vintage Logan synthesizer piano strings

via this auction

HOHNER STRING PERFORMER

via this auction

"BRILLIANT AND VERY RARE HOHNER STRING PERFORMER VINTAGE SYNTH. THE SAME BREED OF INSTRUMENT AS THE LOGAN STRING MELODY, ARP SOLINA E.T.C.

SUPERB DISTINCTIVE ANALOG SOUND CAPABLE OF MANY TONES.

THE KEYBOARD HAS 5 OCTAVES.

IT FEATURES A -

BASS FUNCTION, SUSTAIN STRINGS,

LOWER 2 OCTAVES - PIANO BASS , CLAVICHORD , CELLO , VIOLA , VIOLIN. EACH INSTRUMENT HAS A SELECTOR SWITCH AND A VOLUME SLIDER. THEY CAN BE USED INDIVIDUALLY OR BLENDED TOGETHER.

UPPER 3 OCTAVES - PIANO , CLAVICHORD , CELLO , VIOLA , VIOLIN. AGAIN , EACH INSTRUMENT HAS INDIVIDUAL VOLUME SLIDERS AND CAN BE USED INDIVIDUALLY OR BLENDED TOGETHER.

AT THE FAR RIGHT OF THE KEYBOARD ARE SOLO 'SYNTH SOUNDS'. THESE ARE - BRASS , STRING , CLARINET , PLANET , AND AN OCTAVE SWICH (HIGH/LOW). THERE IS A VOLUME SLIDER FOR THE SOLO SYNTH SOUNDS.

THE OUTPUTS AT THE BACK FEATURE - GENERAL OUTPUT , BASS , STRINGS , PIANO/CLAV/SOLO , SUSTAIN PIANO , FOOTSWELL , AND AN ON/OFF SWITCH.

ALL KEYS/FEATURES WORK EXCEPT FOR THE UPPER 3 OCTAVE SETTINGS FOR PIANO (NO SOUND) AND THE STRINGS (CONTINUOS SOUND LIKE AN OFF CHORD IS BEING PRESSED.) THESE WOULD OBVIOUSLY NEED ATTENTION.

THE KEYBOARD CLOSES INTO ITS OWN TRANSPORTABLE CARRY CASE WITH HANDLE."

Update via Qwave in the comments: "More pictures and some pictures of its inside here:
www.till-kopper.de/hohner_string-performer.html"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Cromina String Machine

Cromina String Machine
"No samples inside! After more than one year of development we are glad to present you this physical modeling recreation of the electronic strings sound of the 60s and 70s. Solina, Crumar and Logan where the names, which made it first possible for bands to bring a string orchestra on stage or into the studio. The lush sound of these electronic keyboards stamped many songs of this era. And then an electronic musician from France connected one of those keyboards to a phaser and created the most famous electronic string sound ever.

Two things are fundamental for this famous sound, which also made it impossible to construct a faithful copy with samples:

- the frequency divider circuit, that gave these keyboards polyphony
with the disadvantage of a very static sound
- the chorus unit to overcome this with a heavy modulation

The soundwise peculiarities of these can not be successful recreated by sampling. So we developed a plugin with the main emphasis on the reproduction of this typical influence on the sound. Though the drawback is a higher CPU load, it absolutely gives a much better reproduction of the original sound.

Although this plugin has it’s focus on the typical Solina sound (including a phaser and delay effect), it can produce a wide range of typical sounds by using the integrated equalizer, vibrato, envelope variations (including a piano envelope) and other tuning controls."

Samples on site. via UniQue Werkx

NUSofting Strings Dream

You might remember NUSofting from the Broken Drum Machine, daHornet, Groove Analogizer, Harp Time, Peti and more.

"Strings Dream is able to reproduce the infinite array of rich, analogue pads from the most famous strings machines in synthesizer history. Emulate the classic Eminent Solina as well as its sister keyboards from Elka, Crumar and even their Japanese cousins.

"Strings Dream Synthesizer" will be released in May 2009 first as VST plugin and later as AU. Extimated price 89 USD

Nice intro to strings machines features and history Check it out! [excerpt below]
SDS GUI screenshot Check it out!
First beta recording Check it out!"

"'Strings Dream Synthesizer' writings for docs,
2009 Luigi Felici nusofting.com
Edited by Scot Solida and Cj

About Strings Machines.
A remarkable number of musicians recognize the desirable sonic character of “string machines”. String machines were unique to the Seventies and nearly every major manufacturer offered some variation on the theme. ARP’s biggest selling instrument was in fact their Omni, an instrument that combined a string machine with a simple synthesizer. Even Moog got in on the act with their Opus 3.

Just as the Rhodes piano and Hammond organs were intended as portable solutions to musicians who desired the sound of more cumbersome (and expensive) instruments, string machines were seen as the gigging musician’s alternative to the orchestra. Or, at the very least, it was easier to carry around than a Mellotron! Of course, the string machines didn’t sound like an orchestra, but had a character that today’s musicians find quite appealing on its own merits.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Crumar CTR Electric Piano Organ Strings

via this auction

"Built in reverb Built in brass, paino, clavich, chello, violion. Each of these different instruments have their own right and left audio level controls. Up to 8% pitch control"

Update via ralf in the comments: "Hi, this a Crumar Multiman-S (or in the US: Orchestrator) with beautiful strings like Solina, Logan/Hohner and a Moog 'shaped' filter for the brass section. If it wouldn't be so heavy...
Hopefully this year I will build a new lighter case with multiplex wood and aluminium. Thanks for the ever great blog."

CLICK FOR MORE »