Mike Beigel

Mike Beigel was a pioneering inventor whose effects pedals and synthesizer innovations were embraced by musicians around the world, including Stevie Wonder, the Grateful Dead, Bootsy Collins, Joe Zawinul, Larry Coryell, and Chick Corea. In 1972, Mike founded Musitronics Corporation with the goal of creating effects pedals that offered distinctive and groundbreaking sounds. Among his earliest creations was the Mu-Tron III, an envelope-controlled filter that became especially popular among funk musicians. Stevie Wonder famously used the Mu-Tron III with his Clavinet, helping create the distinctive sound heard on his 1973 hit “Higher Ground.” Throughout his career, Mike developed a wide range of innovative products and held approximately 45 U.S. patents. His designs included the Mu-Tron Octave Divider, Phasor, Flanger, Vol-Wah Pedal, and Bi-Phase, each contributing to the evolution of electronic musical effects. Mike also collaborated with fellow innovators on several notable products, including the Green Ringer for Dan Armstrong Amplifiers and the Gizmo, also known as the Gizmotron. His inventive spirit and ardent pursuit of new sounds left a lasting imprint on electronic music technology and provided generations of musicians with new ways to shape their musical voices.