Trevor PinchTrevor Pinch

Science and Technology Science and Technology StudiesStudies

Cornell UniversityCornell University

STS IN PRACTICE: AN STS IN PRACTICE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARYINTERDISCIPLINARYFIELD AS SCIENCE FIELD AS SCIENCE

AND CULTUREAND CULTURE

Big Questions of Technology Big Questions of Technology StudiesStudies

How do Culture/Society and How do Culture/Society and Technology Interact? As opposed to Technology Interact? As opposed to impact of technology on societyimpact of technology on society

What leads to the acceptance of new What leads to the acceptance of new technological innovations?technological innovations?

How do new markets arise?How do new markets arise? How do technologies transform our How do technologies transform our

forms-of-life?forms-of-life?

Musical Instruments as Musical Instruments as TechnologiesTechnologies

““Musical instrument design is one of Musical instrument design is one of the most sophisticated and the most sophisticated and specialized technologies that we specialized technologies that we humans have developed” - Bob humans have developed” - Bob MoogMoog

1985 – Stanford Patent on 1985 – Stanford Patent on FM SynthesisFM Synthesis

Stanford University’s second most Stanford University’s second most lucrative patent ever is for Frequency lucrative patent ever is for Frequency Modulated SynthesisModulated Synthesis

Technical Grammy Winners Technical Grammy Winners 20022002

Robert Moog for Minimoog Robert Moog for Minimoog synthesizersynthesizer

Steve Jobs for Technical Steve Jobs for Technical Contributions to Music Recording Contributions to Music Recording IndustryIndustry

Robert Moog 1934-2005Robert Moog 1934-2005

Moog Modular Synthesizer Moog Modular Synthesizer 19661966

Old Rockers!Old Rockers!

"The door was open, we didn't have "The door was open, we didn't have air conditioning or anything like air conditioning or anything like that, it was late Spring and people that, it was late Spring and people would walk by, you know, if they would walk by, you know, if they would hear something, they would would hear something, they would stand there, they'd listen and they'd stand there, they'd listen and they'd shake their heads. You know they'd shake their heads. You know they'd listen again – what is this weird shit listen again – what is this weird shit coming out of the basement?“ – Bob coming out of the basement?“ – Bob MoogMoog

Interpretative FlexibilityInterpretative Flexibility

Moog Modular Voltage Control Moog Modular Voltage Control Synthesizer with keyboards for use Synthesizer with keyboards for use by every musicianby every musician

Buchla Modular Voltage Control Buchla Modular Voltage Control Synthesizer for use by experimental Synthesizer for use by experimental musicians and avant gardemusicians and avant garde

The Importance of The Importance of KeyboardsKeyboards

“ “The Keyboards were always there, The Keyboards were always there, and whenever someone wanted to and whenever someone wanted to take a picture, for some reason or take a picture, for some reason or other it looks good if you’re playing a other it looks good if you’re playing a keyboard. People understand that keyboard. People understand that then you’re making music. You know then you’re making music. You know [without it] you could be tuning in [without it] you could be tuning in Russia” – Bob MoogRussia” – Bob Moog

ClosureClosure

The synthesizer over time became a The synthesizer over time became a keyboard instrument to be used by keyboard instrument to be used by all sorts of musicianall sorts of musician

Moog became dominant design Moog became dominant design Buchla relegated to niche marketBuchla relegated to niche market

Example of a user-guided Example of a user-guided refinement:refinement:

Portamento control on keyboard Portamento control on keyboard suggested by Wendy Carlossuggested by Wendy Carlos

Standardization and Ease of Standardization and Ease of UseUse

Moog standardized around Moog standardized around volt-per-volt-per-octaveoctave standard standard

In this way a piece of musical culture In this way a piece of musical culture was built into the technologywas built into the technology

Means easier to use than Buchla if Means easier to use than Buchla if you want to play conventional you want to play conventional melodic music on keyboards melodic music on keyboards

Moog Cultivated His UsersMoog Cultivated His Users

Went on the road to install Went on the road to install synthesizerssynthesizers

Brought musicians to his factoryBrought musicians to his factory Employed studio musicians and Employed studio musicians and

offered free tuition in his factory offered free tuition in his factory studiostudio

Produced Produced Electronic Music ReviewElectronic Music Review from his factoryfrom his factory

“ “All the people I did business with in All the people I did business with in the early days have remained the early days have remained collaborators and friends and collaborators and friends and customers throughout the years…customers throughout the years…They’ve been very valuable to me They’ve been very valuable to me both as personal friendships and as both as personal friendships and as guidance in refining synthesizer guidance in refining synthesizer components”- Bob Moogcomponents”- Bob Moog

Who will be users and what will Who will be users and what will be use?be use?

Academic departments? For teaching Academic departments? For teaching and compositionand composition

Individually wealthy composers? For Individually wealthy composers? For compositioncomposition

New use emerged for coffee, coke, New use emerged for coffee, coke, and beer commercials (later movies and beer commercials (later movies and TV mood music)and TV mood music)

BUchla Box at TRIPS 1966BUchla Box at TRIPS 1966

MONTEREY POPS 1967MONTEREY POPS 1967

The Doors, The Byrds, The BeatlesThe Doors, The Byrds, The Beatles Psychedelic washes of soundPsychedelic washes of sound e.g. “Here Comes the Sun”e.g. “Here Comes the Sun”