Production of the Minimoog Voyager is coming to an end after 13 years and the creation of 14,000 instruments, according to Moog Music Inc. The company will handcraft 600 final units at the factory in downtown Asheville, NC before ending production.
The Minimoog Voyager is the last synthesizer designed by Dr. Robert Moog from start to finish, the company said. It served as the foundation of the modern Moog synthesizer, set the path for all of Moog’s subsequent work, and is the culmination of Moog’s life’s work, which was dedicated to electronic musical instrument design, the company said.
“[The Minimoog Voyager] is the archetype of what a synthesizer is and should be,” said Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails in a video available through the Moog website. Reznor goes on to discuss his decades-long history with the instrument and how it has shaped the way he views and creates music.
When the Voyager went into production in 2002, it signaled the rebirth of Moog Music, the company said, and the re-emergence of the analog synthesizer as a viable creative tool in the digital era. The Voyager can be heard on records by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre, Radiohead, Herbie Hancock, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Bjork and many others.
The Minimoog Voyager is currently available in limited quantities at stocking dealers while supplies last. As a “thank you” Minimoog Voyager owners, the company is offering 20% off on Minimoog Voyager upgrades, modifications and calibrations to domestic customers until the end of the year.