Siel Cruise Synthesiser

YouTube Uploaded by nounandnumber on Mar 18, 2011

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"This is the Siel Cruise I have for sale on eBay. It is from around 1981-1986 and is a combination of the Siel Mono and the Orchestra 2.

The video is an example of the sounds it can make, rather than me playing it, so it is more for information than entertainment.

A Siel Orchestra was the source of the lovely keyboard on The Rip by Portishead, which can be heard on the polysynth piano preset of the Cruise. It may be battered, but it is still capable of some good sounds, especially the strings which sound great.

This video will be removed upon sale of the synth. Hopefully Adrian Utley nor Sonicstate.com mind having their interview footage included, but I will remove it at their request."

Also
"I would like to know though if my comparisons to the Siel Orchestra 2 are valid. I was always under the impression that the Cruise is a Mono & Orchestra in one box, with some extras, such as the EQ, missing. Any opinions would be appreciated."

And some interesting bits from the auction (as always be sure to read the full description at the auction if you intend to bid):
"Siel were an Italian company in the eighties, and from what little information I can find about it, the Cruise appears to be a union of the Siel Mono and the Siel Orchestra II. Plenty of specific information can be found here but some of the interesting features I want to point out are: the full polyphony on the poly section, the mono and poly sections can be played in unison and there is an option for a keyboard split as well, and the outputs include a mono+poly and poly only output. The LFO on the mono section is a little unusual in that it works after a short delay (this is by design, I should add).

I have assembled a little audio slideshow of what it is capable of with a whole host of pictures of the actual synth for sale on You Tube. There should also be a list of suggestions by You Tube of the few other videos demonstrating this synth which may be worth your time...

Now for the modification. At the same time as I bought the synth I was doing a lot of circuit bending and decided to tentatively explore the possibilities on the mono section. This was a bit foolish as a) it was on something running on mains power and b) was on something I could not afford to loose (I broke a Yamaha CS01 circuit bending. It still smarts). Fortunately nothing untoward happened and the result is a simple bypass of the Rd125 resistor that gives an harmonic distortion to the monosynth with no ill effects to the rest. Again, all this can be seen and heard on the video.

What really pleased me though was discovering, in an interview with Adrian Utley from Portishead that some of my favourite sounds from Third (mainly the great arpeggio at the end of The Rip) came from a Siel Orchestra (see above) which can be heard in the piano preset of the Cruise. However the cruise does lack the Orchestra's EQ so it isn't an exact likeness, and I expect the drive in production of the synth was for 'cleaner' sounds, which does give it a richer string sound as it is it a more recent synth. Still it is nice for a relatively obscure synth to get some love, rather than the usual Moog, EMS suspects, but that is probably because I cannot afford them..."

Siel Cruise Demo

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Published on Mar 25, 2020 StudioSoba

"Available here: dbs-gear-bazaar Reverb"

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Up for sale is one of the best Siel analog synths. Poly section serviced calibrated and cleaned works perfect, mono section serviced and has only issue with one mono preset not tuned correctly (picollo) you can hear it on the video example from 5:30.

Thanks for looking.

The Siel Cruise is a really interesting instrument. It helped Siel branch out of the Organ building business and into synthesizers. Besides the Sequential Circuits Fugue version, the Cruise’s two sections were also available as separate synthesizers from Siel—the Orchestra and the Mono. The Cruise’s Poly section, the Orchestra, was also released in the USA by ARP as the Quartet. So there is plenty of this synth to go around under various names and forms out there. It is quite capable of some really nice Mellotron-like strings, a fair good piano, though the single-oscillator driven Mono synth is a bit slim due to being a single oscillator, but still quite capable of decent bass and lead sounds.
Polyphony - Monophonic / 49-note Polyphonic"

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SIEL CRUISE vintage analog synthesizer

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"The Siel Cruise is a very interesting, great sounding and unusual machine. It's the combination of two Siel synthesizers in one: the Siel Mono (monophonic section) and the Siel Orchestra (polyphonic section). In those days this machine was so appealing that Sequential Circuits acquired its license to release their own re-branded and re-painted version of the Cruise known as the Sequential Fugue. The Poly section was also licensed to ARP, who released it under the name of ARP Quartet.

Interface : The Cruise is a masterpiece of vintage Italian design: beautiful to see, effective and very intuitive. The front panel has a lot of graphical information printed on it to clearly designate the Mono section functions from the Poly section features, as well as signal flow charts to help the user understand how the sounds are internally routed.

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SIEL CRUISE vintage analog synthesizer + ORIGINAL PEDAL

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Demo in the listing previously posted here (it's a good one).

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SIEL CRUISE Vintage Analog Italian Synthesizer

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From the listing "The last one sold on Reverb was 4 years ago." Not sure about that. You can see a few posted here. Remember, you can search for any synth + auction here on MATRIXSYNTH to bring up previous listings.

You can find a demo of the Siel Cruise in the 2nd playlist here.

