Moog has teamed up with Rush’s Geddy Lee on a special edition of the Minimoog Model D.

This custom-built version of the legendary analogue synth stays true to its classic sound while incorporating modern upgrades and a striking design inspired by the Rush frontman’s stage instruments back in the day.

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To start, the Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D arrives in a lovely custom, satin red finish with metallic flecks that brings to mind Lee’s keyboard rig from Rush’s Grace Under Pressure tour. The synth also sports a special ‘Starman’ logo on its front and back, making it a true collector’s piece.

Features wise, the new Minimoog Model D delivers all the rich, analogue circuitry that made the original a household name. Though it does contain several upgrades, including a hot-rodded VCA circuit, dedicated LFO controls, and modern MIDI integration.

Each purchase also comes with a Rush-themed merch bundle, which includes an exclusive 10” red vinyl featuring Xanadu and Jacob’s Ladder, a collectible poster, commemorative manual, gift box, as well as a certificate of authenticity that’s individually numbered and hand-signed by Lee.

Image: Moog Music“It’s a thrill to see the Minimoog Model D in that stunning red, so representative of one of the most fertile periods in Rush’s creative history,” says Lee of the new release. “I’ve always been mad for custom colour instruments, many inspired by automotive hues, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out — it’s just so beautiful.”

“The Minimoog Model D was the first synth that made dreaming big accessible to a schlub like me. Its intuitive design lets you learn waveforms, blend sounds, and experiment with the modulation wheel. That’s its legacy: a fat, sophisticated sound in a package that’s not daunting to get your hands on.”

In a video accompanying the launch, Lee speaks about Rush’s introduction to synths back in the 70s, saying: “For me I graduated to the Minimoog as a natural part of evolution from the tease that was that little squeaky sound you could get out of the Taurus pedals.”

“I wanted a more substantial tone and then we were writing songs that were quite adventurous like Xanadu and A Farewell to Kings and by the time we were going to write Farewell to Kings I knew I wanted a Minimoog. And I wanted to see if I could figure out how to get a noise out of it.”

Priced at $5,499, the Moog Music Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D is now available exclusively at Reverb (US), Andertons (UK) and Thomann (EMEA/Germany).

Learn more at Moog Music.

The post “The first synth that made dreaming big accessible to a schlub like me”: Rush’s Geddy Lee teams up with Moog Music on a special-edition, red-finish Minimoog Model D appeared first on MusicTech.