system, still used on almost all their equipment in the seventies) and an S-trig Y-cord.

• 55/35/15

Moog's successor to the series 3/2/1. c.1973 - c.1981 (to special order by then).
Original price: 55: £9177, 35: £6089, 15: £3685 (1972 prices)
Target price: 55: £5000 - £8000, 35: £3000 - £5000, 15: £2000 - £3500

By 1975, the 15 and 35 could be bought without the filter banks if you wanted to save £400; and the 55 could be bought without the sequencer, to save £700. They were then called 15A, 35A, and 55A respectively.

Users include: (15) Larry Fast, Jan Hammer (with remote keyboard), University of Massachusetts, Masterworks, Bill Payne, Tomita ('Bermuda Triangle', etc.)

Typical complement of modules:
15: 2x 902, 904A, 907A, 2x 911, 921, 921 A, 921B, 923, 952, 995, CP3, CP4A.
35: 3x 902, 904A, 904B, 907A, 3x 911, 921, 2x 921 A, 4x 92IB, 923, 951. 2x CP3, CP4A, CP35.
55: 5x 902, 903A, 904A, 904B, 5x 911, 911A, 914, 921, 2x 921 A, 6x 921B, 951, 960, 961, 962, 3x CP3, CP4A, ?CP35

Users include: (55) J-M Jarre (Zoo Look), Tomita, Tangerine Dream, Hans Zimmer.

• The 15 was designed as the portable version, finished in black leathercloth. The 35 and 55 were throwbacks to the C design, in beautiful solid walnut racks — the 35 with just the one large base rack, and the 55 with a rack of modules above it as well.
• All systems came with a reasonably generous collection of patch-leads. For example, the 55 had 38 leads varying from 30cm to 150cm, and 5 8-trig leads.
• Generally much more reliable to keep in tune than the earlier system 3s, thanks to the re-designed VCOs, the 921Bs, that were fitted as standard. Whether they sound 100% as good is not quite so certain.
• Each module has yellow quality-control tag on its back, with date of manufacture.
• I've seen a reference to the University of Massachusetts having a Moog 45: Either that was a misprint for the 15 they definitely had, or maybe it was a custom machine.

• CEMS (Co-ordinated Electronic Music Studio)

Either c.1964 or c. early 70s.
Either the first modular synth Moog ever built (installed in Albany, USA) or a prototype polyphonic modular synthesiser from a later time.

• Compact

Two-manual instrument with Rogue-like top keyboard, and simple polyphonic lower keyboard.

• Constellation

Used by Keith Emerson on the Brain Salad Surgery tour.

• Keyboard XII

Seemingly a more elaborate version of the Sonic Six.

• Liberation

44-note (F-C) 2-VCO sling-on monosynth with simple polyphony. 1980 - c.1984
Original price: £779
Target price: £200 - £350
Users include: Tom Coster / Santana, Devo, Roy Goudie, Herbie Hancock, J-M Jarre (Concerts in China), Mark Jenkins, Light of the World, John Molloy, Saga, Tom Schuman.

• Keyboard aftertouch-sensitive.
• Neat keyboard layout and controls — very similar to Rogue.
• Triangle, sawtooth and pulse waves available on VCO 1, at three octave settings, and triangle, sawtooth and square waves on VCO 2, at an octave higher. So only one oscillator goes down to 16', which isn't enough for good deep bass. VCOs can be synced. Portamento.
• Ring-modulator (not over-common on Moog products) and simple noise generator both have own slider in five-way mixer section.
• Polyphonic section like ultra-basic organ; again with own slider in mixer section.
• Good filter, which can self-oscillate. Full, half, and zero keyboard tracking switchable.
• Two ADS envelopes, one for VCF, one for VCA.
• High-note priority on monophonic section — can mix well with poly sound at times.
• Performance controls on neck — pitch bend, sprung filter cut-off wheel, modulation, volume, and a pitch ribbon.
• 40-foot multi-core joins keyboard to rackmount power supply, which also houses audio output and CV / trigger out sockets.
• Heavy (about 6kg) but quite well-balanced. Les Pauls are pretty heavy, too. Cable is much bulkier than guitar lead, though — not the same sense of freedom.

• Memorymoog

61-note (C-C) 6-voice 18-VCO classic synthesiser, c.1980 - c.1985
Original price: £3100
Target price: £700 - £1200 (£1000 - £1400 for the Memorymoog Plus (1984))
Users include: 808 State (Plus with Kenton MIDI), Don Airey, Art of Noise / Ann Dudley, Bronski Beat, Geoff Downes, Larry Fast, Chris Franke / Tangerine Dream, Alastair Gavin, Jan Hammer, Herbie Hancock, Inner City, J-M Jarre, Martin Ley, Nick Magnus, Mike Manieri, Saga, Shamen, Dave Stewart.

