Moog Taurus
Encyclopedia
The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer
designed and manufactured by Moog Music
from 1974 or 1975 to 1981. Commonly called the Taurus I, it has a 13-note organ-style pedal board similar to the pedal keyboard of a spinet organ.
1973 Brain Salad Surgery album and live during ELP's 1973-1974 World Tour, although the Taurus bass pedal unit was not used by Keith Emerson
within this configuration. The 3-part Constellation was never actually released as such; the polyphonic Apollo was greatly refined and ultimately released as the Moog Polymoog Synthesizer; the Lyra - which Keith Emerson's roadie Will Alexander describes as "A Minimoog
on steroids", was never commercially produced. Emerson owned the only example ever made of the Constellation. The Taurus pedal synthesizer was released as a self-contained unit, circa 1974 or 1975.
and pitch bend wheels, oscillator sync functions and full CV interfacing, but had no footswitch or foot slider control whatsoever and no stock presets, making this instrument much less optimized for live performance use vs. the Taurus I. As a compromise, the control panel on the Taurus II was raised to waist height on a central shaft, to facilitate onstage modification of the settings.
Both the Taurus I and II units have a "low note priority" keying circuit. In the event that the player depresses two notes, the instruments will only sound the lowest pitched note, similar to other monophonic synthesizers. The Taurus I oscillators produced only sawtooth waves; the Taurus II oscillators produced sawtooth, square and preconfigured pulse waves.
has designed and is now producing the Taurus III pedal synthesizer, which it reports has a 100% analog audio signal path based entirely on the Taurus I synthesizer circuit. The unit features a greatly expanded feature set including MIDI, USB, more presets, an arpeggiator, a dedicated LFO
and velocity sensitive pedals.
and Michael Jackson
on Stacy Lattisaw's 1980 song "You Don't Love Me Anymore", Ritchie Blackmore
, Pink Floyd
, Neurosis
, Electric Light Orchestra
, Yngwie Malmsteen, Geddy Lee
and Alex Lifeson
from Rush
, Styx
, U2
, John Paul Jones
from Led Zeppelin
, Jon Anderson
and Chris Squire
from Yes
, Sting and Andy Summers
of The Police
, Mike Rutherford
, Steve Hackett
& Daryl Stuermer
of Genesis
, Francis Buchholz
of the Scorpions
, Justin Harris of Menomena
, and Troy Sanders
of Mastodon
. Genesis drummer Phil Collins brought the Taurus sound to Top 40 radio with his hit single, "I Don't Care Anymore
", which features Taurus bass pedals as the sole source of bass in that song.
Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett
had a set mounted waist high which his brother, John Hackett
, used to play with his hands for the song Clocks - The Angel Of Mons from the album Spectral Mornings
. Adam Jones
of Tool (band) uses the Moog Taurus along with an Access Virus
B synth to trigger live effects.
Scott Shriner
of the band Weezer
uses a Taurus to play the bridge bass line of "Surf Wax America" during their live show.
Producer Daniel Lanois
uses a Taurus extensively in many projects, one prominent example being the track "I Love You" from his album Shine, and most recently to provide bass notes to accompany Neil Young
's guitar playing on Le Noise
, which he produced.
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
designed and manufactured by Moog Music
Moog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
from 1974 or 1975 to 1981. Commonly called the Taurus I, it has a 13-note organ-style pedal board similar to the pedal keyboard of a spinet organ.
History
The Taurus was originally intended to be one-third of a larger synthesizer ensemble called the Constellation that also included two keyboards: The polyphonic Apollo and the monophonic Lyra. This "polyphonic ensemble" was prominently used in prototype form on the Emerson, Lake & PalmerEmerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
1973 Brain Salad Surgery album and live during ELP's 1973-1974 World Tour, although the Taurus bass pedal unit was not used by Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
within this configuration. The 3-part Constellation was never actually released as such; the polyphonic Apollo was greatly refined and ultimately released as the Moog Polymoog Synthesizer; the Lyra - which Keith Emerson's roadie Will Alexander describes as "A Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
on steroids", was never commercially produced. Emerson owned the only example ever made of the Constellation. The Taurus pedal synthesizer was released as a self-contained unit, circa 1974 or 1975.
Design
The Taurus I was housed in a rugged aluminum and wood casing and, although known primarily for its bass timbres, had a five-octave overall range. Three stock preset sounds were available along with one user-programmable Variable sound - the parameters of which were adjustable within a top, centrally located compartment. The three non-variable Presets were named Tuba (single oscillator), Bass, and the famous Taurus. The following parameters were foot switchable: Glide (on/off), Octave (+ 1 octave or Normal), Release (long release on/off), and the three stock Presets and one Variable Preset. Top mounted foot controlled sliders affecting volume (Loudness) and filter cutoff (Filter) were also provided. A unique feature of the Octave function allowed the player to change this footswitch setting while an unpressed note was sounding, with actual transposition only taking place immediately upon the next note press, allowing for smooth, predictable changes during performance and recording. The Taurus I's FET-based integrator oscillator and classic Moog 24dB/Oct Low Pass Filter produce a unique, edgy, penetrating timbre which is not exactly duplicated by any other instrument and is widely regarded for its extremely rich, "fat" sound, which is oftentimes more felt than heard when greatly amplified.Taurus II
The Taurus I's successor, the Taurus II - essentially a foot-controlled Moog Rogue, which never matched the reputation of its predecessor - was produced from 1981 to 1983. The Taurus II had 18 pedals, modulationModulation
In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high-frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with a modulating signal which typically contains information to be transmitted...
