Moog goes Bullfighting again with new Taurus 3 Pedals
Moog
Posted 2009-06-12
It's hard to talk about people like Geddy Lee of Rush or Mike Rutherford of Genesis without mentioning both players' monstrous tone and equally impressive chops, both on their primary instruments and on the pedal keyboards they helped make famous. The Moog Taurus pedals, thanks to people like them, became staples on stage with progressive, rock, and metal bands as well as the then relatively new electric jazz scene which was just forming into the fusion we know today at the hands of pioneers like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Each of them made use of this tiny monstrosity.
And Bob Moog is getting it out there all over again.
Recently, Moog announced that the company would produce 1,000 units of the product, scheduled for shipment on a by-order basis in late November of this year. That's some big news to all the people who have heard that fat, deep, heavy sound that Moog is famous for from a company with a reputation for making some of the best synthesizers and effects across the board.
For those of you who don't yet know, here's the story:
The original product ran from 1976 to 1981 and featured a 13-note pedalboard (from C to C) that sounded one of four presets: Tuba, Bass, Taurus, or one entirely user-programmable patch. The programming was done by way of the sliders and knobs at the top center of the unit before the performance (see picture below), leaving the user with foot sliders for Loudness (left) and Tone (right), buttons for each of the four presets, and three "effect” switches on the right side for (from L to R) Glide, Decay, and Octave.
Moog Taurus I brochure picture. Note the 70s Frog Green carpet. Very chic.
In traditional Moog style, as many buttons and knobs as can fit.
The Taurus II (1981-1983) raised the middle Variables to waist height for in-performance adjustment and added knobs for pitch bending and modulation, as well as adding a few more pedals. The second unit wound up being bulky, and the variable controls kept getting in the way of more important things, like, for instance, the guitars and basses hanging off of the people playing the pedals.
Geddy Lee is impressed. Notice the second Taurus I in the right background.
Up until now, I've just talked about the controls, but what really made these things so popular was the unbelievably fat SOUND that people could get out of these pedals. They called it "The fattest synth ever, and with very good reason. Take a listen to Genesis (mainly post-Peter Gabriel), Pink Floyd, Yes (Chris Squire), Alphonso Johnson, Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page), Rush, Styx, U2, Sting, The Police, TOOL, and various other bands to get a feel of what this instrument can do. It was deep, heavy, and loud, and could be played entirely with the feet, freeing your hands to do whatever you wanted. Try playing the bass line and the keys/Taurus parts to "Tom Sawyer” when you get the chance; feel free to e-mail when you've got it all down. From memory.
Bob Moog understands just that. "The very first thing we want to be concerned with is the sound of the pedals," he said in a press statement. "That's why these things sold and why they're still wanted today."
He's still adding a few fun extras in there, and the Taurus 3 pedals are slated to have the following in the package:
* 100% Analog Sound Engine based entirely on original TAURUS I circuits
* "Taurus I" style
* 2 VCO Oscillators, ADS Contour Generator, 1 VCF Filter, Output VCA
* PRESETS: 16 Banks x 4 presets = 48 Total Programmable Bass Sounds
* BANK 0 will contains the Original Taurus I Presets: VAR, TAURUS, TUBA, BASS
* MIDI: DIN and USB, Merging and Routing
* ARPEGGIATOR: MIDI Sync, TAP TEMPO, Internal
* CV Inputs: VOLUME, FILTER, PITCH, GATE
With a multitude of new connectivity and a firm foot in what made the pedals great, Bob Moog could be in for making a lot more than 1,000 pedals or a very quickly sold out product. He's even gone as far as to include the original Taurus I presets in a nod to the 1970's counterpart, but there are 15 more banks yet, and the whole company is keeping it mum as to all the sounds that will be included with the instrument. He is, however, showing off the price, and a unit can be brought to your doorstep for just under $2,000.
For even more information and to reserve a set of the Taurus 3 Pedals, visit www.moogmusic.com.
by James Rushin
