I would really suggest that you don’t gig it all and get something newer/cheaper/lighter and more durable if you want it to last. If you have to gig with it, needless to say be careful.
You’re confirming then that along with a few downsides it’s something special that most will never hear-fairly rare.
Chroma link:
http://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=2005&month=04
I’ll be very careful, like with all my gears 
. The trouble with only getting the fine china out for special occasions is isn’t always easy to tell whether an occasion is special or not. If it breaks, then it will be. The trouble is that they don’t make 'em like they used to, so “something newer/cheaper/lighter and more durable” doesn’t quite cut it sadly. Peace.
Sorry to but-in to this great Chroma discussion; But I was wondering if any of you Chroma players have ever played the Chroma Polaris?
I’ve been reading more about them lately and they seem like a great and undervalued synth. From what I understand, they use much of the same circuitry as the Chroma (minus alot of the modulation routing I expect), only they have sliders and pretty good Midi implemention! Plus they seem to still be very reasonably priced on the second hand market.
Is this all too good to be true?
Any opinions?
I never had the chance to play a Chroma next to a Polaris.
But my memory tells me, the Polaris was way better sounding. Where “better” means more special character. the Chroma got way more features, but got a overall sound that is to cold to me.
Maybe due to the very different Curtis analog chips used:
Chroma
8 CEM3350 Dual VCF
8 CEM3360 Dual VCA (some versions have 9)Polaris
6 CEM3374 Dual VCO
6 CEM3372 uP Signal Processor - CEM3372 Filter/Mix/VCA
Source: http://www.sequencer.de/specials/synthesizer_chip.html
(one of the best german synth sites)
But anyway, isn’t this a Moog Forum? 
Very likely the Chroma sounds better, warmer and is clearly capable of more complex programming, aside from the better keyboard/expressivity. The Polaris sounded good not great; I never forgave them from excluding unison though.
For me, I’d never gig a vintage synth. I’d rather find something new that sounds different but still fairly good rather than taking the risk of moving and aging something old. Of course some will put playing the real deal ahead of those concerns it’s just a matter of priority. Another option would be to gig with a second one; with many of the older synths having a second one that can one day be used for parts when necessary’s not a bad idea.
These were the days before fat was written “phat”
Today way to much users are asking for stacking dozens of weak sawtooth waves. And the companies deliver the feature. In the old days and at Moog still today they prefered the full sound by doing the right rich sound per voice, not per numbers of voices stacked.
Why not use a monosynth wih the right sound if the poly synth is to weak without being used in unison mode?
Given that most 70s-80s analog polys had unison, it was unacceptable that the Polaris didn’t-leave out some other lesser feature.
I have had a POLARIS and CHROMA together . . . personally I think the Chroma sounds much richer and far more organic with all the different modulation routes. The POLARIS has a hands-on feel which the Chroma can’t compete with but the sounds of the POLARIS just don’t match up . . it’s too crass. I guess it’s a little like a Jupiter 8 and a Juno 106 side by side, both by the same manufacturer but one severely limited in the sound engine.
Regarding Chroma upkeep… I think I would gig my Chromas, once you get to understand them they are actually quite reliable. Most likely to go is the PSU so the first thing you do is have that rebuilt and then it’s just a matter of changing some 40XX chips every now and again. If the Curtis stuff goes pop then you might be in trouble but this is the same for any of the old analogs . . . and even some new ones! (Evolvers).
I just sold my Spandau Ballet Chroma… It was the one used to record “True” and used at the Live Aid gig… it is in great condition after several years of hard gigging.
A few years back I bought a couple of Alesis IONs to gig with, thinking they could replace the sound of my analog set-up but in the end I went back to the old stuff (not gigging anymore).
Mal
That’s a good analogy-the Polaris was a solid but not great synth, just like the Junos.
Here’s a cool video of Herbie Hancock on “saturday night live” playing a Chroma"