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111-1057: The Moog synthesizer ( / ˈ m oʊ ɡ / MOHG ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music), produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer and established the analog synthesizer concept. The first Moog synthesizers consisted of separate modules which create and shape sounds, which are connected via patch cords . Modules include voltage-controlled oscillators , amplifiers , filters , envelope generators , noise generators , ring modulators , triggers and mixers. The synthesizer can be played using controllers including keyboards , joysticks, pedals and ribbon controllers , or controlled with sequencers . Its oscillators produce waveforms , which can be modulated and filtered to shape their sounds ( subtractive synthesis ) or used to control other modules ( low-frequency oscillation ). Robert Moog developed

222-866: A balanced output from the preamp section to a PA system or recording input. Instrument amplifiers are available in a wide range of price, quality, and performance levels. Some are designed for beginners, such as small, low-wattage practice amps , which typically have a single 8" speaker and about 10 watts, or smaller combo amps with relatively low wattage (15 to 20 watts) and a single 10" speaker. Mid- to large-size combo amps with 30 to 50 watts and one 12" speaker or four 10" speakers are best for high-volume situations, such as band rehearsals and onstage performances. For large venues, such as outdoor music festivals , guitarists may use one or more 100 watts (or several hundred watts) heads with one or more 8x10” cabinets. Vacuum tubes (called valves in British English) were by far

333-491: A delay module to get the chorus effect.) There exist many different types of modules. Modules with the same basic functions may have different inputs, outputs and controls, depending on their degree of complexity. Some examples include the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), which may have options for sync (hard or soft), linear or exponential frequency modulation, and variable waveshape; the voltage-controlled filter (VCF) that may have both resonance and bandwidth controls; and

444-517: A drum machine ), send and return jacks to create an effects loop, a line out jack, and an extension speaker jack. Practice amps sometimes have a 1/4" headphone jack, or stereo RCA or mini jacks for connecting a CD player , portable media player or other sound sources. Some guitar amps have an XLR input so that a microphone can be plugged in for singing. Guitar amps that include a mic input are in effect small, portable PA systems . Some amps, typically bass amps, have an XLR connector to provide

555-401: A patch cord , or a wireless transmitter. For electric guitar players, their choice of amp and the settings they use on the amplifier are a key part of their signature tone or sound. Some guitar players are longtime users of a specific amp brand or model. Guitarists may also use external effects pedals to alter the sound of their tone before the signal reaches the amplifier. In the 1920s, it

666-492: A speaker cabinet —a head on top of one cabinet is commonly called a half stack , a head atop two cabinets a full-stack . The cabinet that the head sits on often has an angled top in front, while the lower cabinet of a full stack has a straight front. The first version of the Marshall stack was an amp head on an 8×12 cabinet, meaning a single speaker cabinet containing eight 12" guitar speakers. After six of these cabinets were made,

777-442: A wah-wah pedal . He later developed the distinctive "ladder" filter, which was the only item in the synthesizer design that Moog patented , granted on October 28, 1969. Further developments were driven by suggestions from musicians including Richard Teitelbaum , Vladimir Ussachevsky and Wendy Carlos . Carlos suggested the first touch-sensitive keyboard, portamento control and filter bank , which became standard features. There

888-404: A 100-watt amplifier is only just noticeably louder than a 50-watt amplifier. Such generalizations are also subject to the human ear's tendency to behave as a natural compressor at high volumes. Power attenuation can be used with either low-power or high-power amplifiers, resulting in variable-power amplifiers. A high-power amplifier with power attenuation can produce power-tube distortion through

999-404: A U measurement up or down to some closer convenient metric equivalent; for example, the common 5U modules are exactly 8.75 inches (222.25 mm), but non-American manufacturers may prefer 220 or 230 mm. Other differences are in the plugs used, which can match 1/4-inch (6.3 mm) or 3.5 mm phone connectors , banana jacks , or breadboard patch leads; in the main power supply, which

1110-613: A carrying handle, and many combo amplifiers and cabinets have metal or plastic-reinforced corners to protect the amp during transportation. Control knobs and buttons are typically on the front of the cabinet or chassis, though in some cases, the knobs are on a recessed panel at the back of the top of the amplifier. The most basic amps only have a few knobs, which typically control volume, bass, and treble. More expensive amps may have several knobs that control pre-amp volume (or gain), distortion or overdrive, volume, bass, mid and treble, and reverb. Some older amps (and their re-issued versions) have

1221-401: A cohesive product, an instrument. Modules may not be swapped out and usually a typical configuration has been pre-wired. The modules are typically not separable and may physically be parts of a contiguous circuit board. However, the manufacturer provides mechanisms to allow the user to connect modules in different orders and often to connect external components or modules (chosen and supplied by

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1332-812: A combination ("combo") amplifier that includes an amplifier and one or more speakers in a single cabinet, and a standalone amplifier (often called a head or amp head ), which passes the amplified signal via a speaker cable to one or more external speaker cabinets . A wide range of speaker configurations are available in guitar cabinets—from cabinets with a single speaker (e.g., 1×10" or 1×12") or multiple speakers (e.g., 2×10", 4×10" or 8x10"). Guitar amplifiers vary widely in price and quality. Many music equipment companies import small, low-powered practice amplifiers for students and beginners that sell for less than $ 50. Other companies produce expensive custom-made amplifiers for professional musicians, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars (USD). Most combo amplifiers have

1443-412: A commercially made Moog synthesizer. Moog constructed synthesizers to order. The first order for a complete Moog synthesizer, for which Moog had to design a keyboard and cabinet, came from the composer Eric Siday . With no books and no way to save or share settings, early users had to learn how to use the synthesizer themselves, by word of mouth, or from seminars held by Moog and Deutsch. Moog refined

