"We are excited to announce that the Moogseum will be hosting The Sounds of Innovation, the first public broadcast of the Abominatron Tape in its entirety. The event will occur on Friday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m. It will feature an introductory reading by Executive Director Michelle Moog-Koussa from Bob Moog's biography, Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution, followed by a listening session of the full iconic 84-minute tape.
Tickets for the event are $15 per person and are now on sale.
The event is limited to 20 people, so do not hesitate to buy your ticket now.
In the summer of 1964, Bob Moog and Herb Deutsch began working on what would eventually become the Moog modular prototype. Deutsch spent three weeks working side by side with Moog in his basement workshop in Trumansburg, New York, where he added crucial input to the design process. Moog spent several months developing the prototype and later that year, he sent Deutsch the now-historic tape explaining the various controls, parameters, and capabilities of the Moog modular prototype.
The Moog modular prototype is widely considered the instrument that marked the genesis of a musical revolution and significantly advanced the development of electronic music. The Abominatron Tape captures the very first recorded sounds of a Moog modular.
The Sounds of Innovation is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts."
Left: Executive Director, Michelle Moog-Koussa, poses for a picture with Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music alongside Herb Deutsch's
R.A. Moog Minimoog at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
"The Bob Moog Foundation's Executive Director, Michelle Moog-Koussa, and Board of Advisors member Francis Preve recently attended the opening of the Music America: Iconic Objects from America's Music History exhibit at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas to celebrate the inclusion of a rare R.A. Moog Minimoog from the Bob Moog Foundation Archives.
The R.A. Moog Minimoog, which belonged to electronic music pioneer Herb Deutsch, is serial number 1094 and is one of only 210 R.A. Moog Minimoogs to have been manufactured. The synthesizer was given to Herb by Bob Moog in 1971.
The rare Minimoog synthesizer was chosen to represent Bob Moog's indelible legacy as someone who created instruments that revolutionized the face of music by bringing a brand new palette of sounds to the performing musician, as well as honor Herb Deutsch for the significant role he played in the development of synthesizers and electronic music.
Other objects in the exhibit include: Thomas Edison's wax cylinders, Jimi Hendrix's guitar, Janis Joplin's pants and letters, Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet, Arlo Gurthrie's hand-written song lyrics, and much more.
The exhibit will be at the LBJ Presidential Library from now until August 11, 2024. It will then travel to four other presidential libraries over a two-year period."
"We are excited to announce that thanks to IK Multimedia, everyone who purchases a ticket for our Moog Source raffle will receive a download code for the Syntronik 2 Sorcerer!
Normally priced at $49, the Syntronik 2 Sorcerer is a virtual synthesizer built by Erik Norlander using the exact Moog Source being raffled. Following the end of the raffle on February 26th, all ticket purchasers will receive an email with download instructions.
The Source, serial number 3948, is an excellent condition vintage synthesizer signed by Bob Moog. It features rich sound quality and a technical lineage rooted in the legendary Minimoog. The Source is lauded for its sequencers, sample and hold, arpeggiator, presets, unique data wheel, and patch memory storage. The synthesizer features a mylar touch control panel, single-knob functionality, and the trademark Moog sound.
THE RAFFLE ENDS IN ONE WEEK! Tickets for the raffle are $20 each, 6 for $100, 14 for $200, and 40 for $500.
The raffle is open internationally.
As an added bonus for this raffle only, get a free 2024 Bob Moog - His Life and Work 90th Birthday Commemorative Calendar when you purchase a bundle of 6, 14, or 40 tickets. This offer is valid until the limited quantity of calendars runs out. This offer does not apply to the purchase of individual tickets."
"We are honored to share that the Bob Moog Foundation Archives has received a major donation of nearly 300 items from the estate of electronic music pioneer Herbert A. Deutsch, who passed away nearly a year ago, on December 9, 2022, just shy of his 91st birthday.
Highlights of this extraordinary collection include:
1961 R.A. Moog Melodia theremin (the instrument that originally connected Herb and Bob Moog in 1963)
Vintage R.A. Moog Minimoog, serial number 1094 (one of the first one hundred ever produced) that was given to Herb by Bob
Original correspondence between Herb and Bob during the seminal period of their work together between 1963 and 1964
84-minute reel-to-reel tape of Moog explaining how the prototype Moog synthesizer works
Reel-to-reel tape of the landmark “Jazz In the Garden” concert held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on August 28, 1969
Sending our deep gratitude to Herb's widow, Nancy Deutsch, for entrusting us with the stewardship of this collection. We look forward to sharing this material with the world for generations to come.
