Moog Polymoog

As someone else here said - it is an odd beast, but a great one.

Medium "ease of use" - while it's not complicated per se... it is hard to figure out what the controls mean (or do - if you have those sections turned off, you may get no response!) The split keyboard was an interesting idea, but it complicates much of what you do - you usually want to set up both "sides" of the split the same, so you have to do extra work.

REALLY interestign features. I think this is one place where it shines - although that depends on what you do: the Polymoog is for PLAYERS, not synth freak-out sounds. If you do musical performance, it has many options. The response of the keyboard is quite nice - a semi-weighted action that I love. I wish I could find a controller with these same keys - as someone said above - they tried to get a MIDI out, it feels that good. No one has mentioned the touch sensitivity - it really works if your keyboard is still in calibration!

The Polypedal is a GREAT feature - it adds some really nice expression for Filter and Volume - you wouldn't play a Hammond without Volume control and the Leslie!

The ribbon controller is nice.

The 3-way EQ/Filter is REALLY powerful; it's the same parametric EQ as the rack version, the one studio people are now revering for mixing. This can be combined with various other modes (Lowpass Filter, no Filter, etc) to get some very complex textures, almost like acoustic instruments or voices.

The fact that each key has a distinct synth happening is a wonderful thing - it actually SOUNDS quite lush and detailed, compared to a Prophet or something. Not FAT, but it makes beautiful harpsichord and string sounds that those 5 or 6 voice synths (like OB-X, Jupiter, Junos) can never do. One can have a long decay sound, and play all along the keyboard with each note ringin out to its full length.

The Single filter is sort of a problem - the closest parallel is the ARP String Ensemble (Solina) that has ONE amp. ALl the keys respond at once - not individual response on this filter. They HAD to do this in order to keep the cost down. However, the filter sounds great - very musical and wide ranging. Despite what someone said, it DOES oscillate nicely (all 3 Polymoogs I've had did this) and the resonance and LFO+Sample/Hold effects are incredible sounding!On the lower settings, it gets an amazing warm sound that is great for cellos and pads.

The BEST feature is the independant Pulse Width Modulation and Pitch LFO: This lets you have two INDEPENDANT notes per key - each wobbling in its own way - when these are set right - the sound is VERY unique and really creates the sound people love (Gary Numan, Blondie, ELO, Klaus Nomi).

The flat top is a Godsend! You can stack nearly anything on top!

The sound is VERY unique. AVOID THE PRESETS, they are useless, except for the Vox Humana on the keyboard-only version. Keep it in VAR (Variable mode) ALL the time. You can easily beat the lame presets. Again, this keyboard is great if you play MUSIC - with both hands, like a piano. It has unqiue and beauitiful textures nothing else will do, but they are not sonic showstoppers - just really supportive, wonderful sounds like a Hammond or ARP String make - GREAT for recording with other instruments!!!!

NOT good - I have one that is pretty flawless, but it has had factory "upgrades" so the reliability of "later ones" is probably true.

It doesn't like to be moved - that's the main thing. Keep the dust out of the sliders, in a studio, and it's fine.

But they made it EASY to service, in a way (the top and keys are easy to get access to) and there are "Polymoog Service Kits" that came with the unit with needed parts.

Note that each "key" has a synth card inside. They can plug/unplug easily - so you wan woggle one back if it gets loose. Or, if you had a bad card, you can easily move it to the lowest or highest note - or take it out and ship just that card to a synth tech!! You could also get a spare Polymoog for parts (always on ebay!) and use dozens of cards from that.

Not good - service people will tell you. It just has a LOT to cover - even to tune it up takes a while. A better power supply is easy (about $75) and helps a lot! Keeping it clean is the main thing.

Yes - I'd want one in good shape - or for cheap. The Polypedal has not been discussed but it does some neat tricks and can be a BIG part of making it sound expressive.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Polymoog - there is not really anything in the world that does/did what it is! That itself is fairly unique, but the problem is the reliability and size.

