Rare AMSTARD CKX100 Glitch Synthesizer By Dave Squidfanny

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"The Amstrad CKX100 is a rare digital artefact from the late 1980's made by home computer manufacturers Amstard. It has a distinctive lo-fi sound and uses WAVETABLE synthesis to produce a warm, pleasing and ultra-harmonic sound which is quirky and very unique.

The CKX100 has grainy Digital Drums with preset Rhythms & Accompanyment, Electronic Sounding Instruments & Lush Chord with some very useful 'Computer Aided Harmony' Features (similar to the OMNICHORD).

In addition to it's very likable sound, the machine has a simple 'Play & Record' sequencer and a 'tape save' function for storing recorded data on a cassette tape (remember those?). It also has a MIDI output which allows the Keys, and the Computer Chord functions to control other MIDI gear.

Of course the real power of the CKX100 is only revealed after some serious Circuit Bending.......

Needless to say, various new circuitry and dynamic new features have been added to the the CKX100 to upgrade it's sonic capabilities well beyond what was imagined by the original engineers.

This machine works perfectly and can be used 'as stock' if required.

Internal Speakers have been removed and replaced with a stunning array of new Custom Knobs, Switches, Buttons and Flashing Lights. New Controls are mounted of beautiful Green PCB (circuit board), and adorned with Shiney Metal Pieces, Round Washers and a Black Metal Cog.

Glitch-Punk Style......
Metallic Keys are professionally painted in various shades and multiple colours of top quality Metallic Paint. The paintwork has been performed with a speckled effect on the white keys in multiple shades of Titanium, Green & Blue. Black Keys are now Gold.
Paintwork is sealed with high quality gloss lacquer to protect the finnish.

Obviously the machine looks fantastic, but the real power is in the stunning array of unique sounds which this Amstrad is now able to produce. The machine's Ultra-Harmonic WAVETABLE synthesis engine creates a warm, pleasing sound, which when combined with the array of Digital & Glitch Mods, produces distinctly electronic tones which range from dreamy Psycedellic to Sinister darkside, and from 'Aphex' style beat juggling to insane Glitch & Dischord and eventually going way beyond the realms of conventional synthesizers, and often beyond description. This is the power of Glitch...

The new Knobs / Switches / Buttons & Lights are mounted on Thick Green PCB (circuit board), and the Flashing LED Lights above are mounted on a Rusty Matel Piece with Chrome LED Holders.

The Mods are activated and controlled by an assortment of Rotary Switches, Metal Toggle Switches and Push buttons -

Large Rotary Knob - On the right of the panel is a large Silver Rotary Knob, with a toggle Switch below it and a Bi-colour LED Light in a chrome bezel. This knob contains 22 flavours of Digital Ring Mods, Weird Distortion, Digital Filtering and Frequency Oscillation. Use the (on/off/on) Toggle Switch to activate the sounds, the LED light will Glow Red/Green to indicate that the mod is active.

Small Rotary Knob - In the centre of the panel is a small silver Rotary Knob, along with a Toggle Switch and a Blue LED Light in a Chrome Bezel. This knob contains 9 x Instrument / Chord Glitches which provide Beuatiful Complex Arpeggios, Strange Echos, Luch Chords and Extrended Envelope Effects. Use the Toggle Switch to activate the mod. The Blue LED Light will Glow to indicate the mod being active.

6 x Glitch Switches on the left of the panel - Use these switches on the Chord / Accompanyment for Dark Electronic Techno-esque rhythm Accompanyment and de-tuned chords. Use with the drums for weird pitch shifting and drum shifting Rhythmic effects.
Glitch Buttons - Scramble the Digital Circuits with dramatic sonic results. . . Use with the drums for Granular Effects and Grinding 'Aphex' Style Rolls. Use with the Chord / Instrument to generate Chorded Drones, Digital Noise, Instrument/Drum Cross Modulation & General Havok and Glitch Chaos.....

RESET BUTTON - Small Green Button below the right corner of the panel is used to Instantly reset Glitched sound back to it's normal state. This button allows the user to completely Scramble, Mangle & Corrupt the audio beyond recognition, and then instantly return the sound again.

Flashing Lights - 3 x Flashing LED Lights above the panel will pulse and flash along with the sound. The lights are housed in chrome bezels and mounted on a rusty piece of engineered metal..... Modern LED's are used, the colours are BLUE, WHITE & GREEN. The White LED also indicates the instrument's Vibrato when active."