A Love Letter To The 3 Oscillator Analog Monosynth
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A short love letter to the 3 Oscillator Analog Monosynth. Covering how the Minimoog revolutionized the synthesizer itself, and modern iterations based on the idea of 3 oscillators, mixed together through a filter in an analog, monophonic synthesizer. Contrasting the way the Moog democratized the synthesizer, and how the Roland/Studio Electronics SE-02 collaboration has democratized the 3 Oscillator, analog, monosynth today.
NOTE: I am an electronic musician, a designer, and a huge fan of synthesizers. I am not an authority, nor am I a historian. These love letters (I should think that it goes without saying) are Op Ed (opinion based editorial) and thus they are filled with hyperbole, artistic license and some degree of speaking categorically to get the point across. This is not the first word, or anywhere near the last word on the story I’m telling. It’s just a love letter.
Directed by Martha Traer for MT Films.
©2017 The Urgency Of Change/MT Films
Special thanks to Moog, Roland, Studio Electronics, Doepfer, Intellijel, Make Noise, Arp, KORG, Yamaha, Casio, MFB, Sequential Circuits, Cwejman, and Bob Moog!
NOTE: I have re written the manual for the Roland SE-02 and also produced a track called ‘Ahmed’ which is the score for this love letter. You can download the manual, this song, and the patches used to create it the score for the love letter right here
More Info
More about Martha Traer and MT Films: http://marthatraer.com
More about The Urgency of Change: http://theurgencyofchange.com
49 Comments
dig
Have you talked to Dmitri Bronson? He builds dreams synths
I love them too.
DIG
Right on!
Absolutely love your passion for gear. These videos are really inspiring and informational.
I was born so late.
Inspiring
What a dope video
Great gravelly voice – gott thk the cigs for that…..sheet!
very morgan frreeman………
and well done
super sexy voice over
you are a bad influence on me.
Oh and a gorgeous video props to you both!
i’ve always heard it that bob moog initially DISLIKED the idea of the minimoog, and thought the company should focus on the larger patchable machines
@PJay – Jim Scott and Bill Hemsath developed it literally out if spare keys and a few modified modules.
They developed it so well, and everyone liked it so much that Bob agreed to bring it to a trade show. It sold better than the modular so they agreed to produce it.
I think bob was dreaming bigger, deeper, and was not thinking about portable, small, or accessible. He was building moog rooms for John Paul Jones and Pete Townsend. So his head was on the original mission which was finally starting to pay off… The minimoog was a surprise to everyone and it changed everything.
supposedly thats why it has a strange number of keys! was a spare part in the closet they found haha!
@PJay – Exactly. Bill just used the keys that were left!
Brilliant!
This is wonderful! Production value is top notch!
@Will Lavin – Sunshine Jones No way baby. Right on time!
@Sunshine Jones
I love you man. Come back to sd as soon as possible ! We need your message !
Love this…great job!
first synth i ever got my hands on…oh the joys of tape echo and a minimoog
You’ve made it almost impossible for me not to buy that Roland SE ; ) lovely tune and love what you’ve done! Last year at ADE it was the first time I’ve played the (new) original Moog model D Mini and it blew my mind actually, but at that price I won’t be able to buy that.. Just heard a comparison with the original and Behringer D (blasphemy I know haha) but a pitch perfect copy – actually a no brainer as well for my Attack Of The Clones project
Keep these coming ♥
Just discovered your YouTube page and I’m loving it. It reminds me of the friendly advice you gave to me back in the day as to how to (cheaply) sync up my TB-303 via a Roland MSQ-10 or TR-707.
I think it is so important that you are making these videos that explain the history of these beautiful machines…love love love
I hate to be that guy (I’m usually that guy), but Moog is pronounced like ‘vogue’. Otherwise, this is just lovely!
@Morey Gamble – Well… and as a guy who people could NEVER spell his band name correctly…
Dub Tribe
Dubtribe Soundsystem
Dub Tribe Soundsystem
(it’s Dubtribe Sound System – DSS for short)
You’d think I would be more sensitive to the correct spelling and pronunciation of words and names.
There’s just something formative about MOOG for me. It’s like a truth from childhood. Such a hard habit to break.
@Sunshine & Morey – back in late 2004 we did a party and had bob fly in and give a talk/demo to a club crowd here in nyc. he was showing off the mogue-er-fo-gers and made sure everyone present knew how to say it. so i usually get that one right, but i would need shock therapy to not say “minimoog” like a cow.
Sunshine Jones I could hear you talk all day about synths.
@Morey Gamble – WWBS (what would bob say?)
Bob would be embarrassed that I made a big deal out of it, probably.
Or correct you.
@Morey & Douglas – Everything about all of this is just wonderful!
@Sunshine Jones – this has had me all day
Being from Asheville I have a bit of insight to add… Moog was once Mooooog, but Bobs wife was a school teacher and kids would use the pronunciation Mooo…. in a disrespecting way. Or at least that was the line I was fed some years ago when I moved here so that could be myth or legend. But we could ask an expert… Michelle Moog-Koussa.
@Zaborowski M Rudy – this is amazing. I wish I’d known this story before I did this love letter. I would have loved to tell it.
I’ve spent the last 24 hours considering doing the voice over and saying “Mogue” because I feel like I now understand that I’ve always said it wrong.
This gives me even more of a reason to break the life long habit of saying moooog.
Well done. Dig the VO. The St. Regis boys are one of a kind and so are their synths.
@Huston Singletary – Agreed
What an INCREDIBLE video. Love you man. Awesome stuff
The love letter videos are great! Subscribed on your YouTube channel!
@Remco – Thanks! My love letters are infrequent, but when I’m inspired or overwhelmed they really help to get my head and my heart back into what I’m doing. I’m so glad they are inspiring to you!
@Sunshine – Cool! They really are, makes me want to make new music right away. Also interesting old school-gear-things/history I did not know!
@Remco – Makes me so happy! Now go make music!
I dig the love letter videos man!!! Real dope
♥
Amazing I love these love letters. Inspiring entertaining and educational.