"Here is a super Rare Keio Synthesizer Traveler pedal. Excellent condition, looks and sounds awesome!"
You can find some previous posts featuring the Keio Traveler F-1 here. Korg was originally known as Keio Gijutsu Kenkyujo Ltd. and later Keio Electronic Laboratories.
Published on Jun 7, 2019 EMEAPP Update: looks like this one was pulled and re-uploaded. It's back now.
"SONIC TEST DRIVE: Unique Pre-KORG KEIO 'Synthesizer Traveler' Pedal featuring fuzz distortion, wah-wah and a freaky pedal-controlled "singing" oscillator demo, from your good friends at the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project. More information at emeapp.org, please consider joining us as a member!"
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
"For your consideration is this vintage Keio Synthesizer Traveler "Singing Geisha" wah/fuzz/synth effects pedal. This particular example, serial number 720147, is in very excellent all original condition. It works perfectly, sounds incredibly interesting, and with some familiarity, it becomes a very expressive and completely unique voice. With 4 separate volume/blend knobs related to different features of the pedal along with a traditional wah-style foot-operated pitch control, and 2 stomp switches, the pedal is actually incredibly versatile. The singing tone is not reminiscent of the "siren" feature of concurrent Shin-Ei units, and as mentioned, the pitch of which can actually be controlled, producing a pleasant theremin-esque synth sound."
I would like to inform you that our founder and chairman Mr. Tsutomu Katoh passed away early this morning (March 15, 2011) after a long fight with cancer.
Since he founded Korg Inc. in 1963, Mr. Katoh has led our company with great talent, vision and leadership. He was loved and respected by all the employees, all Korg family members and made a huge contribution to the lives of countless musicians around the world.
Plans for a memorial service will follow very soon.
I would appreciate your prayers for him and hope he can rest peacefully now.
Another hero lost; one of the first to define the world of synthesis as we know it. The gifts he gave us will always be remembered and will inspire new synth enthusiasts and musicians for decades to come. Tsutomu Katoh-san, you will be missed. Thank you for everything you gave us.
Via Wikipedia: "Founded in 1962 in Japan by Tsutomu Kato and Tadashi Osanai, Korg was originally known as Keio Gijutsu Kenkyujo Ltd." and later "Keio Electronic Laboratories(京王技術研究所?) because its fledgling offices were located near the Keio train line in Tokyo and Keio can be formed by combining the first letters of Kato and Osanai. Before founding the company, Kato ran a nightclub. Osanai, a Tokyo University graduate and noted accordionist, regularly performed at Kato's club accompanied by a Wurlitzer Sideman rhythm machine. Unsatisfied with the rhythm machine, Osanai convinced Kato to finance his efforts to build a better one..." And indeed they did.
Some video of the legacy of instruments he brought us with a rare interview in Part 1 (previously posted):
'The Vintage Synth - Volume 3: Korg' 1-11
YouTube via baward — November 24, 2009 —
"Rare, Japanese-language video from some time in the 1990's, taking the viewer on an odyssey through Korg's many instruments, from Korg's synthesizer museum at its Tokyo headquarters.
Two other videos were produced in this series, 'The Vintage Synth - Volume 1: Moog and 'The Vintage Synth - Volume 2: Roland'"
Part 1: "This clip features an interview with Korg's co-founder Tsutomu Kato and footage of the rare DA-20 Doncamatic drum machine (1963) and an early appearance of Korg's famous 'Traveler' filter control - on an organ! (late 1960's.) More to follow."
Part 2: "This clip features the Korgue organ from 1968, as well as Korg's first synthesizer, the Mini Korg 700 from 1973 (here shown in its expanded 2 oscillator version, 1974's Mini Korg 700S.)"
Part 3: "This clip features the Synthesizer 800DV (1974), Synthesizer 770 (1975), and the PE-1000 (1976)."
Part 4: "This clip features the polyphonic, patchable, part-modular and extremely rare PS-3300 (1978)."
Part 5: "This clip features part one of the MS series (1978-79), focussing on the wall-mounted 'education' MS-20 as well as some other early analogue products."
Part 6: "This clip features the MS-20 and MS-50 synthesizers, VC-10 vocoder and SQ-10 analog sequencer (1978-79) in more detail."
Part 7: "This clip features the Delta strings synthesizer, Trident polyphonic synthesizer, and BX-3 analogue organ (1980-81)."
Part 8: "This clip features the first part of an in-depth look at the Polysix synthesizer from 1981."
Part 9: "This clip features the second part of the Polysix synthesizer feature and the one on the Mono/Poly."
Part 10: "This clip features the Poly-800II and the DW-8000 (1985)"
Part 11: "Computer-control of MS instruments (or is it the 05R module?) with 700S, original Korg Wavedrum, as well series conclusion."
