The video says it all ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qlUFKFHNIU
Well they did get the correct Polymoog Keyboard version (can’t program it like the Polymoog Synthesizer but it does have the Vox Humana preset needed for “Cars” and only found on the Keyboard version).
On the other hand I couldn’t really hear anything different when Gary was playing the Polymoog versus when he wasn’t.
Trent Reznor played the opening. Probably a polymoog sample one would guess. But Gary played the Polymoog at the end. I can’t get that song out of my head now. It has some hook!
Since the part was played without the Polymoog at all, I’m just going to assume that Gary was only pretending to play it at the end. If you’re going to go to the effort of having a Polymoog in a live setting, there is absolutely NO reason not to use it for the ostensible reason that it is present. Unless it doesn’t work, or you’re not willing to trust actually using it on stage.
Thats just not Right. He faked it.. He Moog synched it
Well best not to assume then isn’t it? I personally know the guy who helped set it up. Here’s a thread from back when it happened, which shows him setting up the Polymoog:
http://dubsounds.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=genchat&action=display&thread=2259
Shaun:
“I can guarantee the Poly was on and working. Fucking hell… you could hear it… how sweet did it sound? The NIN people were raving about it. Someone even said Numan wasn’t singing either… these people are bonkers!”
Thank you very much my friend, I was on that site the other day and saw the pictures of its beautiful restoration. Vindication?
Great sound indeed, people never mean the polymoogs when they talk about “that moog sound”, yet nothing seems more immediately identifyable than that preset.
I still feel a little annoyed with myself that I finally tracked down and bought a polymoog synthesizer in the 90s to get that sound, and it’s not there. But only a bit (although always worse just after I hear it).
It’s frightening just how much info we can get now compared to the pre-internet days - I never ever turned down a polymoog keyboard to be fair, but always assumed the sound HAD to be from the bigger sister of the two.
So, let me get this straight: The video plainly shows the Polymoog at the time when the Polymoog is playing… and there is no one playing it. Maybe I’m just too literal, but I would think it’d be quite difficult to insist that the Polymoog was actually being played when we see it isn’t. Was there another, perhaps secret and hidden, Polymoog on the stage that we can’t see at that point? Because there’s nothing so safe and reliable as TWO Polymoogs in a live setting.
Great sound indeed, people never mean the polymoogs when they talk about “that moog sound”, yet nothing seems more immediately identifyable than that preset.
That’s because the term “The Moog Sound” was coined specifically in reference to the modular systems, and to a lesser degree the Minimoog. After that, no Moog actually really had what had originally been described as “The Moog Sound,” or at least, not as much as the devices which led to the coining of the term. The Polymoog probably least of all (although the original version of the Sonic Six places a close second), because divide-down synthesizers have a different sort of oscillator than monophonic or limited-voice polyphonic. The oscillators in divide-down synths are more pitch-stable and tend to be a bit cold as a result.
Like any term, the internet has blurred the definition into such subjectivity that it’s almost pointless to reference.
Hhmm, OK, my friend is obviously a liar. He was just at the gig and also happened to set up the Polys.
That’s because the term “The Moog Sound” was coined specifically in reference to the modular systems, and to a lesser degree the Minimoog. After that, no Moog actually really had what had originally been described as “The Moog Sound,” or at least, not as much as the devices which led to the coining of the term. The Polymoog probably least of all (although the original version of the Sonic Six places a close second), because divide-down synthesizers have a different sort of oscillator than monophonic or limited-voice polyphonic. The oscillators in divide-down synths are more pitch-stable and tend to be a bit cold as a result.
Like any term, the internet has blurred the definition into such subjectivity that it’s almost pointless to reference.
Whoops, I kinda knew that and meant some level of irony 
If I’ve accidentaly interupted an argument I apologise.
I didn’t mean that I like the vox humana better than something I get from my minimoog or my voyager or even my andromeda or my modern modulars (or old modulars).
I just meant I can recognise that sound quicker, and can’t reproduce it.
Oh yeah, and that since the internet I have a better idea of which Polymoog played the sound I fell in love with at 15.
That was all I meant.
