A Renaissance of Modular Synthesizers

Remember the eerie "space" sounds in those old black and white science fiction movies of the 1950s? Many of those sounds, and some heard in popular television commercials like the "popping" Maxwell House coffee song, were created using analog electronic oscillators and filters. The term "synthesizers" became attributed to these devices that could be connected together, and were seemingly only good for producing weird sound effects.

Then in the 1960s, musician and engineer Robert Moog designed and manufactured a series of analog sound modules that could be controlled by a traditional piano-like keyboard device, enabling a musician to easily produce musical compositions using this new technology. Analog modules could be assembled in any configuration to create what became known as analog modular synthesizers.

Musician Wendy Carlos used one of the first Moog synthesizers, along with multi-track tape recording techniques, to create the now legendary album, "Switched On Bach". This album demonstrated that these instruments were capable of producing serious music, and a new era in musical history was launched.

The collaboration of Bob Moog and musicians like Wendy, thrust this unique instrument into world view, and soon many other musicians, bands and universities jumped on the Moog synthesizer bandwagon. The band Emerson, Lake and Palmer was the first to use a huge modular Moog synthesizer in live performances, which not only enabled keyboardist Keith Emerson to achieve previously unheard sounds for his audience, but it also added to the "cool" factor on stage, with it's towering banks of knobs and blinking lights. Wendy Carlos later went on to use her Moog system to create sound tracks for such movies as "A Clockwork Orange" and Disney's "Tron".

Modular synthesizers are comprised of various independent sound producing and shaping modules, placed in cabinets and connected together using patch cords. Because any number and configuration of modules is possible (limited only by one's budget), they offer a wealth of unique sounds not producable on any other musical instrument.

Moog and other modular synthesizer companies enjoyed 20 years of strong growth before advances in the field of electronics made "digital" music synthesizers take center stage. Digital synthesizers can duplicate the sounds of traditional instruments...strings, drums, flutes, organs, etc., with incredible accuracy. Their price was also less than that of modular synthesizers, their size was much more compact, and changing sounds on them was much easier. And so, modular synthesizers soon fell into disfavor, and many manufacturers closed up shop.

However, since the mid 1990s, there has been a renaissance of the big modular beasts. Those who still sought the unique sound capabilities and radical appearance of the modulars could only hope to find an old one on Ebay or at a sale when a musician or university cleaned out their basements. With this renewed interest, new manufacturers began producing analog modular systems.

Because the demand for modular synthesizers is extremely small compared to all other traditional instruments, it would be difficult for any company to be profitable making modular synthesizers today. Due to the fact that each system is actually custom assembled to include the modules a particular customer needs, selling modulars in music stories and other retail outlets is not viable. However, with the maturing of the Internet, it's now possible for a community of modular enthusiasts and manufacturers to connect, making profitable sales possible.

One company, synthesizers.com (www.synthesizers.com) has undertaken the task of creating their modules with the "look and feel" of the original Moog modules (see accompanying photo). Due to requests from their customers, they now make a sequencer module that is an exact replica of the famous Moog 960 sequencer, except that the replica version uses newer electronic components internally. But, the unit is otherwise identical in appearance and function.

So, the classic dinosaurs are back, and you'll hear them in all genres of music, on movie sound tracks and TV commercials, and you may even see one in a live concert!