When it comes to synthesizers, one of the most trusted and beloved brands in the music industry is undoubtedly Moog. The company has come a long way since Robert Moog founded it in 1953 as a theremin kit manufacturer. It would not take long after it  began manufacturing modular synthesizers for the brand to find success and public acclaim.
FACT Magazine has had an exclusive tour of the United States’ based facility where everything Moog comes from, which we are providing for you below.
Moog’s iconic Minimoog Model D (photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
Moog Music has gone through a lot throughout its history, from a bankruptcy filing in 1986 to its revival in 2002. Nevertheless, it survived the odds to be the most successful synth manufacturer in the United States today. Say what you will about the Trump administration right now (and we have said plenty) , but considering it’s policy of reviving the manufacturing of goods in the United States, Moog stands out as one of the few companies with manufacturing operations based in the country still.
The Moog factory in Asheville, North Carolina (photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
Moog conducts the manufacturing and its many other operations in its headquarters located in Asheville, North Carolina. Since 2011, the red brick building with a striking yellow and black synth mural located in the town’s north-end has served as the company’s home. Here, 81 employees of diverse backgrounds converge each day to manually manufacture each synthesizer.
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
Despite the small size of its headquarters, Moog has managed to fit its operations in this building. The ground floor houses the production area, service center and shipping department, while the second floor is for the offices of the hardware and firmware engineers, and the sales and marketing teams. The smaller workshop next door to the main factory is where all modular synth components are hand-soldered and assembled. There is also the Moog Sound Lab, the in-house recording studio where they shoot their product demos and performances.
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
All of Moog’s 40 different products are manufactured inside the facility, with most of their components sourced within the United States. The limitations of the factory’s size has been a factor that has led to strategic decisions such as discontinuing certain products. At the same time, each employee is cross-trained, allowing them to adapt to any situation that may arise like being able to shift into other projects to fulfill whatever is the demand at any given time.
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
(photo courtesy of FACT Magazine)
The people who work at Moog, they feel they are doing something magical with every product they craft. As one employee puts it, “Weâre designing and building the tools that artists use to make their wildest dreams come true.”
Original story and photos courtesy of FACT Magazine.