The Moog Polymoog synthesizer model 203A is the craziest piece of analog synth architecture that you're likely to find. All presets are hardwired using banks of soldered together resistors. No software because there's no microprocessor. The Polymoog is a love it or leave it instrument. Opinions are very divided. I think it's a very unique instrument capable of thick strings and pads, and primitive vocoder type choirs. On the 203A there's a live panel mode which allows for hands on patch creation. The model 280A is the preset only version. The manual is nearly as crazy as the synth design.

The Polymoog has 71 note polyphony with a weighted, velocity sensitive action. No built in effects. The model 285A Polypedal assembly is a nice adder, as it adds a sustain pedal, a trigger mode selector, a volume pedal, and a filter sweep pedal. Sorry no MIDI here. No sequencer or arpeggiator. It has CV and switch trigger interface for controlling other analog gear. Most of the controls are geared toward pipe organ fanatics with terms like "rank footages".

This is a cool old instrument. Gary Numan (Pleasure Principal), Blondie, Saga, Gary Wright, are all recommended listening for Polymoog enthustiasts. The vox humana preset found only on the model 280A is very famous sounding. This can be replicated on the 203A by using the resonator filters in band pass mode, emphasis jacked up and tuned to vocal formants. The strings are spooky and primative sounding. Contrary to reports; the Polymoog has a resonant filter capable of self-oscillation, which can be modulated by sample and hold. Two detunable sound sources per note, variable pulse width and pulse width modulation, LFO routings for vibrato, PWM, and filter modulation, and soft sync of oscillators make the Polymoog much more of a synth than an organ. No effects, no sequencer or arpeggiator. Velocity is routed to the VCF and VCA. This is very much a NICHE instrument, good for making a few unique sounds. It won't replace all of your gear, or any of it.

If I could give it a minus 20 I would. The Polymoog is always breaking down. Watch ebay, 4 out of 5 polys sold are broken in some way. The poly is difficult to repair. In part because of the convoluted design, and mostly the inavailability of specialty (OEM) parts such as the "polycom chip" and the MM 5328 divider chips. Most repair shops won't touch them. The first one I ever bought was broken before I picked it up (brand new 1979)at the music store. The salesman called to say they'd gotten one in, then called back an hour later to say it stopped working, and not to bother coming. The model 203A with serial numbers above 3000 are the most reliable. I've kept one running problem free for almost two years.

Moog music back in the old days were always a pain to deal with, they had a rash of bad luck with problematic instruments like the Polymoog, Rogue, and Memorymoog. Finding someone that's even willing to take on the daunting task of repairing a Polymoog can be difficult. The most common problems are bad divider chips and defective modulator cards. Power supply problems are prevalent, but easy to fix. There is an abundance of 4000 series CMOS chips in the Polymoog which are always a problem waiting to happen.

I've had 6 model 203A polymoogs, and 3 model 280A polymoog keyboards over the years. I've probably repaired twice that many for friends and fellow musicians. Despite all of it's shortcomings, you can still record stuff with it that'll make people sit up and say "what the hell is that messed up noise!" Oh yeah, some really creepy strings too! On a side note: the fender rhodes legs and crossbraces fit both polymoogs just like they were made for them.

My polymoog was bought for 80ukp and did not work. I fixed it (twice)and love it to bits. Although it has 14 preset sounds and virtually no other controls, it is still OK (is it RARE?) No-one will give me a service manual or any info for free, and that's a problem. The sounds are great, but I will soon be fitting the monster with a special socket running to an external box enabling me to use one of the presets as the 'user' setting. Anyone else done anything similar? Unlike most cliquey synth repairers, favouring hard cash over helping some poor nobody like myself to own a working classic, I will freely give my research for others to use... but don't come crying to me when you done gone blowed it up... They seem to be very delicate.

I am in the process of building a CV sequencer using an old psion organiser II...

The instruments are not very realistic, but if I wanted a realistic piano sound, I'd get a damn piano.

If I did a gig with it, I would need at least two others for backup. Hey, It's 25 years old.

Moog? Synth repair shops? Outrageous.

If it were stolen, I pity the fool. It's heavy, unwieldy and unreliable, but I love it. I have a korgpoly800, yamahaCS1, Hammond thing, Casio MIDI guitar, guitars, Linndrum, some medieval instruments, a penny whistle and a casio VL1 (ho-ho). along with some rack stuff, FX pedals and boss DR-this's and that's.