Do you have material that you would like to donate to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives? Please email us at info@moogfoundation.org."
"Here for your viewing and listening pleasure is this colorful little gem from the later period of the original Moog company.The Opus 3 was their little orchestral monster which is comprised of three sections; strings, organ and brass. The layering and filtering capabilities of this instrument are stunning and it is excellent for some lush pads. Join Don Slepian in this demo of this unique little beast from perhaps the most well known and storied synthesizer manufacturer. It should also be noted that this instrument was designed by the late Herb Deutsch, Bob Moog's original collaborator and catalyst for the creation of the first Moog Modular system.
You can find us at www.emeapp.org where we invite you to join us as a FREE member."
"We are thrilled to share that we have recently received a truly exceptional donation of artifacts from the estate of Herb Deutsch.
New in our archives is the first known audio recording of the historic 'Jazz in the Garden' concert performed in August 1968 at MOMA.
These hugely significant items — early letters between Bob and Herb as they made musical history together, catalogs, reel-to-reel tapes, and much, much more — form the heart of our new Herb Deutsch Collection of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives.
It will be weeks or months before we can share the entire collection with our community. Until then, we are honored to steward these priceless pieces of electronic music history that Herb and Bob created together, and delighted at the opportunity to share them with you.
Your partnership and support empower us to provide a permanent home for historic items like those in the Herb Deutsch Collection.
Every raffle ticket, every merch purchase, every piece of gear bought from our Official Moogseum Reverb Shop supports efforts like this one — to preserve and celebrate the history of electronic music, and share it with the world.
We do this work together. Thank you for being part of it!"
"I would visit Herb and his wonderful wife Nancy every time I was in New York City, which allowed Herb and me to take long walks around their neighborhood. During those walks he would talk about Dad, the early days of pioneering the Moog synthesizer, about the darker period when Dad had to sell the business, the couple of times that Herb and Dad had significant disagreements, and the years Herb served as marketing director, and then sales director for Moog Music in Buffalo, in the period after Dad had left the company."
Herb Deutsch passed away yesterday. He was born on Feb 9th, 1932, making him 90 at the time of his passing. If you come to this site you know who he is. You can find pages of posts featuring him here. He was constantly active in the synth community, from it's birth as the co-inventor of the Moog Synthesizer with Bob Moog, to this day. I thought I would share the recent GIANTS video featuring him above from February this year.
When the greats pass away, I like to capture images and bios at the time of their passing. To the left is Herb Deutsch's current Facebook profile image. Directly below that is the last update of his posted on December 7. Below that is an image from the Wikipia page for him with the text that immediately follows. Finally, below that are some images of him from the early days from Moog Music's Herb Deutsch Looks Back on the Early Days of Electronic Music tribute.
He and Morton Subotnick likely had the greatest influences on the design of synthesisers as we know them. Herb brought us the tonal influence via the keyboard as the direct interface for a synthsizer and Subotnick brought us atonal sound exploration akin to tape manipulation.
"Herbert A. Deutsch (February, 1932 - 9 December 2022[1]) was an American composer, inventor, and educator. Currently professor emeritus of electronic music and composition at Hofstra University, he is best known for co-inventing the Moog Synthesizer with Bob Moog in 1964.
Deutsch died on 9 December 2022.[2]
Herbert A. Deutsch (February, 1932 - 9 December 2022[1]) was an American composer, inventor, and educator. Currently professor emeritus of electronic music and composition at Hofstra University, he is best known for co-inventing the Moog Synthesizer with Bob Moog in 1964.
Early life and education
Deutsch was born in 1932 in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. At the age of four, he first realized he had a musical gift. Through his childhood, he studied music and began composing at a young age. Deutsch attended the Manhattan School of Music, earning his B.A. and M.A. there.
Work with Moog
Deutsch had assembled a theremin based on Moog's design in 1962 and in November, 1963 he introduced himself to Moog at a music-education conference in Rochester, NY.[3] In 1964 Moog and Deutsch started investigating the possibilities of a new instrument to aid composers.[4] Deutsch has been credited with the keyboard interface of the Moog.[4] He composed the first piece ever for the Moog ("Jazz Images - A Worksong and Blues"[3]) and performed early Moog concerts at The Town Hall and The Museum of Modern Art in New York (1969's Jazz in the Garden [5]).[6] The prototype Moog synthesizer, developed by Bob Moog and Herbert Deutsch in 1964, is part of the collections of The Henry Ford museum.[7]
Career
Deutsch was a dedicated educator. In the early 1970s he taught at St. Agnes High School in Rockville Centre, New York. He has taught at Hofstra University for over 50 years and was twice the chair of the music department. Deutsch co-founded the Long Island Composers Alliance in 1972, and worked with music foundation NYSSMA. In 1994 he proposed its Electronic Music Composition Showcase.[8]
"On October 12, 1964, Bob Moog unveiled the first modular voltage-controlled synthesizer, an instrument that forever changed the course of modern music.