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Siel Cruise for Parts

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Some pics of the inside of a Siel Cruise.

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SIEL CRUISE ITALIAN MONO POLY SYNTH

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via this auction. Inside a Siel Cruise. Taffy cables.

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SIEL CRUISE Analog Synth

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Note the parameter/control LEDs.

"SIEL CRUISE, great Italian synth made in the 1981.

Warm analog sounds, very similar to ARP ODISSEY in the mono section.

Perfectly works, any key and any switch and any led."

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Siel Cruise Analogue Synth

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"The Cruise is a Siel mono synth and Siel Orchestra all rolled into one big mothership of a synthesizer. You can split the keyboard and also flip which end plays which synth section, you can stack sounds on top of each other. It's a monster synth and looks really impressive when you see it."

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SIEL CRUISE SYNTHESIZER

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"Fully functional with a new air case.

Cruise is a 49 key synthesizer with a mid fixed split point featuring a mono synthesizer and polyphonic orchestral synthesizer. The Cruise is a dual instrument in one synthesizer with a preset polyphonic orchestral instrument and mono synthesizer as well. Both sections have presets. the orchestral section has presets within the Reed Brass, piano and string instrument families where as the mono synthesizer section offers presets but can also be used in a free section where it becomes a monophonic analog synthesizer. The 49 key keyboard instrument has a fixed split point for the two instrument sections which can be played and used separately or together."

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Siel Cruise Vintage Synthesizer SN 183/249

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"The Cruise is two synths in one, combining what is Siel’s Orchestra and Mono synthesizer models into one powerful synthesizer. It features two discrete synthesizer modes or sections: Mono Synthesizer and Poly Synthesizer. The front panel has a lot of graphical information printed on it to clearly designate the Mono section functions from the Poly section features, as well as signal flow charts to help the user understand how the sounds are internally routed. In the middle of the synth is the ‘Masters’ section. This holds master volume sliders for the Mono and Poly synth sections and keyboard split mode options."

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SIEL CRUISE (RARE) Fully polyphonic analogue synth

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"Manufactured by italian manufacturer siel in the early 80's. This is a beast of a keyboard weighing in at a hefty 15kgs!!. What you got for your money though was two synthesisers in one, A fully polyphonic section and a monophonic synth section. Built like an absolute tank with thick gauge steel hinged front faceplate allowing full access to internal electronics. To build something like this these days would cost an absolute arm and a leg!!... One of the voices this synth is renowned for was the string type sounds. The voice was an absolute copy of a solina keyboard voice which was a lush deep warm phasing type voice that when used with effects can give a string sound to die for. All other voices are also usable. Mono section has the usual filter with resonance and frequency. You have the option of a fixed keyboard split allowing you to play a mono sound on the left and a poly on the right or vise versa. Can also play mono and poly patches layered. Pitch bend and portamento control, pitchbend control has it's control cap intact and the shaft is straight and responsive. Monosection has the option to play standard fixed tones or the option to modify using the filter or enevelope shaper also vibrato. The vibrato is a strange one because this effect is only available in the mono section with a preset vibrato delay. The poly section however has a control called 'animator' this was simply a chorus type effect that could be used on most of the poly section voices to thicken the voice for a warm polyphasic effect, quite effective though..."

Siel Cruise

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"The instrument is fully functional, has not been repaired or regenerated, all parts are factory-made, I suppose it has never been opened. A few paint rubs around the Masters section. All switches, effects react properly, the keyboard works flawlessly, in the past only one owner, the instrument was used stationary, it was not brought to the concert tours."

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SIEL CRUISE ANALOG POLY / MONO SYNTHESIZER

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"This is an Analog Synthesizer with a Mono and a Poly section. These can be left / right split on the keyboard or stacked for a Fat sound. This Synth is in a very good condition, with little traces of usage.

Click the pics to read the controls.

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Siel Cruise SN 227/414

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Siel Cruise

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VINTAGE ARMON, ARMONCONCERT KEYBOARD / SYNTH

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"VINTAGE 1970's ARMON KEYBOARD, THE ARMONCONCERT.

# The Armon keyboard was made in italy in the 1970's, it looks to be in the style of the old siel cruise keyboards and features STRINGS, REEDS, PIANO & BRASS SOUNDS along with Basic vibrato effect & filter controls.

# Keyboard features twin built in speakers to underside, push button controls for Strings, reed, Piano & Brass Instruments, each instrument Patch section features a number of small toggle switches which can be used to select the various instrument in that patch, the filter can be used to control the attack, brilliance & sustain.

# Nice Collectors Item Ideal for those Cheesy retro 70's sounds.

# Keyboard measures 98cm in length x 36cm front to back."

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Siel Cruise

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You can find a demo of one previously posted here.

SIEL CRUISE ITALIAN MONO POLY SYNTHESIZER

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Siel Cruise: Mono + Poly synthesizer

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