Robert Moog
Tucked away in downtown Asheville pulses the legacy of analog synth pioneer Bob Moog. This nonprofit museum celebrates synth pioneer Bob Moog, who revolutionized electronic music as we know it. His daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa launched the Moogseum in 2019 to share her father’s pioneering work through interactive exhibits that make science sing.
Interactive exhibits let you walk in Moog’s footsteps. Twist knobs on vintage synths and discover how electricity becomes sound, just like Bob did. Kiosks reveal treasures from the Moog Family Archives – over 1,000 artifacts found only here. But the Moogseum doesn’t just teach the physics of how electricity becomes sound. It uses Bob’s innovations to inspire visitors to expand their minds. Thanks to Moog’s inventions, artists could sculpt entirely new sonic worlds. Synth-driven genres like electronic and hip hop emerged, shaping the soundscapes of the 70s, 80s, and beyond.
By unleashing creativity with theremins, circuits, and synthesizers, the hands-on museum shares Bob’s passion for curiosity. He turned curiosity into a career that changed music forever.
Now, from vintage circuits to virtual reality, his combinations of art and science spark fresh innovation daily. The Moogseum ensures Bob’s work lives on to shape new generations of dreamers – and the sounds of the future.
In 1964, Bob Moog found his calling – creating new sounds with musicians. As an engineer, he relished the chance to collaborate with composers on electronic instruments. Just weeks into working with one artist, Moog’s modular synthesizer was born.
At each step of technology, from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits, Moog was immersed in analog. This hands-on expertise let him craft tools organically tailored to musician’s needs. Each small tweak yielded subtle sonic rewards.
Digital instruments had arrived, touting convenience and reliability. But to Moog’s ear, their sound felt thin and rough – too clean. Analog’s richness came from hundreds of imperfections working together, like musicians in a band.
When Moog left his company in the 1970s, he continued innovating synthesizers under the Big Briar name to avoid trademark issues. At that time, the company he left was called Moog Music, a division of Norlin, and they owned the Moog trademarks, so in order not to create confusion, he continued under Big Briar. Bob re-gained the name Moog Music in 2017. Once more, his name was united with the instrument that defined an era of sound. Moog had always trusted musicians to show how his designs could sing.
Guided by collaboration and curiosity, Bob Moog democratized electronic music. His hands-on craft became the heartbeat of an analog renaissance. Even amidst digital’s rise, Moog kept his faith in the little details of analog’s organic soul. In time, musicians returned to seek that human warmth only Moog’s analog tools could provide.
The Moogseum is located at 56 Broadway and is open daily. More info on this link.