It began quietly, in 1964, when Bob Moog designed a new electronic instrument to composer Herb Deutsch's request. Herb wanted something to create complex and experimental sounds, tones not easily found from other instruments or with studio trickery. What Bob designed was not wholly new, it sprung from a powerful new combination of existing ideas. The concepts, when combined with some elegant design choices, made a very powerful and revolutionary new system. The new ideas found in the Moog synthesizer took several years to catch on, and it is likely even the first users had little idea what range the new instrument could truly offer."
"'... It's a piece of art ... a piece of history.' - Michael Whalen
Recording artist, synthesist, composer, and producer Michael Whalen on why the Minimoog is so iconic, and why this one, in particular, is priceless.
Enter to win this stunning vintage Minimoog Model D in a custom walnut cabinet, signed by synthesizer pioneer Herb Deutsch https://bit.ly/DeutschMinimoogRaffle
The Minimoog featured is serial number 11,535, built at Moog Music’s Cheektowaga, NY factory during the late 1970s. It has an estimated value of $10,000. Due to the highly-coveted nature of this archetypal synthesizer, and the iconic signature from Herb Deutsch, it is likely to increase in value. This Minimoog has been meticulously restored by revered synthesizer technician Wes Taggart of Analogics, who also crafted its new custom walnut cabinet enclosure. It is in excellent technical and physical condition.
The raffle begins on February 9th, to commemorate Deutsch’s 90th birthday, and serves as an homage to his seminal contributions to the Moog legacy. It ends on March 7, 2022, at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. Tickets are $20 each, six for $100, 14 for $200, or 40 for $500
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 20,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility located in Asheville, NC, which brings Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The Moogseum, which opened in late May of 2019, has welcomed over 14,000 visitors from all over the world, despite significant challenges due to the pandemic.
Our last raffle sold out so be sure to purchase your tickets early."
Click here for additional posts featuring Herb Deutsch.
"We both thought that this instrument should be an instrument that people are going to want to buy and have in their homes, and bring to gigs with them." - Herb Deutsch
The Minimoog featured is serial number 11,535, built at Moog Music’s Cheektowaga, NY factory during the late 1970s. It has an estimated value of $10,000. Due to the highly-coveted nature of this archetypal synthesizer, and the iconic signature from Herb Deutsch, it is likely to increase in value. This Minimoog has been meticulously restored by revered synthesizer technician Wes Taggart of Analogics, who also crafted its new custom walnut cabinet enclosure. It is in excellent technical and physical condition.
The raffle begins on February 9th, to commemorate Deutsch’s 90th birthday, and serves as an homage to his seminal contributions to the Moog legacy. It ends on March 7, 2022, at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. Tickets are $20 each, six for $100, 14 for $200, or 40 for $500
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 20,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility located in Asheville, NC, which brings Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The Moogseum, which opened in late May of 2019, has welcomed over 14,000 visitors from all over the world, despite significant challenges due to the pandemic.
Our last raffle sold out so be sure to purchase your tickets early.
"Get your raffle tickets: https://bit.ly/DeutschMinimoogRaffle
'The Mini[moog] is iconic because of the sound ... really nothing sounds like it.' - Michael Whalen
Recording artist, synthesist, composer, and producer Michael Whalen on why the Minimoog is so iconic, and why this one, in particular, is priceless.
Enter to win this stunning vintage Minimoog Model D in a custom walnut cabinet, signed by synthesizer pioneer Herb Deutsch https://bit.ly/DeutschMinimoogRaffle
The Minimoog featured is serial number 11,535, built at Moog Music’s Cheektowaga, NY factory during the late 1970s. It has an estimated value of $10,000. Due to the highly-coveted nature of this archetypal synthesizer, and the iconic signature from Herb Deutsch, it is likely to increase in value. This Minimoog has been meticulously restored by revered synthesizer technician Wes Taggart of Analogics, who also crafted its new custom walnut cabinet enclosure. It is in excellent technical and physical condition.
