Check out an EMS VCS4 at VCS4 Day Event on March 19

Looks like two EMS VCS3s in a custom keyboard controller case. There was a smaller VCS4 and XILS made a software emulation that looked just like this one. You can find both in the archives here.

Details on the event via Eventbrite:

"VCS4 day is a one day event (10–5pm) that pays tribute to the unique early music synthesiser, the EMS VCS4, which has recently been acquired for the Department of Music at Goldsmiths from the musician Simon Desorgher, with the support of the Goldsmiths Alumni and Friends Fund.

VCS4 day is a free event, but due to a limited capacity you must register through Eventbrite to attend.

The VCS4 was produced by the world-renowned Electronic Music Studios Ltd (EMS) company in London in the late 1960s, run by pioneering composer Dr Peter Zinovieff. It was one of a number of early EMS synthesisers used by pioneers of electronic music in Britain, and was created initially for the composer Harrison Birtwhistle for use in his piece Chronometer (1971–72). The instrument, which is the only one in existence in the world, combines two VCS3 synthesisers to create a custom and highly versatile performance instrument. VCS3 synthesisers have been used by such luminaries as Delia Derbyshire, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd and Robert Fripp. For many years the VCS4 had been thought lost, until the advent of the Hugh Davies Collection arriving at Goldsmiths in 2019, when Desorgher approached the music department with a proposal for the VCS4 to be maintained and made available to students and researchers at Goldsmiths Electronic Music studios.

Shortly after Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studios opened in 1968 (one of the first electronic music studios at a university in the UK), the studio obtained two other EMS VCS3 synthesisers. It is fitting therefore that the VCS4 is now housed in Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studios, affording opportunities for it to be used by undergraduate and postgraduate students in both their compositions and performances.

VCS4 day represents an opportunity to gain detailed insight into this extraordinary instrument, through a series of talks from its inventors, protagonists and leading experts on the history of analog synthesisers and their cultural impact. A programme of performances on the VCS4 will take place throughout the day."

GEM Instapiano 73 Demo Italian

Published on Feb 29, 2020 jerry dibella

"A Little demo of the huge Gem Instapiano 73 of the italian manufacturer Gem, It Is a Electronic piano keyboard fron 1983, It gas Just tour piano sounds plus harpsicord, It gas Dynamic keys and a modulari in section with a phaser and a voltage controller filter. It Is absolutelt big, It gas its own stand, handle and cover, bit the weight It Is so much (I think It Is about 50 kg )

In Italy It Is a forgotten instrument at the Moment, because there are so many keyboard instrument with Better portability and sounds!"

This appears to be the first one featured on the site. You can find a different model posted here. See the "New Old" labels below for first time appearances of older gear here on the site.

Folktek Impossible Box rare big modular synth art thing by Arius Blaze

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via this auction

Original offered by Folktek for $1 million dollars. It went up for auction in 2013 and reached $39,100 with 55 bids at the time of this post. You can find previous posts featuring the Folktek Impossible Box including some demos here.

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Farfisa FX1000 - Vintage Instruments Expander controlled by PolyPhase Generative Random Music

Published on Feb 13, 2020 VSMI

"Farfisa FX-1000 - Micro Vintage Instrument Expander controlled by PolyPhase Generative Random Music Ios app on Ipad. Farfisa Vintage software for Windows virtualized on VirtualBox for MacOS. 4 virtual instruments, GM Expander (piano), Farfisa Compact Combo Organ, Farfisa Drawbars and Rotator, Farfisa Synth Sound Maker."

Another new old synth to the site. I believe this is the first post to feature one.

Cadans S12 (TOM-1503)

Published on Feb 12, 2020

"Несколько пресетных звуков с редкого советского пролифонического аналогового синтезатора "Каданс" разработчика ТОМ-1501 Геннадия Терехова"

Googlish:

"Several preset sounds from the rare Soviet proliferation analog synthesizer" Kadans "developed by TOM-1501 Gennady Terekhov"

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First one featured on the site! See the New Old Label at the bottom of this post for more.

The MCS70 by ELKA's Mario Maggi - Only One In Existence Might Come to Soundmit

Published on Feb 10, 2020 Badilevintage

Details on Soundmit with the pics further below.

"Hello everybody , my Hobby it's restore the old Combo organ and Synth.
In this video i show you the test after restored of ultra rare MCS70 made by Ing. Mario Maggi .
The only piece in the world!!"

