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Recommended Reading: NFL player turns mercenary in 'Call of Duty'
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. 'The Whole Game is Beast Mode' by Sam Alipour ESPN The Magazine Kevin Spacey temporarily shelved his presidential persona to play a private military contractor in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. For this year's title, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch hung up his cleats to play a mercenary in Call of Duty: Black Ops III. ESPN The Magazine has a behind-the-scenes look at the process, from motion capture to facial scans required to construct the digital version of the NFL player.
Analog Synthesis: The life and legacy of Bob Moog
For many, the name Robert Moog may only sound familiar due to the synthesizer company that bears his name... if at all. However, chances are you've likely heard one of the instruments that carry that label during the course of your Spotify or Rdio streaming sessions. Acts ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Chvrches, Deadmau5 and Dr. Dre employ Moog's synths, so hearing one of his iconic synthesizers blast from your headphones is just a matter of time. As you might expect, the story of the brand begins with its eponymous founder and the first keyboard-driven synth back in 1964. On what would've been his 80th birthday, we take a look back at the lineage and legacy of Bob Moog.
Moog Music's Amos Gaynes on learning to code in BASIC and going off the grid
Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire. In the return edition of our regular session of inquiry, Moog Music product manager Amos Gaynes discusses sound synthesis, tolerance for poor battery life and shares his love for BB10. For the entire collection of answers, take a quick leap to the other side of the break.
Moog details Sub Phatty ahead of NAMM, accepts $1,099 pre-orders for March (video)
A few days ahead of the music industry's annual soiree in California, Moog Music has outed its latest analog offering. The North Carolina-based outfit has pulled the wraps off of the Sub Phatty: a 25 full-size key, 31 knob synthesizer that wields two variable waveshape oscillators and Moog's new Multidrive circuitry. Multidrive smashes OTA distortion with FET drive to offer a range of sounds from warm depth to growling overdrive. "We set out to design the grittiest Moog synth ever, one that still offers all of the great sound and flexibility that Moog synthesizers are known for, but that also really has teeth," said president Mike Adams. The budget-friendly price tag of $1,100 is sure to tempt those who've been eyeing Moog's wares, but units won't start shipping until March. Consult the source link to part with your funds and jump past the break for a walkthrough with synth pioneer Herb Deutsch.
Moog Music tacks on Grateful Dead expansion pack to Animoog 2.0 for $4.99 (video)
Late last week, Moog Music rolled out version 2.0 of its Animoog synthesizer app for Apple's slate. Now, the Asheville, North Carolina outfit is adding a truckload of new sounds less than a week after the initial release. The Grateful Dead Expansion Pack is now available for the iPad software, touting 82 presets and 45 timbres broken down into ensemble, percussion and vocal groupings. Each piece of the add-on was taken from a February 1968 performance at the Carousel Ballroom and optimized for the Animoog platform. "We're not simply providing samples from the Grateful Dead's body of work, rather we've distilled the essence of notes and phrases in a different way to transform these performances into new instruments -- new voices," says Cyril Lance, Moog's Chief Engineer. The $4.99 in-app purchase is available now, but while you're mulling it over, jump down past the break to catch a glimpse of Mickey Hart taking it for a spin.