The raffle begins on February 9th, to commemorate Deutsch’s 90th birthday, and serves as an homage to his seminal contributions to the Moog legacy. It ends on March 7, 2022, at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. Tickets are $20 each, six for $100, 14 for $200, or 40 for $500
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 20,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility located in Asheville, NC, which brings Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The Moogseum, which opened in late May of 2019, has welcomed over 14,000 visitors from all over the world, despite significant challenges due to the pandemic.
Rather than go with a classic shot of Herb with a Moog synthesizer, I thought I'd go with what is currently featured on Wikipedia. Why? Why not? It's a reflection of popular culture outside of our inner synth community, and it's interesting in that this is the image they selected for him. It's also a great shot!
Here's a blurb from Wikipedia:
"Herbert A. Deutsch (born February, 1932) is an American composer, inventor, and educator. Currently professor emeritus of electronic music and composition at Hofstra University, he is best known for co-inventing the Moog Synthesizer with Bob Moog in 1964.
Deutsch had assembled a theremin based on Moog's design in 1962 and in November, 1963 he introduced himself to Moog at a music-education conference in Rochester, NY.[1] In 1964 Moog and Deutsch started investigating the possibilities of a new instrument to aid composers.[2] Deutsch has been credited with the keyboard interface of the Moog.[2] He composed the first piece ever for the Moog ("Jazz Images - A Worksong and Blues"[1]) and performed early Moog concerts at The Town Hall and The Museum of Modern Art in New York (1969's Jazz in the Garden [3]).[4] The prototype Moog synthesizer, developed by Bob Moog and Herbert Deutsch in 1964, is part of the collections of The Henry Ford museum.[5]
Deutsch is a dedicated educator. In the early 1970s he taught at St. Agnes High School in Rockville Centre, New York. He has taught at Hofstra University for over 50 years and was twice the chair of the music department. Deutsch co-founded the Long Island Composers Alliance in 1972, and works with music foundation NYSSMA. In 1994 he proposed its Electronic Music Composition Showcase.[6]"
"'GIANTS' is a platform for legendary electronic musicians and innovators to express themselves through the art of storytelling. This new documentary series, filmed and produced by Moog Music, is about honoring and preserving the legacy of these artists and sharing their untold stories with the world.
The first installment of 'GIANTS' focuses on Herb Deutsch, co-inventor of the Moog modular synthesizer. The composer, music educator, and friend and collaborator of Bob Moog journeys back in time to talk about some of music history’s most prolific moments and expand on “the perfect definition” of what music is and can be: sound organized in time.
00:00 Introduction
02:21 Sound Organized in Time
05:37 A Christmas Carol, 1963
10:00 Bob Moog Origins
14:14 Musical Articulation
18:17 Moog at MoMA
20:36 Moog Legacy"
In celebrating the 90th birthday of pioneering synthesist Herb Deutsch, the Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce its fundraising raffle for a fully-restored vintage Minimoog Model D signed by the legend himself.
The Minimoog featured is serial number 11,535, built at Moog Music’s Cheektowaga, NY factory during the late 1970s. It has an estimated value of $10,000. Due to the highly coveted nature of this archetypal synthesizer, and the iconic signature from Herb Deutsch, it is likely to increase in value. This Minimoog has been meticulously restored by revered synthesizer technician Wes Taggart of Analogics, who also crafted its new custom walnut cabinet enclosure. It is in excellent technical and physical condition.
The raffle begins on February 9th, to commemorate Deutsch’s 90th birthday, and serves as an homage to his seminal contributions to the Moog legacy. It ends on March 7, 2022, 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. Tickets are $20 each, six for $100, 14 for $200, or 40 for $500.
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 20,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility located in Asheville, NC, which brings Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The Moogseum, which opened in late May of 2019, has welcomed over 14,000 visitors from all over the world, despite significant challenges due to the pandemic.
"The A Side of the critically acclaimed Bright Sparks documentary, created in conjunction with the I Monster album of the same name, focuses on US based electronic music pioneers, including Bob Moog, Don Buchla, Alan R Pearlman and Harry Chamberlin.
Includes contributions from Herb Deutsch, Michelle Moog-Koussa, I Monster's Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Adrian Utley, Daniel Miller, Billy Currie, Karl Hyde, Alessandro Cortini, Will Gregory, Dennis P Colin, Alan Pearlman."