Very easy to use.

Very expresive string patch, worth buying just for this classic sound.

Later models of the polymoog had no reliablility problems, but earlier models dent to be un-reliable.

None. Try the synth service repair centre - www.synth-service.co.uk

A great synth and its worth buying one even if it doesnt work, its a classic and is shaw to be your pension in years to come.

Given that this was my first ever analog synth, I found it surprisingly easy to get into. The Polymoog was clearly design with ergonomics in mind -- every single control is never more than a couple of inches away. The ribbon controller is a nice idea, but I have always found its position awkward, and on my model it tends not to return to the correct pitch consistently.

The presets are generally rather poor, and some (e.g. "Funk") I have always found useless. However, it doesn't take a tremendous amount of effort to beef them up a bit. I gather the intention was that you should use the presets as a base for other sounds.

Of course, the Polymoog was fully polyphonic, a perhaps unique feature and certainly preferable to the 6-note limit imposed on most of its contemporaries. Although keyboard feel is a subjective matter, it is still my favourite keyboard in this respect. I've never had mine MIDI-fitted -- I was quoted silly money for a simple MIDI In (I would want a MIDI Out if anything) so I never bothered. The massive array of inputs and outputs at the rear of the machine are a bonus too. Not only can you mess around routing certain outputs back in through the inputs, but you can use it with other audio sources too (for which the parametric EQ is particularly useful).

Generally, you either love or hate the Polymoog's sounds. Most dissenting opinions seem to be along the lines that it has too thin a sound. However, for creating background sound textures it's fantastic. Due to the positioning of the controls, it's also very easy to alter the sound in real time. I've often found some of the best sounds are to be had from routing various outputs back into the machine. Just don't expect any Minimoog-type lead or bass sounds, but that was never the intention of the Polymoog anyway.

Aaarrgh! Oh dear, reliability. I bought my Polymoog for just under #400 back in 1990. It was in a pretty poor state, so I spent another #250 on repairs. Within 18 months it was virtually unusable again, so I spent another couple of hundred to get it repaired. It has since died on me again. I always used to use it at gigs, even if it was just because it looked fantastic. I never felt I could rely on it though! I understand, though, that the earlier models (mine is S/N 3124) had enormous problems while later ones were far more reliable.

Moog had long since bitten the dust when I got mine.

If it were ever stolen, I'd probably catch the thief who would be twenty yards up the road, out of breath and probably with a hernia. If it were really stolen, I would like to replace it but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so. Let's face it, you don't come across these very often these days. I would certainly never sell my Polymoog, since the nostalgia associated with it is worth far more than the money I'd get from it. If I could get it MIDI-out fitted, it would be my master keyboard, no question about it.

The Polymoog can be a very confusing system.

Over on the left side are five slidepots in the mixer section; ext, direct, mode, resonator, VCF. "Mode" is the preset filters separate from the "VCF". I usually run "mode" and "VCF" together. "Resonator" is the three-band variable multimode filter between the VCA EG and the VCF. "Direct" is the unfiltered signal and is not very useful. "Ext" is an external signal that is not processed, but is mixed with the Polymoog signal. You *CAN* process external signals with the resonator and VCF, but you have to use the rear panel jacks.

OK, got the mode and VCF controls turned up? Now press any preset button and play.

Want to modify the preset? The slidepots are not "live" when you move them. This will confuse many first-time users. You have to press the VAR button to make the slidepots "live". There's a VAR button for the EG, the filter, the pulse width, etc these buttons work with whole sections, not just one slidepot.

The STRING and HARPSI presets are good sounds, PIANO is a laugh today but you have to remember when this thing appeared in 1975 it was the only electronic keyboard with a piano sound that was velocity sensitive. That was pretty big news in those days. Of the other preset: ORGAN is horrid, FUNK is useless, CLAV isn't a Clavinet but still a good rhythm sound, VIBES is OK, BRASS is thin only one VCO. VAR makes the entire panel active where you make your own sound.

The best way to approach the Polymoog is to use the presets as starting points, IE you can select STRING and make slight modifications to the filter and LFOs to get pad sounds, etc.

