Beer Bottle on an EMS Synthi 100

Synthesis - EMS Synthi 100 - Köhn

Published on Mar 20, 2014 Dach ligt·7 videos

Kunstenfestival Tumult ism Icarus Records & IPEM
19/03/2014
Gravensteen
Gent

Update: video the set above in via phant in the comments. Original post follows:

The following is in via D' Naab 136. I have no way of verifying any of this, however, I have no reason to disbelieve it, unless these pics were somehow photoshopped. If anyone else was there, feel free to comment.

via D' Naab 136:

"Yesterday I witnessed some of the saddest stuff I've ever seen in my life. For an art exhibition going on in my hometown, they moved the EMS Synthi 100 belonging to IPEM at Ghent university to Gravensteen (a mideval castle) and let some 'artists' 'perform' live on it. I've known about this Synthi 100 for many years and even tried to buy it at some point from the university, because at that time it was in very poor condition and basically rotting away in a backroom somewhere. So, I was quite delighted to hear that it was somewhat restored and operational again. Also the idea of actually using it again and putting it on stage was just brilliant.

As you know, the sonic potential of the Synthi 100 is of galactic proportions: 9 VCO's, 8 VCF's, 3 LFO's, noise generators, ring modulators, spring reverbs, frequency to voltage converters, ... you name it, it has more than one of it. All of it interconnectable with two 64 by 64 matrix patch panels. One for signals and one for control voltages.

If there is one synthesizer in the world that allows for utterly mad complex modulations, earth shaking unison violence, insane self sequencing patches,... it's this one.

Of course I wanted to see these performances.

But, what I saw and heard was just sad... really sad. At first the Synthi 100 was not used at all, just standing there (talked to one of the organizers and he kept insisting I was hearing the Synthi 100 until he realized he could not bull*%#$ me and then told the machine needed some rest and was going to be used later. Read: more bull*%#$). When it was actually used, none of it went beyond some random (See the included pics of allmost empty patch panels) bleeps and bloops. Level: 3 year old on a Korg monotron. With a grand finale of some dude ranting a poem about the machine not being user friendly (I consider it as one of the most brilliantly laid out synths ever).

Much to my disgust, all 'acts' had one thing in common: They all put their beer on top of the EMS Synthi 100. Of which only 33 were ever made, just a handfull is still operational and which is now worth over 50000 EUR.

I see this like handling a Stradivarius after taking apart the engine of your car without washing your hands."