"We are thrilled to announce a very special one-hour virtual Moogseum tour, Sunday, December 13, 2020, focusing on the Moog modular synthesizer prototype and featuring special guest Herb Deutsch, who collaborated with Bob Moog on developing the pioneering synth.
Deutsch, now 88 years old, used the prototype synthesizer to compose for many years, then donated the instrument to The Henry Ford museum in 1982. It is on loan and being exhibited at the Moogseum through December 31, 2020, making this tour one of the last chances to see it in this unique facility.
The tour will explore Bob Moog’s history leading up to his meeting with Deutsch, and will draw from the vast collection in the Bob Moog Foundation Archives. Deutsch will then join the tour from his home in Long Island, and share his memories and insights into working with Moog during this crucial moment in music history. He will take questions after the tour.
Tickets are available on a “pay what you can” basis through the Eventbrite. The funding generated from the tour will help support the Moogseum, which was closed for five months due to the pandemic.
The prototype heads back to the Henry Ford at the end of the year, so don't miss this special opportunity!
Here is a little different video for all of you going over Herb's Moog SOB (better known as the Opus 3) and the history of this particular instrument released by moog back in the 80s.
Herb was involved in the design of the Opus 3 and I am very honored to have the opportunity to work on his actual instrument.
(Note: when showing the Chorus schematics I did forget to address that the 2 LFOs are modulating at 20Hz and a 2Hz signal...this is also how you get slow/fast rate based off which LFO is selected. These LFOs are actually modulating the clocking oscillator running at roughly 300kHz to clock the SAD512s....this is that circuit behind where I talk about the sine wave conversion)
Thanks again Herb and to all of you who watch my videos.
Sincerely,
Jareth"
Herb Deutsch's Moog SOB Part 2 (by Synthpro)
"This is the second/final part of the series on Herb's SOB (Opus 3).
This this video, I go over more in depth of the chorus after repairs and a good overview of the features of this instrument to show its 100% working.
Thanks again Herb and to all of you who watch, I greatly appreciate the support.
Now available for pre-order worldwide, PATCH & TWEAK with Moog is the ultimate resource for Moog synthesizer enthusiasts and all artists interested in an immersive modular synthesis experience.
Author, designer, and electronic musician Kim Bjørn has inspired thousands to explore the world of modular synthesis with his 2018 release of PATCH & TWEAK. Inside PATCH & TWEAK with Moog, readers can expect to embark on a new journey of discovering and understanding electronic sound.
The new hardcover book focuses extensively on all five members of the Moog semi-modular family—Mother-32, DFAM, Subharmonicon, Grandmother, and Matriarch—and features 200 pages full of…
Basic, intermediate, and advanced synthesizer techniques
Creative patch ideas and sound design tips
Inspiring interviews with artists like Suzanne Ciani, Trent Reznor, Lisa Bella Donna, Paris Strother, Hannes Bieger, and Moog synthesizer co-inventor Herb Deutsch
In-depth discussions with Moog engineers and never-before-seen photos from the Moog factory
Stories behind vintage Moog instruments, the history of Moog Music, and the incredible legacy of Dr. Bob Moog
Whether you're new to modular or looking for creative perspectives to expand your process, this book will inspire you. We feel honored to have been a part of its creation, and we can't wait for you to read it."
"Ernesto Romeo, musician, founder of Klauss, and beloved professor of electronic music, living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, reflects on his experiences at Moogmentum, the grand opening celebration of the Moogseum that took place August 13-15, 2019. Ernesto traveled from Argentina especially to attend Moogmentum, and was deeply inspired by his interactions with Herb Deutsch, Patrick Moraz, Larry Fast, and Lisa Bella Donna, as well as other guests at the three day event. You can read more about Moogmentum on the Bob Moog Foundation website: www.moogfoundation.org.
Thank you Ernesto, for making the long trip to be attend Moogmentum, and for sharing your wonderful spirit and knowledge with all of us."
"The Opus-3 is one great little synth. It was designed by Herbert A. Deutsch from Hofstra University who originally nudged Dr. Robert Moog into building synthesizers and later served as director of sales & marketing for Moog Music. Herb also wrote the owner's manual. The sounds are broken up into 3 categories: Strings, Brass and Organ. Strings and Brass have their own separate VCF (filter) sections, the Organ section has none. The Opus-3 also has 2 sound outputs for an early stereo effect with panning! It's a colorful little synth with clearly laid out sliders and is fairly straight forward. It has classic analog Moog sound quality and is a great source of some string and lower octave techno-organ sounds."
