Published on Apr 10, 2016 duoblank
Update: found the videos above and according to Mal in the comments, these may not be so rare after all. I guess it depends on how many are left. The videos above are the only ones I found on YouTube and out of well over 144,000 posts to date on the site, this is only the 3rd post to reference the Synx 508, so if they are out there, they aren't getting much exposure.
Playlist:
Jen Synx 508 - Trying out presets
Jen Synx 508 - Using the Sequencer
Jen Synx 508 - Noodling around with this synth from 1983 - "Managed to get hold of a unit # 1129 (possibly #29) which was one of a handful imported in Malta by Nani of Valletta. The Jen Synx 508 was a 5 voice polyphonic synthesizer from Italy which could be expanded to 8 voice. Soon after being released the company went bust... judging from its architecture this unit was still in prototype phase!! Will be also uploading a demo of its sequencer. No MIDI is available however the onboard sequencer can be clocked to an external source."
And via Mal in the comments: "Not that rare and also it did make it to production. I once owned 2 of these, serial number #40 and #151. Number 40 was clearly a work in progress as each board had many additional wires attached on both sides of the PCB but by #151, the voice cards had been retraced and all external wires were gone. Thin, weedy sounding synth... more like a string machine with extras then a full synth. Noises chorus, nowhere near the quality of the Polysix. Heavy, bulky casing... end cheeks are compressed cardboard coated in thick paint and chip real easily. Worth more for the myriad of Curtis chips, each voice card comes with a CEM 3310 ADSR Envelope, a CEM3320 24db/Oct, 4 pole, Multipass filter and a CEM 3360 Dual VCA."
Original post:
via this auction
Unfortunately not the best pics, but you definitely do not see these often. There has only been two previous posts on the Synx 508 here on MATRIXSYNTH.
via the listing: "CHECK OUT MY OTHER RARE KIT LISTED NOW & MORE TO COME ! It's a very rare synth indeed ! VCOs ! Very similar to the mighty korg poly six in architecture & sound but this is a prototype & was NOT commercially available. The synth has memories a sequencer but no midi see pictures for more detail . Some of the legend has worn off as like I say it is a prototype & was not commercially finished the synth is listed as not working but that is just one key ! However it does need a good service to bring it upto scratch..."
Not that rare and also it did make it to production. I once owned 2 of these, serial number #40 and #151. Number 40 was clearly a work in progress as each board had many additional wires attached on both sides of the PCB but by #151, the voice cards had been retraced and all external wires were gone. Thin, weedy sounding synth... more like a string machine with extras then a full synth. Noises chorus, nowhere near the quality of the Polysix. Heavy, bulky casing... end cheeks are compressed cardboard coated in thick paint and chip real easily. Worth more for the myriad of Curtis chips, each voice card comes with a CEM 3310 ADSR Envelope, a CEM3320 24db/Oct, 4 pole, Multipass filter and a CEM 3360 Dual VCA.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Thanks for sharing this. I wonder how many are left out there.
ReplyDeleteI bought this synthesizer many years ago, a god for some time. Now I'm fixing it because the buttons don't work anymore, but I don't have the instruction manual. You have one available, thanks.
ReplyDelete