It rhymes with “Rogue.”
Okay, first thing’s first: If you want to score points in Asheville you’re going to have to pronounce Moog correctly. It’s not pronounced like the “Goog” in “Google.” It’s actually a long o sound, like the “o” in “ocean.”
So say it with us: “Moog.”
Now that that’s out of the way, we’re going to take a tour of the history of the beloved local synthesizer company, which has helped musicians + bands, from The Beatles to Prince and Kaitlin Aurelia Smith to our own, homegrown RBTS WIN, make their sweet music.
Whether you’re a long-time local or new to Asheville, we have all the Moog facts you need to know to impress your musician (or music-loving) friends.
Let’s start here: What exactly is a synthesizer?
- Synthesizers are versatile, electronic instruments capable of producing a wide range of tones and timbres (quality of sound). Think: the futuristic-looking panels of knobs, buttons, or wires you see at electronic shows, which you can connect to your instrument or computer or which come with a keyboard.
- Moog synthesizers are analog rather than digital, meaning what you hear is the sound of electricity running through electronic components such as transistors, diodes, and capacitors.
- Many Moog synthesizers are modular, which means that you can build your own unique instrument.
- They are built by hand and always built to order at the Moog Factory, which is located in downtown Asheville (160 Broadway).
- Six people build and test each product + testing takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 15 days.
- It takes the factory a full day to create 8 Minimoogs.
The history of the revolutionary synth company began in 1953, and it’s still going strong, decades later.
Read on to follow Moog’s voyage from NYC to Asheville, with plenty of stops on the way (including at UNC Asheville).
Plus, we tell you how you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the factory in Asheville – literally the only place where Moog synths are made in the world.
The history of future sounds
1934: Founder Robert “Bob” Moog is born in NYC.
1953: At age 19, Moog creates R.A. Moog Co. in Trumansburg, N.Y. to build + sell theremin kits and modular synthesizer kits.
1963: Moog develops his first synthesizer after being inspired by composer Herbert A. Deutsch, who asked him to build an instrument that would create experimental, unique sounds.
1965: Moog finishes a PhD at Cornell University in Engineering Physics.
1968: Switched-On Bach, an album of Bach pieces played entirely on a Moog modular synthesizer, is released by Wendy Carlos. It’s one of the best-selling classical records from 1968–72 and is the second album ever to be certified platinum for sales in the classical genre.
1969: The price of a Moog starts at around $125 and goes up to over $1000 for a sequencing model.
1972: The company becomes Moog Music. It’s purchased by instrument maker Norlin a year later.
1977: Bob Moog leaves Moog Music.
1978: Moog + his family move to Asheville (after a stay at the Grove Park Inn helped them fall in love with the city). Soon after, Moog starts lecturing, and then teaching, at UNC Asheville, where he joins the faculty as a Visiting Professor in the Music Department.
1986: The company files for bankruptcy due to competition from Japanese synth makers Roland and Korg.
1993: Moog retires from teaching at UNC Asheville.
2002: Bob Moog regains the right to the Moog company name and relaunches it in Asheville.
2005: Moog dies from an inoperable brain tumor.
2009: The Bob Moog Electronic Music Studio is dedicated to Moog. The studio, located in Lipinsky Hall, is a work + performance space outfitted with Moog synthesizers, theremins + computers.
2011: The Moog Factory + store open on Broadway. It’s the fifth Moog factory and the only one currently open in the world.
2015: Moog becomes an employee-owned company.
2016: The Minimoog Model D, one of the first Moog models, is reissued using the same design as in the 1970s.
2018: The Grandmother, Moog’s newest synth, which features a modular design and bright colors (setting it apart from all other Moog products so far), is released.
Take the tour
Get a behind-the-scenes peek of Moog synthesizers in the making during a free tour of the factory (160 Broadway St.), which takes place Monday–Friday at 10:30 a.m. + 3:30 p.m. To book a spot, you’ll need to call the store (828.239.0123) or email tours@moogmusic.com. The tour lasts about an hour. Highlights include a replica of Keith Emerson’s giant synthesizer (which has a literal rocket launcher in the back 🚀), a short lesson in theremin-playing, and the Moog Sound Lab, where artists like Phantogram, Sylvan Esso + CHVRCHES have performed and recorded. You can watch performances from the Sound Lab here.
The store is open Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. + Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Remember, tours are only on weekdays.
Many products are available at the Moog store, while others are sold through official Moog dealers. To find out where to purchase Moog products + place an order, click here.
The Moogseum + The Bob Moog Foundation
The non-profit arm of Moog, which isn’t run by the factory + store, offers synth education for kids + adults through Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which gives participants a chance to play Moog instruments and learn a little bit of the science behind the sound. The Foundation’s HQ is also in Asheville.
Eventually, the group hopes to open a museum (the Moogseum) in Asheville as another way to keep the legacy alive. The Moogseum will include exhibit space, a timeline of Bob Moog + his products, an archival center with news articles, product schematics + more, a 200-seat performance space, and a Young Inventors Lab. There’s no opening date yet, but you can check out the proposed plans + support the project via donations.
I have a Moog sticker on my car, so you could say I’m a pretty huge fan of this synth company. I also know a lot of the people that work there (and make some sweet music on the side). And while I’m not going to be an amazing synth player anytime soon, I get so much out of seeing other talented musicians play their Moog synths.
Who’s your favorite musician that uses Moog? Let us know by commenting here, or tell us over on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. And big thanks to the folks at Moog throwing down the history for us for this piece. 👏
