Moog Music was born when a young Bob Moog started tinkering with electronic circuitry. As a boy, Moog built small radios, amps and Theremins in his basement workshop with his father.
Circuit-bending is a chance art form pioneered by Reed Ghazala in 1966. It combines art, sonic artistry and creativity. By altering the internal circuitry of electronic devices such as keyboards, drum machines and children's toys, circuit benders are able to produce new sounds not intended in the original design. Moogfest will continue Ghazala’s tradition of chance electronic design via their yearly circuit-bending contest.
This Year's Contest
In celebration of this creative curiosity that fueled a young Bob Moog and anyone who follows in his footsteps, Moog is sponsoring its 5th Annual Circuit Bending Contest.
This year, Moog’s circuit bending challenge is to take a battery powered device and circuit bend it into an instrument capable of creating new and unique sounds. The company wants others to be inspired by submitted devices, and share in the experience of creating something new and exciting. Entrants’ projects have to be completed in a manner that can be replicated by others, and entrants will need to create a step-by-step list of instructions so that anyone else can replicate the process and create the same instrument. Just to make things a bit more interesting, Moog challenges entrants to complete the entire project for $70 or less.
Entrants will create and post videos on YouTube featuring their completed instruments and documenting the process of their creation. Moog will select three finalists and invite them to showcase their creations at Moogfest in May of 2016 where judges will decide a winner of the contest.
2014 Finalists
Last year's Circuit Bending Challenge produced innovative instruments to date. Moog received many amazing builds and had to expand their finalist lineup to include the top five entries.
Contest Rules:
Contestants will circuit bend an existing device to create a unique musical instrument that can be easily recreated by others while following these guidelines:
• The bend device must be battery operated with a power no greater than nine volts.
• Project must be completed for a total cost of $70 or less. This includes the device to bend, and all parts used to bend it.
• Create a Bill of Materials, Build Instructions and Photos sequencing the build step by step.
Once finished, entrants will create and upload a video to YouTube and title it "Moog Circuit Bending Challenge 2016."
In addition, they will send an email with the subject “Moog Circuit Bending Challenge 2016” to [email protected] with the Build Of Materials, Photos and the YouTube link to their entry.
Moog and its staff will evaluate videos, and three finalists will be chosen. Audio quality and concise editing will be taken into consideration. All entries must be uploaded by midnight EST on March 27.
The three finalists chosen by Moog on March 28 will receive two passes to Moogfest 2016, as well as a Moog merch package.
A winner will be chosen on the basis of reliable functionality, creativity, craftsmanship, artistic appearance, overall sound and the popularity of the device with the public. The winner will be chosen on the final day of Moogfest 2016.
*Official rules can be found here.
Grand Prize Moog Sub 37
2nd Place Moog Sub Phatty
3rd Place Moog Minitaur
Judges
Ryan Germick, Google
John Paul Titlow, Fast Company
Amos Gaynes, Moog
Andy Hughes, Moog
Chris Wilson, Google
To purchase tickets to Moogfest, visit HERE
For more information, visit moogfest.com.
