The greatest trick Google’s public relations team ever played on the world was convincing people to link to its homepage whenever it does something cool like this — in this case, turning its webpage into a playable Moog synthesizer in honor of the birthday of synthesizer innovator Robert Moog, inventor of the gizmos that bear his name.
You can’t play Google’s undeniably awesome Moog web app on the U.S. version of google.com today, because Robert Moog’s birthday is Wednesday. But regardless of where you are, you can head over to the Australian version — www.google.com.au — to play it today. This is because Australia is always a day ahead of the United States due to the international date line. (Maybe this is why their music hacks are so futuristic.)
Yes, this is a toy, but it goes beyond mere gimmickry. You can tweak any of the knobs to shape the wave, change oscillator pitches, mess around with the filter or envelope and more, with the numerical values for each appearing above the keyboard. Crucially, you can also play the notes on your computer keyboard once you’ve clicked a note with your mouse, expanding the sonic possibilities and turning it into a real instrument.
The only two glitches we’ve noticed so far is that the pitch bend/modulator wheel is stuck on the modulator setting, for us anyway (yes, we’re using Google Chrome), and the record function doesn’t appear to work properly yet.
We expect the latter to kick in once this nifty web app is available in our home country. If the Record feature does start working, this link should play our hastily recorded approximation of the “Axel F” riff.
Still, well done, Google. This is a fitting tribute to the birthday of a great man.
Pro tip: If you want to be able to get to the black keys, start with the keyboard row that begins QWERTY. The black keys are the numbers.
Happy Birthday Mr Moog, and a brilliant piece of gimmickry google!!
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 1:49 am
by dales
Thanks John, Paul, George, and Ringo for bringing the Moog Synthesizer into widespread use.
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 3:37 am
by BoSoxGal
Those Google folks are seriously creative & fun. I'd love to work there - but I bet the legal department are the dullards of the lot.
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 5:34 pm
by dales
I don't think you'd care for the South Bay Area, bsg.
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 5:37 pm
by Sue U
dales wrote:Thanks John, Paul, George, and Ringo for bringing the Moog Synthesizer into widespread use.
I thought it was Wendy (then Walter) Carlos. ("Switched On Bach" was one of the first albums I ever bought.)
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 1:51 am
by Lord Jim
I don't think you'd care for the South Bay Area, bsg.
She could hang out with LoCa after work....
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 1:55 pm
by Joe Guy
Sue U wrote:
dales wrote:Thanks John, Paul, George, and Ringo for bringing the Moog Synthesizer into widespread use.
I thought it was Wendy (then Walter) Carlos. ("Switched On Bach" was one of the first albums I ever bought.)
I can't think of a song in which the Beatles used a synthesizer.
But the Who used it.
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 4:52 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
I post this because here comes the sun Maxwell
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 5:09 pm
by Joe Guy
I knew someone would come up with something... er... Here Comes the Sun - and I forgot about Maxwell.
That wouldn't amount to bringing the Moog into widespread use though, would it?
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 5:11 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
Because
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 10:27 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
MajGenl.Meade wrote:Because
why?
Re: Google Moog!
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 10:30 pm
by Gob
First time I saw one in use was on TOTP by a band which had a single called "Mr President", and FMP, if there's nothing that cannot be found on the net!