1554-463: A community who chose the physically patched approach, the flexibility and the sound of traditional modular systems. Since the late 1990s, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of analog synthesizers aided by physical standardization practices, an increase in available retro gear and interest, decreased production costs and increased electronic reliability and stability, the rediscovered ability of modules to control things other than sound, and

1665-473: A computer running tone-shaping software. Using a modeling amp or a multi-effects pedal used with line level output, a guitarist can plug in the guitar into a flat response mic input or into a keyboard amplifier . Acoustic amplifiers are intended for acoustic guitars and other acoustic instruments, especially for the way these instruments are used in relatively quiet genres such as folk and bluegrass . They are similar to keyboard amplifiers, in that they have

1776-410: A generally heightened education through the development of virtual synthesis systems such as VCV Rack , MAX/MSP, Pd and Reaktor etc. The basic modular functions are: signal, control, logic and timing. Typically, inputs and outputs are an electric voltage . The difference between a synthesizer module and a stand-alone effects unit is that an effects unit will have connections for input and output of

1887-551: A guitar amplifier and other guitar equipment. Electric guitars and basses have a volume control on the instrument that attenuates the signal from selected pickups. There may be two volume controls on an electric guitar or bass, wired in parallel to mix the signal levels from the neck and bridge pickups. Rolling back the guitar's volume control also changes the pickup's equalization or frequency response, which can provide pre-distortion equalization. The simplest guitar amplifiers, such as some vintage amps and modern practice amps, have only

1998-474: A home computer or laptop. Line 6 is generally credited with bringing modeling amplification to the market. Modeling amplifiers and stompbox pedals, rackmount units, and software that models specific amplifiers, speakers cabinets, and microphones can provide a large number of sounds and tones. Players can get a reasonable facsimile of the sound of tube amplifiers, vintage combo amplifiers, and huge 8x10” speaker stacks without bringing all that heavy equipment to

2109-470: A knob that controls a vibrato or tremolo effect. The 1/4" input jack is typically mounted on the front of the amplifier. In the simplest, least expensive amplifiers, this 1/4" jack is the only jack on the amplifier. More expensive amplifiers may have a patch bay for multiple inputs and outputs, such as a pre-amp out (for sending to another guitar amplifier), a second low gain input, to use with active basses, an in jack to create an effects loop (when used with

2220-432: A microphone, either for the guitar amp to be used for singing (in effect as a mini- PA system ), or, for acoustic guitar, to mix a mic signal with a pickup signal. The vast majority of guitar amps can only be powered by AC mains power (plugging into a wall outlet); however, a small number of practice amps are designed for buskers also have battery power so they can be used for street performances. A combo amp contains

2331-425: A modular fashion. A modular synthesizer has a case or frame into which arbitrary modules can be fitted; modules are usually connected together using patch cords and a system may include modules from different sources, as long as it fits the form factors of the case and uses the same electrical specifications. A semi-modular synthesizer on the other hand is a collection of modules from a single manufacturer that makes

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2442-510: A new, smaller modular system, the Doepfer A-100. This led to a new standard for modular systems, Eurorack ; as of 2017, over 100 companies, including Moog and Roland, were developing Eurorack modules. Modules can usually be categorized as either sources or processors. Standard modules found in a modular synthesizer are: Sources - characterized by an output, but no signal input; it may have control inputs: Processors - characterized by

2553-456: A number of manufacturers like Arturia to include digitally programmable matrices in their analog or virtual analog synthesizers. Many fully digital synthesizers, like the Alesis Ion , make use of the logic and nomenclature of a modulation matrix , even when the graphical layout of a hardware matrix is completely absent. The different modules of a semi-modular synthesizer are wired together into

2664-525: A particular guitarist's sound, recording engineers and PA system techs typically put a microphone in front of the guitar speaker, rather than only use the guitar amp's pre-amp out signal. A sound engineer or music producer may send the DI out signal from the pickups to a separate track at the same time, so they can re-amp the signal later. In contrast, it is fairly common to use a DI box with electric bass . Distortion sound or "texture" from guitar amplifiers

2775-513: A period, the name Moog became so associated with electronic music that it was sometimes used as a generic term for any synthesizer. Moog liked this, but disapproved of the numerous "cruddy" novelty records released with his name attached, such as Music to Moog By , Moog España and Moog Power . An early use of the Moog synthesizer in rock music came with the 1967 song by the Doors " Strange Days ". In

2886-518: A range of listening volumes but with a decrease in high-power distortion. Other technologies, such as dual rectifiers and the sag circuit —which should not be confused with attenuation—allow high-power amplifiers to produce low power volume while preserving high power distortion. Speaker efficiency is also a major factor affecting a tube amplifier's maximum volume. For bass instruments, higher-power amplifiers are needed to reproduce low-frequency sounds. While an electric guitarist would be able to play at

2997-496: A regular wall socket "quickly became popular with musicians"; indeed, "... Leon McAuliffe (with Bob Wills ) still used a carbon mic and a portable PA as late as 1935." During the late 1920s to mid-1930s, small portable PA systems and guitar combo amplifiers were fairly similar. These early amps had a "single volume control and one or two input jacks, field coil speakers" and thin wooden cabinets; remarkably, these early amps did not have tone controls or even an on-off switch. In 1928,

