1934-

American musician and inventor who designed the Moog synthesizer, a device that can replicate virtually any sound from any musical instrument. Moog combined an interest in music with skills in electronics and computers to create the Moog synthesizer. His goal, to build a keyboard instrument that could electronically re-create the sound of any musical instrument, was realized in 1964 with the release of the first Moog synthesizer. Using semiconductor technology, the Moog was relatively inexpensive and exceptionally versatile, winning converts throughout the music industry and spawning the proliferation of electronic keyboard music.