"If you could pack everything you ever wanted into a modular synth, and then put it in a suitcase, chances are it would reference the EMS Synthi AKS/VCS from the 1970's. Recently companies have released hardware editions that sound glorious. There's even a monster ultimate reissue called Analogue Solutions Colossus which I'm sure sounds incredible. The original was notorious not only for its clean look and capabilities but weird sounds even Brian Eno said "...great for bug noises" but he used it for decades as an effects processor as well. We've taken issue with this... it CAN be musical!
Here we have the ultimate version: 6 free range oscillators, dual patch panels, vintage spring reverb, a joystick that lets you record motion and play it back, and a snapshot sequencer that gives you your sound-per-step, or bug noises if you'd rather! Vintage circuitry all along the way, down to the opamp modelling. You'll hear the crunch and occasional bleeding of the original 70's wiring. Thanks to our db-cell technology, you'll hear a vintage drift everywhere, but well under control. It's not static-- in fact its always surprising and always different, just like the originals.
Best of all, its actually FUN to use. Drop a pin and watch the patch cable show you the connection! Modulate where you couldn't before. EZ rolls in different sections, including the patch matrix. Make sounds, snap them to the clocked sequencer, and get going.
Make vintage inspired sounds from the future that surprise you. Make something musical.
An unobtainable synth that’s a double-briefcase full of awesome.
Famously used by a ’70s producer who called it “great for bug noises.” Prove him wrong!
Two EMS Synthi-style synths strapped together in one case: six oscillators, two 16×16 pin matrices, two diode-ladder filter/oscillators, two envelope shapers, a random voltage generator, ring mods, a spring reverb and an octave filter bank. There are no menus to patch. Push a pin into a hole, and the sound goes there. Pull it out, and it stops.
It's a combination of the VCS3 and SYNTHI 100 circuits built into a large VCS3 style case.
SPECIFICATIONS
6 x VCS3 A style oscillators. Each oscillator features variable sync,variable cv depth and voltage controlled shape.
Oscillators 1 and 2 feature sub octave generators.Sine output can be switched to – 1 octave square and the ramp output – 2 octave square.
Oscillators 3-6 also feature additional waveforms. The square output can also be switched to ramp or sample and hold(noise input). The triangle output can be switched to fixed square or random voltage(this samples the next oscillators triangle)
CHAPTERS
00:00 Demo#1 Complex Arps
03:30 The history of the Radiophonic
08:16 Demo#2 Depp and Devastating Arp
11:00 Oscillators - seven transistor core VCOs
12:19 Filters
15:12 Sound manipulation
18:15 Demo#3 2 Notes is Enough...
22:51 Modulation & control
27:41 The STARSKYPHONIC!!!
27:58 Demo#4 Trance(ish) Arps and Beats
"History, passion, provenance and love. That's the AJH Synth Radiophonic in four words.
This isn't a performance video and it isn't a patch demo - it's the story of what's
actually inside this thing, where every circuit came from, and why a cabinet of 48
modules ends up feeling like one complete instrument rather than a collection of parts.
The Radiophonic was commissioned by Hans Zimmer as the centrepiece for the resurrected
BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and the lineage runs a lot deeper than the wooden case and the
vintage lettering. The oscillators are built around the first-version Minimoog transistor
core - the ones everybody says sound the sweetest - with the thermal drift finally sorted,
and Alan went back to Jim Scott, one of the original version one designers, to get them
right. The filters take in the Moog transistor ladder, the diode ladder that Gene Zumchak
designed for the Musonics Sonic V to sidestep Moog's patents, a dual *SEM*, and the 914
fixed filter bank from the big Moog modular systems. The ring modulator is discrete
transistor EMS Synthi circuitry sitting on top of a Moog CP3 style mixer. And none of it
is a straight copy - there's a wave folder here, resonance compensation there, extra CV
inputs everywhere.
