Oberheim OB-1A

video upload by E I S E N T A N Z

"First and only fottage of Oberheim OB-1 Model A (MkII).
No talking, just pure analoge sounds of this unique monophone Synth."

The Forgotten Synthesizers Of Marche Region

video upload by HAINBACH

Update: you can find additional posts featuring The Museo Del Synth Marchigiano here.

"The Marche Region in Italy was home to a thriving industry of music instrument production from the 1950s to the mid-90s. Tens of thousands of people made organs, accordions and small runs of synthesizers that were like nothing else in the world. Much production closed in the 90s, leaving only a few companies around, and many people lost their jobs. The history of Marche synths was not talked about, too bitter were the memories. The Museo Del Synth Marchigiano aims to change that - a motley crew of synth lovers work together to get the story about this special time in music instrument history out.

I was invited to play a show at Acusmatic Festival in Ancona and visit the collection before. I was overwhelmed by the amazing sounds these machines made, so I captured them on tape and for use in my performance. I also just had to film every synth I could get my hand for you to enjoy. You will find instruments by Siel, Elka, Elgan, Farfisa, Crumar, CRB and more here.

https://www.museodelsynth.org"

Timeline:

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Gold Plated Roland TR-909 SN 370785

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

That's some synth bling right there.

This one was spotted and sent in via
M Me.

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E.E.W. Vintage Analog 10-Band Vocoder Synth EEW Eizuka Engineering Workshop JAPAN

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Also see the Model 101 vocoder here.

"Up for sale is a super rare 10-band vintage analog vocoder built by E.EW. (Eizuka Engineering Workshop) possibly in the 80s in Japan.

Seems like this has the same functions as the E.E.W. Model 101 vocoder, however, there is no model name printed anywhere and so it could possibly be a proto-model or a custom-made unit.

The unit appears to be working as it should, with all the knobs and switches responding and working fine to the best of my knowledge as being tested by a guitar. There are slight scratch noise on some of the knobs due to the nature of these vintage synths, which could do with some adjustment/servicing if required.

Cosmetically the unit is in nice condition for its age as you can see. There are some wear and light scuffs marks here and there as pictured, but nothing serious. I'm including plenty of pictures of the actual item so you can see exactly how it looks.

Power cable included.

**This unit was made for the Japanese market which runs on 100 volts. You will need a stepdown voltage converter for 120V - 220V regions."

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EMS Founder Peter Zinovieff Has Passed Away

Update: Image of Peter Zinovieff (previously in via Brian Kehew).

"Circa 1975: A photo from the Frankfurt Music Fair

Peter Zinovieff in the EMS synthesizer booth.

They are featuring the rare SYNTHI P model, just announced on the left side and stand. Underneath the board listing EMS musical artists is a SYNTHI HI-FLI effects unit is barely seen. Another unusual/prototype model is next to the Hi-Fli."


Peter Zinovieff and Electronic Music Studios video upload by JeffreyPlaide


Peter Zinovieff: Synth Pioneer video upload by Sound On Sound magazine Jul 21, 2016


Peter Zinovieff talks about modern musical interfaces video upload by Expressive E Jan 6, 2016


Peter Zinovieff feature uploaded by Erica Synths on Nov 23, 2020. This was the latest video to feature Peter Zinovieff that I am aware of.


Peter Zinovieff interview 2015 video upload by 香港電子音樂社 Hong Kong Electronic Music Society Jun 30, 2015


Dr Peter Zinovieff intro & performance excerpt - Deliaphonic 2017 video upload by Deliaphonic Aug 29, 2018

And a few perspectives from others:

Bright Sparks Behind The Scenes - The Brits video by GForce Software published Feb 16, 2021

Cosmic Tape Music Club Podcast hosted by The Galaxy Electric - E1 Peter Zinovieff

video by The Galaxy Electric published Jan 27, 2021

Peter Zinovieff Electronic Calendar

video by Mark Jenkins published Dec 9, 2019 - Electronic Calendar available through this post.

You can find a history of posts mentioning Peter Zinovieff here.

via The Guardian

"Peter Zinovieff, a hugely influential figure in British music whose early synthesisers helped to change the sound of pop, has died aged 88. He had suffered a fall at home earlier this month.

With its marketing slogan 'think of a sound – now make it', his company Electronic Music Studios (EMS) was one of the first to bring synthesisers out of studios and to the public. With products such as the portable VCS3 and Synthi A, EMS customers – including David Bowie, Kraftwerk, the Who, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd – were often taught to use the instruments by Zinovieff.

In 1967 he collaborated with Paul McCartney on Carnival of Light, a performance of a 14-minute avant garde composition created between Beatles sessions for Penny Lane that has never been released.

