Moog is reissuing one of its earliest synths

Channel the spirit of Wendy Carlos with this classic ’60s model.

Moog has announced the reintroduction one of its earliest synths in a limited run of just 25 units. The very first Moog models, developed in the 1960s, were named Synthesizer I, II, and III, and with the introduction of the Moog Synthesizer IIIc (the “c” refers to the walnut “console” cabinet) Moog offered its first complete, purchasable instrument for musicians.

Moog’s early synths were used in some of the first electronic music masterpieces, like Wendy Carlos’ Switched-On Bach and Isao Tomita’s Snowflakes are Dancing. “Through archival designs, so-called obsolete electronics, and outmoded production processes, we are rediscovering the magic of our past,” said Anna Montoya, Moog production engineer. “It’s a privilege to build instruments in this way; it lets us reimagine what future tools can be. There is so much potential in this history.”

With only 25 units in production, every Synthesizer IIIc will feature 36 hand-stuffed, hand-soldered modules, including 10 901-Series audio oscillators, the 984 Matrix Mixer, and the 905 Spring Reverb. The modules are mounted into two hand-finished, solid walnut console cabinets at the Moog factory in Asheville, NC.

This year FACT went behind the scenes at Moog’s Asheville factory to get a closer look at the painstaking process behind the company’s hand-made instruments.