Early voltage-controlled synthesizers

With the exception of the Telharmonium, which was conceived prior to the advent of the thermionic valve, the precursors to the modern-day synthesizer were all based on tube circuitry. This made these instruments unwieldy and volatile. After the transistor became available in 1947/48, more rugged, smaller, and thus portable, instruments were soon to come.

At the end of 1963, American innovator R. A. (Bob) Moog met the composer Herbert Deutsch. Deutsch inspired Moog to combine a voltage-controlled oscillator and amplifier module with a keyboard, and in 1964 the first prototype of a voltage-controlled synthesizer was constructed. This collaboration with the German musician prompted Moog to extend his range of modules and to combine them into entire systems. It wasn’t until 1967, however, that Moog actually called his diverse mix-and-match systems synthesizers.

Moog’s achievements spread by word of mouth, and Moog, always keen to elicit the feedback of his customers, continued to add further modules to his line. Wendy Carlos’s LP release Switched-On Bach (1968) was responsible for the breakthrough of Moog’s instruments. The record featured Moog’s modular synthesizers and was one of the earliest commercial multitrack recordings. The album’s success introduced the synthesizer to a wider audience and made the name “Moog” synonymous with the instrument. Hoping to capitalize on the new sounds that synthesizers made available, and match Carlos’s commercial success, numerous studios, producers, and musicians acquired Moog modular synthesizers. In 1969, as many as 42 employees produced two to three complete modular systems every week at Moog’s production facility.

Working independently, an engineer named Donald Buchla had conceived and implemented the concept for a modular, voltage-controlled synthesizer. This coincided with Moog’s version. Buchla also developed his first instruments in close cooperation with users. The inspiration for his first synthesizer originated with composers Morton Subotnik and Ramon Sender, of the San Francisco Tape Music Center. Although he began working on this instrument in 1963, it didn’t make its public debut until 1966. By design, Buchla’s instruments catered primarily to academia and avant-garde musicians, so they never garnered the public attention and acclaim of Moog’s synthesizers.

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Early voltage-controlled synthesizers