I posted that video to show how good the polymoog or polymoog keyboard sounded live, For you fact checkers, I did not review the video for exact authenticity. However, for a few of you out there, I may have to spend hours to review these such videos in the future…and you know who you are. By the way, I’m old enough to have seen the polymoog used live in the 70’s with multiple artists. In fact, I saw YES at Madison Square Garden, 3 nights in a row, in the summer of 1977; Going for the One Tour, and, not one polymoog failure. I like to look at things with the glass half full. Regards, Rob
I think perhaps the Poly’s reliability reputation was damaged by the first release - wasn’t there a recall and modification to the design. This would obviously be damaging to perception. There’s a lot of components in there to go wrong and the boards moved a bit with gigging - but you can just re-seat those. I think in a studio/home environment they are perfectly fine.
And, oh, that YouTube video is the official NIN HD video, so that is a complete remix of the live sound - and you know how live music gets remixed (and often replayed) to make it sound better. But I’ll take the word of a complete internet stranger who wasn’t at the gig over a friend who was there and even soundchecked them himself (there were three Polys). 
Am I the only one to notice the Little Phatty on the right of the stage? 
I did notice as it happens - it wasn’t getting much love from Numan though. 
First and foremost… look at the video. The first time you hear the Polymoog riff, the Polymoog is shown. It is not being played. You don’t need an “internet stranger” to recognize this fact. It’s not trickery, it’s not one person’s word over another. Look at the video. First time you hear that traditional Polymoog sound? NO ONE IS PLAYING THE POLYMOOG. It has nothing to do with your friend, me, NIN, or Numan. No one is playing the Polymoog the first time we see it, despite the fact that this trademark sound is being heard. I don’t know how many different ways I can say this same thing. I understand your trust in your friend, and believe me… as an analog synth player who has worked very hard to play ONLY analog synths on stage, I would like VERY much to believe that Trent was cool enough to tote around a Polymoog and use it live. However, the inescapable and unquestionable fact is: that thing I keep saying over and over.
Now, if there was more than one Polymoog on stage, and a DIFFERENT Polymoog, out of the shot, was being played… then I humbly rescind my statements.
As for the durability of the Polymoog: Yes, the internet is rife with stories about how fragile various analog synths are, how hard they are to tune, etc. etc., and a lot of that is bullshit. The Polymoog is not particularly fragile if it’s been serviced… it’s just fragile when it’s moved due to the complexity and subsequent weight. It is a labor of love to take a Polymoog on tour, and it would just be particularly lame if this was done as a set dressing instead of a tribute to a great time and sound.
P.S. I’m not a stranger. I’ve been around here awhile. 
Thank you, Kevin. That was perfect! We can move on now.
I apologize in advance to anyone that already knows this, but to all others, I am disappointed that you couldn’t tell the difference between the ultra clear, sterile, and too perfect sample at the beginning from the warm, rough, little muddy but awesome authentic vox humana from the real polymoog. Shows some of you guys are analog poseurs who don’t care about the sound of analog, but are just gear junkies who can’t tell the difference. Not singling anyone out, but we all know these guys exist.
According to my “analog poseur” ear, the only discernible difference between the instances of the “Polymoog” is that the second couple of instances are slightly louder. While the notion that you could discern the subtle and delightful analog aspects in the midst of a messy and loud live mix is certainly possible, the “this is so obvious” tone which your post employs is condescending at best, and ridiculous in general.
I examined the video again and found a few things which make it seem like it’s possible that Gary might be playing the high line of the Polymoog part in the second two instances (primarily because of two things: 1. There is a point where Trent, if he was playing the high line, picked up a tambourine rather shockingly fast with his right hand for having just finished the melody. Not impossible, but suggestive. 2. There’s a part where we can see Gary playing in the foreground, and Trent is playing in the background- his placement in regard to the keyboard suggests that he is likely just playing the lower part). However, if you watch Gary and Trent, you can plainly see that Gary (if he’s playing any of it) is not playing both lines of the Polymoog part. Look at his fingers. The lower line (which should be quite distinguishable to such a discerning ear as yours… because it features the resonator effect for which the Polymoog and PS-3100 are famous) is quite distinctly played by Trent.
At best, there is still needless Polymoog fakery going on. From a logical standpoint, it’s inarguable that this is a “let’s make sure we get Gary playing the trademark synth for the trademark sound” situation, instead of “Gary is going to play the Polymoog for this song” situation. Does it matter? Probably not. It’s just sad for some of us “analog poseurs” who really like it when analog synths are used in live settings… and the thought of Gary playing his own Polymoog part is just really cool.