Bob Moog, who founded Moog Music in 1953 and invented the famed Moog synthesizer, was a visionary who helped pioneer electronic music. After his death in 2005, The Bob Moog Foundation (BMF) continues to champion his legacy. The organization has announced that it has added a selection of gear to its archive: several rare prototypes, including one of the few Moog Apollo Synthesizers in the world (the Apollo became the prototype for the Polymoog), the Moog Liberation, Moog Drum Controller, Moog Sequencer, Moog Song Producer, Moog Feedback Suppressor; as well as production models of the Minutemoog, and a Moog Vocoder. Also added to the archives are more than 1,000 schematic drawings dating from 1965 through 1985.
These latest additions to the Foundation’s collection of historic documents and musical instruments come on the heels of the permanent loan of vintage instruments by the Music Department of University of North Carolina at Greensboro in December 2013.
“These instruments and drawings join our growing collection of treasures that also includes Roger Powell’s custom keyboard controller, designed by Bob; a duophonic Minimoog; and two vintage theremins,” said Michelle Moog-Koussa, executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation and daughter of the late inventor. “We’re thrilled with the ongoing interest our archives are generating from organizations and individuals.”
To date, over 400 of the more than 1,000 documents received in this latest contribution have already been inventoried and entered into a searchable database.
Moog-Koussa says the Foundation will be adding more items to its archive and establishing an improved process in the coming year. “We will soon begin the most detailed and formalized part of the archiving process – cataloging. It takes time to do it right, but these materials are too significant not to do it right.”