Back in 1980, this synth arrived as Moog's straightforward take on polyphonic performance, blending the warmth of analog strings, punchy brass, and drawbar-style organ into one compact package—perfect for players who wanted instant lushness without patch-hunting complexity.
Its 49-key keyboard spans four octaves from C to C, with a pitch wheel for plus-or-minus a perfect fifth and master tune control up top. Color-coded sections—red for strings (sawtooth waveforms at 8' and 4' footages), yellow for organ (square wave with individual levels for 16', 8', 4', 2', and 1' drawbars), and green for brass (sawtooth at 16', 8', and 4')—let you mix levels, pan each left/right in stereo, and shape with dedicated sliders for attack, decay, release, filter cutoff, resonance, and contour on the brass and strings. Two classic 24dB/octave Moog ladder filters (one per section, with low-pass, high-pass, bandpass options) plus an on-board chorus add depth, while the articulator handles VCA envelope modes for note overlap or retriggering. Rear panel offers stereo outs, mono out, and sustain pedal input, all in a charming black panel with knobs and sliders that's surprisingly intuitive once you dial in.
Vintage hunters love its fat, evocative tones—strings evoke Solina vibes with chorus on, brass hits like a polyphonic MG-1, and the organ adds foundational heft—earning nods from acts like Kraftwerk and Stereolab. Sure, true polyphony limits to about three voices across sections, but that raw Moog character keeps it a sought-after relic today.