He was also a respected composer of his own work, including early experiments with AI composition and sampling – he claimed to have invented the latter technique." You can read the full post here.

via Wikipedia:

"Peter Zinovieff (26 January 1933 – 23 June 2021) was a British engineer and composer, whose EMS company made the VCS3 synthesizer in the late 1960s. The synthesizer was used by many early progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd[3] and White Noise, and Krautrock groups[4] as well as more pop-oriented artists, including Todd Rundgren and David Bowie. In later life he worked primarily as a composer of electronic music.

Zinovieff was born on 26 January 1933;[5] his parents, Leo Zinovieff and Sofka, née Princess Sophia Dolgorouky, were both Russian aristocrats, who met in London after their families had emigrated to escape the Russian Revolution and soon divorced.[6] During World War II he and his brother Ian lived with their grandparents in Guildford and then with their father in Sussex. He attended Guildford Royal Grammar School, Gordonstoun School and Oxford University, where he earned a doctorate in geology.[7][8]

Zinovieff's work followed research at Bell Labs by Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Risset, and an MIT thesis (1963) by David Alan Luce.[9] In 1966–67, Zinovieff, Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson ran Unit Delta Plus, an organisation to create and promote electronic music. It was based in the studio Zinovieff had built, in a shed at his house in Putney. (The house is near the Thames, and the studio was later partially destroyed by a flood).[10][11] EMS grew out of MUSYS, which was a performance controller operating as an analogue-digital hybrid.[12] It was a synthesiser system which Zinovieff developed with the help of David Cockerell and Peter Grogono, and used two DEC PDP-8 minicomputers and a piano keyboard.[13] Unit Delta Plus ran a concert of electronic music at the Watermill Theatre in 1966, with a light show. In early 1967 they performed in concerts at The Roundhouse, at which the Carnival of Light was also played; they split up later in 1967.[11] Paul McCartney had visited the studio, but Zinovieff had little interest in popular music.[14]

In 1968, part of the studio was recreated at Connaught Hall, for a performance of pieces by Justin Connolly and David Lumsdaine.[15] At the IFIP congress that year, the composition ZASP by Zinovieff with Alan Sutcliffe took second prize in a contest, behind a piece by Iannis Xenakis.[16]

In 1969, Zinovieff sought financing through an ad in The Times but received only one response, £50 on the mistaken premise it was the price of a synthesiser. Instead he formed EMS with Cockerell and Tristram Cary.[17] At the end of the 1960s, EMS Ltd. was one of four companies offering commercial synthesizers, the others being ARP, Buchla, and Moog.[18] In the 1970s Zinovieff became interested in the video synthesizer developed by Robert Monkhouse, and EMS produced it as the Spectron.[19]

Jon Lord of Deep Purple described Zinovieff as "a mad professor type": "I was ushered into his workshop and he was in there talking to a computer, trying to get it to answer back".[20] Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco, in their history of the synthesizer revolution, see him rather as aristocratically averse to "trade".[21]

Zinovieff wrote the libretto for Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Mask of Orpheus,[22] and also the words for Nenia: The Death of Orpheus (1970).[23] The section Tristan's Folly in Tristan (1975) by Hans Werner Henze included a tape by Zinovieff."

Update:

Peter Zinovieff: A Tribute by CatSynth TV

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We look back at the life and work of Peter Zinovieff, who passed away last week at the age of 88. His work at Electronic Music Studios (EMS) was a major influence on musicians of the 1970s and beyond. At EMS, he co-created the well-known and coveted VCS3 and Synthi series. But he was also a composer in his own right, working on pioneering electronic music in the 1960s and returning to active composition in the 2010s with several collaborations with artists in other media and exploring massive sound spatialization.

Additional background music provided via the Arturia Synthi V as a tribute."

You can find additional posts featuring Peter Zinovieff here.

Moog Equalizer Keytar Controller?

Retro Synth Ads shared this one on Twitter.

"Can someone please explain to me what a @moogmusicinc Equalizer is, where it came from, and why no one has told me this existed. A Liberation without synth guts?"

Anyone seen one before? This appears to be the first one featured on the site.

Update: according to Brian Kehew of roundandwound.com and more, this was the prototype of the Liberation. "The EMEAPP collection in Philadelphia has two of them. Stevie Wonder's old ones."

