Cult American synth builder Moog continues its quest to cement its cultural legacy with another public-facing piece of innovative sound design. Not content with creating the Moog Sound Studio kit, the South Carolina-based company today launches a dedicated website all about its most iconic synthesizer, the Model D.
MiniMoogModelD.com, designed by Pentagram
Today, 23 May, is the late Bob Moog’s birthday, and this interactive celebration gets the machine into the virtual hands of a much wider audience than ever before. The Model D synthesizer itself was reissued last year and will set you back around £5,000.
The website was designed by Pentagram (also recently behind the 50th anniversary Dark Side of the Moon box set), creating a richly illustrated and animated ‘Mini Moog Factory’ that takes you through the instrument’s seven decades of history, taps into the company’s own merch and equipment store, and syncs with Spotify and YouTube to provide a Moog-infused audio and video playlist, among more added bits of fun to discover.
Our favourite element is the Practice Room, which offers up a virtual Minimoog Model D, complete with 45 classic presets encompassing everyone from Devo’s bass sound to 10cc’s kick drum, as well as sounds evoking Sun Ra, ELO, Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Giorgio Moroder and many more.
There might be more fully featured online synthesizers out there, not to mention the myriad software synths that have become a staple part of every electronic musician’s laptop arsenal, but along with classic sites like Ableton’s Learning Synths, the Mini Moog Factory is a great introduction to the technology. Inspired musicians might also want to check out the company’s Model D App for iOS and macOS, which opens up the world of serious sound design.
Pentagram partner Yuri Suzuki led the project for the design agency, bringing his enthusiasm for the brand to the interactive site. ‘Moog has always been my top fascination,’ Suzuki says. ‘Their synthesizers' special sound and beautiful design hold a special place in my heart. I still vividly remember our first discussion years ago where we envisioned a web experience that celebrates the Minimoog Model D… We have exchanged numerous ideas on how to make the introduction of this beautiful innovation both fun and captivating. [The result] is a true testament to the innovation and creativity of its creators.’
