"This is a rare chance to secure an original VCS3 in excellent condition. This is one of the most iconic and revered synths of all and is truly versatile: from Radiophonic Workshop (and Hawkwind) type bloops and bleeps, through Eno and Roxy Music and beyond. Tony uses his VCS-3 as much as an effects processor as synthesizer and has said it’s his favourite studio piece.
We are often asked whether mods adversely affects the value of a VCS3. Some collector types may view it as sacrilege, but most who buy a VCS-3 to use often value mods highly – many of our customers ask for more, rather than less, modifications. So, in short, in our view the answer is mods often add value/appeal rather than detract. These wonderful synths should be used rather than placed in glass cases."
"Flight of Harmony Quad Plague Bearer Rev 3.2. This is 4 Plague Bearer Eurorack filters in a single enclosure. It can be powered by 9v batteries or a AC adapter (not included). This is in perfect working order with a few small blemishes (see images)."
"Paul from PWM gave a us preview of Mantis, which is the last synth designed by Chris Huggett [EDP Wasp creator] before he passed away. The Mantis is described as a Wasp Mark II with an Oscar- inspired dual filter, and two analog signal paths that make it duophonic. The oscillators are numerically calculated on power-up using then move into the analog domain, where everything is digitally controlled.
The Mantis mixer allows users to balance between oscillator one and two, add noise, and ring mod. It has a deep, but simple to use modulation section, two envelopes with a unique sustain fall feature and 100 factory patches and 100 user patches. The instrument also includes a few digital effects at the end of the signal path that help sweeten the sounds and make it more of an all-around performance instrument.
While the instrument is still in development, PWM showcased the circuit boards that are provide a preview of the final sound of the Mantis.
"A brand new synth from PWM - a new company with lots of history. Paul has worked extensively in the industry. Most interesting here are his connections from his time at Novation as the BassStaion 2 product lead. You may know that the inventor of the classic WASP and OSCAR, Chris Huggett, was involved there, and before his unfortunately untimely death he was working with Paul on this new synth. Paul has brought it to life with his families blessing.
A great story, and a great little synth. Still has a couple of pre production hoops to jump through but will be available soon."
Duophonic Hybrid-Analogue Synthesiser
• 200 Patches * All patches in RAM so can be overwritten * Bank A: 100 Factory presets * Bank B: 100 User presets (all set to initial patch) * Compare function * Initialise patch function
"At Superbooth 2023, we spoke to Peter from Tasty Chips who showed us their flagship model, the GR Mega, a granular synthesizer designed for complex sound design based on samples. The GR Mega boasts many modulation options, a large mod matrix, four LFOs, 18 mod destinations, four envelopes (one freely assignable), and a step sequencer. The instrument also includes dual filters, low-pass and high-pass, seven effects (of which four can be used in parallel), and 128 presets. Peter explained that the grains in the synthesizer are generated from the samples and can be randomized in position and mixed together to create the final output.
The GR Mega is expected to be released at the end of the year.
"We spoke to Henrik from Sound Service at Superbooth 2023 about the new Kurzweil SP7 Grand, the latest stage piano in the SP range. The SP7 Grand has a touch screen to change sounds and also has two audio inputs with phantom power that can handle mic or guitar signals.
The SP7 has an SD card slot for future Sound Banks and a built-in harmonizer which can add layers to your voice.
It is available now and retails for around 2,050 Euros"
"Matthias from Reason Studios told us about their latest release, the Objekt Modeling Synthesizer. The synth features a physical modeling engine that offers realistic sounds for both existing and non-existing instruments, and also provides very convincing emulations of acoustic basses and the like. Matthias explained that they wanted to create a synthesizer that goes beyond mere emulation, with access to every parameter that exists, resulting in exciting sounds that have not been heard before. The synth features three resonators at its core, two of which are waveguide-like, that interact with different frequencies to produce a variety of sounds. The Exciter section, on the other hand, gives you the ability to excite the synth with anything, from static noise to your voice or beatboxing.
Available now. Price: 99 GBP (Currently on sale at: 79 GBP)"
