Dr. Fink

Used with Prince and the Revolution, as featured in this August 28, 2019 article from the official Bog Moog Foundation website..

We are excited to announce our most regal Memorymoog raffle of them all, featuring a coveted, fully restored vintage Memorymoog Plus synthesizer, formerly owned, played, and signed by Dr. Fink of The Revolution. The Memorymoog Plus was part of The Revolution’s touring rig on the Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, and Parade tours.

The raffle begins on August 28, 2019 at 7am ET, and ends on September 23, 2019 at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first. Tickets are $25 each or five for $100, or 12 for $200, or 35 for $500. Please read the rules and regulations before entering.

Funding raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, currently inspiring over 3,000 elementary school students per year through the science of sound. The raffle will also support the Foundation’s newest project, the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility that brings Bob Moog’s legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The newly opened Moogseum is located in downtown Asheville, NC.

“When the Memorymoog Plus was released with MIDI capability, a sequencer, and the capability to hold 100 patches in its memory bank, I knew I had to have one in our touring rig.” commented Matt Fink, keyboardist for The Revolution. “I have so many fond memories of using this Memorymoog on tour, and of the tours themselves. I’ve loved Moog synthesizers since I bought my first Minimoog at the ages of 18 in 1976. It’s gratifying to see this Memorymoog get new life through this raffle benefiting the excellent projects of the Bob Moog Foundation.”

The featured Memorymoog Plus was built at Moog Music’s Buffalo, NY factory, and has been fully restored by lauded synthesizer technician Wes Taggart. It is in excellent technical condition. It’s physical condition is generally excellent, but the Memorymoog Plus does have flaws consistent with vintage instruments and consistent with touring, which remain to retain the unique provenance of the synthesizer.

Particular to this instrument, the wooden end caps have been painted black to blend into the rest of Dr. Fink’s stage rig during the tours, and there are three modifications in the back of the synthesizer, including an output port allowing Fink to use the Memorymoog as a trigger for an early Linn drum, which is located in the second “o” in Memorymoog, and a strip of velcro inbetween the “m” and “o” in Memorymoog, which was used to attach a small light to illuminate the control panel on stage.

The end caps of Dr. Fink’s Memorymoog Plus have been painted black to blend in with the other keyboards on stage. We have chosen not to restore them to their original wood in an effort to retain the unique provenance of this instrument.

The minor flaws on the body of Dr. Fink’s Memorymoog Plus are consistent with its age, and with its years of touring. We intentionally chose not to restore these flaws in an effort to retain the unique provenance of this instrument.

The fully restored Memorymoog Plus, serial number 3527, has an estimated value of $8,000- $10,000. Given its provenance, it is truly priceless.

Mentioned in this April 18, 2018 The Current interview.

Fink joined Prince’s band at a fortuitous time. “It was becoming more common for keyboardists to have at least one synthesizer in their arsenal,” he says — and Fink himself owned a Minimoog, a monophonic synthesizer, meaning it could only play one note at a time. But that was about to change.

It is also mentioned in this August 28, 2019 article from the official Bog Moog Foundation website.

"I’ve loved Moog synthesizers since I bought my first Minimoog at the ages of 18 in 1976."

Dr Fink used an Oberheim OB-X with Prince in the early 1980s.

Dr Fink played an ARP Omni-2 with Prince in the early 1980s. He used it for the riff on the "Dirty Mind" title track.

The Oberheim OB-Xa was used by Dr. Fink from 1982 to 1986 during his tenure with Prince and The Revolution according to the Guitar Cloud website. Including around the Purple Rain era.

Visible in this 2016 photo of Fink from this April 18, 2018 The Current interview.

Matt "Dr." Fink performing at First Avenue with the Revolution in 2016 (Photo by Nate Ryan/MPR)

Dr Fink used a Yamaha DX7 with Prince in the mid 1980s.

Dr Fink used a Fairlight CMI with Prince in the mid 1980s.

Dr Fink used a Prophet VS with Prince in the mid to late 1980s.

Dr Fink used a Yamaha CP-70 with Prince in the mid 1980s.

Listed by Dr. Fink in this interview as one of the keyboards used around the Purple Rain era.