MATRIXSYNTH: Roland SH3a Analog Synthesizer


Monday, April 09, 2012

Roland SH3a Analog Synthesizer

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"The SH3a, Roland`s First non-preset monosynth and the predecessor to the Mega SH5. The most striking thing is that you can perform Additive synthesis by the use of 5-sliders which add your choice of waveform at different footages, this creates an incredibly warm and fat sound in a very un-roland like way, sounds like 5 VCOs in Sync. there are also two Lfos which can be assigned to the VCF, VCO or VCA. One ADSR EG (shame, but even the SH5 only had 1 and a half), Noise gen creates white or pink noise and be sent to the filter or VCA. Flexible portamento section, and a peculiar pot labeled 8-foot Chorus which seems to be sort of PWM for the 8` slider. The oddest sample and hold section known to man. Built into a Tolex case with the controls to the left of the Kbd, the whole plot looks like a mutated keyboard from an ARP2600. Mine sounds excellent and has now beaten the ARP AXXE as the best single VCO monosynth I`ve ever heard (albeit with cheating), the Filter sounds great! in my very early model although have heard people reporting that theirs is weak or "flat", whether Roland changed the spec during it`s lifespan is unknown to me, THE machine to buy if you want the OLD-World (ie Pre 1978) Roland sound and can`t afford an SH5.."

Electronic Condition: the unit is fully functional except one minor issue:

- VCA envelope selection menu has got ADSR and Square envelopes working, the two middle shapes don't work but you can recreate them with ADSR manually anyway, so it doesn't really affect anything at all.

Visual Condition: All original sliders are present and only one replacement knob is installed at VCF envelope section - the rest are original too. Some marks here and there but nothing major considering this guy age!"



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