Robert Moog's early development of analog electronic
instruments made his name synonymous with the synthesizer and ultimately
helped spawn the electronic music revolution of the '80s and '90s.
His creation — the Moog synthesizer, which was unveiled in
1965 — introduced a vast array of new sounds and fostered
an entirely new creative process of sound design.
In 1968, composer Walter (now Wendy) Carlos released the landmark
album Switched-On Bach — played on the Moog Synthesizer
— to enormous popular and critical acclaim. The album garnered
three GRAMMY Awards and remained on Billboard's classical charts
for nearly five years. From that point, Moog's instruments made
the leap from the electronic avant garde into jazz and commercial
popular music. The term "Moog Synthesizer" became a household
word. Even today, some 30 years later, Moog's creation (a smaller
version of the original synthesizer called the "Minimoog")
is still considered by many to be of the holy grail of synthesizers.
Apple Computer is considered the leading architect
in bringing computer technology into the studio and revolutionizing
the way music is written, produced, mixed, recorded and creatively
imagined. The introduction of the Macintosh in the mid 1980s helped
launch a number of important software breakthroughs, linking technology
to the creative process, literally changing the face of the recording
studio.
Almost immediately, developers began creating revolutionary tools
for playing, recording and editing music, all solidly grounded in
the Mac's user-friendly interface. This made the Macintosh virtually
synonymous with the computer-driven production techniques of the
last decade. Over time, with a Mac and the right tools, a single
person could compose, perform, record, edit and mix the instrumental
portion of a song or entire album. Thus, the Macintosh became the
touchstone of a new model for producing recorded music.
The creation of the Macintosh sparked a flurry of creativity that
continues today. With the Mac's powerful new processors and new,
Apple-driven applications — such as DVD Studio Pro —
Apple continues to build on its historic role in moving studio technology
forward.
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