3108-629: A relatively flat frequency response with minimal coloration. To produce this relatively clean sound, these amplifiers often have powerful amplifiers (providing up to 800 watts RMS), to provide additional Headroom and prevent unwanted distortion. Since an 800-watt amplifier built with standard Class AB technology is heavy, some acoustic amplifier manufacturers use lightweight Class D amplifiers , which are also called switching amplifiers. Acoustic amplifiers produce an uncolored, acoustic sound when used with acoustic instruments with built-in transducers, pickups or microphones. The amplifiers often come with

3219-812: A signal input and an output and may have control inputs: Hardware offerings range from complete systems in cases to kits for hobbyists. Many manufacturers augment their range with products based on recent re-designs of classic modules; often both the original and subsequent reworked designs are available free on the Internet, the original patents having lapsed. Many hobbyist designers also make available bare PCB boards and front panels for sale to other hobbyists. Many early synthesizer modules had height in integer inches: 11" (e.g., Roland 700), 10" (e.g., Wavemakers), 9" (e.g., Aries), 8" (e.g., ARP 2500), 7" (e.g., Polyfusion, Buchla, Serge), 6" (e.g., Emu) and width in 1/4" inch multiples. More recently it has become more popular to follow

3330-414: A similar combo amp that added metal corner protectors to keep the corners in good condition during transportation. In 1933, Dobro released an electric guitar and amp package. The combo amp had two 8" Lansing speakers and a five- tube chassis. Dobro made a two speaker combo amp that was on the market over 12 years before Fender launched its two-speaker Dual Professional/Super combo amp. In 1933, Audio-Vox

3441-428: A simple mixer, so that the signals from a pickup and a condenser microphone can be blended. Since the early 2000s, it has become increasingly common for acoustic amplifiers to provide a range of digital effects, such as reverb and compression . As well, these amplifiers often contain feedback -suppressing devices, such as notch filters or parametric equalizers . An amplifier stack consists of an amplifier head atop

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3552-521: A single volume control. Most have two volume controls: a first volume control called "preamplifier" or "gain" and a master volume control. The preamp or gain control works differently on different guitar amp designs. On an amp designed for acoustic guitar , turning up the preamp knob pre-amplifies the signal—but even at its maximum setting, the preamp control is unlikely to produce much overdrive . However, with amps designed for electric guitarists playing blues , hard rock and heavy metal music , turning up

3663-415: A slightly more raw, open and edgy sound." The relationship between power output in watts and perceived volume is not immediately obvious. The human ear perceives a 5-watt amplifier as half as loud as a 50-watt amplifier (a tenfold increase in power), and a half-watt amplifier is a quarter as loud as a 50-watt amp. Doubling the output power of an amplifier results in a just noticeable increase in volume, so

3774-616: A small club with a 50-watt amplifier, a bass player performing in the same venue would probably need an amplifier with 200 or more watts. Distortion is a feature available on many guitar amplifiers that is not typically found on keyboard or bass guitar amplifiers. Tube guitar amplifiers can produce distortion through pre-distortion equalization, preamp tube distortion, post-distortion EQ, power-tube distortion, tube rectifier compression, output transformer distortion, guitar speaker distortion, and guitar speaker and cabinet frequency response. Because many factors beyond preamp distortion contribute to

3885-538: A theremin, tape recorder, and single-pitch oscillator, a time-consuming process that involved splicing tape . Recognizing the need for more practical and sophisticated equipment, Moog and Deutsch discussed the notion of a "portable electronic music studio". Moog received a grant of $ 16,000 from the New York State Small Business Association and began work in Trumansburg, New York , not far from

3996-485: A tube power amp fed by a solid-state pre-amp circuit, as in most of the original MusicMan amplifiers. Alternatively, a tube preamplifier can feed a solid-state output stage, as in models from Kustom , Hartke, SWR , and Vox . This approach dispenses with the need for an output transformer and easily achieves modern power levels. Microprocessor technology allows the use of digital onboard effects in guitar amps to create numerous different sounds and tones that simulate

4107-469: A typical configuration but can be re-wired by the user using patch cords. Some examples are the ARP 2600 , Anyware Semtex, Cwejman S1, EML101, Evenfall Minimodular, Future Retro XS, Korg MS-10 / MS-20 / PS-3100 / PS-3200 / PS-3300 , Mungo State Zero, Roland System 100 , Korg Volca Modular and Moog Mother-32 . Reconfigurable systems allow certain signals to be routed through modules in different orders without

4218-758: A variety of ways via patch cords . The modules can also be used to control each other. They do not produce sound until a workable combination of modules are connected. The oscillators produce waveforms of different tones and overtones , such as a "bright, full, brassy" sawtooth wave , a thinner, flute-like triangle wave , a "nasal, reedy" pulse wave and a "whistle-like" sine wave . These waveforms can be modulated and filtered to produce more combinations of sounds ( subtractive synthesis ). The oscillators are difficult to keep in tune, and small temperature changes cause them to drift rapidly. As Moog's early customers were more interested in creating experimental music than playing conventional melodies, Moog did not consider keeping

4329-632: A wider frequency range and need a full-range speaker system. Much more amplifier power is required to reproduce low-frequency sound, especially at high volume. Reproducing low frequencies also requires a suitable woofer or subwoofer speaker and enclosure , with bass cabinets often being larger than a cabinet for mid-range or high-range sounds. As well, the open-back cabinets used on many electric guitar amps, while effective for electric guitar, do not have good bass reproduction. Woofer enclosures must be larger and more sturdily built than cabinets for mid-range or high-frequency ( tweeter ) speakers. As such, in