So: seven transistor core VCOs, two transistor ladder filters, two diode ladder filters
with wave shaping, a double SEM, the 914, the Ring SM, three noise sources, a 12-stage
phaser, wave shaping, Tone Science collaborations with Ian Boddy, and more envelopes,
LFOs and random voltage than you'll know what to do with.
A whistle-stop tour, and still an hour's worth of talking squeezed into twenty minutes.
Stay to the end for the full track - everything you hear came out of this one instrument,
with drums from the AJH Bullfrog."
"In 2016 and 2017, while working on the debut album for my band Pin Park, I recorded a few hundred tracks. Around 200 survived the first cut, and that number was eventually trimmed down to 50. These recordings were literally rescued by Marcin Bociński from legatomastering.pl after I had forgotten about them for quite some time.
The setup I used was extremely limited: an EMS Synthi AKS (occasionally a VCS3), an EMS Vocoder 1000, and three Boss pedals (looper, reverb, and distortion). Everything was recorded onto a low-quality Zoom device running through a substandard mixer. Each track was captured in a single take with no overdubs, which meant there was no real possibility for mixing. Marcin’s mastering work was nothing short of amazing, bringing these raw recordings to life.
In 2018, Apekwolf Records released 14 of these tracks. The remaining 36 were never made available—until now. Enjoy!"
"I've been tinkering with some of my older, discontinued and obscure modules recently, so I decided to share some of my experiences. Not technical or user guides, just self-indulgeance. This time it's the Livewire Audio Frequency Generator that gets the perpetual noob treatment, an huge, flexible, and pretty damn good saounding VCO with wave-shaping, sub oscillator (both square and triangle), and a bunch of fixed or variable waveforms.
Key features of this are the 'Animated Pulses' and 'Alien Saws', which are both affected by the 'animation section'. Each consist of two waves overlapping eachother, and the 8 pots to the right control the pulse width and phase position of both, but on the higher and lower portions of the waveforms separately... which of couse can all then be modulated! Bonkers! It sounds great though, and you could lose yourself for some considerable time just listening to how these 8 controls affect the timbre of the two waveform outputs.
As always, running the module through my AJH Synth modules never dissappoints - totally vintage charcter and warmth, with no shortage of functionality and physical control. A great-sounding VCF based on the Musonics (pre-Moog) Sonic V, and a VCA based on the early Minimoog, complete with amp-like overdrive when driven hard. The Ring SM is also based on the Moog CP-3 mixer, with -1 & -2 sub-octave generator, and 3-axis ring modulator based on the EMS Synthi/VCS3.
Gear used:
Livewire Audio Frequency Generator V2
AJH Synth Sonic XV diode filter, Dual LFO, Sample Hold & Noise, Ring SM, Discreet Cascaded VCA.
Cosmotronic Cosmix Pro
Happy Nerding FX Aid (as reverb)
Expert Sleepers Disting Mk4 (as WAV recorder)
CASA Modular acrylic case powered by Konstant Lab StrongPWR.
No post-processing, just the audio straight from the modular."
"My new album 'Vive' is finally out and you can get in tape, vinyl and digital on http://hainbach.bandcamp.com. It will be on streaming next week, too. For now, here is 'And so we continue'. It is a more sombre piece from the album I made on the Synthi AKS, and I tried to stay as minimal as possible. I hope you enjoy it!"
Harmona and Obliquencer by A Magic Pulsewave Electronics as well.
"A celebration of sound and everyday life. Each track is a collage of different recording sessions that reflect both small moments and significant experiences In Hainbach's life over the last two years. Captured in intimate sessions and then woven together to tell one grand story.