The Allman Bros had one on the road as well as you can see at 30:39 in the following video (it should start right when in comes in):


The Allman Brothers Band - Full Concert - 01/16/82 - University Of Florida Bandshell (OFFICIAL)
video by Allman Brothers on MV

Alan Pearlman - Philip Dodds & Close Encounters (Bright Sparks Outtake)

video by GForce Software

"In an outtake from the Bright Sparks Documentary, ARP founder Alan R Pearlman talks about Philip Dodds and the story behind the use of the ARP 2500 on Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

Originally released in December 2015 to critical acclaim and created to compliment the I Monster album of the same name, Bright Sparks documents the human stories of eight musical instrument pioneers, - Robert Moog (Moog), Alan R Pearlman (ARP), Don Buchla, Harry Chamberlin, The Bradley Brothers (Mellotronics), Adrian Wagner (Electronic Dream Plant), Peter Zinovieff (EMS) and Ken Freeman.

'An engrossing and fascinating documentary that pays tribute to the modest but amazing innovators who changed the face of electronic music' Vince Clarke

https://www.gforcesoftware.com/blog/b... www.imonstermusic.com
Alan Pearlman Foundation: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org"

You can find additional Bright Sparks Documentary posts here.

Update: see this post for the actual order invoice for the 2500.

SONYMON ELECTRONICA - PAMPLONA - ESPANA - Mod. MU-OL12

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Anyone know what this is? Looks like a mixer but if you look at the back instead of inputs there are positive and negative leads.

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ARP's Dennis Colin - Ladder Filter & Hyperphase Pedal (Bright Sparks Outtake)

video by GForce Software

"An outtake from the Bright Sparks Documentary where ex-ARP engineer (and the creator of the SEM filter) Dennis Colin talks about how the Ladder Filter was the inspiration for his lauded and obscenely rare Hyperphase pedal.

Sadly, Dennis passed away just after we filmed him at his home in New Hampshire, but his legacy lives on in the ARP 2500, ARP 2600, Aries 300 and the legendary Oberheim SEM filter.

Originally released in December 2015 to critical acclaim and created to compliment the I Monster album of the same name, Bright Sparks documents the human stories of eight musical instrument pioneers, - Robert Moog (Moog), Alan R Pearlman (ARP), Don Buchla, Harry Chamberlin, The Bradley Brothers (Mellotronics), Adrian Wagner (Electronic Dream Plant), Peter Zinovieff (EMS) and Ken Freeman.

'An engrossing and fascinating documentary that pays tribute to the modest but amazing innovators who changed the face of electronic music' Vince Clarke"

You can find additional posts featuring Bright Sparks here.

Mystery Vintage Drum Machine Spotted in "What We Started" Documentary

Update: video added above.

This one was spotted by @DyLAB

It comes in at 11:36 in "What We Started" on Netflix. Cool documentary with tons of synth spotting BTW.

Anyone know what it is? I thought it might be a mixer but in the film you can see the LEDs moving left to right as in a sequencer.

As some of you know Moby was a huge collector of drum machine. He sold them off in 2018. I captured them here. What's pictured to the left here isn't in that post. If you know what it is, leave a comment.

Update: and it's an ETA Stage Lighting System 1234 controller. Thanks to those that left a comment.

Some pics and details via this auction

"Professional lighting system comes with 8 channel 4 scene ETA Stage Lighting System 1234 controller with ETA 1235 remote footswitch stage controller. Two Model 1250 600 watt dimmer packs, two tripod stands and light bars, 8 PAR 56 light cans with slides and gels, cables and chords Controller can be used by sound board with 50 ft snake to stage remote override. All channels can be individually dimmed. Controlller has both scene and channel chase features, fade to black. Channel and scene chase can be triggered remotely with an input from a sound board."

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The Very Rare 1969 R. A. MOOG 1502 Stereo Analog Tape Recorder

video by Round and Wound tape transfers

This one is in via Brian Kehew.
Never knew this existed. Just when you think you've seen it all, something new but old appears. Giving this one the exclusive label as well.

"At Round and Wound, we have over 100 vintage tape machines, many formats needed to transfer people's old tapes into digital files. But this one holds a special place for us: it's possibly the last of its kind, and with an incredible pedigree. This was built circa 1969 by the Moog synthesizer company as part of a never-successful push to create full electronic music studios. Afterwards, this machine toured the world with Chris Swansen's group, Badger - as playback for difficult parts recorded previously in the Moog factory studio. It's not comparable, sonically, to our more modern/professional machines - so we don't use it for transfers. But it has a place of pride among our many machines, as a custom creation from the team at Moog!"

And some info on Round And Wound:

Round And Wound audio tape transfers, digitizing, conversion;

video by Round and Wound tape transfers

"Round and Wound is a professional tape and media transfer facility in North Hollywood, CA. We have numerous machines and formats to access your old recordings and convert them to digital files.