Visualized: Inside Moog's Sound Lab
As touring acts grow weary from their travels across the US of A, Moog has a spot for them to get re-energized. Inside the synth maker's North Carolina headquarters sits a room that's decked out with the company's analog tech and effects (including a Model 15 synthesizer) -- waiting for musicians who are on the road to stop by for a visit. It's here in the Sound Lab where the likes of Mutemath, Phantogram, OK Go and Ra Ra Riot grab their Moog gear of choice to re-imagine some of their existing tracks. For a look at all of the sound-scaping tools on display, mosey into the gallery below for a virtual visit. %Gallery-169365%
Moog's LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype wields touch control of 96 simultaneous harmonics, we go eyes-on (video)
Late last week, Moog outed its LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype and offered a glimpse at its latest R&D unit. Even though it's still in the early phases of beta-testing, we were able to stop by the Moog Music factory for a closer look and a brief glimpse of the gear in action ahead of its appearance at Moogfest. While the unit is installed on acoustic guitars for the time being, the company says that similar tech can be used on other acoustic instruments and eventually to other surfaces -- this is just the current manifestation. Since the tech modifies the guitar's natural harmonics and string vibrations, the LEV-96 is getting cozy on both traditional acoustic guitars and those outfitted with pickups in its present state. As far as controls go, the entire unit is capacitive touch-enabled from the moment a finger swipe powers it on. Sliders allow for adjusting the intensity, harmonics and note duration while the other buttons enable arpeggio presets and modulation that includes tremolo and random harmonic tweaks. Those sliders remain in play when a preset is activated, serving to enable further adjustments on selected There is a lock button, too, so that you don't accidentally make a switch mid-strum. All of these finger-friendly surfaces work alongside two pairs of electromagnetic pickup channels per string to wrangle the 96 simultaneous harmonics. Magnets work to either increase of decrease the string's motion, bringing out vibrational modes that have always been in-play on acoustic instruments, but have never been offered the power needed to make 'em sing. The folks at Moog are quick to remind us that the LEV-96 is still in its infancy, but you can rest assured we'll be keeping an eye our for what develops. For a peek at the tech in action, head on past the break for a really quick demo that we kept brief due to that fact that this is an early prototype.%Gallery-169322%
Visualized: A look inside Moog's analog synthesizer factory
While we're waiting for Moogfest to officially kick off this weekend, we stopped by the headquarters of Moog Music in Asheville, North Carolina to catch a glimpse of the analog action. The entire company is housed in one building that includes design, assembly, testing, engineering, service and a warehouse for all of the handmade electronics. Despite having all of its departmental bases covered, the outfit is still only comprised of about 50 folks total. However, the workshop-esque facility is poised to crank out 10,000 instruments over the course of the year that cover synths, stomp boxes, guitars and more. We took a stroll around the factory floor (and we were lucky enough to spot the screen-printed, Moogfest-exclusive Theremins), so dive in to the gallery below for a behind-the-scenes look at the construction process.
Moog shows off LEV-96 sensoriactuator prototype on an acoustic guitar
Moogfest isn't happening for another week, but the synth-maker couldn't wait to take the wraps off of its latest bit of technology. Still in the early days of beta-testing ,the LEV-96 is a far cry from the classic analog instruments we've come to associate with Moog. The company is showing off the sensoriactuator in its early stages by affixing it to a guitar, with two pickup channels beneath each of the acoustic's strings. The strings' vibrations trigger the sound, with the device "bring[ing] out hidden modes of vibration that have always been there, but were never energized in a direct manner," according to the company -- in all, the system is capable of managing up to 96 simultaneous harmonics. On the LEV-96, you'll find touch-based control sliders, which let the player adjust intensity, harmonics and note duration. Additional triggers let you change arpeggio presets and modulation (tremolo and random harmonics), while a lock button makes sure you don't adjust anything by accident. Moog is careful to point out that the LEV-96 we're seeing (still being referred to as a "concept project") is just the tip of the iceberg, and "could easily be affixed to any surface or material." The company has promised to show the concept in action soon, including an appearance at Moogfest on October 26th and 27th in the company's home of Asheville, North Carolina. For more info consult the source link below.
Count The Beats: Filtatron by Moog Music to be released Monday
This is just a heads-up to let you know that Moog Music is releasing their own iPhone / iPod touch music app on the App Store on Monday. From the PR, we can glean that Filtatron is a real-time audio effects engine and studio tool that has a finely-modeled Moog Ladder Filter at its core. Yes, it's the same filter that gives Moog instruments their warm, thick character and tone. Now, in the palm of your hand (and at a mere fraction of the cost), you can make your own deliciously eerie, yet oh-so-creamy Moog tones. Mike Adams, president of Moog Music had this to say. "Filtatron represents the first time that the signature Moog sound is available outside of a high-end, hand-made Moog synthesizer. This powerful app extends the studio capabilities of traditional Moog users, and also provides music enthusiasts and Moog fans a fantastic way to create and share their personalized presets. All for a price that makes the Moog sound accessible to a wide audience." With loads of presets and samples, it looks like Filtatron will have plenty to get your creative Moog tunes flowing. What's quite exciting is that you can use the Filtatron sampler to record your own unique sounds, and then you can mash them up with the Moog Ladder Filter as well as the built-in effects module, including delay. It seems that the overall sound is controlled with a virtual amp, which provides tones that range from warm analog overdrive to extreme distortion. Filtatron will be available from Monday on the iTunes Store for US$4.99. We're certainly looking forward to having a play with this one. Check out the demo video after the break, and let us know what you think in the comments. For all the Filtatron details, click here.