released October 13, 2026
Music by Hainbach
Mastered by SALZ Mastering
Artwork by Filip Henin
Design by Aoki & Matsumoto"
Jamming around the On the Run patch from Pink Floyd. Done originally with the wonderful EMS SYNTHI AKS, I took the freedom to make a kind of homage to this historic track, using mostly the Antonus 2600 + Antonus 3620 for make in real time what was done in multitracking. This is done as improvisation at the moment with no multitrack and no extra processing, only the 2600 spring reverb processing all, and not looking for replicate exactly or make perfect replication of the original theme. Looking for show the true pure sound of the analog system, the living behaviour of all, and the interaction that can be done with all parts in powerful synergy. While is of course different sound colour than the inimitable EMS synths, the 2600 have his own personality and also capable of make their own raw and raspy sound, different than mellow or sweet sounds used in other previous demos. Step Brother and pair of euro modules at SidecARP adds some animation at the modulations, but basically most is done with just the 2600+3620"
"This is an early AKS unit in the desirable mk1/mk2 config, which I *think* means it has the larger power supply of the later units for the aks but still has the earlier voice boards."
"This is the fourth and last single from Vive, my upcoming album on Seil Records. It started out as a soundtrack I wrote for a film, for the Silent Movie Festival in Warsaw. For the album I reworked it to a shorter form, adding re-amping, tape loops and bells. But the core part was recorded on holiday in the Black Forest, on the Synthi AKS. I found it appropriate to add footage I recorded there for your enjoyment.
The Attic 3: Product Tour video upload by Soniccouture
"A sonic tour of some of the 600 presets in Soniccouture's The Attic 3 VST synth collection."
The Attic 3 is a collection of 24 different quirky electronic oddities. Because these days
you can buy a knock-off of every classic synth there is, instead Soniccouture dig around
the margins of music production history for the rare or the forgotten.
Analogue pianos, funky organs, glassy digital boxes, vocal synths, string machines.
Soniccouture sample every single key, then model the filters and envelopes. This gives a
unique imprint of the vintage character in a way that code-based software synths can’t."
Sometimes the camera won’t focus, not sure why. We ordered a second Analog Craftsman acVOKS VCF and this was a test of how three of our 5U filters sound together with the ElectroComp EML 200. I like how old it all sounds. And I like the limitations of the EML 200, but just wish it had voltage-controllable filters. The two EML 200 sawtooth VCOs are running through the acVOKS VCF (Polivoks), the STG soundlabs Sea Devil’s Filter (Synthi), and the muSonics Vanilla Filter (Oberheim). VCO1 runs through the Vanilla Envelope, modulated by the right LFO on the Free State FX dual trigger processor (in dual LFO mode). The EML master triangle and both of the FSFX LFOs are modulating all the filters. The EML VCO2 runs through the EML VCA, modulated by the master triangle, and then into the acVOKS VCF, which is modulated by a copy of the FSFX right LFO. The acVOKS VCF audio lowpass output is panned left on the Mackie Onyx 1640 mixer. The acVOKS bandpass audio output is modulating the Vanilla Filter, which is panned right. The Vanilla Filter is also modulated by the left FSFX LFO and the EML master triangle. The EML VCA processing VCO2 also runs through the Corsynth Frequency Divider / Multiplier, and that is sent to the FM input on the Sea Devil’s Filter, which is filtering the EML VCO2 gated by the FSFX Lopass Gate, modulated by the EML master square. The master square is also controlling the pulse for the EML sampler. At first the EML sampler is fed noise, then later it’s fed VCO2 for the S&H modulating VCO1 on the EML 200. The reverb was blended on the CXM 1978."
"Nothing special here, just playing with cross-modulation after I finished service and troubleshoot of the unit. I like the way the different parts are interacting and the resulting sound."
I just recently came accross this one and thought it was worth sharing, if anything for the nun with the SYNTHI below. It immediately reminded me of the Every Nun Needs a SYNTHI ads. According to the article that the image is from, they formed around 1981. The article is in French and has one NSFW (not safe for work) image of a breast - fair warning if you pop it up with someone else within eyesight: [French | Googlish]. The following is the bit pertinent to synths followed by a translation of the full article. You can find the release via BandCamp above or in the article from Born Bad Records. I also wanted to post this for the way the female singer enunciates those lyrics.
