Moog Memorymoog (1982–1985)

Name: Moog Memorymoog
Brand: Moog

A six-voice analog titan with three oscillators per voice, born too late for the golden age but too powerful to be forgotten.

Overview

The Moog Memorymoog wasn’t just a synthesizer—it was a declaration. In 1982, when the music world was pivoting hard toward the clean, cold precision of digital synthesis, Moog Music doubled down on analog purity with a 70-pound behemoth that spat thunder and soaked in warmth. With six voices, each armed with three discrete oscillators and a genuine Moog ladder filter, the Memorymoog delivered a sonic density that few polyphonic synths—then or now—could match. This wasn’t a machine for the faint of wrist; it was for composers who wanted to score apocalypses, build cathedral-sized pads, or make basslines that liquefied concrete.

Despite its astronomical $9,800 launch price (over $30,000 in today’s money), the Memorymoog found its way into elite studios and the hands of sonic pioneers. Film composer Gary Chang used it on Blade Runner-adjacent projects for its eerie, breathing textures. Adrian Belew of King Crimson praised its chaotic edge for guitar-like synth leads. It wasn’t just a tool—it was a collaborator, unpredictable and temperamental, but capable of moments of transcendent beauty. With programmable memory storing 100 patches across 10 banks, it offered unprecedented recall for a Moog, finally dragging the brand into the era of patch preservation without sacrificing the hands-on, cable-free immediacy that analog purists demanded.

Specifications

Voices	6
Oscillators per Voice	3
Waveforms	sawtooth, square/pulse, triangle
Filters	Moog ladder filter (24dB/octave low-pass per voice)
Filter Frequency Range	10 Hz - 20 kHz
Envelope Generators	3 per voice (ADSR for filter, amplifier, modulation)
LFO	1 per voice (triangle, square, random/s&h, sample & hold)
Keyboard	64 keys (touch-sensitive, aftertouch capable)
Aftertouch	Yes (mono aftertouch)
Memory	100 programmable patches (10 banks of 10)
Pitch Bend Range	±2 octaves
Modulation Wheel	Yes
Audio Outputs	1 x 1/4" (unbalanced)
Audio Inputs	1 x 1/4" (external audio input per voice)
CV/Gate	Yes (multiple CV in/out, Gate in/out, Sync in/out)
MIDI	No (pre-MIDI standard)
Power Requirement	120 VAC, 60 Hz, 120 watts
Dimensions	38.5" x 15.5" x 5.5" (97.8 x 39.4 x 14 cm)
Weight	70 lbs (31.8 kg)
Country of Manufacture	United States
Original MSRP	$9,800 (1982)

Key Features

Six Voices, Three Oscillators Each: Unlike most polyphonic synths of the era (including Moog’s own Polymoog), the Memorymoog gave each voice three independent analog oscillators. That’s 18 oscillators in total—more than some modular systems. This allowed for absurdly thick unison patches, detuned chorusing, and complex harmonic layering that could fill an entire frequency spectrum with one chord.
Per-Voice Moog Ladder Filters: Each voice had its own discrete 24dB/octave low-pass filter, the legendary Moog ladder design known for its smooth resonance and creamy saturation. This wasn’t a shared filter bus like on some polysynths—it meant every note could be dynamically shaped independently, preserving clarity even in dense chords.
Programmable Memory with Full Parameter Control: With 100 user-programmable patches stored in 10 banks of 10, the Memorymoog was Moog’s first polyphonic synth to offer comprehensive patch memory. Every parameter—from oscillator tuning to envelope timing—was recallable. This was revolutionary for live performance and studio repeatability, finally bringing Moog into the modern era without sacrificing analog integrity.
External Audio Input per Voice: A rare and powerful feature: each of the six voices had its own 1/4" input, allowing external signals (like a guitar or drum machine) to be routed through the Moog ladder filter and envelope. This turned the Memorymoog into a six-voice analog processor, capable of filtering six different external sources simultaneously—a feature still rare today.
Touch-Sensitive Keyboard with Aftertouch: The 64-note keyboard wasn’t just velocity-capable (a rarity in 1982); it also supported mono aftertouch, letting players modulate parameters like filter cutoff or vibrato by pressing harder after striking a key. Combined with the modulation wheel, this gave expressive control that rivaled high-end keyboards years ahead of their time.

Historical Context

The Memorymoog arrived in 1982 like a steam locomotive at an electric car show. The synth world was shifting rapidly: Yamaha had just released the Yamaha DX7, a digital FM synth that could store 32 patches, weighed half as much, cost less than half the price, and didn’t require a forklift to move. It sold over 200,000 units. Meanwhile, the Memorymoog was hand-built in Buffalo, New York, with point-to-point wiring and discrete components—artisanal in an age turning industrial.

It was the spiritual successor to the Polymoog (1975–1980), but where the Polymoog was quirky and unreliable (famously used by Parliament-Funkadelic for its unstable, warbly charm), the Memorymoog was engineered for stability and precision. Yet it still carried Moog’s DNA: fat bass, singing leads, and a filter that felt alive. It competed directly with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, which had already proven that programmable analog polysynths could succeed. But where the Prophet-5 had two oscillators per voice, the Memorymoog had three—making it sonically denser, if less nimble.

In 1985, a final revision emerged: the Memorymoog+. It added MIDI, improved the power supply, and fixed some of the reliability issues that plagued early units. But by then, the analog era was effectively over. Moog Music filed for bankruptcy in 1987, and the Memorymoog became the last true polyphonic analog synth from the original company—a swan song in a minor key.

Collectibility & Value

Today, the Memorymoog is a very high desirability item, with working units trading between $15,000 and $25,000 in 2025. Its rarity stems from low production numbers (fewer than 1,000 units estimated), high failure rates over time, and the sheer impracticality of its design. Finding one that powers on reliably is an event. The biggest red flags? Capacitor leakage and power supply failures—common in units that sat for decades. The original power supply used selenium rectifiers, which degrade into toxic goo. A proper restoration almost always includes a full recapping and modern power supply retrofit.

Keyboard issues are equally notorious. The touch-sensitive keybed, while innovative, relies on fragile carbon contacts that wear out or oxidize. Aftertouch often fails silently, and cleaning the contacts requires a full disassembly—a 12-hour job. When buying, insist on a unit with verified, stable tuning across all 18 oscillators (drift of more than ±20 cents is a red flag) and confirmed aftertouch functionality. Units with the Memorymoog+ MIDI retrofit are more usable in modern setups but may be less desirable to purists. Still, for those who crave the ultimate in analog polyphonic power—the sound of six Moog voices roaring in unison—the Memorymoog remains worth every penny, pound, and back injury.