"Vintage PAiA 4700 Series Modular Analog Synthesizer with Keyboard – Needs Repair
Offered here is a PAiA 4700 Series Modular Synthesizer, produced between the early 1970s and early 1980s. This system is being sold as-is and will require service to be fully operational.
Functional Status
VCO 1: Powered and producing signal. Can be patched through the filter and mixer and triggered via the keyboard.
VCO 2 & VCO 3: Not producing output. Both modules are not connected to power or ground.
Sequencer (4780): Does not power on or respond. The power and ground wires are present on the bus but not connected to the sequencer module.
Filter (4730): Produces sound when triggered through the mixer.
Keyboard / Pitch Tracking: Synth triggers properly, but pitch does not track consistently across notes within the same octave and will require calibration or service.
Internal Condition
Power and ground wiring for the sequencer, VCO 2, and VCO 3 are disconnected internally.
Loose wire ends have been insulated.
Reason for the disconnections is unknown.
Included Modules
4720 VCO (x3 total)
4730 VCF
4740 Envelope Generator (x2)
4710 Balanced Modulator (x2)
4711 4/2 Mixer
4712 Reverb
4770 Watt Block (x3)
Control Oscillator
4761 Wing
4780 Sequencer
Notes
No patch cables included
Vintage condition with cosmetic wear consistent with age
Not fully functional and sold as-is for restoration, repair, or knowledgeable users
The PAiA 4700 is a historically interesting DIY-era modular synthesizer with a distinctive analog character. This example will appeal most to technicians, restorers, or modular enthusiasts comfortable with vintage electronics."
"The PAiA 4783 Joystick Controller is a vintage synthesizer control interface from 1977, designed by the renowned brand PAiA. This analog joystick controller offers a unique and creative way to control various parameters of a synthesizer, providing musicians with a dynamic and expressive tool for their performances and recordings. With its retro design and classic functionality, the PAiA 4783 Joystick Controller is a sought-after piece of pro audio equipment for synthesizer enthusiasts and musicians looking to expand their creative capabilities.
In beautiful, almost new condition. See photos. Will ship with care."
Overdubs. Two takes of a drum from the D-2000 through the R-51 VCA are overlaid, and they were processed by a small room reverb on the Alesis MIDIVERB II with the preamp overloaded. A four note sequence on the Ladik S-143 is driven by a sparse pattern on the Blue Lantern Gate Sequencer, and controls the pitch of the S-2000, which is delayed by the Peavey 1300 with a reversed reverb on the MIDIVERB II. The S-707 cowbell is delayed by the Peavey 1300, with reversed reverb. The 16th note hats are from the DSP 808 module, triggered by ALM Pamela’s New Workout. The other percussion is from the S-LD."
"The left RYK Modular 185 sequencer is gating the right RYK 185. The right RYK 185 CV output controls the pitch of the left Roland 110 VCO and modulates the right 110 VCA. The 140 lower envelope controls the left 110 VCA. The upper 140 envelope controls the right 110 VCA. The left RYK 185 gate output is modulating the 140 LFO, and that LFO is modulating the left 110 filter and the right 110 VCO slightly. The 150 LFO is modulating the right 110 filter and the left 110 VCA. The left 110 audio output goes to the Roland RE-301 for tape echo, with the intensity set at the threshold of feeding back, and that signal is panned left on the Mackie Onyx 1640, with spring reverb from the Paia 6740, stereo reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II (preset 27), and a larger stereo reverb blended on the CXM 1978. The right 110 audio output goes to the Peavey 1300 delay and is panned center on the Mackie, with the same three reverbs."
"Some stringy flutes. The 16 steps on the right side of the ElectroComp EML 400 are producing V4, which is controlling the envelope decay on the EML 401. I’m resetting that loop throughout the video, to change the accents and envelope. The 16 steps on the left side of the 400 are producing V3, which is controlling the 401 filter (in high pass mode). The 400 sequence is being clocked by ALM Pamela’s New Workout, with a division of 140bpm. The 401 output hits the DeltaLab Effectron II delay hard and overloads the limiter. The delay goes from the Effectron II to the Mackie Onyx 1640, with spring reverb from the Paia 6740, gated stereo reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II, and pitchy downsampled stereo reverb blended on the CXM 1978. The bird was racing our ferry and won."
"The Metasonix S-2000 sounds like a pretty cheerful creature with both contour two and contour three engaged, but gets more angry when contour three is turned off. A lot of that raspiness is due to feedback. The S-2000 audio output is multiplied by the Synthesizers.com Q124, then a copy goes to the Mackie Onyx 1640, with spring reverb from the Paia 6740 and stereo reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II, which is what we hear in the video. Another copy of the S-2000 output is sent through the STG soundlabs Attenuators, to the Lower West Side Studios M830 Signal Distribution System (just to convert it to 3.5mm), into the audio input on the S-2000 so it hears itself hearing itself."
