Moog Moments

endocrine · Post by **endocrine** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:54 pm

What was that one moment when you knew you absolutely had to play synthesizer? Also, if you remember, what was the board that brought it all together?

Mine was at an Alabama Jihad show. I had been listening punk rock for a while, but they brought this new element that made it so much better. That element was a synth player. The boards he had were a Roland Juno-106 and Moog Rougue. That bleep changed my life.
-Tyler2000-

If anyone wants to hear some Alabama Jihad to hear all the fuss, send me an email. stickman_5000@hotmail.com

thewaag · Post by **thewaag** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:47 pm

No doubt about it it! When I first heard Keith Emerson play his solo in Lucky Man, it changed my life. I had to pull over in my car to comprehend what I was hearing. I have loved anything Moog ever since. Truthfully, I still get goosebumps when I hear that solo with its rich reverb.

My love of synths was cemented later when I was at a Three Dog Night concert (sorry, yes I am that old) and some guy that they introduced as "The Wizard" (a concert extra, not their usual keyboard player) played a 10 minute synth solo that just blew me and my girlfriend away. As I became more knowledgeable about keyboards, I later found out that much of what he played was on a Mellotron, but it was still amazing. Nobody was used to hearing the kind of stuff that he was playing at a live concert in those days. Strings, choirs, timpanis, amazing synth sounds. I have always wondered who "The Wizard" was......

Boeing 737-400 · Post by **Boeing 737-400** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:37 pm

I had always been into electronic music, I just never knew what it was, until playing GTA Vice City. Soon after that I heard 'Are Friends Electric' by Gary Numan, and it all took off from there.

theglyph · Post by **theglyph** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:13 pm

Pink Floyd's DSOTM & Wish You Were Here!

Actually, it was the Floyd movie Live at Pompeii. During the film there are sequences showing Roger Waters Playing an EMS Synthi AKS during the Dark Side recording sessions. Me and my friend flipped out and i drove to the local music store only to find boxes with a few buttons on them (circa 1994).

My Enosoniq MR had synth patches in it but the tweakability of these sounds was highly limited. At the time the internet was relatively new to the average person so the only place to find analog synths was from a local music repair shop that had a sign saying "Don't go beyond this point!"

My first experience with a tweakable synth was when i purchased my Waldorf Q. This was when the OS was so low that the onboard sequencer and many other features weren't even implemented yet AHHH! The last OS for the Q was great however and introduced me to the world of wavetable synthesis.

I now proudly own the Q, a Juno 106, a PAiA modular (97 series) and an AE Voyager with the CV expander.

I was so blown away by analog synthesis that i returned to school and am just about to finish the EE program at the local University.

BTW, if anyone is interested, there is a DVD of the making of Floyd's Dark Side from Isis Productions (or eagle vision) which features tons of commentary from the band and Alan Parsons. They show more footage of the Dark Side recording sessions and Dave Gilmore explains and shows on the EMS synthi how the synth sequence in On The Run was created. The DVD was purchased just before my AE arrived so when it arrived i drank Red Bull and tweaks the Moogs knobs for about 5 days straight. No Kidding! Awsome!

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:11 pm

I'd say that there were twio seperate moments. One was when I was around three and TOTO were at their height. The song was "Rosanna." What an interlude! David Paich and Steve Porcaro did some synth work that's rarely been rivaled within its own "pocket." I do believe Porcaro always had a Moog synth in his collection at some point.

But, the moment where I knew that I had to get my hands on a synthesizer was when my parents got ahold of a copy of Styx Classics. Between Dennis DeYoung's synth lines on songs like "Babe," "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto," "Renegade" and, especially "Fooling Yourself" and "Miss America," I knew that this was a world that I had to become part of. But, I don't know if he ever owned a Moog. It always sounded like there was one in his midst.

In fact, it was a feeble attempt to play "Fooling Yourself" on the piano that led to me recieving my first synthesizer. Not analog, but it worked then.

david · Post by **david** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:02 am

Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" & Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" are the two that woke me up in '73.

david · Post by **david** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:02 am

Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" & Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" are the two that woke me up in '73.

Mike Braithwaite · Post by **Mike Braithwaite** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 1:31 am

I liked all the pop tubes with synths in the early 70's and specifically McCartney and Wings and Floyds Dark Side of the Moon. Then I liked a lot of ELO sounds, but the clincher was the Styx 'Grand Illusion' album in 1977 and also Gary Wright's 'Dream Weaver' tune.

