MATRIXSYNTH: Vintage Steiner Parker Synthacon


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Vintage Steiner Parker Synthacon


via this auction

"The year, 1971, 16 years old from Japan, on a trip to NYC.Walk into Manny's Music in Manhattan. Excited that I'm getting my first "real" guitar, a new Gibson Les Paul Deluxe ( still have it!! finish is cracking nicely!!). Strange keyboard with a ton of switches catches my eye. Way cooler than the Mini-Moog I had seen before. My Dad, being cool that he is, urges me to check it out. Makes all kinds of weird noises. Gotta have it!!! Wow everybody back home, groove to Walter Carlos, pre Wendy, Morton Subotnick, etc. Awesome tones and crashes when I intertwine the oscillators, envelope generators, VC filters. Many a stoned headphone journeys taken. 2010, Synth hasn't seen the light of day in 30 years, packed away the whole time. Plug it in, move around the oscillators, and BAM, wacka-wacka memories!!!!!! I have no use for it now.But I know that it'll make someone's fantasy come true!!! The workout.... Every switch works, every knob works, every key works in tune ( all keys are uniformly stiff. they will need to be re-conditioned.. felt?) As you can see, no dings, a little dusty. This machine has never been played outside. Never been onstage like my Paul. Just in great condition for its age. Let me know how you would like it wrapped for shipment. Merry Christmas!!!!"

Update via Micke in the comments: "The Synthacon first appeared in 1975 so there's no way the seller could've bought it back in 1971. It's obviosly a typo.

Much more interesting than DM's use of this synthesizer is, in my opinion, its use on the Apocalypse Now soundtrack (1979). The Steiner EVI, synthasystem modular and double-synthacon are all over the score."

4 comments:

  1. These can rip your face off. Great synth. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Q: Hi, would you do a $750 Buy It Now for it?" (Facepalm)

    Depeche used this on Sounds of the Universe. In one of the interviews included on the album's box set, Martin talks about his growing synth collection for use on the album. He gives the impression that this is one of the units he's most excited about. Wish I had an extra 4Gs laying around...

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Synthacon first appeared in 1975 so there's no way the seller could've bought it back in 1971. It's obviosly a typo.

    Much more interesting than DM's use of this synthesizer is, in my opinion, its use on the Apocalypse Now soundtrack (1979). The Steiner EVI, synthasystem modular and double-synthacon are all over the score.

    ReplyDelete

To reduce spam, comments for posts older than one week are not displayed until approved, usually same day. Do not insult people. For items for sale, do not ask if it is still available. Check the auction link and search for the item. Auctions are from various sellers and expire over time. Posts remain for the pics and historical purposes. This site is meant to be a daily snapshot of some of what was out there in the world of synths.

PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE HOME


Patch n Tweak
Switched On Make Synthesizer Evolution Vintage Synthesizers Creating Sound Fundlementals of Synthesizer Programming Kraftwerk

© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH