Dr Moog: Your comments

Synthesiser inventor Dr Robert Moog has died.

His synthesiser which revolutionised music in the 1960s has been used by acts ranging from The Beatles to Fatboy Slim among others.

He won the Polar prize, Sweden's music "Nobel prize", in 2001.

Dr Moog died at his home in North Carolina aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

What are your memories of Dr Moog? How influential was his invention?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your e-mails below.

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The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Never forget Manfred Mann's Earthband in the 70s and their song Joybringer. That was the mono-Moog at its best. As a Hammond organ player in a band at the time, I just had to have one, and my one-octave model with an assortment of dials and switches sat proudly on top of the Hammond. Our guitar player was a bit put out by it though - a powerful wee synth with a big sound. Happy times indeed.
Ron McKenzie, London, UK

Bob Moog was a giant, a kind man, a brilliant engineer and he will be sadly missed. He helped give the world some amazing music from Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Yes, ELP, New Order and many more. The music would not have sounded the same if it wasn't for the distinctive fat Moog sound created by his voltage controlled filter. The Moog sound was often imitated but never duplicated.
Frank , USA

A Moog prodigy was the first Synth I ever owned, back in the early 80s. I just wanted to make music like Gary Numan. The Mini Moog is the best synth ever, what a sound..... Thanks Mr Moog for all you did.
Barry, Australia

A great inspiration to many in the music and electronics industry Ryan Hornsby, Indianapolis, USA

Dr. Robert Moog was a great inspiration to many in the music and electronics industry. Being an owner of one of his great synthesizers I understand what its like to have a Moog and its unique sound. They are some of the best synthesizers in the world. His death truly is a great loss and he will be remembered forever. R.I.P. Dr. Robert Moog
Ryan Hornsby, Indianapolis, USA

Dr. Moog revolutionised much of Classic rock sound adopted by Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Doors, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer and many more. Despite its size and complicated use, Moog and Hammond organs are still some of the best modern day instrument sound one can hear to. Without Moog, we would never have witnessed such a craze for the synth music era in the 80s! May his soul rest in peace!
Guru Somayaji, Glasgow, UK

This man was to music what Tolkien was to literature Stu, Birmingham

This man was to music what Tolkien was to literature. He took music and gave it a much needed kick up the backside. For every person that hates the synth, there are as many that love it.
Stu, Birmingham

Despite the onset of the digital age with instruments, there is still something magical about the old analogue synthesisers. The world has lost another of its great innovators, but he will not be forgotten.
Iain Donnelly, Glasgow

One of my best memories is of a 1971 evening spent in BBC Radio London's studio interviewing Bob Moog - the world's most mispronounced man - live on air as he chatted and weaved extraordinary sounds from a huge bank of machinery set up in front of us. He was an extraordinarily nice man and I'm really saddened to hear he's gone.
Andy Finney, Godalming, UK

A sad loss - without the development of electronic sound synthesis we would not have the vast landscape of sonic textures we enjoy in our music today. As someone with synaesthesia I love to hear interesting new sounds, and the contribution of Moog and his peers in that area is staggering, to say the least.
Gavin Holmes, Norwich

I've never met a kinder or more jovial person. He exuded life and joy. His contributions, not just to music but to humanity, cannot be overstated. He will be greatly and sorely missed by many.
April Bower, Washington DC, USA

I first heard of synthesizers as part of my electronics course at university in the late 60s. I fell in love with the sound of Wendy Carlos' work in the 70s and played a synthesizer (sadly not a Moog one) semi-professionally through the 90s. Thank you Dr Moog for letting us do so much with our music. You'll never be forgotten.
Toni W, Essex, UK

I think some of your correspondents are mistaking synthesizers for sequencers. Synthesizers can produce wonderful music live - I did it for years (the synthesizers were wonderful, not necessarily my music).
Toni W, Essex, UK

He was the clear leader in the pack of entrepreneurs Peter Manning, Durham, England

