Moog launches virtual Minimoog Model D experience

A new digital experience from Moog Music has launched which celebrates the synthesiser manufacturer’s 70th anniversary, re-release of its Minimoog Model D analogue synthesiser, and electronic music pioneer Bob Moog’s birthday (May 23).

Drawing inspiration from ‘90s video games and websites, this interactive experience gives visitors access to the history of electronic music through the lens of the Minimoog Model D.

With this artistic rendition of the classic synthesiser, visitors can play an online version of the Minimoog that features the sounds inspired by generations of musicians.

Featuring over 45 classic presets, users can record and share their own short musical creations using this interactive instrument.

Each facet of minimoogmodeld.com was designed to bring visitors an experience behind every digital door that leads to each new section of the site. Here’s what you can experience:

Jukebox: From prog rock and disco to reggae and hip-hop, explore a collection of more than 45 songs that feature the Minimoog Model D.

Practice Room: Play your favourite Minimoog lead, bass and percussion sounds using the site’s free emulation inspired by the Minimoog Model D. This interactive synthesiser allows any user to create, share and save original recordings.

Archives: Explore the history of this archetypal synthesiser, the people who designed it and the impact it's had on the world.

Theatre: Sit back and enjoy an assortment of musical performances and other videos that capture more than 50 years of Minimoog Model D on stage, in studios and on your favourite records.

Build-a-Synth: Print and “build” your own mini Minimoog.

Face Synth:. This Instagram filter integrates with your mobile device to use your facial expressions and body’s movement to trigger the Minimoog’s controls.

Model D App: Discover the sound and workflow of the Model D from your iOS or macOS device with the official Minimoog Model D app. Optimised for both iOS and macOS, anyone with an Apple device can play with over 160 included presets or begin exploring electronic sound design.

Gift Shop: Enter Moog’s online merch shop for accessories, clothing and collectibles.

Moog partnered with multi-disciplinary, independently owned design studio Pentagram and developer team Counterpoint to bring this vision to life.

Leading the project was Pentagram’s sound and experiential design visionary Yuri Suzuki, who Moog previously collaborated with on the Global Synthesizer Project back in 2016 for that year’s Moogfest.

In collaboration with the Bob Moog Foundation, Moog Music is celebrating the return of the Minimoog Model D and Dr. Bob Moog’s birthday with a raffle for serial #1 of this latest edition of the instrument.

All proceeds from the Minimoog Model D Serial #1 Raffle will benefit the Bob Moog Foundation and its mission to "inspire people of all ages through the intersection of science, music, technology, and innovation."

Founded in 2005, the Bob Moog Foundation provides hands-on opportunities for children and adults to explore the science of sound and synthesis through three main projects: Their educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, the preservation of the vast and growing Bob Moog Foundation Archives, and the Moogseum, an interactive facility located in downtown Asheville, NC.