• The Memorymoog isn't touch-sensitive in any way; it's not multi-timbral, not even with a simple split / layer keyboard facility; only the later Plus model has (a fairly basic) MIDI; its reliability is poor; compared with modern synths in many ways it's a disaster; and yet it blows them away for power and guts. Quite simply, it's one of the great synthesisers of all time, and prices are starting to reflect that.
• Designed to be like six Minimoogs in one box. They didn't quite get there, but they got very close. Same oscillator architecture as Minimoog — three rather than the standard two VCOs per voice — ensures a thick and powerful basic sound. As on the Mini, VCO3 can double as a low frequency oscillator, and affect the pitch of the other oscillators — but since there's also a dedicated LFO, the Memorymoog has the advantage of not having to lose oscillator power to introduce modulation — one of the Mini's very few weaknesses.
• Same 24dB/octave filters, as well, which approach the warmth of the Mini's, but maybe don't quite make it.
• VCO2 can be synced to VCO1 — another improvement, which can produce classic sync sounds; and VCO2 and VCO3 can be tuned independently about a fifth or more up or down. Plus, you have a choice of pulse, saw and triangle on each oscillator, with any or all of them selectable together.
• VCF keyboard tracking, as on the Mini, is simply switchable to one third or two thirds, when a completely variable control would be better.
• Some good options on the envelope controls: 'unconditional contour' makes notes finish their cycle rather than go straight to the release portion when you take your finger off the key; and 'keyboard follow', makes the envelope on high notes shorter than the envelope on low notes — usually a reflection of real instruments, and thus worth having.
• After early models had less memories, Moog settled on 100 for most production models. Good dedicated keypad, with 0-9, A-D, and other buttons, makes program selection easy — and you can also set up a performance sequence, where one button recalls ten programs one after the other.
• 77 chunky push-buttons and 32 knobs — two of them dual-concentric. All controls are active as soon as moved, which is how it should be. There are two quaint LED displays, one which displays the program number in clear large numbers, and one which gives you verbal information — eg. telling you how many of the six voices the auto-tune system managed to get in tune. Once you alter a setting of a knob, the display shows you the original setting and your new setting side by side. Very simple, but one of the most effective and easy-to-use methods you could hope for.
• Excellent footswitch / pedal inputs and controls — especially good for bending / modulating VCO2 while it's synced to VCO1, for brilliant sync sounds. CV and S-trig or V-trig outputs for running a monophonic synth from the highest note played on the Memorymoog.
• Good (if not entirely predictable) arpeggiator. Unlike (eg) the Polysix, just uses last six notes, but it's still useful, and has a character you can't quite re-create with a sequencer. Clock in for external control. Unison mode is a blast. Imagine 18 (or any number from three to 18) genuine Moog oscillators going through six Moog filters, through the onboard mixer which is designed to go into subtle distortion at peak levels, and you've got to believe the sound can be awesome. In this mode, you can choose the keyboard priority — lowest, highest, or last-note — and single or multiple triggering. Excellent.
• Very good modulation options: LFO can be triangle, positive or negative sawtooth, square wave, or sample-and-hold; and cross modulation from VCO3 and the filter ADSR — with dedicated controls to let you choose various useful options. As good as the Prophet 5 in this respect — and that's saying a lot. Not as stylish to look at as the Minimoog — rather a lot of brushed aluminium, but still a proper wooden casing.
• Balanced (XLR) output as well as unbalanced jack. Cassette interface.
• Not released in Britain till December 82.
• Memorymoog Plus was announced in late 1983, with MIDI in/thru/out sockets, but a fairly basic MIDI spec, and a sequencer with a memory of something over 4000 events in real time, 5000 in step time. The sequencer can play back a poly sequence from the Memorymoog, while running an external synth via a separate monophonic sequence, and has a clock in and two clock out sockets. On the front panel, the main change is in the modulation section, where all the controls are given a subsidiary job controlling the sequencer.
• Last synth Moog Inc. built before collapse of firm in early 1984.
• Lintronics upgrade: For a lot of money, you can get your Memorymoog upgraded to an excellent MIDI spec, which includes a lot of the standard things that the Plus missed out on — like poly mode and MIDI clock, and channel aftertouch, controller, and velocity in — but also transmits any control changes on the the Memorymoog's knobs via MIDI. Plus stereo outs, much-improved tuning stability, and a total going-over for broken bits, dry joints, etc. Two snags: One is that only Lintronics in Germany or Bob Moog's Big Briar company in the US will do the work; and the second is price: once you've paid freight costs, you're looking at something approaching £2000, unless you live in the US or fairly near Nuremberg. Even then, it's around $2000 or 3000DM. For that, you're still left with an instrument that isn't even velocity-sensitive from its own keyboard. It's evidence of just how good a synth the Memorymoog is that people are prepared to spend that sort of money.
• MT review: Feb 83, MT retrospective Jan 89.

Memorymoog Plus

Classic Moog samples this month from the bowels of Peter Forrest's synth archives