The Datanomics SYNTHI 100

This one is in via MATRIXSYNTH reader, Daniel Araya of Camp303 who also restored the Belgrade SYNTHI 100 featured here.

"I just restored the University of Cuenca Synthi 100!

This is the last S100 ever made, by the company Datanomics that took over EMS in 1979.

They produced this unit in 1981/82 and it was used at Gabinete de Música Electroacústica de Cuenca (G.M.E.) until it was put in storage for many years.

Now, thanks to professors Sylvia Molina Muro and Julio Sanz Vázquez a new G.M.E. is started and the Synthi 100 is restored to be used at the University.

The Synthi had been stored in a good environment and was in a nice state.

This machine is very different from the other S100's, it is completely redesigned internally by Datanomics and is using CEM chips (Curtis Electromusic Specialities) that made it a lot simpler to service because the reduced number of components.

The sequencer and keyboard are based around Z80 microcontrollers and are greatly improved from the old ones. Some components had not aged well so I changed out every power supply capacitor and replaced some broken IC's and went through all modules and functions.

I managed to fix about 97% of it in two days, a small part of the sequencer and some controls are still left for the next visit.

The new studios are modern and spacious and sports an amazing vintage quadrophonic Genelec 1024B sound system that is also being restored as well as some cool vintage outboard effects and various reel to reel tape recorders.

I also discovered an original ad/article for this synth while researching, check this out.

pic attached (with a classic Akai sampler as a bonus!)

/Daniel Araya"

Radio Belgrade EMS SYNTHI 100 Restoration is Complete

This system was briefly mentioned here on MATRIXSYNTH back in 2005. It is great to see that the system is not only fully working again, but is being made available for use. Very few working EMS SYNTHI 100s exist. This is pretty amazing news.

via camp303:

"Just wanted to tell you that we just finished the restoration of the Radio Belgrade Synthi 100!

The Synthi hasn’t been in use for years so it was very dirty but otherwise in good condition. Luckily they had a big supply of spare parts and replacement cards - enough to keep it running for years. We replaced the main power supply and rebuilt the sequencer power supply. Many smaller problems were fixed and all modules and functions were checked and tuned when necessary.

This Synthi is serial number 4 but in fact it was the first Synthi 100 ordered. According the information from one of the original founders of the studio, Paul Pignon, Radio Belgrade worked closely together with David Cockerell and Peter Zinovieff to come up with the specifications of the instrument that would eventually become Synthi 100. There are details that could indicate that it might have been the first machine built.

Synthi 100 in Radio Belgrade is planned to be used by local and international composers to create new works. The details are being worked out but it will stay at the Radio.

We have previously restored the Synthi 100 at the KSYME foundation in Athens in 2016 with the support of documenta 14.

/Daniel Araya and Jari Suominen"

ARRU-303

flickr by arvidr

Giant Roland TB-303

Update via Johan in the comments: "That's from the norbergfestival right next to one of the stages. the stage's name is Camp303. check out more at www.norbergfestival.com"

The Largest Roland TB-303 in the World

Well, not a functionl one, but there you have it.

via Camp303:
"I'm the organizer of the Camp303 campsite stage at the Norbergfestival (www.norbergfestival.com) and one of my friends donated this gigantic tb303 print to our camp! It's a photo of one of my 303's that he printed in 2,5x5 meter format."