I pay homage to this visionary pioneer who changed the face of electro acoustic music in the mid-1960s with the launch of the original Moog synthesizer. He was the clear leader in the pack of entrepreneurs that brought the technology of the synthesizer to so many musicians. He will be sadly missed.
Peter Manning, Durham, England

I am saddened by the news, but as long as his instruments are played, the great man lives on. The music of the last 40 years would have sounded much different without Bob's ingenuity. He brought synthesis to the stage and the home thanks to the Minimoog.
Andy, Liverpool

Dr Robert Moog made the single greatest impact on twentieth century music. Without him we would now be looking back on a very different musical era. Dr Moog's accomplishments, within his demesne, are no less fundamental than those of Einstein, Curie and Picasso. Oscillate in peace.
Charlie Beech, El Pilar, Spain

A piercing clarity of sound that distinguished itself from all other sounds at the time. I wonder just how many bands owed and still owe their success to this brilliant man and his invention?
Paul Everest, UK

Perhaps the only man in music whose sole invention gave rise to a whole new genre which could never have existed without the synth: techno/rave. Totally machine driven music. A music which many hate but if you really listen to it you can hear (even in one track) a sense of development and evolution.
Max, UK

He also transistorised the Theremin, and his company manufactures them to this day. A genius who will be missed greatly from the music world.
Edward Gryspeerdt, Cirencester, England

He truly shaped modern music Sergio, Montreal, Canada

The first time I heard Moog was probably on an Emerson, Lake and Palmer album and thought to myself wow, what is that instrument? I knew then that that was going to be the sound of the future. When all the electro bands of the 80s came out, I knew I was right. He truly shaped modern music because all those sounds are all being sought after today through computer based soft synthesisers.
Sergio, Montreal, Canada

My condolences to the Moog family. Bob, you influenced so many people in your lifetime. You were a musical revolutionary. We'll miss you.
Serge Sloimovits, Toronto, Canada

Moog is a musical genius. His collaborations with Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman in particular produced definitive sounds to their musical pieces. He will be sorely missed in the music world.
Paul Roberts, Wales

I was watching the documentary about Dr Moog yesterday afternoon. I found his fascination with the interaction between humans and their musical instruments fascinating. The word synthesis suggests something artificial, his creations are very organic expressive instruments in their own right.
Rob Platt, London

I was captivated by the recordings of his instruments I heard as a young teenager in the early 1970s which introduced me to both the synthesizer and to Bach. I bought the first synthesiser I could lay my hands on while still at school. Later I made my living using synthesisers in recording studios. Moog's contribution to music was enormous. I'm saddened to hear of his passing and wish his family well at this difficult time.
Anna Langley, Cambridge, UK

His legacy to the music world is immeasurable Owen, Wales, UK

A modern day Stradivarius. One of the twentieth century's most influential men right up there with the likes of Leo Fender and Les Paul. Although he himself is gone, his legacy to the music world is immeasurable and will continue well into the future. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
Owen, Wales, UK

I think that Dr Moog made an awesome instrument used by many excellent bands such as the Doors, Beatles and others. The Moog will go down in history as the greatest funky musical influence in the sixties and beyond. What a legend!
James, Luton

It is tragic loss but us synth nuts can live with the consolation that Dr Moog gave the world an instrument that will never die or will still be sought out for generations to come.
Israel, Denver, CO

I remember these early synthesisers and how "futuristic" they were! Now, when I hear those old recordings I think how primitive and quaint they are. But now entire TV and movie scores are composed and played on synthesisers without the expense of an orchestra. I guess that's progress, but I prefer a "live" performance on non-electronic instruments.
Michael, Calif, USA

It's sad we've lost that Dr Moog, who was probably more influential upon music than many musicians. However, we should remember that some bands distrusted synthesisers and avoided them. Famously, Queen used to put a message on their albums that synthesisers were not used.
John, Brighton, UK