I recorded a couple takes of a short looping sequence from the Synthetic Sound Labs 1660 The Matrix Algorithmic Composer to demonstrate some of the strange sounds you can glean from the Zerosum Inertia 6550-99 Thyratron Oscillator. In this video, two of them are overlaid. The SSL 1660 pitch is at a different setting in the two takes, but the patch is the same. The SSL 1660 audio output is controlling the pitch of two 6550-99 VCOs. The right 6550-99 is running through the STG muSonics Vanilla Envelope (panned center) and the left 6550-99 is running through the Oakley Modular ADSR/VCA (panned left). The right 6550-99 is also receiving an LFO from the Corsynth C102 VC LFO. This was just to hear the 6550-99 VCOs, so no filter or processor was used on either 6550-99 and very little spring reverb from the Paia 6740 was applied (with the 6740 slightly feeding back on itself via the aux send)."
"Friendly Stories about Computers / Synthesizers - by John Simonton, Jr. PAiA Electronics founder. Subtitled: WHY Microprocessors are the greatest thing to happen to electronic music since voltage control and HOW to apply them. 72 pages of articles from Polyphony Magazine. Mainly deals with their 4700 series computer interface. Has a lot of 6502 assembly language listings. This is a great walk down memory lane of the very early days of microcomputer controlled synthesizers.
FREE bonus - 1989 PAiA 12 page catalog - MIDI SMPL Modules, Studio Equipment, Guitar Effects. Books Kits and More."
We only hear the Landscape Noon passive drum synthesizer, activated by voltages from the Hewlett-Packard function generators and oscillator. The Hewlett-Packard 241A is just providing a certain rasp through channel 8 on the Noon. The left Hewlett-Packard 3310A sync output runs to channel 2, and its high output runs to channel 1, which together create the bass pulse (panned center). The right 3310A high output runs to channel 4 (panned a little left), and the 3310A range switch is played in patterns to create something like a melody. There is a gated reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II on both signals, and spring reverb from the Paia 6740 only on the one signal generated by the right 3310A."
The pumping drone that sounds like a harmonium is the ElectroComp EML 200 through a 2hp Comp module, with reversed reverb from the Alesis MIDIVERB II and spring reverb from the Paia 6740. The bass pulse is the Metasonix D-2000, triggered by the MFB SEQ-1. The 16th note synth panned center is the Roland System 100m, sequenced by the RYK 185, through the Roland SPH-323 through the Peavey 1300. The 16th note synth line panned left is the EML 400/401. The percussion is the DSP 808 and the Soundforce S-LD, triggered by MFB SEQ-1 and ALM Pamela’s New Workout, which clocks everything."
"4/18-19/25 (tranq staccato) RYK 185 + Roland System 100m & TR-606 + DSP 808 + MXR 136 + Paia 6740 + Alesis MIDIVERB II + ADR Pan Scan + Eventide H3000B
Nothing drones quite like the ElectroComp EML 200. Two EML 200 VCOs are running through its left mixer into its internal spring reverb into its right mixer into the ADR Pan Scan and the Alesis MIDIVERB II and Eventide H3000B (Cyclons). The synth is the RYK 185 sequencing five VCOs through three filters on the Roland System 100m, processed by the Pan Scan, H3000B, and MIDIVERB II, with LFOs modulating the filters and with manual wiggling of the envelopes. The claves is the RYK 185 gate output triggering the DSP 808 module, with spring reverb from the Paia 6740. The tom is from the Roland TR-606, squashed by the MXR 136 limiter, with a room reverb on the MIDIVERB II. As the TR-606 kick drum is faded in, it further squashes the already squashed tom. The other kick is the DSP 808, with a trigger from ALM Pamela’s New Workout inverted by the Ladik U-202."
"4/16/25 (transpose) ARP 1623 & 1613 + Roland System 100m + Alesis MIDIVERB II + Paia 6740 + ALM Pamela’s New Workout
Well, I’ve been having too much fun with the ARP 1623 sequencer, so we decided not to sell it after all. We were lucky and got it during the pandemic from an eBay auction with no reserve and no lurking whales, and we know we won’t be that lucky again. In this video the 1623 sequence is transposed by a slower sequence on the ARP 1613. The ALM Pamela’s New Workout clocks the ARP 1623 sequencer, which is in sequential 8/2 mode. The 1623’s Position 1 output drives the 1613, which is also in 8/2 sequential mode, but with a three step sequence (steps 4-8 are set to gate bus 3). The 1613 quantized output A is mixed with the 1623’s quantized output B in the Roland 130 mixer, then that controls the pitch of one of the Roland 110 VCOs. The 1623’s quantized A controls the other 110 VCO’s pitch. The 150 LFO and the 140 LFO are modulating the two 110 VCFs. Both VCAs run through the Lower West Side Studios M830 Signal Distribution System to the Mackie Onyx 1640 mixer. The Alesis MIDIVERB II is on an aux send and the stereo output returns to two channels on the Mackie, hard-panned, with onboard eq to brighten it up. The Paia 6740 spring reverb is panned hard left."
