Elka Synthex/Jen Syntar GS3000 - Tribute to Mario Maggi Synthesizers (feat. Korg DDD1) - LiveJam

video upload by VSMI - Vintage Synths Made in Italy

"Elka Synthex (1981) polyphonic synthesizer, the Beast and the Best of the Italian Machine!
Jen Syntar GS3000 (1978) 2 oscillators guitar synthesizer (this mine with Midi retrofit by Mirco Trentin)
Korg DDD1 kick drum, claps and hi-hats
Alesis Alex reverb
Arturia Keystep sequence to midi-in retrofit of Jen Syntar
Korg DDD1 control midi-clock of Arturia Keystep
Korg DDD1 hi-hats assigne to trigger-out to control the sync-in of 2 tracks Synthex on-board sequencer
This is a wonderful link dedicate to Mario Maggi:
https://www.classic2vintage.com/perso..."

70s/80s Horror Vintage Synth Jam #3! #synthesizer #synth #synthwave #elkasynthex #loganvocalist

video upload by Reuben Jones

"Some more 70s/80s horror synth music inspired by the likes of Goblin and the more contempary Zombi. I made this track for my Logan Vocalist demo [posted here] but I thought I'd upload it separately. Ignore the drumsticks, I had to correct some errors and timing issues. I'm not sure why I decided to use them!

Logan Vocalist
Mario Maggi Synthex Mk1
Octave Kitten 2
Dave Smith Tempest
Yamaha TRB5f"

ELKA SYNTHEX - DEMO BY SYNTH TAILOR ELECTRONICS

video upload by Synth Tailor Electronics

"Today I have a special vintage synthesizer that you don't see everyday...the mighty ELKA SYNTHEX! I get lost while playing this synth, instant lush/80's workhorse synthesizer with the best sounding chorus! I've got it hooked up with an AMS RMX16 Digital Reverb. This Elka Synthex demo video is for Matt Fiske from Sensorium Studios.

Repairs done:
-Replaced Noisy Fan with a modern Quiet Fan + It's own Meanwell SMPS to run the fan.
-Rebuilt the Power Supply, upgraded the regulators
-Installed the Tauntek Firmware Upgrade (check out www.tauntek.com for more details)
-Replaced all electrolytic capacitors on cards
-Full Calibration/Tuning
-Installed new Volume Pot, Mono/Stereo Switch

The Elka Synthex is a legendary polyphonic analog synthesizer produced by the Italian music instrument manufacturer Elka from 1981 to 1985. It's considered a classic synth and is highly sought-after by musicians and collectors today.

The Synthex was conceived and developed by independent Italian designer Mario Maggi. Maggi gained the financial backing of Elka, a company known for its organs, to produce the synthesizer. Elka manufactured the Synthex from 1981 to 1985, with a total of 1,850 units produced. The Synthex was known for its lush sound, 8-voice polyphony, and extensive modulation capabilities. It featured 30 knobs, 6 sliders, 80 switches, and a joystick for sound shaping. The Synthex gained popularity among musicians and was used in various genres, including synth-pop, new wave, and electronic music. It's associated with artists like Jean-Michel Jarre and Depeche Mode."

Behringer Working on FPGA Based Elka Synthex Clone

Note the top pic appears to be the development environment while the bottom two are of a vintage Synthex. According to Behringer their Synthex is a couple years out:

"Recreating the Magic of the Elka Synthex

The Elka Synthex, a synthesizer from the early 1980s, is cherished for its rich, warm sound and unique character. Musicians like Jean-Michel Jarre and Duran Duran have used it to create iconic tracks, solidifying its place in music history. Designed by Mario Maggi and produced by the Italian company Elka, the Synthex has a storied past.

At Behringer, we're working to revive the Elka Synthex with a dedicated team of top-notch R&D engineers in Italy, where the original was created. Using advanced Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), we're able to replicate the original circuitry and signal paths, capturing the essence of its distinctive sound.

The Role of FPGA’s

FPGAs help us recreate the immensely complex inner workings of the Synthex, ensuring we maintain its unique tonal qualities while improving reliability and performance. The two large chips in the center of the main board are Xylinx FPGA’s.

Honoring a Classic

Our goal is to make the classic sound of the Elka Synthex available to today’s musicians, combining its vintage appeal with modern technology. This passion project aims to respect the legacy of the Synthex while providing the enhancements needed for contemporary use.

Bringing back the Synthex

Stay tuned as we work to bring the Elka Synthex back to life, celebrating its history and sound with the same passion and innovation that marked its original creation.

This 'labor of love' project will take a few years, but it’ll be worth the wait as the Synthex is one of the most iconic synthesizers of all times. Send some love to Matteo and his R&D team."

SAX or SUX? Farfisa Syntorchestra 4: Saxophone Preset

video upload by Reuben Jones

"Tell Farfisa in the comments if you think the saxophone preset on their Syntochestra 4 sounds like a sax, or if it sux! Bear in mind it's an analogue design from 1975-80!

This is a solo in an upcoming track.

