Rare String Synthesizers: Eko, Godwin, Freeman.

Published on Apr 17, 2016 chris962x

"Rare String Synthesizers: Eko Stradivarius, Godwin String Concert 249, and Cordova Freeman String Symphonizer."

Freeman String Symphonizer-Fully Serviced on MATRIXSYNTH CLASSIFIEDS

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via MATRIXSYNTH CLASSIFIEDS

Remember, listings on the classifieds site are only $1!

"I've had this beautiful monster of a synthesizer for several years now, but it's time for it to go along to a new home. It was completely non-functional, but my local tech is a force to be reckoned with and he brought it up to studio perfect condition. The ensemble effect on this synth cannot be replicated-it's gorgeous beyond your wildest dreams. Dont even get me started on the genuine spring reverb hiding inside this monstrous beast. Ken Freeman may have wanted to create an electronic Mellotron because he couldn't afford a tape one, but he managed to create something else entirely that stands on its own as an incredible piece of technology.

Comes with power cable and reproductions of a couple of the manuals. Has some small cosmetic knicks, but is functionally perfect. Two of the lamps on the selector buttons are slightly weak compared to the other two, but still work perfectly.

REGARDING SHIPPING: This thing is heavy and huge, like all the great keyboards of it's time. Shipping cost is built into the price, within reason. If it turns out the shipping is outrageously more than I planned for, I will let you know.

LOCAL PICKUP: I'm located in Detroit, Michigan, but I am totally willing to work something out with respect to a pickup. I'll be attending Knobcon this year, so if you or someone you know is going to Knobcon and can pick it up, I'll bring it there. If you'd like to meet in or around Cleveland, Akron, or Toledo Ohio or anywhere in Michigan (Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, etc), I'm definitely willing to make that work."

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John Keating Electronic Philharmonic Orchestra 1974

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via this auction

"Artist: John Keating

Title: The Electronic Philharmonic Orchestra

**This recording highlights the new technology of the time and the orchestra comprises of the following instruments.

Solina-String Ensemble ARP 2600 Odyssey
Elka - Rhapsody 610 Farfisa - Synthorchestra
Freeman - String synthesizer
Hohner - Clavinet D6
Moog - Mini Moog

Released: 1974
Record Label: EMI
Cassette type: Normal Stereo DOLBY
Labels: PAPER LABELS
Country of origin: U.K
Cat:TC-EMC-3057 (no Bar code)

Side One
FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN
PROMENADE
LOHEHGRIN: PRELUDE ACT III
GENERAL LAVINE
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

Side two
SABRE DANCE
HEBRIDEAN IMPRESSIONS
FINALE 1812
THE UNANSWERED QUESTION"

I didn't find the release on YouTube, but I did find the following from 1975:

John Keating - Starcluster (1975)

Published on May 23, 2013 mondo moog·12 videos

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds BY John Keating

Uploaded on Jun 21, 2011 edgycorners·575 videos

"A very groovy take on The Beatles 1967 classic. It is off the album entitled Space Experience 2.
If you dig the Moog and easy listening then you'll like this.
Enjoy."

A few of my favorite strings

Published on Oct 30, 2012 by sounddoctorin

"Bob Weigel of http://www.sounddoctorin.com assisted by Mr. Baxter who asks annoying questions to help confuse me, demonstrates basic 8'/4' mix on some of the classic string machines of the 70's. The Freeman String Symphonizer, Crumar Multiman, ARP Omni, Roland RS-202, Korg PE-2000, Hohner Stringer, and the late 70's and early 1980 ARP Quartet (Siel Orchestra) and the Moog Opus 3."

The Analog Lab-Tech Mentoring Program Testimonials

YouTube Uploaded by TheAnalogLab on Nov 30, 2011

"The Fall '11 Semester is over and here are a batch of testimonials from some of the students.

Interested in taking the class? Look us up:

www.theanaloglab.com

or call us:

212.868.4357"

Korg Lambda ES-50

Uploaded by Sjobeck7 on Oct 11, 2011

"I like to feed the squirrels when it snows..."

Freeman Symphonizer Vintage Analog String Synthesizer

YouTube Uploaded by Sjobeck7 on Oct 8, 2011

"Vintage Freeman String Synth From 1973... Oh, and to be perfectly clear I'd just as soon as sell my own kids as I would to list my friend here up on Feebay... In case you didn't catch the unwitty/witty sarcalisms... :/ Let me know though if anyone else has one, I'd be curious... I could also open her up and hopefullty do a better demo down that there a road..."

Freeman Strings on eBay

1970's Freeman String Symphonizer

via this auction

"This is a genuine and rare "Ken" Freeman String Symphonizer. There is an abundance of information on this interesting unit and its design. It was used by many famous acts including The Who, Jan Hammer, Elton John and Chick Corea."

SN 40294

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Vintage 70's Freeman String Symphonizer

via this auction

"In my opinion the sound of the Freeman Symphonizer has a richness and complexity unlike any other string synth. It is as rare as it is unique. It was the first string machine ever produced! (Mr. Freeman actually invented the concept of a "string machine.") It is also the largest string machine I have ever owned and features a full 61 key keyboard and on board spring reverb. The reason to own this Freeman is the sound. It has a very unique and BIG sound. Cosmetically this Freeman is rough from being toured in the 70's BUT no expense was spared in fully restoring every inch of this machine mechanically so it plays and sounds as good as if you went back in time to the 70's and bought your own.