[Side note: Mario Maggi was the man behind the ELKA Synthex. There was only one previous post that mentioned the MCS70 here on MATRIXSYNTH posted back in 2006. This had me wondering whether there are any other one-off synths, and what are some of the rarest synths out there? There was the ASE Modular also by Mario Maggi. There is only one S.W.A.N but it shares the same synth engine as the Syntar. There was also the ConBrio ADS, protoype Minimoogs if you want to count them, prototype Orchestron (not technically a synth, but...), the original Acxel Resynthesizer, clear Gleeman Pentaphonic (same engine as the solid black ones though), rare EMS synths, rare PPGs (here and here for example), and I'm sure others I forget at the moment. If you can think of any, leave a comment below! BTW, the New Old Label is a great resource for exploring vintage gear that never appeared on the site before. I highly recommend it and the exclusive labels for some of the more exclusive synths out there.] Also see the first synth to post.

via SoundMiT

"The rarest synthesizer on Earth comes back to life thanks to the patient restoration work of two passionate Italian technicians

Recently the Soundmit has been involved in an event of those that happen once in a lifetime.
Two longtime friends, passionate about synthesizers, musicians and technicians, have accomplished a feat deemed impossible.

They have completely restored the rarest Italian synthesizer, the MCS70 designed by Mario Maggi, just him ... the father of Elka Synthex.

The MCS70 is a monophonic synth with many surprises inside, perhaps the most evident in the presence of the presets! In an era in which microprocessors were not yet widespread, Maggi succeeded in the enterprise of creating the first analog, monophonic synthesizer with memories!

There is only one MCS70 in the world and has been owned, for almost 40 years, by Patrizio Fariselli, the famous keyboard player of the Progressive Rock band "AREA".

Recently two friends, one technician (Marco Molendi) and the other a musician (Andrea Manuelli), specializing in the restoration of Italian electronic musical instruments, have succeeded in the impossible task of bringing the instrument back to life.

According to the engineer Maggi, it is not possible to give technical details beyond what can be seen in the video.

Francesco Mulassano of Soundmit was invited by Marco and Andrea during the last phase, that of the toast for the goal reached and in fact is one of the very few people in the world who have seen tried and listened to the instrument that, after so many years, remains a jewel of technique and sound.

Special thanks go to engineer Mario Maggi for the work he has done (and continues to do) in our sector.

We hope to hear the MCS70 in new compositions soon and hope to see it at Soundmit in November 2020!"

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The Logan Vocalsynth

Logan Vocalsynth Test after restoration Published on Oct 18, 2018 Badilevintage

"Hello everybody , my Hobby it's restore the old Combo organ and Synth.
In this video i show you the test after restored of ultra rare Logan Vocalsynth ."

This is the first post to feature the Logan Vocalsynth.

Update: make that the first demo of one. One came up for sale in 2008 here. I searched on Logan Vocalsynth instead of Logan Vocal Synth so it didn't pop up. Thanks to @kaden_harris for spotting it!

1979 Oberheim SEM Moog 904A Bass Synthesizer Rig System Leland Sklar

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via this auction

BRAND: 360 Systems / Oberheim / Moog

MODEL: Slavedriver/Live Performance Synthesizer

FUNCTION: Live Bass Synthesizer Rig

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This listing is for a One-of-a-Kind custom built bass synthesizer system built by Wayne Lentis of 360 Systems for Leland Sklar which he used while touring with artist Billy Thorpe supporting his hit song "Children of the Sun" in 1979!

We recently removed this system from Lee's gear locker here in Los Angeles where it has been in storage for 40 years!

What we have here is the Synthesizer section of a very special bass rig that was built for Leland to power his massive 3-Way Klipsch System touring rig. See above for the only known photograph of Lee with it and nearly knocked "unconscious" from its mind blowing power!

As Leland tells it:

"Billy Thorpe was a huge child star in Australia. We did this album and it was a conceptual album that he came up with. Spencer Proffer produced it in his studio in Hollywood called Pasha. We cut it as a trio: it was me and Billy and Alvin Taylor on drums. Billy was great. He was so strong and powerful and into it. He had such a commanding presence.

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Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers NAMM Day 2 Live!

Published on Jan 17, 2020 Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers

Don't miss 9:18. The gentleman you see there, named Don, presented the ARP 2600 back in 1972 as well. So cool.

https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org

Vintages ARP SOFTWARE & ACCESORIES LIST

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via this auction

"ARP SYNTHESIZER ACCESORIES LIST. Condition is Used. This is a list of the accessories you could buy from ARP SYNTHESIZERS back in the 70s. It is in excellant condition.

I don't believe I've seen this one before. Crazy to see the low prices on some of these including the ARP 2500 Owner's Manual for $6.00, Learning Music With Synthesizers for $7.50, and Lessons in Electronic Music for $8.95. Also if the manuals were available for order, that means they were not limited to the number of synths sold. Some cool ARP swag below as well.

Typed it out for the archives:

ODYSSEY

Learning Music With Synthesizers
(Textbook 213 Pages)
OD-01......................$7.50

Odyssey Patch Book
(75 Great Sounds)
OD-03......................$9.95

Odyssey Owner's Manual
OD-04......................$3.50

Odyssey Facsimile Pad (25 Sheets)
OD-05......................$1.00


OMNI-2

Omni-2 Owner's Manual
OM-01......................$3.50

Omni-2 Facsimile Pad (25 Sheets)
OM-02......................$1.00

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