"1970s Cordovox Freeman String Symphonizer / synthesizer. An excellent alternative to the ARP Solina. Works as expected and sounds unbelievably lush, guaranteed to standout in a mix! Unit includes AC power cable and original lid as pictured."
"Freeman String Symphonizer 1970s - Serviced. Good condition and fully functional. Service included: replaced divider, repaired key assigner circuits, recapped power supply, polished key contacts, cleaned keys, new bushings, new fuse holder. Lid is present and included. It will be packed with care."
"Cordovox Freeman String Symphonizer For Sale. Professionally serviced. This magical string synth sounds like heaven. Built in spring reverb. A rare gorgeous alternative to the popular and overused ARP String Ensemble / Solina. If you're into string synths, this one's a must have. We aren’t normally into string synths here but this one sounds so good that, if it doesn’t sell soon, we’ll probably keep it and use it in our studio."
"The first string machine. 25 oscillators, non BBD ensemble effect and onboard spring reverb give this unit a rich, lush sound unlike any of the later ones. And full polyphany! Just amazing. Some cosmetic wear and tear, but this one got a round of TLC in our shop and is working perfectly. With lid and music stand."
"This is a brief demonstration of a recently serviced Freeman String Symphonizer, one of the first "string machine" keyboards from the 1970's.
I probably could've explained the "animation" better. Basically it's six non-sync'ed low frequency oscillators, mapped chromatically on one rank and non-harmonically on the other, such that you're not likely to hit two notes next to each other with the same LFO, and making each note wobble ever-so-slightly differently.
Folks will gripe about the microphone audio; if you've got a solution for how to make Pro Tools-created WAV files sync to iPhone video within iMovie (it always drifts on me right out of the gate), please let me know."
"The OG string machine. Very rare. This machine was the progenitor of the whole 1970s string synth sound.
If you want something as lush as an ARP Solina or equivalent but totally unique this is it. 25 oscillators (!), absolutely huge sounding with a very useful 5 octave keyboard. Fully polyphonic.
Onboard spring reverb, animation (which introduces 6 LFOs) and onboard EQ can do a lot for shaping. Even has a cable out for a leslie.
Selection buttons for Octaves are a bit finicky but do function (one light is out), keybed is clacky and uneven but functions.
Comes with unique Cordovox volume pedal with built in pitch bend switch.
Functions completely but has not been serviced in the entire time I've owned it.
It may need a recap and general once-over for adequate future-proofing."
"The stringer that started it all! A set of master oscillators slightly detuned from each other gives a lush ensemble effect. Coupled with full polyphony and a spring reverb tank, it's no wonder the Freeman String Symphonizer spawned a string machine revolution.
This unit shows some slight wear typical for an instrument of its age. It has been gone over and had electrolytic capacitors replaced where necessary. Due to the unit's size, it is for local pickup only. Power cord not included, but it uses a regular extension cord."
"The Synth Wizards chase down and compare a crazy number of string machines, including the groundbreaking Freeman String Symphonizer and an extremely rare Elkatwin 61, and take a look at the fascinating history of these instruments. But, the Freeman needs some restoration work before it can be delivered to an interesting buyer in Los Angeles.
00:00 - Introduction 03:03 - Atlanta String Machine trip 06:35 - The Chamberlin 08:25 - The History of the Mellotron 13:00 - Mellotron M400 demo 13:58 - The Freeman String Symphonizer 15:28 - Differences between Synths and String Machines 19:24 - Freeman String Symphonizer demo 20:05 - The History of the Arp Solina 21:50 - Dennis DeYoung (Styx) Interview 23:38 - Crumar Orchestrator 24:30 - Crumar Performer 27:24 - Arp Omni 28:04 - Elka Rhapsody 28:42 - Elkatwin 61 29:55 - Roland RS-101 & 202 30:15 - Multivox MX-202 30:32 - Roland RS-505 33:03 - Roland RS-09 33:12 - Roland VP-330 Vocoder 33:36 - Korg Poly Ensemble S 34:28 - Korg Delta 34:56 - Yamaha SK20 35:49 - Korg EPS-1 37:01 - Refurbishing the Freeman 41:55 - Delivering String Machines to Jason Schwartzman"
Synthesizer Test Drive: Solina String Ensemble
video upload by Syntaur
"Syntaur's Sam Mims takes the iconic Solina String Ensemble out for a test drive. (This is a revised version of our original Solina video, where several sharp-eared listeners pointed out that the chorus effect wasn't quite right. They were correct! The LFO circuit in the original version was not working correctly. Now, here it is in its full glory.)"
"Very cool old 70's keyboard. Could use a little tlc with leveling the keys and what not, but they all work as well as all the voices and faders. Sounds incredible!"
"GForce's Dave Spiers talks about the making of the B-Side of Bright Sparks which focusses on the British contributions including Mellotronics, EMS, Electronic Dream Plant & Freeman.
Sadly, since this was filmed, our good friend, and a truly iconic British synth designer, Chris Huggett, died."
"These are rare. Only a few hundred made I believe. Disputes in how much the engineer Ken Freeman would be paid I believe drove back production to where other competition hit the market first (the Solina and Crumar Stringman). But the Freeman has a unique place in that it uses 25 oscillators to produce a more vibrant sound than the other string machines
Freeman used low frequency oscillators (6 of them) patched to note groups not usually hit together. (diminished 5ths) The Freeman is big to house all the circuitry and they didn't exactly use the lightest materials.
The volume pedal DOES come with this one. The volume pedal is rather specific to this instrument. It has a feature that allows a 1/2 step bend to the pitch. It works fine. I never had the music stand.
Works great. No power cord, but you can use a regular electrical extension cord as long as it has an outlet on the top, not the side."
"Amazing sounding vintage string synthesizer. Very rare. It has 25 oscillators with organ style divider circuits to create a full and enveloping symphonic sound, especially with the Ensemble effect engaged and the internal spring reverb cranked up. Very clean inside/out and fully functional. Some of the keys need to be leveled, but they do work. No lid"
"Fully serviced and 100% working with 60 day warranty for USA buyers. Everything pictured is included.
This is for sure the best sounding string machine I have heard or owned. I have owned A LOT of gear in my life. I sold a Freeman from my collection in 2011 and got positive feedback. I have been an admirer of these machines for a long time. After 25+ years of monkeying around with synths this is the best sounding string machine of all time in my opinion.
This guy works 100%. I recently had it serviced. All controls were cleaned and the keyboard rebuilt. Every aspect of the machine was gone over by a trusted tech and anything that needed to be done to make it perfect was done. One thing to note with these is the highest/last octave of the keyboard does not function in the low voice but that is by design.
The original pedal is included, (you almost never find them) the entire machine can be pitched down a major 2nd by pressing the edge of the pedal just like an organ. You can also control the volume. The original detachable lid and clear smoked lucite music easel are included.
The touch vibrato works, the spring reverb works, ensemble mode works, both high and low voices work and can of course be combined. The animation feature works, the sustainer works, the volume, treble, and bass all work.
At some point in this guy's life, someone cleverly placed smoked opaque heavy duty covering on the wood veneer particle board parts of the casing. This was smart because that is the most fragile part of the instrument and if you want to tour with one of these it will for sure get chipped.
The original fully removable keyboard cover is included as well as the smoked opaque music easel. This and the key-cover/lid completely detaches and is often lost (but are included). One clasp on one side doesn't completely line up..."
