Sonic Six History — Moog

Sonic Six

1972–1979

TheMoog Sonic Sixis aduophonicanalog synthesizerthat was manufactured byMoog Musicfrom 1972 to 1979. Because of its portable design and built-in speaker, the Sonic Six was widely used for lectures and educational purposes, often byBob Mooghimself. The Sonic Six is the result of Bill Waytena, then the owner of synthesizer manufacturer muSonics, acquiring R.A. Moog Inc. Interested in the marketing opportunity afforded by the Moog name, Waytena acquired R.A. Moog Inc., moved the company to Buffalo, New York, and renamed it Moog/Musonics (which eventually was shortened to simply Moog Music). It was under this new brand that a new version of the Musonics Sonic V was released as the Moog Music Sonic Six.

OverviewThe Sonic Six, released in 1972, was Moog's portable battery-powered synthesizer designed for educational and live performance use. This compact monophonic instrument featured two oscillators, a unique multimode filter, and the ability to run on batteries for true portability.
The Sonic Six's briefcase-style case and internal speaker made it genuinely portable—a rarity for synthesizers of the era. The instrument was designed in collaboration with the Sonic Arts Union and used extensively in educational settings.
Production ended in 1979 after relatively modest sales. The Sonic Six's rarity and unique design have made it collectible among Moog enthusiasts. It represents an interesting divergence from Moog's main synthesizer line.