Please go to our website for more info: www.roundandwound.com
or call (818) 856-8701 afternoons and evenings.

Analog Machines:
1" 8-track: AMPEX MM1100, SCULLY 280
2" 24-track and 16-track: 3M M79, SONY APR24, Studer A800
1" 16-track: OTARI MX70
1" 24-track: TASCAM MSR24
16-channel: FOSTEX E16, TASCAM MSR16
8-channel: OTARI MX5050, TASCAM TSR8, FOSTEX 80, FOSTEX R8, TASCAM 38
4-channel: OTARI MX5050, MCI JH110C, Tascam 424
2-channel: MCI JH110C, Ampex 800, Ampex ATR102
Cassette: TASCAM 122 MkIII, Denon DN730R, SONY
Microcassette: SONY

Digital Machines:
DAT: Panasonic SV3700, 3800, TASCAM DA30, DA40
Alesis ADAT (x4)
Mitsubishi X-86
TASCAM DA88 DA98 DA98HR (x4)
SONY F1
SONY Minidisc

Vinyl:
MAZE Turntable, mono 78 rpm
AKAI AP-207 Turntable stereo 33rpm, 45rpm

Noise Reduction:
Dolby A, dBX I and II, Dolby SR

Computer Media:
CD
ZIP drive
JAZ drive
3.5" floppy
5.25: floppy
Magneto Optical drive"

MIDI PRIMER Everything You Need to Know to Profit From The Most Dynamic Musical Technology of The '80s

October 1985 article from The Music Trades in via Loscha.

Click the pics to read each page
(Update: higher res pics added - PDF here).

Synth Ads featured:

Opcode MIDIMAC Interface, Sequencer, and Patch Libraries

DX7 RAM from The Musician's Service

AKAI S612 Sampler - Finally Sampling Made Simple!

Ensoniq "the the Mirage"

Affordable MIDI Switching DATA-LINK 5 from DIGI-TRON

SYNSONICS DRUMS - Fred Gretsch Enterprises

Syntech MIDI Software, Ram Cartridges, Midi Interfaces

It's worth noting this is the first post to feature DIGI-TRON. Makes you wonder how many unknown synth related companies are out there. In over 15 years of running this site they still come up. See the New Old label for more.

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WERSI CX-2 (1984)

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video by Synthesizer Home

"Ultra rare analog accompaniment unit with digital 8-bit drum machine mande in Germany."

via this auction

"Extremely rare Wersi Wersimatic CX2. The CX2 is a combination of a digital drumcomputer and preset synthesizer/organ. The drumcomputer section consists of 54 preset rhytms, but it is also possible to compose your own rhytms by using its composer (static/real time composing) and the 14 different drum sounds available. It also has accent.

The accompaniment section has a bass (guitar, synth, tuba), chord (e-piano, guitar, wah guitar, strings, organ), and arpeggio section (brass, clarinet, banjo, bells, strings, single notes). When the drumsection plays the accompaniment section can be triggered by pressing keys. It automatically follows the rhythms. However, you can also make your own BASS solo, chords, and arpeggio patterns !!

This is a great instrument for modding. SSM2044 chips are installed on two of the cards, and a filter/resonance function can be easily added. Other possible modifications my be separate outs and volume pots for drum sounds and accompaniment, clock synq, etc. I prefered to leave it in original condition and let the next owner do this if preferred.

The Wersi CX2 comes as seen on the pictures with technical documents in German.

Condition: Great condition with light traces of use (see the original pics and video)."

Cool overhead light on top for playing in the dark. I was wondering how many synths had something similar and the Moog Voyager came to mind. It has a gooseneck lamp you can connect on top.

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Mystery Model 101 Vocoder

This one is in via supporting member, David Bivins who currently put it up for sale on eBay here.

He picked it up used at a Japanese auction site, and unfortunately does not know the history behind it. I've never seen it before. If you know anything aobut it, primarily who made it and when, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

via David in the listing: "Very cool looking vintage 10-band vocoder. Does not work and is missing parts - for one thing, there is no power supply! I purchased it this way and have decided I do not have the time to devote to repairing it."

You'll find some pics of the inside below.

Update: it was listed on a Japanese auction site as an E.E.W. Model 101 Vocoder. E.E.W. stands for Eizuka Engineering Workshop 永塚策英 Japan Yokohama according to @analogjimmy.

via Wikipedia Japan: "From this work, Ito has released a wind synthesizer called 'TAKECON-1', which is a special order made by EIZUKA ENGINEERING WORKSHOP, as 'OMENS OF LOVE' (using TAKECON-1 + TAKECON-1 sound source) and 'PRIME' (TAKECON-1 +). Used in TAKECON-1 sound source)."

