Polymoog
Unleashed
In
late 1975, the Polymoog finally left the drawing board and
began rolling off the production line at Cheektowaga with the first models shipping at the beginning
of 1976. The machine now sported a full 71 key, E to D, 6
octave velocity sensitive Pratt & Read weighted keyboard.
This could be split in 2 ways (upper and lower). It had 8
presets or "modes" in Moogspeak, (String, Piano,
Organ, Harpsi, Funk, Clav, Vibes and Brass) and there was
also "Var". This "variation" mode opened
up the true synthesizer potential of the Polymoog which was
designed so that the user would take one of the presets as
a starting point and then modify it. The machine also came
with a pitch controller ribbon, an extensive filter modulation
section, (which allowed self oscillation from its own LFO)
a three band equaliser section, volume control for each of
the 3 keyboard sections, envelopes with variable keyboard
tracking and the VCF had a sample and hold mode.
This
description of the Polymoog sound architecture is admittedly
brief but it is covered in much more detail later.
|
|
|
|
The Polymoog also came with and optional Polypedal (Model 285a) unit.
Not to be confused with the Taurus pedal, developed for the
"Constellation" concept, the Polypedal was not another
synthesizer. It could best be described as the heftiest foot
pedal on the planet, but its function was as a performance
controller for the main synth. The Polypedal had two main
pedals; the left pedal controlled the pitch or filter (upward
VCF sweep and/or pitch bend, selected by two central push
buttons) whilst the right pedal controlled swell (volume).
Two smaller silver pedals controlled the trigger mode (single
or multi) and sustain. The remaining central push
|
|
|