Styx used a Moog modular on their really old stuff pre-Crystal Ball and also Arp 2600's. But the only Moog they used during their great run were the Moog Taurus I Pedals. DDY was an Oberheim guy from 1977 through 83, but was also a big fan of the first version of the Arp String Ensemble.........loved his Hammond B3 too.

The Unknown · Post by **The Unknown** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:31 am

It's difficult to pin down anyone individual or band that made me want to play synths. I started with my first true synth (a Casio CZ101) nineteen years ago, and at that time, I was listening to a lot of Jean Michel Jarre, among other stuff. Earlier than this, I became fascinated by the synthesizer sound when I first heard the Buggle's Age of Plastic album, which I still rate now. Dark Side of the Moon also played it's part, as did the Blade Runner sound track, by Vangelis. Dare, by the Human League was another a defining moment.

The list goes on, really.

gd · Post by gd » Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:22 am

I was very lucky to have been intro'd to the synth sound in the early 60's. My father was a jazz musician who counted Leo Fender, Mr. Baldwin, Leslie and Bob Moog as old friends. Growing up in Hamilton, Ont. Canada I met Bob at a very early age and heard those "weird and bizzare" sounds. I remember going to the main N.Am. music show that was held annually in Chicago in the 60's and hearing all the "new gear" that was in development. Never thought a lot about it other than I liked the weird sounds until Keith Emerson laid down Luck Man. I understand that he was just playing around while the tape was running, didn't like the outcome at all but Greg Lake insisted that the synth solos be included - someone correct me if I am wrong here pls. My father went on to design a few concert organs for the cdn. co. Electrohome. As a side note, Richards and Jagger came up to him in the hotel they were staying at in London Ont. on one of their first N. Am tours and asked him about his preference in organs - Hammond, Lowery and a few others. As I remember the story he said that he liked the Cdn Electrohome the best when hooked up to a Leslie as he developed it to compete with Hammond and blow Lowery away - not sure why he didn't like Lowery anymore. Sorry for the long winded reply but us old guys like to reminese from time to time.

space_nerd · Post by **space_nerd** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:59 pm

It was christmass of '93 and a friend of mine give me for present a vinyl reissue copy of the second LP by 'Lothar & the hand people', a sixties psychedelic group. The record was called "Space Hymn" and the band used the theremin and the Moog Synthesizer (Of course the modular one-the record was released on 1969 before Mini ) .
And yes the sounds I heard there changed my life!
Of course other bands I love used the Moogs like 'Gong' and their guitarist Steve Hillage on his solo albums, but I did't knew back then!
But that record 'space hymn' had that 'Moog synthesizer' written at the back cover and I was hooked! And since then I became Moog/vintage synth fan and owner.Magic moments!
Happiness to everyone and have great time with the synths, lstening or playing!
Nikos:D

Demokid · Post by **Demokid** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 8:02 am

I guess it was in 1982-83 when I as a young lad saw a Howard Jones concert on TV. It looked so cool with all sizers surrounding Howard. Later when I saw the “Live In Hamburg” video with Depeche Mode I decided I wanted a Jupiter-8. In 1999 I finally bought a JP8.

Kind regards
Demokid

Progger · Post by **Progger** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:03 pm

I visited Walt Disney World during the late 70's and was blown away at age 13 or 14 by the Michael Iceberg show in Orlando, Florida. The Electic Light Parade music did not hurt (Baroque Hoedown by Perrey & Kingsley). I bought a MicroMoog within months for around 100.00 (hard to pinpoint an exact price as it was part of a package deal with an amp and a white Fender cab loaded with a 15 inch JBL. Of course I regret selling the cabinet long ago (which I believe would still sound awesome with a Moog for a mono setup), but still enjoy the Micro to this day. Iceberg had a Mini, Taurus Pedal, Poly, Oberheim, Chamberlain or Mellotron...full sound to say the least. I remember stumbling across a full video for a later show of his on-line. I remember buying ELP's Works II soon after as Volume I was too expensive after laying out so much for the MicroMoog. Those were the days.....

ikazlar · Post by **ikazlar** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 4:50 am

I suppose the thing that started it all was Pink Floyd's "On The Run". My uncle who let me listen to his records used to say that Pink Floyd were scientists.

Remco · Post by **Remco** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:37 pm

Gary Numan fist, with that powersound on the Pleausure Principle album. Whoa, overwhelming!
Followed bij Rick Wakeman with Yes and Eddie Jobson with Zappa.

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