Moog Music Disco’s The Slim Phatty Analog Synthesizer

The other day Moog Music announced “the discontinuation of the Slim Phatty Analog Synthesizer: a tabletop, poly-chainable ideation of the classic Little Phatty Analog Synthesizer.”

So, when I read the news of the Slim Phatty getting disco’d I immediately ended the eBay auction of my very own mint condition Slim Phatty with wood sides kit. It suddenly became important “not” to sell it. Hearing the disco’ news, it dawned on me just how beloved my Slim is. Although, it’s bigger brother, the Voyager, gets much more of my attention now a days, I’ve gotten really comfy with the Slim and it’s been a perfect companion to my MPC 5000. Not to mention the fact that I pre-ordered it when it was announced. It’s been in my clutches ever since it’s debut essentially. Back then, I thought what better way to get my hands on a moog synth (because I’d never been able to own a moog anything until then) than to cop the new Slim Phatty. And for less than $1000? It was a no brainer. So, the other day after killing the eBay auction, I wasted no time unboxing the Slim again and returning her to the DOJO (pet name for my studio).

For now, she sits atop the vintage Fender Rhodes.

Then, I started thinking “what a surprise that the slim would get disco’d?!”  But then again, maybe none of us should be too surprised. The Slim Phatty was the module incarnation of the Little Phatty line and we all know that Moog disco’d the Little Phatty a while back. I think history shows that Moog likes to drop modules or tabletop / rackmountable versions of their popular synths 2 to 3 years into market. That’s right… I’m going there for better or worse. Wrong or Right! There was the Minimoog Voyager Rack Mount Edition (Moogs tabletop version of the Voyager) and the Slim Phatty (the Little Phatty tabletop synth). I can only guess that we can expect a Sub Rack Mount Edition to round out the popular Sub Phatty and Sub37 Synth line up.

But back to the actual news at hand here…

So, Moog plans to continue building the Slim Phatty in limited quantities at their factory in downtown Asheville while parts and materials remain. Over the course of it’s 5 year production, the Slim Phatty has found its home in countless studios and stages around the world. Users include Phil and Paul Hartnoll of Orbital, Adam Lee Miller of ADULT., Chad Hugo of N.E.R.D, influential composer Craig Leon, and sound design specialist Richard Devine.

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