"While they started out like everyone else, playing flute and acoustic guitar and listening to King Crimson, the arrival of synthesizers on the European music scene completely redefined their direction: they cut their hair, donned ties, and replaced Indian tapestries with Venetian curtains. Kraftwerk had clearly had an influence. It was around an EMS AKS synthesizer, a Roland SH101, and a Roland TR808 drum machine that the four friends gathered in their home studio to compose the carefree and joyful electronic and exotic tunes that are the hallmark of Chacha Guitry. The group thus chose to climb the sunny side of New Wave, the one taken by the B-52's or Isabelle Antena, rather than its dark side, cluttered with the heirs of Joy Division. The boys programmed the machines, while the girls created minimalist, geometric costumes using whatever materials were at hand (paper rather than fabric). Together they immortalize their youth on Polaroid, take glue and scissors to assemble photomontages in the style of their Dadaist idols."
"Are you a fan of early Pink Floyd and their keyboardist, Richard Wright? We are too! We faithfully recreated his early setup and our Education Associate Mike Kiker delivers an instrumental remake of their beloved song, 'Echoes'. If you want to see a full technical rundown of the setup, go check out Episode 1 of 'Inside The Mix: Richard Wright'."
Hammond M-111, Farfisa Compact Duo CD/30, Fender Rhodes, piano, EMS SYNTHI AKS, and VCS3 Putney.
"This is 'The Holy Grail of Holy Grails' and I am so excited to offer this for sale on behalf of the second owner from new. This is an EMS Synthi Hi Fli, but the crazy thing about this is it's serial No. 1. This is THE first production Hi Fli ever built, produced immediately after the 10 prototype units, this is the very first production example to leave EMS. Even more remarkable, prototypes #9 and #10 remain in the hands of David Gilmour, placing this instrument directly in the lineage of those legendary examples. It was purchased many years ago from its original owner, this extraordinary survivor remains astonishingly complete, retaining its original pedals, manuals, factory schematic, original demo cassette, and accompanying original components—a level of completeness that is almost never seen. It's just undergone an incredible service by a leading UK tech, so it's quite literally ready to go! Museum-worthy. Investment-grade. Virtually impossible to replicate. This is one of them. What a privilege to offer it for sale. Please see the pictures below as they form part of my description. Grab a rarity!"
"A short excerpt from today's session: sending a drum machine into the Synthi audio input.
No post processing, no EQ or else. Direct output to audio interface."
1. 07.10.2026 EMS Synthi AKS - The sweet spot
2. 07.10.2026 EMS Synthi AKS [01]
3. 07.10.2026 EMS Synthi AKS [03]
4. 07.12.2026 EMS Rehberg Synthi AKS
5. 07.12.2026 One minute with EMS Rehberg Synthi AKS [01]
7. 07.12.2026 One minute with EMS Rehberg Synthi AKS [02]
8. 07.12.2026 Half a minute with EMS Rehberg Synthi AKS
"Up for sale is a super rare Macbeth Elements EL2 analog synth, hand-built by Ken MacBeth back in 2019 in extremely limited run of only 30 units, as said by himself - the best ever analog synth he ever built in his life… Described by him as “Elements on steroids, circuit wise”. Please do not mislead this with a regular silvers Elements - EL2 is one of a kind the way different unit. It features a striking black aluminium chassis, gold plated touch up keyboard and a very deep vintage style circuitry using through-hole components and 70’s vintage new old stock semiconductors and metal ICs. Three highly versatile discrete voltage controlled oscillators with individual audio outputs and advanced sync capabilities, classic architecture with subtractive signal path featuring unconventional filter slopes, a built-in spring reverb and a tape echo simulator. All this mixed up with a wide-ranging modulators and large tactile potentiometers for deep sound sculpting. Also, Ken decided to completely remove MIDI support making the priority to CV: he noted that most musicians use the instrument with Control Voltage and modular setups anyway. Removing MIDI parts freed up physical space and optimised the pure analog circuitry. VCO1 and VCO2 now get their own knobs instead of sharing just one. New spring reverberation circuit in EL2 provides a much deeper, different sound than the first model. Cross-modulation expanded as well: VCO3 syncs to VCO2 and VCO2 can now syncs to VCO1 directly. Of course, inspired of the legendary EMS Synthi, but ones you came across both in one room - you will definitely can’t choose which one is better here. EL2 will be never produced again and it’s already a holy grail in the world of analog synths. This exact one is number 15 of 30. Comes with the original power supply. Everything you can see in the pics is included in that sale. Was a beloved studio toy, but now it’s time to go! In excellent overall and technical condition. Please see all pics cause they are a part of description. Free shipping within the US from Brooklyn, NY. International shipping from Brooklyn, NY to any place in the world with a tax free service."