4440-675: Is a preamplifier . It amplifies the audio signal to a level that can drive the power stage. The preamplifier also changes the tone of the signal; high preamp settings add overdrive . The power amplifier produces a high current signal to drive a loudspeaker and produce sound. Various types of tone stages may affect the guitar signal: Tone stages may also provide electronic effects—such as equalization , compression, distortion, chorus , or reverb . Amplifiers may use vacuum tubes (called valves in Britain), solid-state (transistor) devices, or both. The two common guitar amplifier configurations are

4551-421: Is further shaped or processed through the frequency response and distortion factors in the microphones (their response, placement, and multi-microphone comb filtering effects), microphone preamps, mixer channel equalization, and compression. Additionally, the basic sound produced by the guitar amplifier can be changed and shaped by adding distortion and/or equalization effect pedals before the amp's input jack, in

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4662-573: Is more common for bass amplifiers than for electric guitar cabinets), two 10" speakers, four 10" speakers, four 12" speakers, or eight 10" speakers. Less commonly, guitar cabinets may contain different sizes of speakers in the same cabinet. Cabinets with eight 10" speakers are large and heavy, and they are often equipped with wheels and a towel bar -style handle for transport. Some cabinets use mixed speaker types, such as one 15" speaker and two 10" speakers. Combo guitar amplifier cabinets and guitar speaker cabinets use several different designs, including

4773-407: Is most often ±12 V or ±15 V, but can range from 2.5±2.5 V to 0±18 V for different manufacturers or systems; in the trigger or gate voltages (Moog S-trigger or positive gate), with typical audio signal levels (often ±5 V with ±5 V headroom); and with control voltages of volts/octave, typically 1 V/octave , but in some cases 1.2 V/octave . In most analog modular systems

4884-441: Is not the same company as Stromberg Electro Instruments) introduced a guitar amp with "high output" and a "string driven magnetic pickup". Electro set out the standard template for combo amps: a wooden cabinet with the electronic amplifier mounted inside, and convenient carrying handles to facilitate transporting the cabinet. In 1933, Vivi-Tone amp set-ups were used for live performances and radio shows. In 1934, Rickenbacker launched

4995-466: Is to assemble a whole out of parts. Moog initially avoided the word, as it was associated with the RCA synthesizer, and instead described his invention as a "system" of "electronic music modules". After many debates, Moog eventually told the composer Reynold Weidenaar : "It's a synthesizer and that's what it does and we're just going to have to go with it." Moog used the word in print for the first time in 1966. By

5106-626: The American Federation of Musicians (AFM). Robert Moog felt that the AFM had not realized that the synthesizer was an instrument to be learnt and mastered like any other, and instead imagined that "all the sounds that musicians could make somehow existed in the Moog — all you had to do was push a button that said ' Jascha Heifetz ' and out would come the most fantastic violin player". Although customers could choose any combination of modules, Moog sold several standard systems. In 1970, Moog Music released

5217-498: The Apollo 11 moonwalk , creating a link between electronic music and space in the American popular imagination. In 1968, Wendy Carlos released Switched-On Bach , an album of Bach compositions arranged for Moog synthesizer. It won three Grammy Awards and was the first classical album certified platinum . The album is credited for popularising the Moog and demonstrating that synthesizers could be more than "random noise machines". For

5328-537: The Beatles . At its height of popularity, it was a staple of 1970s progressive rock , used by acts including Yes , Tangerine Dream and Emerson, Lake & Palmer . With its ability to imitate instruments such as strings and horns, it threatened the jobs of session musicians and was banned from use in commercial work for a period of time in the United States. In 1970, Moog Music released a portable, self-contained model,

5439-464: The Minimoog , a portable, self-contained model, and the modular systems became a secondary part of Moog's business. The Minimoog has been described as the most famous and influential synthesizer in history. After the sale of Moog Music, production of Moog synthesizers stopped in the early 1980s. The patents and other rights to Moog's modular circuits expired in the 1990s. In 2002, after Robert Moog regained

5550-510: The Minimoog . In the early 1960s, electronic music technology was impractical and used mainly by experimental composers to create music with little mainstream appeal. In 1963, the American engineer Robert Moog , a doctoral student at Cornell University who designed and sold theremins , met the composer Herb Deutsch at a New York State School Music Association trade fair in Rochester, New York . Deutsch had been making electronic music using

5661-724: The Moog Model 15 app , a software emulation of the Model 15 initially for iOS and later in 2021 for macOS . Modular synthesizer Modular synthesizers are synthesizers composed of separate modules for different functions. The modules can be connected together by the user to create a patch . The outputs from the modules may include audio signals , analog control voltages , or digital signals for logic or timing conditions. Typical modules are voltage-controlled oscillators , voltage-controlled filters , voltage-controlled amplifiers and envelope generators . The first modular synthesizer

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5772-539: The Roland System 100 in 1975, followed by the System 700 in 1976 and the System 100m in 1979. In the late 1970s, modular synthesizers started to be largely supplanted in pop music by highly integrated keyboard synthesizers, racks of MIDI -connected gear, and samplers . By the 1990s, modular synthesizers had fallen out of favor compared to cheaper, smaller digital and software synthesizers. However, there continued to be

5883-554: The cleaner sound of solid-state amplifiers. Only a few solid-state amps have enduring attraction, such as the Roland Jazz Chorus . Solid-state amplifiers vary in output power, functionality, size, price, and sound quality in a wide range, from practice amplifiers to combos suitable for gigging to professional models intended for session musicians who do studio recording work . A hybrid amplifier involves one of two combinations of tube and solid-state amplification. It may have

5994-475: The impedance of the system. Two 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel have 4-ohm impedance. Guitarists who connect multiple cabinets to an amplifier must consider the amp's minimum impedance. Parallel vs. series also affects tone and sound. Speakers wired in parallel slightly dampen[s] and restrain[s] them, giving what some describe as tighter response and smoother breakup . Some describe speakers wired in series (usually no more than two) as sounding "...looser, giving

