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Farfisa Syntorchestra 4 - trial Published on Jun 9, 2014
"Trial of an old Farfisa Syntorchestra 4 poly + mono synthesizer ( you can either select poly, mono, or play both at the same time ), please note that i am not a keyboardist so be gentle :P
The Farfisa is plugged into a line mixer, no ext. effects were added while recording..."
"A genuine, working CAT SRM, and I'm the original owner, having purchased it on April 18th, 1980. Yup, exactly 40 years ago.
This unit was never abused, but it definitely was used in live performances. That explains the scuffed side panels; I didn't have a road case for it. The control surface and keys are nice, but yeah, that wood could use a refinishing. Funny... I just noticed that an ebayer in the UK sells new side panels. Good for you, fella! Come to think of it, maybe you could just switch the panels left-to-right so that the "good" wood is now outside? Hmm...
To hear and see this synth in action, follow this YouTube link: [video embedded above]
My keyboard setup back in the day included a Rhodes 73 Stage, Farfisa Syntorchestra, Clavinet C, and this CAT. Very, very analog. the CAT was pretty much a solo instrument, although it did play the occasional bass line.
"FARFISA Syntorchestra for sale on ebay soon [Syntorchestras on eBay], played with simple reverb & echo from Pioneer DJ-Mixer. For more destinctive sounds please check also the video by AnalogAudio"
FARFISA SYNTORCHESTRA - Analog Synthesizer 1975 | HQ DEMO
Uploaded by AnalogAudio1 on Jan 30, 2009
"Demo of the Farfisa Syntorchestra - an italian analog keyboard / synthesizer. It looks a bit like an ARP synth. This vintage baby was used by Klaus Schulze on his album Moondawn, by Ash Ra (Ashra Tempel) and by Vangelis.
Basically, it is a simple monophonic synthesizer with some presets which can be modified and a polyphonic section. These two sections can be also combined and slightly detuned (intervals are also possible) to sound like a 2-VCO monophonic synth. It is simple, and it sounds great - especially with a delay effect!
I use it today to produce interesting pad and lead sounds in my music - sounds, which you don't get from other synths. It sounds really vintage, like classic electronic music from the seventies!
I played the Syntorchestra along with delay from a Roland DEP-5."
"i've serviced several Syntorchestra and I found out that because of the age, build quality and design limitation of the synth, owners can sometimes wonder if their unit is working and sounding how it should. So here you have an example of a properly working unit, with its strength and weakness. These instrument are quite unique. Before I laid my hands on one I was not really convinced by the demos I heard. Sure is sounded nice but nothing to rave about. But I must admit that when you have the chance to play with one you get quite quickly drowned in its sound. There is something very unique about that instrument, nothing I can really compare it too. Especially when you play both sections together, something magical happens. First part of the video is a quick performance using a Welson S12 drum machine and Vermona VRS23 for reverb. Second part is recorded dry from the synth with no production. I go over every sound and parameter of the synth in that section so you can compare to your unit.
"A quick video we threw together some time ago, the Elka Wilgamat is a Drum machine, bass and chord generator from 1976 or so, originally part of the Elka X705 organ. We got this machine modded with separate outputs, sending the bass to the Maestro Sound System for woodwinds, a great 1960s filter/octave/fuzz effect, that stopped working during the making of this video.
The Syntorchestra 4 is of course the younger sibling of the Syntorchestra - a rather simple mono synth and divide down string / brass keyboard - it shares the controls of the older one, but sounds less characteristic.
We still really like it tho, the presets are great with some external boost."
"Another go at odd bars with the lovely combo of Italian underdogs: Farfisa Syntorchestra 4 and the Godwin Drummaker 45 - Computer System.
These machines can be tinny and a bit dull on their own but with some help from external effects we think they sound unique, to say the least.
VAI 26. Godwin Drummaker 45 / Farfisa Syntorchestra 4
"Introducing the Godwin Drummaker 45 Computer System.
A stand-alone auto-accompaniment machine with four instrument groups:
A drum machine, a bass section, a chord section and arpeggiator.
The Vermona DEG 500 is in use in the break for wobble effect, otherwise it's the Space Echo spring reverb and Chorus in action."
"early 70'ies Berlin School multitrack jam spiced with floydish Kraut,
all tracks live played and filmed while recording. Main Synths:
Korg ARP Odyssey 2015 // Farfisa Syntorchestra (1975) // Korg MS 20 mini.
Heavy use of my new Phasers: Vermona PH-16 (MS-20mini) / Schulte Compact Phasing A clone (Syntorchestra)
+ some Guitar
+ midi Sequencer RPE SEQ12 for Volca Beats, Jomox Jazbas 03
& Elektron Octatrack for ARP Odyssey Sequences & Percussion Loops
HOPE YOU ENJOY my latest Ambient Psychedelic SESSION with Video Art. It's a little hommage to early Berlin School artists like Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra & Tangerine Dream :-)
"The Elka Twin 61 is a rare Italian string/organ/bass keyboard, built in the early 1980s. Fully polyphonic strings, organ, and other sounds, with monophonic bass section. It has 2 separate sections (A and B) with identical features. The sections can be combined and mixed together to create a huge wall of sound. It sounds super lush and early 80s – unlike typical 70s string machines. It has a great CEM3320 based phaser built in.
