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Synths & drum machines

Multimoog

Moog · 1978

The Multimoog trades Minimoog reliability for aftertouch and routing—then demands you earn every note.

Worth your time?3.5/5Yes.Use the whole thing.What works, what does not, who it is for ↓
7:57in productionCh. 1 · Monophonic by design/ 7:57 · ceiling 15 min
4 chapters · 7:57Ceiling 15:00

The brief is written and checked. The video joins this page when it is cut.4 chapters · 1 min read · 7:57 planned

Read the brief

The Multimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer built by Moog Music from 1978 to 1981. Derived from the Micromoog, it adds a second circuit board to deliver aftertouch and expanded modulation routing—features missing from the Minimoog. It was intended as a less expensive alternative to that flagship instrument. It does not store patches. It drifts. It demands attention. But it gives aftertouch control over filter, pitch and amplitude in real time—rare in 1978.

Synths & drum machinesSynthesisThe seventiesHardwareSynthesis across the network →
Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 0:48
    Monophonic by design

    It is monophonic and fully analog—no digital components, no polyphony, no compromise on signal path.

  2. 2:03
    Micromoog plus

    It shares the Micromoog’s core board—but adds a second board to expand modulation and add aftertouch.

  3. 3:20
    Aftertouch first

    Aftertouch was rare in 1978—and absent in the Minimoog—yet here it is, wired directly into the modulation matrix.

  4. 4:36
    Less expensive, not lesser

    It was built to undercut the Minimoog—not replace it—so it keeps its voice architecture but adds what the Minimoog lacks.

1 more chapterFewer chapters
Worth your time?

Yes. Use the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • audio/instruments
  • audio/sound-design-and-sampling
  • audio/studio-craft
What does not
  • audio/daws-and-software
  • audio/dj-gear
  • audio/effects-and-pedals
  • audio/guitars-and-amps
Use it if
  • audio/synths-and-drum-machines
  • audio/keyboards-and-organs
  • audio/studio-and-recording
Skip it if
  • audio/headphones-and-hi-fi
  • audio/microphones-and-preamps
  • audio/mixing-and-mastering
Who should use it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief1 min read

What it is and what it was built for

The Multimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer built by Moog Music from 1978 to 1981. It was derived from the Micromoog circuit board, with added circuitry, to serve as a less expensive alternative to the Minimoog.

How it works, in terms a player would use

It routes modulation from LFOs, envelope generators and keyboard tracking to oscillator pitch, filter cutoff and amplifier level. It has dedicated aftertouch sensing on the keyboard, sending voltage to any destination the player selects.

What it does better than anything else

It gives more real-time control over modulation destinations than the Minimoog—especially via aftertouch—while staying fully analog and monophonic.

What it does badly

It drifts in pitch and tuning across sessions. It offers no memory for patches. Its build quality is inconsistent: some units fail early, others hold up.

What people made with it

Players used it for lead lines, basses and expressive solos where aftertouch added articulation—particularly in live progressive and synth-pop contexts of the late 1970s.

Who should use it, and who should not

A player who values tactile, immediate modulation routing and aftertouch on an analog monosynth—and who accepts manual retuning, no patch memory, and variable reliability—should use it. Anyone needing recall, polyphony or studio stability should not.

Is it worth your time

Yes—if you want monophonic analog expression with hands-on routing and do not need polyphony, presets or stability beyond a few minutes of warm-up.

Same bench · Synths & drum machines4 of 241
9:00
Roland System 700Roland · 1976The Roland System 700 is a professional monophonic modular synthesizer released in 1976 by Roland Corporation.
8:49
PolymoogMoog · 1975The Polymoog is a 1975 Moog keyboard that gives unlimited polyphony through divide-down oscillator architecture — but sacrifices per-voice synthesis, programmability, and filter control entirely.
9:26
Yamaha CS-60YamahaThe Yamaha CS-60 is a polyphonic analog synthesizer released in 1977. It is smaller and cheaper than the CS-80. It lacks polyphonic aftertouch.
8:55
MicromoogMoog · 1975The Micromoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer produced by Moog Music from 1975 to 1979. Designed as a scaled-down, lower-priced alternative to the Minimoog, it was intended for musicians new to synthesis who could not afford the $1,500 Minimoog. Priced at $650–$800, it features a single VCO with variable waveshape from sawtooth to pulse, sub-octave generation one or two octaves below the fundamental, a −24dB per octave low-pass filter with its own envelope generator and VCO frequency modulation capability, a voltage-controlled amplifier with its own envelope generator, and two A(S)R envelope generators with switchable sustain — a design choice that distinguishes it from most budget synths of the era which used a single ADSR. It includes Moog Open System control inputs, an audio input for external signal processing, and uses 0.95V/oct CV scaling. It was designed by Moog engineer Jim Scott in consultation with Tom Rhea, with electronic refinement input from David Luce and Robert Moog.
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