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Kim Bjørn, founder of Danish independent book publisher Bjooks, has officially announced their latest synth book, The Minimoog Book.

The comprehensive book – by author, journalist, and music historian Joe Silva– chronicles the Minimoog’s history, from its earliest prototypes and the very first Model D #1001, through the Minimoog Voyager models and into the present day.

Production of the book is being funded via a Kickstarter project, which will launch later this month.

“When I started digging into the history of the Minimoog back in 2010,” Silva noted, “I quickly realized how universal it was. I was continuously stumbling upon artist after artist or another famous piece of music that used it. It was pretty clear right away how important the instrument became once it came out…”

The book features a foreword from Rush frontman Geddy Lee, along with interviews and features with musicians like Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Chick Corea, Tony Visconti (David Bowie), George Duke, Anne Dudley (Art of Noise), Bernie Worrell, Devo, Kraftwerk, Air, J Dilla, Gary Numan, and others.

The book also features detailed photography, schematics, historical promotional materials, engineering interviews, illustrated sound patches, and over 70 artist features.

The Minimoog Book will be available for pre-order on Kickstarter later in April. Early supporters will get access to special perks and insider info like never-before-seen photos, behind-the-scenes content, a special edition of the book, and more.

For more information and to be notified when the book is officially available, visit the Bjooks website.

The Bob Moog Foundation has just kicked off another fundraising raffle, and this time, the prize is the most famous synth in history. It is a fully-restored vintage Minimoog, that’s been signed by Rush bassist, vocalist and synth player Geddy Lee.

Fully restored, the synth in question has serial number 4070, and was built at Moog Music’s Williamsville, NY, USA factory on 14 Feb, 1974 (built with love, presumably, given that date). What’s more, it has Kevin Lightner’s Opto

Opto-Key upgrade – this replaces the original mechanical contacts with infrared light sensors, eliminating wear and the need for contact cleaning. This useful modification also adds MIDI I/O – implemented discreetly so as to avoid holes in the chassis – and we’re assured that this Minimoog is in excellent technical condition, with just minor cosmetic flaws (think of them as adding character).

The Minimoog has been meticulously restored by technician Jareth Lackey of Synthpro Restorations and, due to its age, good condition and that Geddy Lee signature, has an estimated value of $10,000 and it is likely to increase in value.

Geddy Lee, prominently has used the Minimoog extensively throughout his career, including on Rush’s most iconic tracks The Trees, Countdown, Xanadu and Tom Sawyer.  “The Minimoog sets itself apart because it has a fat, identifiable tone. I really like that,” noted Lee.

Lee praise the cultural impact of the Minimoog’s creator: “Bob Moog’s legacy stands out as a pioneer, an inventor, and a stylist,” he acknowledges. “He helped initiate styles of music that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible without his contribution.”

“The Bob Moog Foundation is honoured to offer this rare Minimoog synthesizer signed by Geddy Lee,” added Executive Director Michelle Moog-Koussa.

“Geddy’s distinctive and innovative use of the Minimoog and Moog Taurus Bass pedals was intrinsic to Rush’s early archetypal sound, and served as a hallmark of how those instruments could be artfully fused in a live setting. We are deeply grateful to Geddy for supporting our important work at the intersection of science, music, and innovation.”

Tickets for the raffle begins on February 6 and ends on February 27, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET, or when all 10,000 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. The raffle is open internationally.

Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 25,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle also helps support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential museum located in Asheville, NC, which brings the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages, through Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy. The Moogseum opened in May 2019, and has since welcomed over 25,000 visitors from all over the world.

Tickets are $25 each, five for $100, 12 for $200, or 35 for $500, and can be purchased at the Bob Moog Foundation website. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Cherry Audio and MRB have introduced the Miniverse Module Collection, an expansion of the Miniverse virtual instrument into 14 flexible modules for use with the Voltage Modular platform.

Miniverse Modules make the Moog Minimoog modular as a collection of modules for the Voltage Modular virtual synth platform. And it is polyphonic!

What they say about it:

“It retains all the classic tone and mojo that made the original Mini great while freeing users of the fixed ‘hard-wired’ limitations of the original. Poly module versions are also included for up to 16-note polyphony, giving users the ability to design the ultimate Mini of their dreams.

The Miniverse Module Collection components have been expertly adapted to the modular workflow. Award-winning synth designer Mark Barton’s (MRB) proprietary DSP coding reproduces every sonic nuance, every curve, and every response of the audio based on the original hardware. In addition, polyphonic module versions of the oscillator, mixer, filter, glide, contour, and VCA sections are included for up to 16-voice polyphony via poly jacks.”

The 14 module Miniverse Module Collection includes:

• Miniverse Oscillator and Poly Miniverse Oscillator modules super accurately replicate the famously brawny sounds of the original Mini.
• Miniverse Filter and Poly Miniverse Filter are 24dB/oct, lowpass filters based on the famous transistor ladder filter.
• Miniverse Glide and Poly Miniverse Glide modules allows notes to slide smoothly from one pitch to the next and Mini’s unique glide unique asymmetrical glide characteristics are accurately emulated.
• Miniverse Mixer and Poly Miniverse Mixer are four-channel mixers, usable with audio or CV signals.
• Miniverse Contour and Poly Miniverse Contour are ADS envelope generators used to dynamically shape note volume, filter cutoff, or any other voltage-controlled mod destination.
• Miniverse Noise faithfully replicates the Mini’s noise section. It’s not apparent from the front panel, but the original instrument actually contains white, pink, and red noise generators.
• Miniverse VCA and Poly Miniverse VCA replicate the unique mojo of the original Mini circuit. They are usable with audio or CV signals.
• Miniverse A-440 module replicates the Mini’s unique tuning reference oscillator circuit.

The Miniverse Module Collection is available now, with an intro price of $39 (list $59), and a free seven-day demo of Miniverse Module Collection is also available.  A 50% discount from the $39 price is available for customers who previously purchased the Miniverse instrument. For those new to the Voltage Modular platform, it is fully compatible with Cherry Audio FREE Voltage Modular Nucleus Edition, with no operational limitations.