If you search online for Eizuka Engineering Workshop you will find a few additional references.

Directly below is a video of the TAKECON-1 mentioned above. It's a Lyricon wind synthesizer according to @analogjimmy.

Update2: via @Siempre_La_Luna

"I've gone down this rabbit hole before. EEW made some wind synths and utility rack gear. Seems like it was a small company. The name I've seen associated with EEW is Sakuhide Nagatsuka but I have no idea the relationship. Some EEW gear was apparently sold via retailer Ishibashi."

According to that thread, it's possible Sakuhide Nagatsuka passed away based on some online discussions.
video by ガレージ９９札幌店 - note this video is for the TAKECON-1 by Ito, and not the Model 101 Vocoder.

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Early Analog Band - Fender Chroma Musical Instruments 1982

video by Brigida Family

"Rare vintage footage! This product demonstration for Fender Chroma features a performance by Mike Brigida, John Shykun & Cleve Pozar.

16:50​ closes with John Williams 'Indiana Jones Theme' & 'Superman'"

And a note from the Rhodes Chroma list:

"The 'Expander's they show don't seem to have the same setup as a typical expander today. Specifically, the expander panel looks to be identical to that of the Chroma - and so has a extra black metal lip on the front. It is much more of a 'keyboard-chopped-off-Chroma' versus what ended up being the Expander.

Somewhat of a prophetic quote from one of the questions and answers in the video:

Q. How long before the Chroma is obsolete?

A. Chroma is an expressive, powerful musical instrument. Since it sounds good and has terrific expansion capability it stands the best chance among products available today of lasting the longest."

Mike Brigida and Ray Kurzweil Demonstrate the Kurzweil 250 - CBS News - 1984

video by Brigida Family

"Footage from 1984 - Mike Brigida and Ray Kurzweil demonstrate the new Kurzweil 250. Additional appearances by Bob Moog, Lyle Mays, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder and more..."

And:

Mike Brigida K250 Concert in Salt Lake City Part 1


Mike Brigida Salt Lake City Concert Part 2

E-MU Systems Proteus Master Performance System 5 Octave Keyboard Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

This might actually be the first one to be featured on the site.

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Vtg 1940 NY World's Fair VODER Voice Synthesizer BELL SYSTEM EXHIBIT Brochure

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Here's something you do not see everyday. It was sent my way via Pea Hicks of optigan.com. If you are not familiar with the Voder, it was a 1939 speech synthesizer from Bell Lab's. Yes, that is correct, the year 1939. You can find some previous posts including demos here. This brochure is as rare as it gets. It's hard to believe it exists in this condition. The auction description follows: "A Vintage / Original 1940 New York WORLD'S FAIR Bell System Exhibit BROCHURE / BOOKLET of The VODER - The Worlds First Voice Electronic Synthesizer. The Bell Telephone Laboratory's Voder (from Voice Operating Demonstrator) was the first attempt to electronically synthesize human speech by breaking it down into its acoustic components. It was invented by Homer Dudley in 1937–1938 and developed on his earlier work on the vocoder. The quality of the speech was limited; however, it demonstrated the synthesis of the human voice, which became one component of the vocoder used in voice communications for security and to save bandwidth.

As found recently, it measures aprx 6" x 9".

Visually it appears to be in nice original condition showing light overall wear w/ some light creasing & a soft vertical fold/crease down the center (see pics)."

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EEH DS- 500 Digital Sequencer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"The device was built around 1980 and is in good technical and visual condition for its age. This sequencer was also used by Tangerine Dream. Power supply and operating instructions are included."

This appears to be the first one featured on the site. EEH was known to make the BANANA anlog synth similar in look to an Oberheim OB-Xa in OB-SX case. You can posts featuring EEH here.

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Steiner - V.C. Hi-Lo Pass Resonant Filter & V.C. Trigger Generator - Prototypes 1975

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"FS: N.A. Steiner (Pre-Steiner Parker) - V.C. Hi-Lo Pass Resonant Filter and V.C. Trigger Generator - Prototypes

Here is another unusual listing from my collection. 2 very early synthesizer modules designed and hand built by Nyle Steiner in 1974 or 75 before the formation of Steiner Parker.. The Filter is perhaps THE ORIGINAL resonant multimode VCF designed by Steiner for his Synthasystem Modular System (also used in later used in other designs such as the Synthacon).

I have owned these pieces for almost 20 years, they are unmodified and have never have been repaired.. both still work and the filter sounds incredible.

This is a very rare chance to pick up a piece of vintage audio history, which you can also use musically!"

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