Rare Elex Excelsior EK4 Strings & Brass Synth SN 6937

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video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

This appears to be the first post to feature one. You can find additional string machines by Elex in previous posts here.

via this auction

"Extremely rare italian string machine, built by Elex (ELettronica EXcelsior), also sold by Hohner at some point. Very close in sound to the Crumar Performer or Elka Rhapsody.

It offers Strings and Brass section, with independent volume for each instruments, a very nice filter in the brass section, as well as vibrato, and the string section has long crescendo and sustain settings.

Unit was serviced and is in very good working order except for the attack in the Brass section that doesn't work. This synth use a very rare SSM2050 chipset as the enveloppe generator on the brass section. This is the same chip used in the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and the RSF Kobol for instance. It simply can't be found anywhere. But if you are lucky to own one you can most probably fix the attack on the brass section ;-) Apart from that everything is working. Capacitor in the power supply were replaced and synth was calibrated. It uses the typical "ensemble" effect based on a triple BBD chorus, with the same TCA350 chipsets you have in the Eminent Solina, Crumar Performer, Logan String Melody and so many more classic string synths.

Cosmetic wise the synth is in good condition, especially considering the rather cheap build quality. But of course it has some scuffs here and there."

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ELEX K2 / Italian string and piano synthesiser

video upload by Ohm.Studio

This appears to be the first demo of one posted on the site. You can find pics of a silver model previosly posted here.

"Here is a quick demo of a quite rare Elex K2 string machine I serviced. It was also branded as the Hohner String Orchestra 2.
From what I reckoned it is very similar in sound and design to the Elka Rhapsody 610.
You get splitable left and right part with Piano / Harpsichord / Cello / Violin preset assignable on either part, each wich its dedicated on/off switch and volume fader, individual sustain faders for both Cello and Violin. Sustain on piano and harpsichord is done by a foot pedal.
You further get a bass sound on the left part of the keyboard, and 3 different combination modes:
- full keyboard: right hand presets are use for the whole keyboard
- split keyboard: left and right hand have their own sounds
- ensemble: this one is interesting and I start the video with that one. You get all the 4 octaves of the strings sounds on the left hand, and only piano/harpsichord on the right one. It sounds massive and you can still mix the 4 string footages.
All in all a very nice string machine.

Recorded straight to the soundcard with no fx or treatment."

Elex K2 1970’s Rare Italian Vintage String machine (Farfisa/Hohner) - SN 27157

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via this auction

This appears to be the first K2 on the site. You can find demos of another modle, the K4, in previous posts here.

"Very very rare Italian string machine made in the 70’s. Branded also as Farfisa or Hohner , this is the original one, made by Elex, a very obscure Italian brand from Recanati. It works great, cosmetically has some signs of age.

Sounds similar to the Elka Rhapsody 610, but with a few differences - the 'Ensemble' button does not turn the chorus on/off (as you mighty expect) the chorus is permanently on - instead, this enables the lower part of the keyboard from the split point down to play all 4 octaves simultaneously (eg for the C2 key, C2, C3, C4 and C5 all play simultaneously) - it is fully polyphonic and sounds massive. It also has a 'Bass' (presumably guitar) preset which plays bass below the split point. Unlike the 610, each of the Piano/ Harpsichord/Cello/Strings can be enabled/cancelled for each half of the keyboard (although, like the 610, there are separate level controls for each half of the keyboard with the addition of a level control for the 'Bass'). The only omission compared to the 610 is the lack of decay controls for the Piano/Harpsichord. There are separate outs for the 'Piano', 'Piano-Harp' and 'Bass' as well as a mix output ('General')."

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Elex K4 Strings Machine 1979... Italian Sound!

Published on Jan 14, 2019 VSMI

"Elex K4 Strings Machine demo... I think is a very great nice sound!! Montarbo DRev 128 for echo and long reverb and a wonderful Mac whau whau pedal effect by Meazzi."

TT606 test - King Bruce Lee Karate Mistrz ;-)

Published on Sep 1, 2017 adamstan84

"Gitary w sklepach muzycznych męczono "Schodami do nieba". Syntezatory niektórzy oceniają próbując zagrać intro 'Jump!'. A jaki może być ostateczny test dla klona TR-606? Tylko Franek Kimono! :D

Coverek totalnie na luzie, także proszę go nie traktować zbyt poważnie ;-)

W roli głównej automat perkusyjny TT-606, do tego Korg Poly61 jako bas, i stringmaszyna Elex K4 przepuszczona przez phaser Behringer VP1. Intro na B5.

Podkład nagrany live na komputer, potem dołożyłem głosy."

ELEX K4 + Behringer VP1 "Vintage Phaser"

Published on Jul 3, 2017 adamstan84

"Instant JMJ sound :D Bas - Solton Programmer 24, Drums - synth prototype."

Rare Italian ELEX Vintage Analog Synthesizer SN 173 62

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via this auction

Note this is the first ELEX post on MATRIXSYNTH.

"This 1970s analog synthesizer is so rare that I can find absolutely zero mention of it anywhere on the internet (though if you do find something, please let me know!). I have come across a couple of references to other Elex branded synths online, but those appear to be fairly standard Italian string-synths along the lines of Hohner/Logan etc.

While the synth for sale here would also likely be classified as a string synth, it is not like any other I have owned or heard. The bass cello sound alone justifies owning this. It is obviously not the most versatile of synths, but what it does it does extremely well. With the added bonus that, due to its extreme rarity, you can be pretty sure you are one of the very few people in the world with access to precisely these sounds.

I'm about to relocate to the US, and considering that this is the heaviest synth I've ever lifted in my life (almost 27kg) it unfortunately has to go. I've used it on several recordings and it will be missed, but I cannot justify the cost of dragging this half way round the world along with all the other junk I own.

I brought this synth over from Italy and it still has an Italian plug on it. A simple and cheap travel adapter will fix that.

There obviously was once a lid, but it was already missing when I bought the synth. I have removed the slider switches so they don't get damaged in transit, but these will be included in the parcel along with the synth (it's a while since I removed them though, so I cannot be 100% sure all of them are there, but certainly most are). Other than that, see photos for various marks and defects. No problems with the sound at all."

Update: here's the Hohner version. via Ryan on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge.

Update2: some info via Micke on VSE (via Lorne on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge as well): "The keyboard you're describing is a basic electronic piano built in Italy by ELEX (Elettronica Excelsior for Hohner International* Belgium & UK. It was preceeded by a similar model called the HI piano I (K-1). Afaik, the original model appeared in '74 or '75 and the II about '77.

Elex were also releasing these ep's as well as the K-2 stringvox, K-3 Jazz-rock organ/piano and the K-4 stringer under their own brand name.

Around 1979 or thereabouts ELEX brought out new versions of some of their older keyboards like the Hohner International Globetrotter ep and Hohner Int. stringvox 3/XL (the same instrument is ocassionally found with the name "String-thing"), which were updated versions (all-black in color) of the Hohner K-1 ep and K-4 stringer respectively.

Hope this helps

Micke

* not to be confused with Matthias Hohner, Germany."

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