Everything that needed to be done was done including a complete keyboard rebushing. This machine was professionally owned/toured and then put into storage so it did not need that much work to get it perfect. The Freeman weighs 75 pounds and measures 38x33x9 so shipping will be a little expensive, please contact me for an exact shipping quote if you live outside of the USA I may be able to get it to you cheaper than the ebay shipping calculator depending on your location. I do NOT have an original pedal for this one but I have tested it with an original Freeman pedal from my near mint Freeman and it works great. (I would be charging way more for my near mint Freeman with pedal) It would be pretty easy to build your own or modify an existing pedal to work with the Freeman. In conclusion, the Freeman is not in great cosmetic shape (but still looks cool), It works perfectly, has been fully restored, and recently serviced."

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Calvary - A-12 over Telluride

"The lead line is a Roland Jupiter 4. The pad sound is a Yamaha CS-60 ran through a chorus pedal. The bassline/noise is my modular (It's 5U, the majority being Synthesizer.com but I also have portions of Modcan B, MOTM, and Oakley) ran through a Kenwood reverb box. The string sound is my ancient Freeman String Symphonizer. A Lexicon is covering the master reverb, Linn samples doing the drums."

Rare 70s Freeman String Symphonizer

via this auction

"An original Freeman String Symphonizer Synthesizer from about 1973. One of the lushest most unique analog string synths ever made."

inside a Freeman String Symphonizer

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Ken Freeman and the History Of String Synthesis

"Ken Freeman couldn't afford a Mellotron to play his string parts, so he invented a new kind of electronic instrument. But though the world would eventually embrace string synthesizers with a passion, he never got the credit he deserved."

You can find the full article on Sound on Sound.

This one in via Synthwood who is currently working on a Freeman String Symphonizer Cordovox CSS like the one pictured in this post.

Left: "Ken Freeman in 2005 with Prototype #4, the last and greatest of the string synthesizers he designed."

Bottom: "Ken Freeman's ideas eventually reached the market in the Freeman String Symphonizer."

Freeman Symphonizer FRMS-810 String Synth

via this auction

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FREEMAN STRING SYMPHONIZER SYNTHESIZER

via this auction

"'70'S ERA STRING SYNTHESIZER WITH 2 OSILLATORS PER VOICE, FULL POLYPHONY, A REAL ONBOARD SPRING REVERB UNIT, MONOPHONIC AFTERTOUCH, ENSEMBLE AND CHORUS GENERATORS, AND THE BEST SOUNDING STRINGS OF THE ERA, SO DAMN GOOD THAT A MAJOR SAMPLE DISC WITH THE SOUNDS OF THIS RARE BIRD HAS RECENTLY BEEN RELEASED, SO THAT YOU CAN PLAY THOSE LUSH SOUNDS ON YOUR LITTLE GENERIC- EVERY BODY HAS ONE -CORPORATE MUSIC STORE KEYBOARD!!"

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ElectroHarmonix Mini-Synthesizer Sample Track

You can find the track on David Kronemyer's blog. Be sure to see the rest of the site for other synth related posts including some words and another image of the ARP String Ensemble, Logan String Melody, and Freeman String Symphonizer below.

Virtual String Machine Review and Samples on Cafe 80

See the full review with samples on khoral's Cafe 80.
snip:
"The VSM is a sample-based software synthesizer from Gforce Software, recreating those beloved old-fashioned string machines from the 70’s and early 80’s (pictured below, the Eminent 310, which famously provided the atmospheric strings of Oxygène and Equinoxe).

It is sample-based, in that the VSM don’t emulate these instruments from scratch, but starts with recordings, which you can then retune, pan and modify with filters (lowpass, highpass and bandpass) and LFO."

Also be sure to check out the demos section on the official Gforce site.


List of users from the Gforce site for the archives:
"Essential String Machine
* Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene (Eminent 310 [pictured]), Equinoxe (Elka Rhapsody)
* Duran Duran: Rio (Crumar Multiman)
* John Foxx: Metamatic (Elka Rhapsody)
* Beck: Midnight Vultures (Opus 3)
* Morrisey: You are the Quarry (Opus 3)
* Jeff Wayne: War Of The Worlds (Freeman String Symphonizer)
* David Bowie: Sound & Vision (ARP Omni)
* Roy Ayres: My Life in the Sunshine (Solina)
* Herbie Hancock: Chameleon (Solina)
* Steve Hackett: Spectral Mornings (Logan String Melody), Voyage of the Acolyte (Elka Rhapsody)
* Genesis: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album (Elka Rhapsody layered with Mellotron®)
* Air: Moon Safari album (Solina)
* Ultravox: Vienna (Elka Rhapsody & Yamaha SS-30), Artificial Life - (Elka Rhapsody)
* Lonnie Liston Smith: Expansions (Solina)
* Gary Wright: Dreamweaver (Solina)
* Goldfrapp: Number One (Roland RS505)
* Vangelis: Heaven & Hell (Elka Rhapsody)
* Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart (ARP Omni)
* New Order: Blue Monday (ARP Omni)
* The Cure: In Between Days (Solina)
* Pink Floyd: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Solina)
* Kraftwerk: Trans Europe Express (ARP Omni)"

Freeman String Symphonizer - Cordovox CSS

Click here for shots via this auction.

Anyone know more about these?

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