Micromoog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|||
| Micromoog by Moog Music | |||
| Synthesis type: | Analog subtractive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyphony: | monophonic | ||
| Oscillators: | 1 variable waveshape | ||
| Multitimbral: | 1 | ||
| VCF: | 1 lowpass | ||
| VCA: | 1 AR | ||
| LFO: | 1 pulse/sawtooth | ||
| Keyboard: | 32-keys | ||
| Left hand control: | Ribbon controller mod wheel |
||
| External control: | Moog Open System | ||
| Produced: | 1975 - 1979 | ||
| Original price: | US$895 | ||
The Micromoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer produced by Moog Music from 1975 to 1979.
The Micromoog was designed by Robert Moog and Jim Scott as a scaled-down, cheaper alternative to the Minimoog. It was designed to tap into a market of musicians who wanted an introduction to synthesis, but could not afford the $1,500 Minimoog. It thus is extremely basic in design. It is a monophonic synthesizer, featuring 1 variable waveshape VCO. It has a 24dB per octave low-pass filter with envelope generator, a VCA, noise generator, sample and hold circuit, LFO, and modulation routing. It has a 32-key keyboard and was one of the first synthesizers to implement a ribbon controller, in this instance for pitch bending. The Micromoog has an audio input allowing external audio to be run through the filter and VCA. It also features the Moog Open System control inputs, a pre-MIDI proprietary control system which enabled the unit to be controlled by other Moog synthesizers.
As it did with many of Moog Music's products, ARP released the Axxe to compete with the Micromoog. It, too, features only one VCO, but offered sturdier construction and more editable parameters.
The Micromoog served as the basis for the Multimoog, a similarly styled but more generously equipped synthesizer featuring two VCOs, more keys and modulation options, and an early implementation of keyboard aftertouch functions.
The versatility of the synthesizer can be seen in the sheer number of genres in which it has played a role. This was made especially apparent when ska band Six Foot Smurf adopted the instrument as part of its repetoir. Furthermore, grindcore pioneers The Locust also made heavy use of the instrument.
