Moog Music Forum

It was back in 1977, I think. I went along to see Steve Hackett at the Manchester Apollo. The opening of the show featured lots of smoke, ultra-violet lights, wailing Ebow-ed guitar and the mighty, roaring drone of the Taurus. I felt my internal organs jostling for space to shake around.

Soon after I saw Genesis in concert and felt that familiar soul-shuddering vibration once again.

I made pact a with myself that night to own a Taurus synth, no matter what it took. I spent a lot of years scratching up the money and finding a seller, but I finally did it and I never regretted it for a second. I still get a buzz playing them, and through a large PA... strewth!

In 2010 I'm feeling that same rush of excitement once again as I wait for my Taurus 3 to arrive. I should feel stupid, but I don't - only those who understand would understand!

Thanks to Moog for giving me the chance to re-live this naive joy. I'll be back to tell you how I get on.

I have played my T1 and T3 side by side through my 2000w PA system.

The T3 will not disappoint

1977, saw Yes in the round at The Philadelphia Spectrum. They walked out in the dark to open the show, the arena filled with the pre-recorded sounds of Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite". They took their positions on stage. I am 12, sitting in the 7th row, and as luck would have it, the rotating stage has me sitting right in front of Chris Squire as the show opens. As the pre-recorded music reaches a certain point, the band gets ready to open with Siberian Khatru, but first they hit down on a big note to join the Stravinsky music ... and Chris Squire extends his long leg with a big white shoe almost glowing in the darkness, and hits a low D on the bass pedals as the lights explode ... and the bottom end literally rattled my clothing, my skin, my teeth, my fillings, and my bones. Like the first guy who posted here, I swore an oath rigth then, at age 12, just a year into playing bass, that I would do whatever I had to do to possess whatever the hell had made that sound. I washed dishes at a deli to get my first set. In years since, I have owned Taurus I's, Taurus II's, Taurus I's again, and toured the country rattling people's clothing in "A Flock of Seagulls" and other bands. Today? Fine, I admit it my friends, I am playing weddings. Go ahead, break my balls, let the wedding band jokes fly my brothers ... but I must say I have one of the most successful wedding bands in Philadelphia, and I gig just about every week. No, it's not original music ... no, we don't get to play "Tom Sawyer" ... but each week, the range of music I do play would challenge anyone, from big band Sinatra arrangements to The Black Eyed Peas, doo wop to metal, funk to punk, 60's through 00's, we do a huge variety of music and we cover so many different feels that I've come to see as a great opportunity to keep playing and growing as a bassist. I love it. And now, I have decided that if I can't rattle people's blue jeans with my bass pedals, well, I'll rattle their tuxedos instead. If I have to play weddings, I am still going to bring the TAURUS THUNDER! Someone out there will appreciate it.

I only hope I can ruin a few wedding cakes in the process.

Beautifully stated, and no, I would not give you hell for playing weddings.

No grief from me either. Who's the idiot? The one of us doing what he loves, or the one going into an office day after day to finance his musical habit?

You keep at it, man.

I'd swap ya!

Weddings can be fantastic gigs - huge variety of music to a happy, appreciative audience and you get to go home earlier than with club gigs.

I've never heard or touched a T1 live. First noticed the T1 on The Police recordings. I've owned T2's and PK5 triggering all sorts of things, but the T3 is coming!

The first time I heard Moog Taurus pedals live was at a Rush concert back in 1981. The entire Hampton Roads Coliseum shook like armageddon was at hand. I have seen Rush on almost every tour since then and I strongly feel that when they switched to midi pedals they lost the low end rumble. I hope they go back to using Moog Taurus pedals. Heck, it's the best of both worlds as they can still trigger all of the midi parts they need to trigger and get the big bottom they need.

I saw the Police in 1984 on the Synchronicity tour at William and Mary Hall in Williamsburg, VA. I feared the building was going to collapse. That was one of THE loudest shows I have ever attended. I think they set up the entire P.A. destined for Shea inside little old W&M Hall. Check out the latest Police DVD and CD if you want to hear Sting stomping on his T1s - you can hear them very clearly supporting his bass guitar.

I saw Genesis on the "Genesis" album tour in 1984 at Hampton Coliseum again. WOWza. They were really pumping the bass pedals for sure. That has been the best sounding concert I have ever attended. I swear it was like sitting in front of a hi-fi stereo, no distortion, deep and crisp and musical. The sound engineer was top notch.

I saw Marillion at Hammerjack's in New Jersey on the 1990 Seasons End tour. Pete Trewavas was stomping on his pedals which managed to fill up the large club quite well.

While we're at it, I hope John Wetton takes the set of T3s he ordered out on tour in the coming months with his band Asia. I hope Chris Squire finally ditches his sampled pedals and gets a set of T3s, too.

Rush concert, 1978, opening of "Xanadu" - blew me away. Began my hunt for a set of Taurus the next day, and 3 months later, I bought my first set of used T-1s for $500. Sold them a few years later for a Rickenbacker 4080 doubleneck (also sold, and I'd give my left one to have that one back), and bought a new set of T-2s. Sold them about 5 years after that, and had been missing the T-1s ever since. My Taurus 3s arrived a few weeks ago, and all is right with the world again, and I'll never part with them - I'm older now, but I'm also wiser.

My first time hearing TI is Genesis in 1978 tour.

My first time hearing Taurus pedals live was on Friday morning, March 26th, 2010, in my home studio. I turned them on after yanking them out of the box, turned them off, turned off the lights and turned the T3 on again because it looked so cool.

I turned on the lights and hit a low C. Things started rattling around in my apartment - pictures on walls, heating ducts, plumbing.

I recorded the whole event on my iPhone. You can't even hear the note I hit. But I sure felt it. My Rokit 8's are pretty decent... but thank god I DON'T own a subwoofer. I don't know what might have happend then.

I envy you! To hear Taurus for the first time is a semi-religious experience.

If we all hit that same low C at the same time I reckon we could break a hole in the fabric of space.

Know what I'm thinking?... a Taurus orchestra! It's gotta happen!

The Elf wrote:I envy you! To hear Taurus for the first time is a semi-religious experience.

If we all hit that same low C at the same time I reckon we could break a hole in the fabric of space.

Know what I'm thinking?... a Taurus orchestra! It's gotta happen!

YES! I like that idea...it amuses me greatly...