6105-434: The preamplifier , equalization filters, power amp , guitar speakers , and cabinet design. The FRFR approach assumes the tone is shaped by sound processors in the signal chain before the amplifier and speaker stage, so it strives to not add further coloration or dedicated combo-style amplifiers with a broad frequency range. Such processors can be traditional guitar effects, a modeling amplifier (without power amplifier), or

6216-478: The voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), which generated a waveform whose pitch could be adjusted by changing the voltage. Moog designed his synthesizer around a standard of one volt per octave . Similarly, he used voltage to control loudness with voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs). Moog developed a prototype with two VCOs and a VCA. As the VCOs themselves could output voltage, one could be used to modulate

6327-403: The "Moog sound". The synthesizer can be played using controllers including keyboards , joysticks, pedals and ribbon controllers. The ribbon controller allows users to control pitch similarly to moving a finger along a violin string. New Scientist described the Moog as the first commercial synthesizer. It was much smaller than previous synthesizers, and much cheaper, at US$ 10,000 compared to

6438-507: The "dotcom" or "5U" format, are still available but have been superseded as the dominant synthesizer format by Eurorack . Since 2020, Behringer has manufactured clones of Moog modules in the Eurorack format, also sold in configurations based on the original Moog systems. The Moog synthesizer has been emulated in software synthesizers such as the Arturia Modular V. In 2016, Moog released

6549-533: The 1930s and 1940s craze for Western Swing and Hawaiian music , which extensively used amplified lap steel guitars . In fact, the very first recording of an electrically amplified string instrument was the September 1933 recordings of Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies, featuring steel guitarist Bob Dunn In the 1920s, the earliest combo amplifiers had no tone controls. The first tone controls were simple, mainly providing treble adjustment. The limited controls,

6660-672: The 1950s, when Ampeg introduced bass amplifier and speaker systems, bass guitarists began to use them. Similarly, Hammond organ players used a specialized keyboard combo amplifier, the Leslie speaker cabinet, which contains a woofer for the low frequencies and a horn for the high frequencies. The Leslie horns rotate and a baffle around the woofer rotates as well, producing a rich tremolo and chorus effect . Typically, guitar amplifiers have two amplifying circuit stages, and frequently have tone-shaping electric circuits, which usually include at least bass and treble controls, which function similarly to

6771-758: The 1970s, "synthesizer" had become the standard term for such instruments. Most of the Moog modules were finalized by the end of the 1960s, and remained mostly unchanged until Moog Music ceased trading in the 1980s. Moog had pursued the development of his synthesizer as a hobby; he stressed that he was not a businessman, and had not known what a balance sheet was. He likened the experience to riding theme park amusements: "You know you're not going to get hurt too badly because nobody would let you do that, but you're not quite in control." The Moog synthesizer consists of separate modules – such as oscillators , amplifiers , envelope generators , filters , noise generators , triggers and mixers – which can be connected in

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6882-477: The 1970s, at the height of its popularity, the Moog was used by progressive rock bands such as Yes , Tangerine Dream and Emerson, Lake & Palmer . Keith Emerson was the first major rock musician to perform live with the Moog, and it became a trademark of his performances. According to Analog Days , the likes of Emerson "did for the keyboard what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar". Almost every element of Donna Summer 's 1977 influential song " I Feel Love "

6993-719: The Cornell campus. At the time, synthesizer-like instruments filled rooms. Moog hoped to build a more compact instrument that would appeal to musicians. Learning from his experience building a prohibitively expensive guitar amplifier , he believed that practicality and affordability were the most important parameters. Previous synthesizers, such as the RCA Mark II , had created sound from hundreds of vacuum tubes . Instead, Moog used recently available silicon transistors — specifically, transistors with an exponential relationship between input voltage and output current . With these, he created

7104-524: The Moog synthesizer, with its dramatically new sounds, arrived at a time in American history when, in the wake of the Vietnam War , "nearly everything about the old order was up for revision". Session musicians felt synthesizers, with their ability to imitate instruments such as strings and horns, threatened their jobs. For a period, the Moog was banned from use in commercial work in the US, a restriction negotiated by

7215-514: The Stromberg-Voisinet firm marketed an electric stringed instrument and amplifier package. There are no records as to how many—if any—of the amps were ever built and sold, beyond marketing materials. Stromberg-Voisinet still launched a new idea: a portable electric instrument amp with a speaker, all in a transportable wooden cabinet. In 1929, Vega electrics launched a portable banjo amplifier. In 1932, Electro String Instruments and amplifier (this

7326-530: The amplifier and one or more speakers in a single cabinet. In a head and speaker cabinet configuration, the amplifier and speaker each have their own cabinet. The amplifier (head) may drive one or more speaker cabinets. In the 1920s, guitarists played through public address amplifiers, but by the 1940s this was uncommon. Besides instrument inputs and speaker outputs (typically via 1/4" jacks), an amp may have other inputs and outputs. These can include an auxiliary input jack (sometimes with its own level control, for

7437-598: The amps and electrified or electric guitars that had been made from 1928 through the end of 1934. The first electric instrument amplifiers were not intended for electric guitars, but were portable PA systems . These appeared in the early 1930s when the introduction of electrolytic capacitors and rectifier tubes enabled economical built-in power supplies that could plug into wall sockets. Previously, amplifiers required heavy multiple battery packs . People used these amplifiers to amplify acoustic guitar , but electronic amplification of guitar first became widely popular in