Novation Supernova: chords and bass
Mario Maggi Synthex: background textures
Roland CR78 (VST): drums/perc

#synthsolo #vintagesynthesizer #electronicmusic #acidjazz #farfisasyntorchestra #synthex #novation"

The Story of the Elka Synthex

video upload by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

"A mini-doc about the inception of the Elka Synthex. A legendary 1980's synthesizer designed by Italian synth pioneer Mario Maggi."

You can find additional synth documentaries by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams here. See the Documentaries label below for others.

Revisiting the ELKA-X (LIVE) - VIRAL BEATS

video upload by VIRAL BEATS

"The Cherry Audio Elka-X synthesizer is based upon the legendary Synthex, a rare Italian analog synthesizer designed by Mario Maggi and manufactured by ELKA in the early eighties.

Elka-X replicates the extraordinary character of the original synth without compromising sound or functionality, thoughtfully expanding its feature set and delivering the authentic Synthex experience at a price anyone can afford."

Crumar Bit 01 White Face Rack Synth Unit

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

via this auction

"Excellent condition of the rare white face Crumar Bit 01 Rack. A very special synth that can have voices split or doubled (huge) across the keyboard. Has a very distinct character somewhere between analog and digital, a beautiful tone.

Was inspected/ serviced thoroughly in 2019 after it was bought from a professional studio where is was very well cared for. Has been performing perfectly since then. European 220 voltage, comes with power cable.

I was told that the same designer (or team?) that worked on the Elka Synthex designed this unit. Interesting to think about if true but I haven’t gotten that confirmed."

That would be Mario Maggi, as mentioned on Sound on Sound.

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Elka Synthex w/ MIDI

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

via this auction

"ELKA Synthex excellent condition. All original, with original rare stand and super-rare original Elka Synthex road case (wood/steel). Carefully kept at home, no-smoking, first owner, minor signs on wood, perfect panel. 100% working, some years ago was overhauled by Eng. Mario Maggi in person, who also replaced the battery and did an improvement in the final output stage! Local pick-up preferred, in Napoli (Italy). It has original MIDI."

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Elka-X by Cherry Audio - Part 2: Layers, Effects, Sequencer, Unison Mode

video upload by CatSynth TV

"Part 2 of our detailed look at the new Elka-X from Cherry Audio, a recreation of the legendary and elusive Elka Synthex polyphonic analog synthesizer. This second part focus on unison mode, effects, keyboard layers, and the sequencer.

If you haven't already seen Part 1, we recommend checking that out first: [posted here]

00:31 Poly, Mono, and Unison Modes
01:44 Effects
07:52 Layers
10:02 LFOs
13:59 Sequencer
18:25 More Factory Presets

To find out more about the Elka-X, please visit https://store.cherryaudio.com/bundles...

'The Cherry Audio Elka-X synthesizer is based upon the legendary Synthex, a rare Italian analog synthesizer designed by Mario Maggi and manufactured by ELKA in the early eighties. Elka-X replicates the extraordinary character of the original synth without compromising sound or functionality, thoughtfully expanding its feature set and delivering the authentic Synthex experience...'

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Elka-X by Cherry Audio - Part 1: History, Oscillators, Filters, and Modulators

video upload by CatSynth TV

"Part 1 of our detailed look at the new Elka-X from Cherry Audio, a recreation of the legendary and elusive Elka Synthex polyphonic analog synthesizer. This first part focuses on history and the voice features (oscillators, filters, modulators).

00:27 History of the Elka Synthex
01:24 Overview of the Elka-X
02:21 Oscillators
07:24 Filter
10:02 LFOs
13:12. Oscillator 2 Hard Sync
15:51 Factory Preset examples

"The Cherry Audio Elka-X synthesizer is based upon the legendary Synthex, a rare Italian analog synthesizer designed by Mario Maggi and manufactured by ELKA in the early eighties. Elka-X replicates the extraordinary character of the original synth without compromising sound or functionality, thoughtfully expanding its feature set and delivering the authentic Synthex experience..."
____________
Please consider supporting this channel to help us bring you more synthesizer tutorials and other content.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Elka Synthex

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Leonardo Rosi

via this auction

"Elka Synthex REVISIONED BY THE CREATOR MARIO MAGGI IN PERSON. It is in Rome, Italy, in person purchase is prefered, however insurance shipping can be arranged. This rare model is one of the first 50 Synthex ever produced. It has no MIDI attachment. If you want to a video call can be arranged to hear the instrument play."

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Elka Synthex MKII+ Midi IN/OUT+ Flight Case. *Serviced by Mario Maggi* (Almost Mint!) SN 1261

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

via this auction

"*Professionally SERVICED in FULL Working order*

Serviced by Mario Maggi Himself !!
+Midi IN/OUT
+Flight Case"

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MCS 70 Restoration Backstage

Badilevintage

"Hello everybody , my Hobby it's restore the old Combo organ and Synth.
In this video i show you the backstage during the restoration of ultra rare MCS70 made by Ing. Mario Maggi ."

See this post for more info on the MCS70.

ELKA Synthex - Italy's Answer to the Prophet 5.