and pitch bend wheels, oscillator sync functions and full CV interfacing, but had no footswitch or foot slider control whatsoever and no stock presets, making this instrument much less optimized for live performance use vs. the Taurus I. As a compromise, the control panel on the Taurus II was raised to waist height on a central shaft, to facilitate onstage modification of the settings.
Both the Taurus I and II units have a "low note priority" keying circuit. In the event that the player depresses two notes, the instruments will only sound the lowest pitched note, similar to other monophonic synthesizers. The Taurus I oscillators produced only sawtooth waves; the Taurus II oscillators produced sawtooth, square and preconfigured pulse waves.
Taurus III
By popular demand, Moog MusicMoog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
has designed and is now producing the Taurus III pedal synthesizer, which it reports has a 100% analog audio signal path based entirely on the Taurus I synthesizer circuit. The unit features a greatly expanded feature set including MIDI, USB, more presets, an arpeggiator, a dedicated LFO
LFO
LFO may refer to:* LFO , an English techno act* LFO , an American three-man pop/rap group** LFO , an album released by the American pop group LFO* Light Finding Operation, a form of mecha from the anime TV series Eureka Seven...
and velocity sensitive pedals.
Use
Taurus pedals were used by a range of rock, metal, and fusion performers, including Cold ChiselCold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on Stacy Lattisaw's 1980 song "You Don't Love Me Anymore", Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Neurosis
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
, Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
, Yngwie Malmsteen, Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
and Alex Lifeson
Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...
from Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
and Chris Squire
Chris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
from Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Sting and Andy Summers
Andy Summers
Andy Summers is an English guitarist born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. Best known as the guitarist for rock band The Police, he has also recorded twelve solo albums, collaborated with many other artists, toured extensively under his own name, published several books, and composed...
of The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Mike Rutherford
Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
, Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
& Daryl Stuermer
Daryl Stuermer
Daryl Mark Stuermer is an American musician who plays guitar and bass for Genesis during live shows, and lead guitar for Phil Collins during most of his solo tours and albums.-Biography:...
of Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Francis Buchholz
Francis Buchholz
Francis Buchholz is a German bassist best known as a member of the rock/hard rock band, the Scorpions....
of the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Justin Harris of Menomena
Menomena
Menomena are an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States; currently made up of Justin Harris, Danny Seim and more recently Joe Haege of 31Knots and Tu Fawning...
, and Troy Sanders
Troy Sanders
Troy Sanders is an American bassist/singer best known as a member of the Atlanta, Georgia metal band Mastodon, in which he shares vocal duties with guitarist Brent Hinds and drummer Brann Dailor.-Background:...
of Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
. Genesis drummer Phil Collins brought the Taurus sound to Top 40 radio with his hit single, "I Don't Care Anymore
I Don't Care Anymore
"I Don't Care Anymore" is a song by Phil Collins from his second solo album Hello, I Must Be Going!.The song is very dark, which follows a vast majority of songs from the album...
", which features Taurus bass pedals as the sole source of bass in that song.
Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
had a set mounted waist high which his brother, John Hackett
John Hackett (musician)
John Hackett is a British flautist, the younger brother of guitarist Steve Hackett. Although his primary instrument is the flute, he also plays guitar, bass and keyboards...
, used to play with his hands for the song Clocks - The Angel Of Mons from the album Spectral Mornings
Spectral Mornings
Spectral Mornings is the third release and the second post-Genesis album by guitarist Steve Hackett. This is also the first recording to feature Hackett's first true touring band consisting of his brother John Hackett on flute, guitar and bass pedals, long-time collaborator keyboardist Nick Magnus,...
. Adam Jones
Adam Jones (musician)
Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
of Tool (band) uses the Moog Taurus along with an Access Virus
Access Virus
The Access Virus is a virtual analog synthesizer made by the German company Access Music GmbH. It was first produced in 1997 and has since been upgraded frequently, with the company releasing new models about every two years. Early models include the Virus A, Virus B, and Virus C series, each...
B synth to trigger live effects.
Scott Shriner
Scott Shriner
Scott G. Shriner is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Weezer.-Early life:Shriner was born in Toledo, Ohio. He took up bass in high school. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, he found his high school bass teacher Mark Kieswetter, with whom he studied until moving to Los...
of the band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
uses a Taurus to play the bridge bass line of "Surf Wax America" during their live show.
Producer Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
uses a Taurus extensively in many projects, one prominent example being the track "I Love You" from his album Shine, and most recently to provide bass notes to accompany Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's guitar playing on Le Noise
Le Noise
Le Noise is the thirty-third studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released in 2010. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Daniel Lanois...
, which he produced.