For anybody used to a Prophet-5 or similar polysynth, this thing will disappoint. There is no way to store your own sounds unless you get under the hood and replace the resistors that comprise the presets.

On the plus side, full polyphony means you never run out of notes.

The Polymoog is fully polyphonic which means that there is a voice for every key. It has the longest Pratt-Read keyboard for a production keyboard, 71 notes total. The keys are weighted by filling the hollow keyshells underneath with epoxy and buckshot. I consider it stiff, it doesn't feel like a piano action but it's better than a spring organ action.

Each voice has two VCOs, PWM, VCA, VCA EG, and "brightness filter". There is no front panel access to the "brightness filter". There is one master VCF for the whole synth and this is a major letdown: one, the filter sounds awful and two, this severely limits the sound palette.

VCO#1 is ramp only and can be switched to 8' and 4' ranges. VCO#2 is variable pulse only and can be switched to 16' and 8' ranges. There is PWM available. You can detune the VCOs, and you can sync them together but it is not hard sync, it is phase lock sync. Phase lock sync locks the VCO pitches exactly. Hard sync will do the same and has the additional ability of sweeping the synced VCO for new timbres. The Polymoog won't do that.

The Polymoog is an odd duck. The standard polysynth routing is VCO->VCF->VCA per voice, the Polymoog is VCO->brightness filter->VCA per key. From here the signal get processed by the mode filters, the resonator, and the master VCF in parallel. There's some faults with this system. The "brightness filter" is a two pole ladder filter built into the custom "Polycom" IC under every key with no resonance capability or modulation, and it's set by preset resistors, there's no front panel access to this filter. You can hear it by itself by turning up the DIRECT mixer slidepot and hear how thin this filter sounds by itself.

The "Mode" filters are preset filters, some are simple 12dB low pass and others are a mix of 12/24dB LP/BP/HP. These are NOT the famed Moog transistor ladder filters, they are standard textbook opamp filters. These mode filters are not editable.

The Resonator is a three-band multimode filter system. It is NOT a parametric EQ. Each band covers low/mid/high ranges and has level, frequency, and resonance controls. There's a switch that changes the filters from lowpass to bandpass to highpass, on all three at once. This filter is NOT the famed Moog transistor ladder filter, it is the standard textbook variable state filter and it's only in 6dB slope - not that useful.

The master VCF *is* the Moog transistor ladder filter but it sounds pretty lame, in fact of the seven Moogs I own this one is IMO the worst sounding Moog filter of the lot. It also won't self-oscillate. Why? It's the last device in the audio chain, there's no post VCA to kill the oscillating VCF when you let up on the key. Remember, the Polymoog is VCO->brightness filter->VCA *per key*, THEN to master VCF. That's another reason why the Polymoog has no noise source.

The Polymoog won't get the polyphonic modulation ala Prophet-5 Polymod or Memorymoog Voice Modulation. It's technically impossible because the Polymoog is a TOS system, IE one master oscillator for each VCO routed through divide-down chips, just like electronic organs. Yes folks, the Polymoog is a fancy organ. It's a dual TOS system with PWM and VCA per key, and a few master filters thrown in.

Strings and Harpsichord are the Polymoog's specialty, and that's about it. The sound isn't very "Moogish", partly because of the awful master VCF and partly because it sounds way too clean and tight.

Bob Moog had NOTHING to do with the Polymoog, it was Dave Luce's baby. Luce's circuit design are very convoluted, too complex where a simple circuit would've sufficed. He put more focus on circuit stability and control than he did on sound, IE great pains were taken to ensure minimal distortion in the signal path and it hurt the sound in the end. You can crank the levels with the BALANCE sliders next to the mixer section but the distortion isn't at all pleasant, it's not the same effect as overdriving the Minimoog filter.

To give you an idea of Luce's mindset, the Polymoog had to have over 200 engineering changes before it could go into production - that's a LOT. Luce could never be happy with a design and I've seen internal Moog memos from the Audities archives that shows a company trying to pin down and freeze the Polymoog design, to force it to closure. Another example - in the Audities archives, I found ANOTHER front panel design, and it's no less confusing than the one we know now. And - the first Polymoogs had 72 key keyboards that went from C to B, then changed to F to E, then finally to 71 keys E to D. Talk about indecisive...

