The girl from Ipaneama - Hohner MEG synthesizer

Published on Jun 23, 2018 Kimengumi fr

Anyone know if these are fully programmable, or are they essentially preset only?

"Played with a Hohner µ studio µ30 (from ~1986) .
Same style as the Hohner Compagnon HK5000.
MEG is a French synthesis system from 1980's

The digital piano is only used as master keyboard.
Sound directly recorded from the synth, no effects added."

There's a different keyboard Hohner MEG posted here.

Update via swissdoc:

"According to info from https://fr.audiofanzine.com

"It seems that this machine is the expander version of the Hohner Companion HK 5000 digital synthesizer released only 500 copies around 1986.

It would be a workstation acting as a drum machine, polyphonic synth and sequencer, with supreme luxury, a memory cartridge stuck in the middle of the control panel.

There are 3 MIDI jacks, and several outputs 6.35 jack separated.

Besides the fact that it was made in France Semur En Auxois (yes Madam!), The other feature of this device is the use of digital synthesis variable speed also called synthesis MEG invented by the French engineer Christian Deforeit of which Hohner had bought the patents.

Regarding the sound and interest of the thing, I do not know, mine is out of order, but it remains a collector's item given the few copies produced."

When you check out the picutres, you will see, that is has 8 Filter boards, most likely analog. One screen shows the sound architecture, so 2x DCO, 3x Wave and 1x VCF. A second screen shows the envelope editor. The keyboard version has some "Custom" buttons. I miss to find any dedicated edit buttons, but based on the screen content, I assume the sounds could be edited. At least modified and new stuff could be loaded from cartridge most likely.

Looks to be a hybrid approach then, maybe similar to some of the Wersi stuff (Stageperformer and the related organs and rack units).

Just some educated guessing :-)"