inMusic acquires iconic synthesiser brand Moog
Moog has been acquired by inMusic, an American company that owns a variety of instrument, audio, and DJ brands, including Numark, Stanton, Denon DJ, Akai, Alesis, M-Audio, Marantz, and plugin company Air. This acquisition signifies that Moog is no longer under the ownership of its employees. In 2015, 49 percent of Moog was sold to its employees through a share scheme. However, all employee shareholders have now been bought out, resulting in inMusic becoming the sole owner of the company.
Logan Kelly, Moog’s brand director, spoke to Resident Advisor and expressed that this sale will ensure the company’s ongoing ability to create and produce exceptional instruments. He reassured that there will be no changes in terms of manufacturing, stating, “We’ll continue to build everything here in Asheville, North Carolina, maintaining the same high standards. This acquisition secures the future of our work. The past few years have been challenging due to parts shortages and supply chain issues. Change was necessary, and ultimately, this is a positive development for us.”
Moog has faced difficulties as a small, independent company manufacturing in the United States. Larger companies such as Music Tribe, which owns Behringer, have achieved significant success by producing low-cost replicas of Moog’s instruments in China. In 2017, Moog had to discontinue the production of its flagship Minimoog Model D reissue after only one year due to insufficient component sourcing. However, production resumed last year, and Kelly confirmed that the inMusic acquisition would enable Moog to continue manufacturing and selling Minimoogs as long as there is demand. Additionally, he mentioned that the company is working on several new instruments that they aim to release this year.
However, inMusic itself is not without controversy. Established in 2012 by Jack O’Donnell, a former vice-president at DJ equipment brand Stanton, the company initially acquired Numark Electronics and expanded its portfolio by purchasing instrument, pro-audio, stage lighting, and audio software companies. Eventually, in 2020, they acquired Stanton. Roger Linn, an instrument designer known for his groundbreaking drum machines in the ’80s and the creation of the MPC 60 for Akai, has accused O’Donnell of failing to pay him royalties after the Akai acquisition. Linn has openly criticised O’Donnell, repeatedly referring to him as unscrupulous in interviews.
The Moog brand has changed ownership multiple times in the past but was reclaimed by its founder, Robert Moog, in 2002. Sadly, Robert Moog passed away in 2005. Recently, the company commemorated the 89th anniversary of his birth through an interactive website that replicates the Asheville workshop where Moog’s products are built.