Velocity has a major problem: if you hold down a sustain pedal and play the Piano preset softly, each new key gets louder even with the slightest touch.

Hard to say what style of music to use the Polymoog for today. I still have mine but I don't use it much. It's just outclassed by everything else today.

Mine is #4032 and has been gigged heavily with a road case and has held up great. According to former Moog Music employees, the early Polymoogs had all kinds of reliability problems that didn't get sorted out until serial #3900.

I did have power supply problems a few times and had to clean the keyboard contacts, but club gigs are not gentle on any equipment.

Moog Music isn't around anymore, but most shops can still repair these and it's not hard to find dead units to salvage parts from.

The service manual, if you can find one, reads like a college textbook. This thing is MORE complex than it needed to be.

I bought my Polymoog synthesizer with Polypedal and legs in 1985, which included a flight case. I paid more money than I should have; I won't say how much but I'll say that it's in the four digits. But it was my first polysynth and the velocity and full polyphony appealed to me as a piano player.

Later as I acquired my Moog Source, Memorymoog, Minimoog, Kurzweil 1000 series expander, etc the Polymoog got used less and less. I could have sold it on ebay and gotten my money back but I'm too attached to it, it's been with me for many gigs. It's still in really good cosmetic shape and it looks great in the studio. Today I am exploring new sounds with external processors, notably my Korg SDD-3300. I can get some really nice vocal pads with this combination. It's primarily a string, pad, and organ machine - that's all it's good for.

If my house was broken into and all my gear was stolen, this is the one piece I wouldn't bother to replace.

You *CAN* use the Polymoog keyboard as a controller for voltage controlled synthesizers and there's a glide processor built in. BUT - there's a split in the keyboard and you can't use all 71 keys at once as a controller. The split is fixed at the second E from the low E, so the high split gives you a couple more than a Minimoog. There *is* selectable single/multiple triggering but the multiple triggering has a lot of false triggers if your keyboard is dirty. I see a future of using the Polymoog as a controller for my future MOTM modular, plus the Polymoog would make a great stand for the MOTM.

I believe that the Polymoog is a classic and has an important place in synthesizer history, but it's not terribly variable and most are not very reliable. Hold out for a late model (serial >3900) if you want a good one. If you're looking for your first analog or your first polysynth, don't pick this one. There's so much better out there for the money.

PolyMoog Is A Time consuming instrument with superior flexibility. The facts are clear that this Vintage master piece stood alone at the time period as the quintessential flying machine of its day. All keyboards of the 70's were tedious knob-twirlers.

It is my understanding that it was the first and last totally polyphonic analog synthesizer. Today, most are still maxed at 64 voices. Each key had its own circuit board. Unbelievable. It also was th first analog filter generated touch sensetive keyboard in the world. It was the prototype of all to follow. Keys have good weight and feel more like piano keys than any other keyboard of its day. This synth has sounds which stand alone and its history is unserpassed on album credits of its day.

This was undeniably the Cadillac of its day and the price reflected. In fact, the cost to reproduce this keyboard and the limited amount of sales hurt Moog substantially. The filtering of the well known ADSR "bubbling polyphonic filter effect is to this day, a distinguished studio trademark of vintage 70's analog technology as recognizable for a synth as the wah wah effect is for the guitar.I have sampled and distributed many midi software wave samples to serious, well known studio artists who claim it is a well missed part of their roots. If you own one, take inventory, there aren't many around. It is a Gem and its rareity and historical value give this keyboard tremendous historical & monetary value. I have been made serious dollar amount offers for this keyboard since I do much studio work as an engineer. Beware of people talking this one down... they are usually treasure seeking collectors trying to drive down the open market price on rare antiques so they can steal them away from you!!! This synth is a classic.!!!

This is definately not a mobile keyboard because of the obvious. It is heavy and the elements of heat, cold and humidity, cigarette smoke, effect its performance since each key has a circuit board of its own that eventially needs cleaned. This keyboard has been being scarfed up by hollywood players seeking nostalgic memorobilia. This synth is not roadworthy by any means. It's like a leslie spinning horn cabinet. Too heavy and silly to haul around when its sounds are already part of your modern day sampled keyboard sounds.