"This unique pedal is one of an early range comprising this, the FK1, the FK2 Mr. Multi and the FK3 expression pedal. It would also be of the same era as the infamous Keio (Korg) Synthesizer Traveler.
The unit is in excellent condition and functions perfectly. It is missing one of the red caps from the 'traveler' slider heads, and there is the odd knock in the paint - apart from that, as you can see in the photos - it's in very tidy condition indeed."
"Good news for all owners and fans of the first Korg synthesizers : 700, 700S and 800DV!"
"Now available replacements for Korg custom chips! http://wutierson.com/en/news/115-keio-replacements Good news for all owners and fans of the first Korg synthesizers : 700, 700S and 800DV! Now available in the store Wutierson replacements for Korg Keio IC TS200011 for the VCO and Keio IC TS201012 for VCF. Inside the old synthesizers we can find a pair of sealed modules at the VCO core and at the VCF "Traveler " which were manufactured by Korg exclusively for those models. The problem came years later when for some reason a module failed and could not get the same part , unless destroying other synthesizer that uses it. Colin Fraser in 2010 did a great job making reverse engineering of each module , so at least, you could start to make a replacement with the right components, to avoid "sacrifice" of other old Korg synthesizers. Colin's work has been a big help to start making these replacement modules . We recommend to visit his website to learn more about their interesting work . http://www.colinfraser.com/ Now it will be much easier to repair one of those lovely synthesizers. Using Wutierson replacements you can avoid spend time with design/making dedicated PCB , avoid spend time looking for the parts, avoid spend time with select/match components to ensure an exact performance like the old IC's. The replacements are ready to install, just unsolder the defect old IC, put and solder the new replacement and continue playing! saving much time in the repair work."
"Korg Micro-Preset M-500 SP Synthesizer. The serial number is 810106, Tokyo Japan, Keio Giken... The front has controls marked Power/Vol., Pitch, Modulation, Attack, Sustain, Vibrato/Travel Vibrato, Repeat/Random Repeat, Portamento, Synthe 1, Synthe 2, Bass, String, Wood, Voice, Traveler, Modulation Depth, Portamento On/Momentary. The back has High-Out-Low with a Phone - Out Jack and Fuse... The original wire music holder is in good shape. There are 25 + pre-set cards (several duplicates) and 2 instruction manuals. It measures 28 5/8" by 9 7/8". "
Bottom Plate reads:
Korg Synthepedal
Model FK-1
AC 117V 50/60 HZ 5 Watts
Serial No. 750802
Manuf. by Keio Electronic Lab.,
Corp. Tokyo, Japan
For: Unicord Incorporated
Westbury, New York
All controls and jacks are located on the top panel:
Input, Output, Remote
Expand: Threshold, Max
Bright, Balance (direct/effect mix),
Manual/Remote switch
2 "Traveler" faders
Power lamp
On/Volume knob
There is no "bypass" switch, the unit is either on or off."
Click here for shots via this auction. Be sure to check them out full size. These are some nice shots.
"This Synthesizer is one of the first monophonic keyboards from the early 70's. It was made by Keio Electronic Laboratories (KORG) and was distributed in the United States by Unicord under the Univox name. This is a 3 octave keyboard, single oscillator unit with controls for volume, attack, percussion, depth, wave shape, chorus, in addition to switches for expand, bright, sustain, bender, and repeat. There are additional controls for the repeat circuit, the vibrato, depth and speed, and the portamento as well as overall pitch. There is also a modulator called traveler with 2 slide controls. The rear panel has 2 outputs designated low and high, and the power cord tucks away behind a panel on the rear of the unit."
"Although it was Keio Electronic Laboratories' first foray into additive electronic music synthesis, the Korg 700's design and engineering contained may innovative features, such as the low-pass/high-pass filter section with associated 'Traveler' controls, chorus settings, very stable tuning and novel envelope controls. Despite its compact design and uncluttered under-keyboard console layout, the 700 includes no less than three low frequency oscillators, one for vibrato, another for chorus and a third one to drive the repeat envelope feature..."
A letter via Seiki Kato, President of KORG Inc.
All controls and jacks are located on the top panel:
"Although it was Keio Electronic Laboratories' first foray into additive electronic music synthesis, the Korg 700's design and engineering contained may innovative features, such as the low-pass/high-pass filter section with associated 'Traveler' controls, chorus settings, very stable tuning and novel envelope controls. Despite its compact design and uncluttered under-keyboard console layout, the 700 includes no less than three low frequency oscillators, one for vibrato, another for chorus and a third one to drive the repeat envelope feature..."
