Moog Liberation
| Liberation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Moog Music |
| Dates | 1980 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony |
Monophonic (Osc1&2) Paraphonic (Poly) |
| Oscillator | 2 |
| LFO | 1 |
| Synthesis type | Analog subtractive |
| Filter | 1 low-pass |
| Attenuator | ASD |
| Memory | none |
| Effects | Ring modulation |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 44 keys |
| Left-hand control | Ribbon controller |
| External control | CV/Gate |
The Moog Liberation was the first commercially produced keytar synthesizer released in 1980 by Moog Music. The instrument is comparable to the Moog Concertmate MG-1 and the Moog Rogue but it is most closely related to the Moog Prodigy; however, as a keytar the Liberation was designed to be played in the same posture as one would play a guitar.
The Liberation featured two monophonic voltage-controlled oscillators and a polyphonic section that could play organ sounds. Both oscillators could be set to triangle, sawtooth, or square waveforms and switched over a 3-octave range. The keyboard was aftertouch-sensitive and on its neck featured spring-loaded wheels for filter cutoff, modulation, and volume as well as a ribbon-controlled pitch bend. The Liberation had a single voltage-controlled filter and 2 ADSD envelope generators. A 40-foot cable connected the Liberation to its rackmounted half which housed the power supply and CV/Gate output sockets.
Jean Michel Jarre plays a Liberation on his recent DVD release of Oxygene Live In Your Living Room, and it also appears in the bonus section with Jarre describing the instruments.
The Human League used the Liberation during the songs Empire State Human, Being Boiled and Circus Of Death at the Wickerman Festival in July 2009.
Other bands include: Didier Marouani of Space, Tom Coster of Santana, Tommy Cyborg of Chrome, Devo, Damon Edge of Chrome, Roy Goudie, Herbie Hancock, Joy Electric, Mark Jenkins, Bryce Kushnier of The Fancy Few, Ascites, Abuse Tactics, Light of the World, John Malloy, The Moog Cookbook, Danny Peyronel of British band UFO, Saga, Tom Schuman, Six Finger Satellite, Stereolab, Spiral-Shaped Mind, Page McConnell of Phish, Jakobínarína, Saga
The Moog Liberation was also used by Ted Mosby as a prop in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Glitter."
Images
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Neck
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Control panel