I give this keyboard a resounding historical 10. Look at its history and you will see that everybody who was anybody played it from Keith Emersom to Journey to Genesis, Styx, Pink Floyd, Etc.
Today it cannot hold a candle to what's available because of wave technology. It would be like comparing a Ford Model T with a BMW.

Weedy, disappointing, sound. The filters are awful, which is sad when you remember that the VCF is what made Moog famous. fairly easy to edit patches, within the above parameters, I suppose. Moog tried to do too much, too soon.

Its a pivotal instrument (so I keep hearing), and I grudgingly admit it was advanced for its day - I saw one demonstrated in Harrods, London, in 1977 and couldn't believe what I saw - a dream machine that didn't really deliver the goods.

No realistic sounds whatsoever - all thin and weedy. Horrible, unresponsive, keyboard. Feels flimsy, but weighs a ton. Touch response is suspect, and varies from key to key (as does the tone!)

Absolutely unreliable. I unwisely gigged it for some months (after it had been repaired several times) and had to put up with random patch changes and pitch shifts. I've held on to mine for 20 years, so i know what I'm talking about - don't use it live, ever.

Managed to track down a helpful guy in Holland, who took over the spares business from Moog, but no interest from the great man himself.

If it were stolen, I would be grateful (and sympathetic) to the thief - I might also contribute to the cost of having his hernia put right (the thing weighs a ton). I really, seriously, hate it. I was seduced by the dream of owning one in 1980, and parted with a lot of cash to obtain one from a crook who knew damn well that the machine was a turkey and unreliable (it went back within a week of me buying it). For me, it was a seminal lesson in the facts of life. Don't buy one, ever, at any price.

#1 Preset is outstanding when selecting var then lock. setting the attack and L/R release time at the first line. send mix or Bal out thru a nice stereo chorus and... Superb. On the same settings change both 8' pipe settings to 4' and 16' for a wicked Pipe organ sound.

Full Polyphony. How many other synths can make that claim?

The strings are to die for... (If) you know how to appropriately set the attack/release time just right. Preset#1 alone is dry without the attack release time. True adjustable bowed string sound.
unbelievable... There is no other!

maintenance: Before you do anything. Clean all cards (one by one) with a pencil eraser to remove oxidation from the card contacts. restore contacts to shiny appearance then replace. Does it work now?
Replace power supply connectors 3 square pin type w round pin type connectors or solder directly. remove and reapply ample dielectric grease to maintain proper heat dissipation. Voila!

If you like an entire string orchestra in your living room.
If you like full polyphony w/true sympathetic string voicing. There is no comparison. How come nobody knows this?
The polymoog is not dead! Play Mozart's requiem mass (Rex Tremende majestatis) and you will understand. sigh.....

Generally, the presets are pretty cheesy and dry sounding. A little FX processing can fix this up a bit. The control panel can be scary at first, but then it grows on you like on the Mini.

One big advantage is that you never run out of polyphony, the only problem is that the more notes you group the hotter the signal gets, so I recommend using compression to counteract this problem. No effects at all, except maybe the sample and hold feature.

Actually, the hapsichord and organ sounds are probably the most effective for imitation synthesis. The basic tone of this instrument is, in my opinion, very adaptable to most music styles. It's got some sort of velocity sensing which isn't very advanced but it serves it's purpose, no aftertouch.

You definitely cannot depend on it 100% for gigging. It's pretty safe to use it indoors but any gigging musician would have to get a sturdy flightcase for it. I really wouldn't recommend using it on a gig without a backup.

I repaired one main problem on the power supply, which was a faulty buss connection. I solved this by soldering the wires directly onto the power supply board. No other problems since then, besides maybe worn out LED's on the control panel. I went ahead and changed em all.

I don't think anybody would want to steal this thing. It weighs easily over 50 lbs. and the bulk of it would'nt fit in most cars anyways. What I really love about it are the poly-synth. pads you can program into it, they're just uncomparable, that's why I got it in the first place. Who cares about all the little details as long as it performs and sounds better than all the other digital japanese crap that's out there today.