"I can’t remember the last time I used this modded Korg KR-55b, so it was high time we moved it from the pull-out rack shelf. That made room for the Simmons SDS8, which is now on that shelf, below the SDS7. We got an “as-is” SDS6 sequencer a few years ago and it has finally been repaired and on its way back, so we’re getting prepared. And now the TAMA TSQ-1000 drum sequencer is up for sale at Christopher’s Boutique 489 on Reverb. Anyways, this KR-55b was modified by SD Machines with decay and pitch controls, external 5v clock input, as well as individual audio outputs. Those six outputs are patched to the six Ace Tone VM-80 inputs, which are overloading hard. The VM-80 mono output runs to the Mackie Onyx 1640 mixer, where the Paia 6740 spring reverb is added on an aux send."
It has come to my attention that Paul Schreiber has passed away.
Pictured: Paul Schreiber at the 2006 NAMM show. Top from this previous post (pic by fr1zz), and bottom from this post (pic by Synthtopia) - this is the first image of Paul on the site. There is one comment in that post: "He's a good guy." Indeed.
Readers of the site should be familiar with his work. He was the man behind MOTM and Synthesis Technology.
To say Paul was one of the greats to influence the synth community would be an understatement. He was pivital to the rebirth of modular synthesizers. He started when modular as we know it today was in its infancy, as one of a very small group of large format DIY modular manufacturers along with Blacet, Modcan, Cynthia, Wiard, Oakley, STG, Catgirl/CGS, Tellun/Lower West Side StudioYuSynth, Jurgen Haible, and of course DIY staples like Thomas Henry/ MFOS, Ray Wilson and PAiA (see this post for some modular formats back in 2007). I focused mainly on those offering DIY. There were other manufacturers including Synthesizers.com, Club of the Knobs, MOS-LAB, Moon Modular, MacBeth, CMS, and more. Feel free to mention others in the comments. This post is about Paul, but I think it's important to reflect on some of the large format modular manufactures he was amongst at the time.
Paul created the MOTM format of 5U modules in 1998. MOTM stood for Module of the Month offering monthly DIY kits. From Wikipedia: "MOTM was created by Paul Schreiber in 1998. The system was created in part due to the renewed interest in large-format analog modular systems that occurred in the late 1990s. Between 1998 and 2021, over 8000 modules were sold. The company, Synthesis Technology, also offered a limited number of modules in Eurorack[2] and Frac[3] format."
He was also helped design the Moog/Realistic MG-1. From Wikipedia: "In 1980, Moog Music was seeking to contract manufacture a mass-marketable synthesizer which could be sold via a large retailer. Moog representatives secured an appointment at the Radio Shack corporate offices for a 5-minute demonstration. Radio Shack approved the concept, and Paul Schreiber (then employed by Tandy Systems Development) worked together with Moog on the synthesizer's design to achieve Radio Shack's price requirements.[2][3]"
He later joined the eurorack scene with Synthesis Technology branded modules. FYI, his site for MOTM was always http://www.synthtech.com/, short for Synthesis Technology. The first post to mention Paul and MOTM was posted just under twenty years ago here on MATRIXSYNTH back on August 26, 2005. If you click through you will see it was a post announcing the MOTM/synthtech.com site was going down for the weekend. He announced he was retiring from the synthesizer business in August of 2023.
It's worth repeating, Paul Schreiber was one of the key figures that brought modular back to the masses. He was both respected and loved by the synth community. It's impossible to overstate his influence. He will be missed.
The following are the first the last video interviews with Paul to be featured on the site:
The SynthSummitShow Episode 2: Paul Schreiber (Synthesis Technology) and A.Dapt (music producer) ...
SysEx Dumpster - Episode 44 - a conversation with Paul Schreiber
video upload by Sysex Dumpster on Jul 30, 2023. Details previously posted here.
The first videos to feature Paul presenting a module was back on January 3, 2010, and the first interview on SoundCloud in 2013, and he was of course featured in the modular documentary film I Dream of Wires.
"Vintage PAiA 4700 Series Modular Analog Synthesizer with Keyboard – Needs Repair