7548-411: The audio signal and knobs or switches for users to control various parameters of the device (for example, the modulation rate for a chorus effect) while a synthesizer module may have connections for input and output, but will also have connections so that the device's parameters can be further controlled by other modules (for example, to connect a low-frequency oscillator module to the modulation input of

7659-472: The baffle material (the wood panel that holds the speaker), and the way the baffle attaches to the cabinet all affect tone. When two or more speakers are used in the same cabinet, or when two cabinets are used together, the speakers can be wired in parallel or in series, or in a combination of the two (e.g., two 2x10" cabinets, with the two speakers wired in series, can be connected together in parallel). Whether speakers are wired in parallel or in series affects

7770-481: The cabinet arrangement was changed to an amp head on two 4×12 (four 12" speakers) cabinets to make the cabinets more transportable. Some touring metal and rock bands have used a large array of guitar speaker cabinets for their impressive appearance. Some of these arrangements include only the fronts of speaker cabinets mounted on a large frame. There are many varieties of speaker combinations used in guitar speaker cabinets, including one 12" speaker, one 15" speaker (this

7881-492: The continuously variable nature of knobs and sliders, reproducing an exact patch can be difficult. There are also software synthesizers for personal computers which are organized as interconnectable modules. Many of these are virtual analog synthesizers, where the modules simulate hardware functionality. Some of them are also virtual modular systems, which simulate real historical modular synthesizers. Computers have grown so powerful that software programs can realistically model

7992-437: The dominant active electronic components in most instrument amplifier applications until the 1970s when solid-state semiconductors ( transistors ) started taking over. Transistor amplifiers are less expensive to build and maintain, reduce the weight and heat of an amplifier, and tend to be more reliable and more shock-resistant. Tubes are fragile and they must be replaced and maintained periodically. As well, serious problems with

8103-563: The early loudspeakers , and the low amplifier power (typically 15 watts or less before the mid-1950s) gave poor high treble and bass output. Some models also provided effects such as an electronic tremolo unit. In confusion over nomenclature, Fender labeled early amplifier tremolo as vibrato and called the vibrato arm of the Stratocaster guitar a tremolo bar (see vibrato unit , electric guitar , and tremolo ). Some later amplifier models included an onboard spring reverb effect, one of

8214-405: The effects loop just before the tube power amp, or after the power tubes. Power-tube distortion is required for amp sounds in some genres. In a standard master-volume guitar amp, as the amp's final or master volume is increased beyond the full power of the amplifier, power-tube distortion is produced. The "power soak" approach places the attenuation between the power tubes and the guitar speaker. In

8325-625: The electronic music studio at the University of Toronto . After the presentation impressed the composers, Moog was invited by the Audio Engineering Society to present at their annual convention in New York City that October. Though he had not planned to sell synthesizers there, some customers placed orders at the show, and the choreographer Alwin Nikolais became the first person to purchase

8436-653: The envelope generator which may provide outputs at each stage of the process. Examples of more complex modules include the frequency shifter, sequencer, and vocoder. Modular synthesizers may be bulky and expensive. There are some standards that manufacturers follow for their range of physical synthesizers, such as 1 V/octave control voltages, and gate and trigger thresholds providing general compatibility; however, connecting synthesizers from different manufacturers may require cables with different kinds of plugs. German engineer Dieter Doepfer believed modular synthesizers could still be useful for creating unique sounds, and created

8547-461: The equivalent controls on a home hi-fi system. More expensive amplifiers typically have more controls for other frequency ranges, such as one or two midrange controls and a presence control for high frequencies. Some guitar amplifiers have a graphic equalizer , which uses vertical faders to control multiple frequency bands. Some more expensive bass amps have a parametric equalizer , which enables precise control of tone. The first amplifier stage

8658-450: The first AC mains -powered amplifiers, they were soon used to make musical instruments louder. Engineers invented the first loud, powerful amplifier and speaker systems for public address systems and movie theaters . These PA systems and movie theatre sound systems were very large and very expensive, and so they could not be used by most touring musicians. After 1927, smaller, portable AC mains-powered PA systems that could be plugged into

8769-416: The first 100-watt guitar amplifier. He pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop new equipment that was capable of producing "thick, clearly defined tones" at "previously undreamed-of volumes." Distortion became more popular from the mid-1960s, when The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies produced distortion effects by connecting the already distorted output of one amplifier into

8880-456: The first album on the West Coast to use the Moog synthesizer, The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds (1967). Moog attended a recording session for the album, which helped convince him of the synthesizer's commercial potential. Garson also used the Moog to write jingles and soundtracks, which helped make its sounds ubiquitous. In 1969, Garson used the Moog to compose a soundtrack for the televised footage of

8991-536: The first being the Ampeg Reverberocket amp. In the 1950s, several guitarists experimented with producing distortion by deliberately overdriving amplifiers. These included Goree Carter , Joe Hill Louis , Elmore James , Ike Turner , Willie Johnson , Pat Hare , Guitar Slim , Chuck Berry , Johnny Burnette , and Link Wray . In the early 1960s, surf rock guitarist Dick Dale worked closely with Fender to produce custom made amplifiers, including

9102-401: The frequency is exponentially related to the control voltage (such as 1 volt/octave or 1.2 volts/octave), sometimes called linear because the human ear perceives frequencies in a logarithmic fashion, with each octave having the same perceptual size. Some synthesizers (such as Korg MS-20 , ETI 4600 ) use a system where the frequency (but not the perceived pitch) is linear with voltage. Due to

