Moog celebrates 70th anniversary with "Minimoog Model D experience"

To celebrate 70 years of the Model D synthesiser, Moog has launched a virtual Minimoog Model D factory.

The Model D was the world's first portable synthesiser and has been used to create a huge variety of hit songs.

To honour this electronic device, Moog has the ‘Mini Moog Factory’ which includes seven different sections enhanced by animation from New York-based design firm Pentagram drawing inspiration from 90s video games.

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These rooms include, ‘The Archive’ which narrates the history of the Minimoog Model D’s creation with 'The Theatre' room similarly showcasing documentaries on Moog.

‘The Jukebox’ room links to Spotify to play a specially created playlist and the ‘Build a synth’ area provides a step-by-step print-out activity.

One of the most exciting spaces of the website is the ‘Practice Room’, as it allows users to flick through iconic tracks and play an artistic rendition of the classic synthesizer used on each track.

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Some songs in the Practice Room include Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Stir It Up’, Kraftwerk’s ‘Autobahn’, Earth Wind and Fire’s ‘Boogie Wonderland’ and plenty more classics.

Heading the website creation was Pentagram’s Yuri Suzuki who says that the project took two years to create with a goal to “craft a tightly interactive and fun experience that would capture the essence of Dr. Bob Moog and his team’s groundbreaking innovation.”

Suzuki mentions: “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.”

Check out the online Minimoog Model D experience the ‘Mini Moog Factory’ here.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter