Anyone want to hear what a Moog Apollo sounds like. I believe this is the only working one in existence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LDVVl8nDMQ
Chris
Thanks for documenting and posting this, Chris.
Eric
Rhythmicons
Here’s that big modular he had onstage in action…
It sounds like a harpsichord… Is it sort of a polyphonic preset synth, like Polymoog?
If I remember correctly, and my memory is not what it used to be, the Apollo was the prototype for the Polymoog. It was to be part of the Constellation, made up of the Apollo, Lyra (a one voice synth that sat on top of the Apollo), and Taurus pedals. Together, it would have been the most expensive multi function synth of its time, and possibly ours for that matter…
aaaand the guy just wanted it for the harpsichord sound. What a waste of a good synthesizer.
I sure liked what he was doing on the Voyager, though. Nice, creamy lead sound.
He did some other stuff with it too. That’s just the part I caught on video.
There were three prototype Apollos.
The first was the 49 key version which appeared on ELP’s BSS album and toured with the group:
Two other Apollos which are prototypes for the preset 280A Polymoog (the one with the “Vox Humana” preset made famous by Gary Numan) were also built.
There is only one functioning Apollo remaining, that is the one that Zon used. The original prototype had been scavenged for parts, there are no schematics for it whatsoever, and may never breathe life again.