In this video both A and B sections are used – Organ for the part A and full strings for part B."
YouTube via AnalogAudio1. Video removed?: see this post. HIGH QUALITY SOUND! Metalic case version. Played with digital delay "This Syntorchestra is the metalic case version, wich looks very cool ;-). The design of it looks a bit like an ARP synth. It was often used by Klaus Schulze (on his album Moondawn), Vangelis, Ash Ra (Ashra). It is heard on many classic electronic music records in the seventies. I played the syntorchestra with an digital delay. Enjoy!"
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video by Vintage Audio Institute Italia
"We wanted to make a song with unadulterated sounds from the Elgam Carousel,
plug and play as you say these days. This is one take with the Carousel, mono
out, with some Farfisa Syntorchestra flourishes. Just a little compression
and spring reverb on The Carousel and some Roland Re-301 on the Syntorchestra.
None of the instruments are properly tuned when we recorded this so don’t
look to close on the fingerwork ;)
Headphones are highly recommended
since the bass line generator on these is fantastic.
We then of course turned around and made a heavily adulterated track, lots
of effects, will post next week. This one is for sale, it's in amazing
condition, see earlier post for price and shipping.
We’re a tracking
studio and as gear vendor in the hills of Florence. We make these videos
for fun when there’s not that much to do in the studio, sloppy playing and
mixing aside - it will def sound better with headphones on."
"Here is a rare and incredible machine. The Farfisa Syntorchestra is a polysynth and a mono synth in one. Check out the video. These things go where no others do. The tone is holy analog wholeness, that warm organic purity often spoken of but never landed anywhere near in today's mass lies.
This is the best of those raw strange Farfisa organs that go right through the subconscious-- but add to that an epic super expressible mono voice.
Check out the video. [previously posted here
This was just looked over by my super synth tech-- Chris at Electronic Innovations. It needed the vibrato button to the poly section put right. It was put right plus the power supply section worked for health and longevity.
This supremely rare legend is ready to make you the same."
"A classic 70s kraut rock instrument, the very unique sounding Syntorchestra is a truly inspiring keyboard, with its polyphonic and monophonic sections.
This particular unit was serviced and most of the electrolytic caps were replaced, as well as cleaned and calibrated. It plays and sounds as it should, just check the video for a comprehensive demo and tips about this instrument.
Cosmetic is overall good, with some signs of wear here and there, mostly on the side cheeks, see pictures. Considering its age and build quality it still looks nice."
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video upload by Vintage Echo Room
"Forgive my way of playing...really i don't have any technique! The video was
made quickly just to demonstrate the functionality of the Syntorchestra. Until
about minute 5 the sound is taken directly from the amplifier (through a d.i.),
then I tried some external effects."
"Overhauled in 2020: all old electrolytic and tantalum (more than 100 in total) capacitors have been replaced. Only the output impedance selector (on the back of the instrument) doesn't work so it has been bypassed by opting for a common use impedance."
"Another take with the Wersimatic II, the younger sister / brother of the Wersimatic 24 auto accompaniment machine.
The sounds and controls are across the board identical as far as we can tell.
It was never made as a standalone unit but part of a large, double manual organ called Wersi Helios in the mid 70s.
This particular one has been transplanted from an organ into a smaller box with a twelve buttons acting as chord control instead of the bottom keys of the organ.
Special thanks to Organfairy for the rare schematics : dude you f-ing rock
The Wersimatic II has sections on board:
Bass
Drum machine
Various chord sounds
Melody played on the Farfisa Syntorchestra String machine and Mono synth."
"Analog auto-accompaniment machine produced by the German organ manufacturer Wersi sometime in the mid-70s.
Originally part of a big, dual manual organ called Helios, this auto-comp section was probably removed from the organ and squeezed into a Teak cabinet, crammed with circuit boards, all beautifully snug inside - a very good job by whoever built it.
You control the harmony and key with the black 12 buttons on the front replacing the one octave that was probably at the bottom 12 keys of the organ.
The Wersimatic II has sections on board:
Bass
Drum machine
Various chord sounds
Melody played on the Farfisa Syntorchestra String machine and Mono synth.
Big thanks to Organfairy who helped us find the right schematics to repair it.
Vintage Audio Institute Italia is a gear vendor and recording studio in the hills of Florence."
"Another sad space ballad - this time performed on the poly/mono machine Farfisa Syntorchestra 4 (what happened to 2 and 3?!) and analog drum machine Eko Rhythmaker - simple but lovely machines - both extremely Italian :)
Vintage Audio Institute is a studio and vintage gear shop, we make these videos just for fun in between tasks, we're not professional keyboard players so please have patience with the sloppy finger work."
"Here is a Farfisa Syntorchestra from the early 70s; this synth is a classic Italian string machine with some really nice sounding presets - my favorite is piccolo. We ran it with Murray’s Lexicon 200 and Brett’s EMT 252, both of which are some of the finest digital reverbs the 80s had to offer."
"This Syntorchestra was in really bad condition, but luckily it could be revived. It still needs some work, but I´m already loving the sound (As a huge krautrock fan, I really can´t help it) The polysection oscillator was completely dead, luckily I found a working substitute here:
http://www.flatkeys.co.uk/
Also a huge shout-out to Verde for helping me in repairs:
https://www.verdeaudio.com/"