Pics of the inside and the user manual below.
"This edition is rare, and cannot be found anywhere as a set. Made by EMS London, and works differently than the Synthi A, although it appears to be the same. Here is a breakdown of what you get below:
In addition to the power supply, new patch cables as well as the original patch cables (standard mini jack), the lid of the "suitcase synthesis" and the original manual (or textbook) are included.
The modules of the EMS Synthis work perfectly, the overall sound and especially the filter sound very high-quality.
VCO – Voltage Controlled Oscillator • with the vibration forms sine, sawtooth, triangle and rectangle with external control voltage input for pulse width modulation • VCF – Voltage Controlled Filter • Multimode filter with 12 dB slope, low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and phaser • LFO – Low Frequency Oscillator • with the vibration forms sine and rectangle • SRG – Slow Ramp Generator •
with the vibration form sawtooth • NG – Noise Generator • the noise generator offers white noise • EG – Envelope Generator (Envelope Shaper) • A-D-S-R • RM – Ring Modulator • INV – Inverter • SL – Slew Limiter (Portamento) • EF – Envelope Follower • External Audio Input • Output/Mix • Control Inputs"
"Up for sale is a super rare Macbeth Elements EL2 analog synth, hand-built by Ken MacBeth back in 2019 in extremely limited run of only 30 units, as said by himself - the best ever analog synth he ever built in his life… Described by him as “Elements on steroids, circuit wise”. Please do not mislead this with a regular silvers Elements - EL2 is one of a kind the way different unit. It features a striking black aluminium chassis, gold plated touch up keyboard and a very deep vintage style circuitry using through-hole components and 70’s vintage new old stock semiconductors and metal ICs. Three highly versatile discrete voltage controlled oscillators with individual audio outputs and advanced sync capabilities, classic architecture with subtractive signal path featuring unconventional filter slopes, a built-in spring reverb and a tape echo simulator. All this mixed up with a wide-ranging modulators and large tactile potentiometers for deep sound sculpting. Also, Ken decided to completely remove MIDI support making the priority to CV: he noted that most musicians use the instrument with Control Voltage and modular setups anyway. Removing MIDI parts freed up physical space and optimised the pure analog circuitry. VCO1 and VCO2 now get their own knobs instead of sharing just one. New spring reverberation circuit in EL2 provides a much deeper, different sound than the first model. Cross-modulation expanded as well: VCO3 syncs to VCO2 and VCO2 can now syncs to VCO1 directly. Of course, inspired of the legendary EMS Synthi, but ones you came across both in one room - you will definitely can’t choose which one is better here. EL2 will be never produced again and it’s already a holy grail in the world of analog synths. This exact one is number 15 of 30. Comes with the original power supply. Everything you can see in the pics is included in that sale. Was a beloved studio toy, but now it’s time to go! In excellent overall and technical condition. Please see all pics cause they are a part of description. Free shipping within the US from Brooklyn, NY. International shipping from Brooklyn, NY to any place in the world with a tax free service."
"This edition is rare, and cannot be found anywhere as a set. Made by EMS London, and works differently than the Synthi A, although it appears to be the same. Here is a breakdown of what you get below:
