The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. (Moog Music after 1972), and production was stopped in 1981.
The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of synthesizers in rock/pop music. Large modular synthesizers were expensive, cumbersome, and delicate, and not ideal for live performance; the Minimoog was designed to include the most important parts of a modular synthesizer in a compact package, without the need for patch cords. It later surpassed this original purpose, however, and became a distinctive and popular instrument in its own right. It remains in demand today for its intuitive design and powerful bass and lead sounds.
The Minimoog is played by Max Middleton on Kate’s song Egypt.
The Minimoog was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager. In May 2016, Moog announced a limited-run “pilot production” reissue of the Model D, to be launched at Moogfest. It went into full production shortly afterwards, but Moog Music announced on June 27, 2017 that it was ending the production run of the Model D reissue.
