The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Just to clarify a little - as I recall, Bob Moog originally envisaged the 
Moog synths having a `modern' casing in plastic or some similar material. 
Possibly also with curved lines, though my memory may be elaborating a 
little with that. :D

It was when he listened to what musicians said they wanted that he went for 
wood.

I'm not sure who the musicians were. Wendy Carlos is documented as being 
pleased with the wood cabinet for the first stage of her modular, which was 
very early. Some of her modules seem to have been the first of their kind - 
not only the ones she was involved in suggesting Bob Moog might design. 
Whether people like Eric Siday and other early customers had made 
suggestions about casing is something I don't know.

But I think it was a little later, when the Mini was being prepared for 
production that the question of `modern' verses traditional wood came up. 
It's worth remembering that the Mini wasn't entirely Bob Moog's idea, and 
came about when people at the Moog factory put together a prototype small 
synth using the modules that were being built at the time.

So I think when Bob Moog decided to go for production of the Mini the 
`modern' look was considered, and even expected to be what musicians would 
want. But it wasn't what they wanted.

I'm not sure how much accurate documentation there may be on this, to give 
any further detail beyond what I've mentioned. Maybe one of the classic 
sources, such as the two A-Z of synthesis books (which I don't have) may 
give some further detail.

I think a sociological thesis could be written on early Moogs and social 
attitudes to them, actually - quite apart from the question of later synths 
from other manifacturers and what people had in mind (I suspect the brown of 
the mark I DX7 was an in-house joke at Yamaha, for example.)

Of course two other vital factors have been which cases would stand up to 
stage use, and the perennial question of cheapness. Both of those have their 
influence on case design. And that would still be true of any possible 
future developments with artistic casework.