Overview
The Polymoog, released in 1975, was Moog's first polyphonic synthesizer and one of the first commercially available polyphonic keyboards ever made. This ambitious instrument used a divide-down oscillator architecture to achieve 71-note polyphony, allowing full keyboard chords.
The Polymoog featured preset sounds including strings, piano, organ, and synthesizer voices, along with limited editing capabilities. The instrument's most famous sound—the Vox Humana preset—became instantly recognizable through Gary Numan's "Cars" and other new wave hits.
Despite its innovation, the Polymoog suffered from reliability issues and high manufacturing costs. Production ended in 1980 after approximately 3,000 units were made. The Polymoog remains historically significant as an early attempt at polyphonic synthesis.