9213-475: The input of another. Later, most guitar amps were provided with preamplifier distortion controls, and fuzz boxes and other effects units were engineered to safely and reliably produce these sounds. Overdrive and distortion have become integral parts of many styles of electric guitar playing, ranging from blues rock to heavy metal and hardcore punk . Guitar combo amplifiers were at first used with bass guitars and electric pianos , but these instruments produce

9324-459: The notion of voltage control and Moog's circuit designs were not original, Moog's innovations were in drawing the elements together, realizing that the problem of exponential conversion could be solved using transistor circuitry and building such circuits and making them work in a way that was of interest to musicians." Moog features such as voltage-controlled oscillator , envelopes , noise generators , filters and sequencers became standards in

9435-524: The open back cabinet, the closed back cabinet (a sealed box), and, less commonly, bass reflex designs, which use a closed back with a vent or port cut into the cabinet. With guitar amps, most open back amp cabinets are not fully open; part of the back is enclosed with panels. Combo guitar amp cabinets and standalone speaker cabinets are often made of plywood . Some are made of MDF or particle board —especially in low-budget models. Cabinet size and depth, material types, assembly methods, type and thickness of

9546-424: The oscillators stable a priority. The Moog's 24db low-pass filter is particularly distinctive, with a "rich", "juicy", "fat" sound. The filter, based on pairs of transistors connected by capacitors arranged in a ladder-like layout, attenuates frequencies above a level set by the user, and boosts the frequencies around the cut-off frequency. When overdriven, the filter produces a distinctive distortion described as

9657-410: The output of another , creating effects such as vibrato and tremolo . According to Moog, when Deutsch saw this, he became excited and immediately began making music with the prototype, attracting the interest of passersby: "They would stand there, they'd listen and they'd shake their heads ... What is this weird shit coming out of the basement?" In 1964, Moog and Deutsch demonstrated the synthesizer at

9768-402: The pre-amp out jack), an external speaker output (for powering an additional speaker cabinet ), and stereo RCA jacks or a 1/8" jack, for connecting a CD player or MP3 player so that a player can practice along with recorded music. Some amps have a 1/4" jack for connecting a pedal to turn the amp's onboard overdrive and reverb on and off or to switch between channels. Some amps have an XLR jack for

9879-481: The preamp or gain knob usually produces overdrive distortion. Some electric guitar amps have three controls in the volume section: pre-amplifier, distortion, and master control. Turning up the preamp and distortion knobs in varying combinations can create a range of overdrive tones, from a gentle, warm growling overdrive suitable for a traditional blues show or a rockabilly band to the extreme distortion used in hardcore punk and death metal . On some electric guitar amps,

9990-442: The re-amped or "dummy load" approach, the tube power amp drives a mostly resistive dummy load while an additional low power amp drives the guitar speaker. In the isolation box approach, the guitar amplifier is used with a guitar speaker in a separate cabinet. A soundproofed isolation cabinet , isolation box, isolation booth, or isolation room can be used. A variety of labels are used for level attenuation potentiometers (knobs) in

10101-713: The rights to the Moog brand and bought the company, Moog released the Minimoog Voyager , an updated version. Moog released several Minimoog reissues, with some changes, starting from 2016. In 2018, Moog released the Grandmother , followed by the Matriarch in 2019; parts of the circuitry used in these instruments were inspired by the Moog synthesizer. After production of the original Moog synthesizers stopped in 1980, some manufacturers, such as Synthesizers.com , created their own modules and clones of Moog modules. Moog modules, known as

10212-399: The same way as the bass and treble knobs on a home stereo, and by adding electronic effects ; distortion (also called overdrive) and reverb are commonly available as built-in features. The input of modern guitar amplifiers is a 1/4" jack , which is fed a signal from an electro-magnetic pickup (from an electric guitar) or a piezoelectric pickup (usually from an acoustic guitar) using

10323-623: The same year, the Monkees used a Moog on their album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. In 1969, George Harrison released an album of Moog recordings, Electronic Sound , and the Beatles used the Moog on several tracks on their album Abbey Road . Other rock bands who adopted the Moog include the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones . It was also adopted by jazz musicians including Herbie Hancock , Jan Hammer and Sun Ra . In

10434-412: The signals, sounds, and patchability of modular synthesizers. While potentially lacking the physical presence of desirable analog sound generation, real voltage manipulation, knobs, sliders, cables, and LEDs , software modular synthesizers offer the infinite variations and visual patching at a more affordable price and in a compact form factor. The popular plugin formats such as VST may be combined in

10545-539: The six-figure sums of other synthesizers. Whereas the RCA Mark II was programmed with punchcards , Moog's synthesizer could be played in real time via keyboard, making it attractive to musicians. According to the Guardian , Moog's 1964 paper Voltage-Controlled Music Modules , in which he proposed the Moog synthesizer modules, invented the modern concept of the analog synthesizer . The authors of Analog Days wrote: "Though

10656-425: The sound of a range of tube amplifiers and different sized speaker cabinets, all using the same amplifier and speaker. These are known as modeling amplifiers , and can be programmed with simulated characteristic tones of different existing amplifier models (and speaker cabinets—even microphone type or placement), or dialed in to the user's taste. Many amps of this type are also programmable by way of USB connection to

10767-422: The standard 19" rack unit system: 6U (Wiard), 5U (8.75" e.g., Moog/Modcan), 4U (e.g., Serge), 3U ( Eurorack ). Two 3U unit standards, in particular, are notable: Frac Rack (e.g., PAiA), which uses the entire 3U for the front panel, and Eurorack (e.g., Doepfer) which has a 2 mm horizontal lip that the front panels are seated between. Further minor variations exist where European or Japanese manufacturers round

