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"The Synton Syrinx is one of the few analog synths to come out of the Netherlands. It's a monophonic lead synth in the same category as the Minimoog, Arp Odyssey, and Roland SH-7. But the Syrinx is pretty rare, only a few hundred were produced from 1983 through 1984.
Description
Pre-MIDI monophonic analog synthesizer with two oscillators, hard- and soft sync, pulse-width modulation, sub-oscillator, ring modulation, noise source, two LFOs, two ADSR envelopes, formant filter, two parallel bandpass filters with separate resonance controls, 44-note keyboard, and unusual pitchbender. A few keyboardless Syrinxes were manufactured during the 1990s.
Produced
May 1982 to 1984.
Approximate Number Manufactured
325 to 350.
Manufacturer
Synton, Breukelen, Holland (no longer doing business).
Insider Information
Synton founder Felix Visser was inspired to design synthesizers after purchasing an EMS Synthi-A that stopped functioning three days after he’d brought it home from London. In the process of repairing it, he analyzed the Synthi-A’s circuitry and thought he could do better. He started Synton in 1973 to materialize his concept of a voltage-controlled synth. . . . Visser was a jazz drummer who began experimenting with electronic music during the late ’60s. He owns an extensive collection of vintage electronic gear and is in the process of opening a museum called the Elektryseum in Holland.
Original Retail Price
$1,095.
Current Value
$4,000 to $6,000."
These look so neat. I've always wondered what that diamond shaped plate with the slot in it is for? Is that the pitch bend? Does it work by touch or pressure?
ReplyDeleteIt's a curious touch-sensitive pitch-bend/modulation pad.
ReplyDeleteYou can read the details in the Syrinx manual here:
http://oldschoolsound5.free.fr/manuels/synton_syrinx_manual.pdf
You can make neat digeridoo sounds by routing the resonant filters to the touch thingy.
ReplyDelete