MOOG Model 10

The invention of the Moog synthesizer in 1964 forever changed the way we hear the world around us.

The new machine could break down the fundamental building blocks of sound, gifting the operator the ability to control every aspect of its output – essentially building sound from scratch. Musicians, composers, artists, and explorers would adopt this new device to create unheard-of sounds, develop new musical styles, and explore new frontiers of self expression – a tradition of electronic experimentation that continues to evolve more than 50 years later.

The Model 10 is a faithful recreation of the first compact modular synthesizer created by Dr. Robert Moog in 1971. Designed for portability, the Model 10 is housed in a rugged Tolex-enclosed wood cabinet and comprised of 11 discrete analog modules, including the 907 Fixed Filter Bank, revered for its vast sound shaping and timbral possibilities, and three 900-series oscillators, the foundational sound behind Wendy Carlos’s Switched-On Bach and Isao Tomita’s Snowflakes Are Dancing.

The predecessor to the Model 15, the Model 10 design focuses on purity of sound, speed, and simplicity while providing the enormous sonic depth and dimension found only in a vintage Moog modular synthesizer.

Each Model 10 is hand-built to its original 1971 Moog factory specifications and is a true recreation of the original.

Individual modules are brought to life just as they were more than 50 years ago: by hand-stuffing and hand-soldering components to circuit boards, and using traditional wiring methods. Each module is then tested, finished with an aluminum panel, and placed in its new hand-wired modular instrument.

Key Features of the 2022 Model 10 Build 

The individual modules that make up each new Model 10 are engineered and manufactured just as they were over 50 years ago, using traditional wiring methods. Each module is then tested, finished with an aluminum panel, and placed into a custom cabinet before the instrument leaves for its new home. 

Each system is built to order and now includes a host of updates that allow this machine to be more easily integrated into the modern studios across the globe.

• An updated, onboard power supply now supports a broader range of selectable voltages including 100v, 120v, 220v, and 240v. For users outside the US, this allows you to power your synthesizer without the need for an external step up/down transformer.

• The system’s redesigned rear panel accommodates an updated main power switch, power lamp, power inlet, grounding lug, and voltage selector switch.

• Model 10 now has improved calibration and tuning reliability, with this current production model holding tighter calibrations with little variance.

The instrument and its contents are packaged with care in preparation for transit anywhere in the world. Model 10 is also internationally recognized as emission, radiation, and safety compliant.

Making a Moog Synthesizer

At the Moog Factory in Asheville, North Carolina, every Moog modular synthesizer is hand-built to its original factory specifications. Individual modules are brought to life just as they were nearly 50 years ago: by hand-stuffing and hand-soldering components to circuit boards, and using traditional wiring methods. Each module is then hand-tested, finished with an aluminum panel, and placed into a custom tolex cabinet before the synthesizer leaves for its new home. Watch "Making a Moog Synthesizer" and step inside the Moog Factory to see how Moog synthesizers are built with love and care by the employees at Moog Music. Original score created by Bana Haffar and composed on a Moog Model 10 Synthesizer.