Moog Returns With A $5,000 Reboot of its 16 Channel Vocoder

Various synths now come with vocoders built-in - and, of course, countless plugins that will do the job - but if you want the best in vocoder luxury and a price tag to match, Moog has the answer. After 40 years, the company is renewing production of the classic Moog 16 Channel Vocoder. Introduced in 1978, this enabled musicians to create not only the famous vocoded vocal effect but also to process synths and other instruments. It’s based on the original schematic and features hand-soldered analogue voice circuits to ensure that the sound is as genuine as possible. There are some improvements, too, including updated mechanical connectors and a new power supply. A vocoder works by analysing the timbral characteristics of one sound (the program) and impressing these onto a second signal (the carrier). In the most obvious example, the program is your voice, and the carrier is a keyboard.