Moog Factory

Matt Friedman · Post by **Matt Friedman** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:07 am

I just saw a very interesting video tour of the DSI factory. Does anyone know if there's anything like that for Moog?

I assume Moog does all of its manufacturing in-house. How automated is it? Is the LP line the only product that uses SMT?

Questions... questions...

Matt Friedman · Post by **Matt Friedman** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:17 am

Okay... I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d27EMQ_I6Xc

But it's from a few years ago, and there's no Phatty production.

There's this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkqQDM-KBq8

Which is more recent.

But I'm struck by how, although there is obviously a manual "assembly line," Moog doesn't seem to have [in these videos] facilities for manufacturing the actual circuit boards. Is this farmed out to a contract manufacturer?

Also... does anyone know if circuit board manufacturing, as opposed to assembly, is done on a batch or continuous basis?

till · Post by **till** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:30 am

the circuit boards are most likely produced in batches, because Moog does not ship hundreds of synths per week. But a pcb-board company does them by hundreds per week. And running a line at a non constant fast rate would cause a loss of money.

The boards are done nearly automatic. But the assembling is done by hand.

BTW: DSI is also only producing batches of boards in "their" contracted company.

Matt Friedman · Post by **Matt Friedman** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:37 am

till wrote:the circuit boards are most likely produced in batches, because Moog does not ship hundreds of synths per week. But a pcb-board company does them by hundreds per week. And running a line at a non constant fast rate would cause a loss of money.

This is interesting. SO... If Moog introduces a new line -- say, the Taurus III -- it doesn't need to take production capacity out of another line [except in terms of assembly and large parts, but much of that is interchangeable, I imagine]. It also means that re-tooling costs are probably pretty low...

EricK · Post by **EricK** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:34 pm

Yeah I seem to think that the circuitboards for the Phatty were manufactured overseas? I seem to think i remember reading that was to cut costs.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:47 pm

Yes...I think the LP circuit boards are the only lead-free product coming out of China.

Anna's Digit · Post by **Anna's Digit** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:24 am

in CHINA ????? like the Microkorg!!!!!!!!!
gees

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:17 am

Anna's Digit wrote:in CHINA ????? like the Microkorg!!!!!!!!!
gees

They had to keep costs down SOMEHOW to get the price below 1300 USD. I think we can all agree that the Little Phatty is far superior to the Microkorg.

Matt Friedman · Post by **Matt Friedman** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:31 am

Voltor07 wrote:They had to keep costs down SOMEHOW to get the price below 1300 USD. I think we can all agree that the Little Phatty is far superior to the Microkorg.

But the MicroKorg is plyphonic and has a vocoder!

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:37 am

It's a piece of crap! It sounds like crap, it feels like the Yamaha PSR-50 I had when I was six, and it looks like something from Toys R Us. Now please stop trying to get me riled.

Bryan T · Post by **Bryan T** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:13 am

Voltor07 wrote:Yes...I think the LP circuit boards are the only lead-free product coming out of China.

My respect for my LP just dropped a notch.

magnet · Post by **magnet** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:11 pm

I watched a film on-line about the production of PCBs in greater Asia. The robotics, testing, masking
are amazing. The quality control is very organised, and from the film, a segment at ASUS said, I believe, 99.95% perfect. And that on an assembly line that can reconfigure in a few days. Why we only use that tech here for CPUs and the like is hard to understand. So if Moog Music outsources the surface mount tech, I bet they go with a quality house.

And surface mount is a lot more durable then discrete, just very difficult to work on. ( I worked on hand-held radios before my eyesight got bad.)

2 cents. Not kicking sand.
-best

jamezdd73 · Post by **jamezdd73** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:55 pm

What's all this about the microKorg?!

Those instruments are great. They're like the LP of the normal synth world. They're cheap, and sound great. The micro was the first synth I owned, and I love it!

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:20 pm

LP of the normal synth world is exactly right. Which is why the LP is still superior. If the Microkorg fits your needs, great! I just felt it was inferior to the LP. I was open to either one when I was looking for a synth. The LP felt more like an instrument and less like a toy IMHO.

jamezdd73 · Post by **jamezdd73** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:23 pm

Oh yeah, when it comes to playing the microKorg against the LP then the LP wins hands down in every field. No argument there!

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