A 6-voice
polyphonic analog synthesizer with a 61-note
keyboard, designed by
Rich Walborn and
Ray Caster. 3500 units manufactured between
1982 and
1985.
The initial version is also known as
model 345A.
Featurewise, the MemoryMoog could be described as 6 MiniMoogs in one with expanded features. Some of the circuitry is different, however: the synth uses CEM chips instead of Moog's own units for some functions.
The MemoryMoog features 3 CEM 3340 VCOs per voice, adding up to a whopping 18 oscillators (plus one as the LFO). Available waveforms are sawtooth, pulse and triangle. VCO1 and VCO2 are syncable, and VCO3 can be used as an LFO for the two other oscs. A pink noise generator is included.
Each voice has its own 24dB/octave low-pass VCF with its own CEM 3310 ADSR envelope generator. The filter itself isn't a CEM chip but the patented ladder design by Moog, and it is equipped with variable keyboard tracking.
The aforementioned separated LFO is switchable between sine, pulse, triangle, square and sample/hold. 26 CEM 3360 dual VCAs with fast ADSR envelopes are used as amplifiers.
Internal memory is available, and can hold up to 100 user patches. The keyboard isn't velocity sensitive, but can be set to unison mode for an ultra-thick 18-VCO monophonic sound. CV/gate and S-Trig interfaces are included for external control.
The MemoryMoog is notoriously unreliable - 1/4 of the first batch was sent back to the manufacturer. There were several revisions fixing a majority of the problems (which included everything from unstable tuning to power supply flaws), but Moog Music went bankrupt before the MemoryMoog became a "finished" product. Later on, companies like Lintronics and Bob Moog's Big Briar have released third party upgrades which include simple MIDI implementation among other things.
Famous users include David Bowie, Herbie Hancock, Jan Hammer, Chris Franke, 808 State and Trent Reznor.
back to Moog