10878-401: The string vibration, a potentially dangerous approach that did not become popular. In 1934 Dobro released a guitar amp with a vacuum tube rectifier and two power tubes. By 1935, Dobro and National began selling combo amps for Hawaiian guitar. In 1934, Gibson had developed prototype combo amps, but never released them. By 1935, Electro/Rickenbacher had sold more amps and electric guitars than all

10989-402: The studio or stage. The use of full range, flat response (FRFR) amplification systems by electric guitarists has received an extra impetus from modeling amplifiers. Before widespread availability of modeling, guitarists did not commonly plug electric guitars straight into PA systems or powered speakers because most genres relied on the tonal coloration of a regular guitar amplifier setup—from

11100-449: The synthesizer in response to demand for more practical and affordable electronic music equipment, guided by suggestions and requests from composers including Herb Deutsch , Richard Teitelbaum , Vladimir Ussachevsky and Wendy Carlos . Moog's principal innovation was voltage-control, which uses voltage to control pitch . He also introduced fundamental synthesizer concepts such as modularity and envelope generators. The Moog synthesizer

11211-409: The synthesizer in response to requests from musicians and composers. For example, after Deutsch suggested Moog find a way to fade notes in and out, Moog invented an envelope module, using a doorbell button as a prototype. At the suggestion of the composer Gustav Ciamaga , Moog developed a filter module, a means of removing frequencies from waveforms. His first filter design created a sound similar to

11322-494: The synthesizer market. The ladder filter has been replicated in hardware synthesizers, digital signal processors , field-programmable gate arrays and software synthesizers. Most Moog synthesizers were owned by universities or record labels, and used to create soundtracks or jingles . By 1970, only 28 were owned by musicians. The Moog was first used by experimental composers including Richard Teitelbaum , Dick Hyman , and Perrey and Kingsley . The composer Mort Garson recorded

11433-704: The tubes can render an amplifier inoperable until the issue is resolved. While tube-based circuitry is technologically outdated, tube amps remain popular since many guitarists prefer their sound. Tube enthusiasts believe that tube amps produce a warmer sound and a more natural "overdrive" sound. Most inexpensive and mid-priced guitar amplifiers are based on transistor or semiconductor (solid-state) circuits, which are cheaper to produce and more reliable, and usually much lighter than tube amplifiers. Solid-state amps are less fragile than tube amps. High-end solid-state amplifiers are less common, since many professional guitarists favor vacuum tubes. Some jazz guitarists favor

11544-668: The use of patch cords. Examples include the Oberheim Matrix and Rhodes Chroma , and Moog Voyager. Hybrid synthesizers use hardware and software in combination to realize patches. Examples include the Arturia Origin by Arturia (fully self-contained), Clavia Nord Modular and Clavia Nord Modular G2 (these need an external computer to edit patches) and Audiocubes . Guitar amplifier Guitar amplifiers can also modify an instrument's tone by emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain frequencies, using equalizer controls, which function

11655-614: The user) between those of the instrument. Matrix systems use pin matrices or other crosspoint switches rather than patch cords. The ARP 2500 was the first synthesizer to use a fixed switch matrix. The pin matrix was made popular in the EMS VCS-3 and its descendants like the EMS Synthi 100 . Other systems include the ETI 4600, and the Maplin 5600s. The clean logical layout of these matrices has inspired

11766-464: Was brought to the mainstream by Switched-On Bach (1968), a bestselling album of Bach compositions arranged for Moog synthesizer by Wendy Carlos. Mort Garson used the Moog to soundtrack the televised Apollo 11 moonwalk, associating synthesizers with space in the popular imagination. In the late 1960s, it was adopted by rock and pop acts including the Doors , the Grateful Dead , the Rolling Stones and

11877-501: Was created with a Moog synthesizer, with the producers aiming to create a futuristic mood. Robert Moog was critical, saying the sequenced bassline had a "certain sterility" and that Summer sounded like she was "fighting the sequencer". In later decades, hip hop groups such as the Beastie Boys and rock bands including They Might Be Giants and Wilco "revived an interest in the early Moog synthesizer timbres". The Guardian wrote that

11988-433: Was debate as to the role of the keyboard in synthesizers. Some, such as the composer Vladimir Ussachevsky and Moog's competitor Don Buchla , felt they were restrictive. However, Moog recognized that most customers wanted keyboards and found they made the instrument more approachable. Including keyboards in photographs helped users understand that the synthesizer was for making music. The classical meaning of "to synthesize"

12099-549: Was developed by German engineer Harald Bode in the late 1950s. The 1960s saw the introduction of the Moog synthesizer and the Buchla Modular Electronic Music System , created around the same period. The Moog was composed of separate modules which created and shaped sounds, such as envelopes , noise generators , filters , and sequencers , connected by patch cords . The Japanese company Roland released

12210-538: Was founded by Paul Tutmarc , the inventor of the first electric bass (Tutmarc's instrument did not achieve market success until Leo Fender 's launched the Precision Bass ). In 1933, Vega sold a pickup and amplifier set for musicians to use with existing guitars. In that same year, the Los Angeles-based Volu-Tone company also sold a pickup/amplifier set. Volu-Tone used high voltage current to sense

12321-507: Was very hard for a musician playing a pickup-equipped guitar to find an amplifier and speaker to make their instrument louder as the only speakers that could be bought were "radio horns of limited frequency range and low acoustic output". The cone speaker, widely used in 2000s-era amp cabinets, was not widely offered for sale until the 1930s and beyond. The first amplifiers and speakers could only be powered with large batteries, which made them heavy and hard to carry around. When engineers developed

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