Reuben Jones

"Listen to a Synthex and watch it fly across epic scenes of nature.

Synthex ➤ Molov Compressor ➤ Valhalla Vintage Verb

Learn about the Synthex on Mario Maggi's website: http://www.synthex.it/mario-maggi/

All sounds and music by Reuben Jones
Please visit my Instagram for more synth demos, especially Italian synths etc: reuben0jones

All video downloaded from pexels.com and free to use.
Video credits to the following videographers from pexel.com
James Wheeler
invisiblepower
Kelly Lacy
Pixabay
Jonathan Santos
Felix Mittermeier
Sean Johnston
Ruvim Miksanskiy
Michal Marek
Iggy Poptratz
Nomad Nation Video Produktion
James Cheney
Tom Fisk
Pressmaster
Stefano Rinaldo"

ELKA SYNTHEX - Sounds, Patches & Ambient Soundscapes | Synth Demo

synth4ever

"Elka Synthex analog synthesizer demo, featuring various sounds, patches and ambient soundscapes. This Elka Synthex synth demo showcases various Elka Synthex sounds including pads, leads, resonant sweeps, organs and more. Filmed at the Vintage Synthesizer Museum in Oakland, CA.

Manufactured from 1981-1984 in Italy, the Elka Synthex is a lush sounding classic 8-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer. It was conceived by independent Italian designer Mario Maggi and has 30 knobs, 6 sliders, 80 switches and a joystick, as well as a 4 track sequencer. Later versions implemented basic MIDI functions.

The Elka Synthex utilizes 2 DCOs per voice, each with multiple waveshapes: triangle, saw, square, pulse, PWM and ring mod. It also has a lovely multimode filter with frequency, envelope control, resonance and keyboard tracking, as well as lowpass, two bandpass options, and highpass filter modes.

The Elka Synthex also has 2 LFOs, multiple envelope generators, multiple chorus modes as well as oscillator cross-modulation and oscillator sync capabilities. LFOs can be routed to osc1, osc2, PW1, PW2, filter or amp and waveshapes include triangle, saw, ramp and square. Voices can be split, dual or layered, and it also supports footswitches for advance, glide, hold and release and direct onboard glide/portamento.

The Elka Synthex sequencer offers four different tracks which can have different length and sounds (Upper/Lower can be allocated to different tracks), and supports rests between notes as well as length of notes. In addition, 2 of its tracks can output MIDI data.

Instead of traditional pitchbend/modulation wheels, the Elka Synthex has a joystick which provides real-time control over the two LFOs, oscillator and filter modulation. The 6 sliders beside the joystick assign what (LFO, osc and filter) goes to the joystick.

Overall, the Elka Synthex is an extremely lush sounding synthesizer with many famous artists such as Tangerine Dream, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) and Jean Michel Jarre having used it. It is probably most famous for its "laser harp" sound.

The Elka Synthex is a beautiful machine, quite large in size, and can put out some amazing pads and timbres. The chorus and ensemble effects are particularly lovely, as they add an incredible shimmer to the sounds. The Elka Synthex is quite rare these days and commands hefty prices on the second-hand market, but if you have the opportunity to try one, do not hesitate as it is an experience like no other."

DOmilasiezento - Italian ARP2600 Clone by Mirco Trentin

Some pics and details in via SoundMiT who also brought us the one of a kind MCS70 by Elka's Mario Maggi.

via the creator Mirco Trentin:

"Two years of hard work, many hours spent for development and many hours for soldering, at the end domilasiezento is alive. Domilasiezento is a dialect Veneto word of 2600. I diced to build it 2 years ago, I'm searching for schematics, pcb, components equivalences, i redraw all pcb's with a CAD but I keep the original layout. Result is DOmilasiezento, Full size, same graphics 3rd generation with 4072 VCF, midi implementation with duophonic cv, case copper with modern tolex and of course a spring reverber.

This is my creature.
have a fun
Mirco Trentin"

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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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CRUMAR BIT99 | Analog Synthesizer 1985 | HD DEMO

Published on Nov 29, 2019 AnalogAudio1

"(c) 2019 by AnalogAudio1

Synthesizer demo of the analog synthesizer Crumar Bit99 from 1985.

For reverb effects, a Lexicon MPX 500 was used, along with a Korg SDD-3000 for delay effects. The sounds were programmed by me.

The Bit99 is a nice fully programmable polysynth with warm analog sounds made in Italy. It has been developed by Mario Maggi, the developer of the Elka Synthex! It has a velocity sensitive keyboard and MIDI. 2 DCOs, 2 LFOs, 24dB lowpass filters, 2 ADSR envelopes, noise, make many different sounds possible."

New Behringer Elka Synthex Cone in the Works

This one spotted and sent in via Soviet Space Child.

"Look what we just added to our synth collection?

The Elka Synthex was developed by independent Italian designer Mario Maggi. Only 1850 units were ever produced by Italian company Elka between 1981 and 1985. Famous artists who used it include Jean-Michel Jarre and Stevie Wonder etc.

What an amazing sounding synth and master piece of engineering - we can't stop playing it :-)"

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