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"Condition: Works good. There is a chip in the wood front top-right corner and scuffs and dings here and there. Includes Service Manual and Musical Registrations. See pictures.
Here's a video of the actual item for sale: [video above]Includes the original, 34-page Service Manual (which includes specifications, theory of operation, adjustments, fold-out schematics, circuit board drawings, parts list and transistors & diodes lists), 16-page 'Musical Registrations' booklet, 'Errata Corrige' (error corrections to service manual) and a receipt from 1979 for the service manual and registration guide.
The Farfisa Syntorchestra, often spelled incorrectly 'Synthorchestra', is an analog, polyphonic (polyphonic but partly monophonic) strings keyboard made by the Italian organ manufacturer Farfisa. It was presented in 1975 and used by well-known artists of the Berlin School such as Manuel Göttsching and Klaus Schulze.
The Syntorchestra is has a 37-note keyboard and covers a total of three octaves including an additional C-key on top. It has predefined registers that are selected with toggle switches on the front below the keyboard. There are four polyphonic sounds (trombone , trumpet, piano and viola) as well as nine monophonic sounds (tuba, trombone, trumpet, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, bass flute, flute, piccolo and violin). You can combine a polyphonic and a monophonic register.
In addition, there are toggle switches to mute the registers, for Portamento (which can be activated either permanently or temporarily by holding the 'Temporary' switch down), Soffiato or Decay and 'Wha-Wha' filter.
On the left side of the instrument is a small control panel with effects and a small mixer. There you can control the volume, the accentuation, the vibrato, attack and decay (the former as a soffiato, which allows for a percussion sound similar to certain organ registers), pitch and portamento. In addition to this, a footswitch can be connected, which allows control of the volume with the foot.
Since it has two 1/4" jacks, it can output in stereo and was marketed as the Stereo Syntorchestra.
The instrument was originally designed to fit on top of an organ. Two versions were made to match, one with wood trim, the other with silver metal trim. The latter is much more common.
The instrument is prominently heard on New Age of Earth by Manuel Göttsching and in the first part of Mindphaser on the album Moondawn by Klaus Schulze. Also Tangerine Dream used the instrument."
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