XILS-lab Releases Syn’X 2 Polytimbral Virtual Analogue Synthesizer Plug-In

Tutorial videos previously posted here. Press release follows:

"XILS-lab relaunches revolutionary virtual analogue soft synth with modern-day makeover

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of Syn’X 2 — a multi- format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit polytimbral virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.5 and later) and PC (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7/8) that not only continues to pay perfect homage to the legendary Elka Synthex Eighties-vintage Italian instrument from an original-sounding sonic standpoint, but balances that musicality against a multilayer card-based architecture that is inspired by similarly sophisticated hardware analogue synthesizers, such as Oberheim’s mighty Matrix 12, to create one of the most powerful and complex virtual analogue synthesizers of the modern era — as of June 22...

At the time of its 1982 launch the eight-voice polyphonic Elka Synthex sounded like no other synthesizer around — analogue or otherwise, and brought with it high hopes of being instrumental in ending the dominance of oversized (and overpriced) Japanese and American analogue programmable polysynths, thanks to the eight monophonic synthesizer circuits central to its innovative 16-DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator) driven design by independent Italian synth-master Mario Maggi. Many — meaning 1,000! — ICs (Integrated Circuits) were used in that design, however, meaning that it was not necessarily the most reliable around and did not come cheap. Consequently, not that many — not much more than the number of ICs in each instrument, in fact — were sold before being discontinued in 1985 (with one last production unit being made especially for legendary American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder) as a ‘new wave’ of considerably cheaper and more reliable digital synthesizers boasting better MIDI (Musical Instrument Interface) implementation brought about its untimely demise. Not that this mattered much to French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, who has three to his not insignificant name to this day, with well-known Laser Harp performances still emanating exclusively from an amazing-sounding Synthex patch produced by one-time UK demonstrator/programmer Paul Wiffen (and audible in isolation in ‘Second Rendez-Vous’ on Jarre’s super-selling Rendez-Vouz album of 1986).

Today the Elka Synthex is one of the most sought-after synthesizers around. As a result of its superlative sound design and avant-garde architecture, it’s a true musical instrument that’s truly stood the test of time. Today it sounds as fresh as it did back in 1982. Just ask Jean-Michel Jarre, who is on record as saying, “The Synthex allowed me to also develop something I had in mind with electronic music — epic, symphonic type of sounds that you probably had with the modular Moog before, such as those that Walter/Wendy Carlos used for Switched On Bach or A Clockwork Orange — a deep, mad, classical approach to a polyphonic synthesizer.” Truly, madly, deeply, indeed.

Indeed, given that finding an Elka Synthex in fine working order has become such a pricey (and patient) proposition, is it any wonder that in 2011 XILS-lab decided to effectively emulate it in software, even going so far as to enlist the eager ears of Paul Wiffen himself. “The sonic results are uncannily close to the original,” he promptly pronounced. Surprisingly, Syn’X has already been available to purchase and download from the XILS-lab web store for longer than the production lifespan of the original hardware synthesizer from which it drew so much musical inspiration. It’s time, therefore, for a serious update, and with it some fanciful features that look beyond merely modelling the Elka Synthex...

So what, exactly, is it, then, that makes Syn’X 2 so different and so much better than its predecessor? Well, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could create a synthesizer with the sophisticated multilayer architecture of Oberheim’s mighty Matrix 12 analogue polysynth, say, with an abundance of modulation matrixes per layer — effectively enabling flexible routing to rival the monstrous modular systems that preceded it in decades gone by, but then musically married that to the expansive Elka Synthex sound? Well, with Syn’X 2 that’s no longer a dream synth, but rather reality! Roll up your sleeves and delve deeper into sound design than was previously dreamed possible, thanks to the talented teamwork of XILS-lab.

Lest we forget, Syn’X 2 offers a unique combination of clear and punchy DCOs with cutting-edge analogue-modelled multimode filters to faithfully reproduce the superlative sound that so clearly defined the Eighties era, but, because it’s polytimbral, users can access up to eight individual synthesizers simultaneously with 16 oscillators, eight 0DF (Zero-Delay Feedback) analogue-modelled filters, 32 D-ADSR (Delay, Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelopes, and modulation matrixes addressing any of 132 possible destinations when creating their own patches — truly a sound designer’s dream come true!

This being a XILS-lab product, predictably, perhaps, there are many more features to make a serious song and dance about. All-important additions to Syn’X 2 include: oscillators with (up to 40) cumulative waveforms (per patch); new 0DF PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)/hard sync oscillator algorithms; unique CHAO (2D space movement) and (five rhythmic effects) RTHM LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) with (up to 50) cumulative waveforms (per patch); two arpeggiators; two keyboard zones — Upper and Lower, suitable for split and layered instruments; guitar multitimbral mode — whereby all layers can be assigned to independent MIDI channels, so playing different sounds with each guitar string, for instance, is possible; polyphonic SEQUENCER (that also acts as a modulation source); vintage-sounding CHORUS, DELAY, PHASER, and EQ effects (with proprietary True Stereo Technology); and 300 phenomenal presets programmed by professional sound designers, to name but few.

Fortunately for some, a helpful Easy mode provides programmers with an intuitive and powerful yet streamlined environment, similar to XILS-lab’s recently released miniSyn’X polyphonic, duo-timbral virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in, but with additional envelopes and LFOs, etc, easily accessible. Alternatively, the Advanced mode makes all aspects of Syn’X 2 available, allowing users to create complex, thick, and never-heard-before patches with a radically reworked workflow, which, it turn, makes it one of the most powerful and complex virtual analogue synthesizers of the modern era!


Syn’X 2 is available to purchase as a USB eLicenser or iLok (1 and 2) protected plug-in for an introductory discounted price of €127.00 EUR until July 21, 2015 (rising to €169.00 EUR thereafter) on the XILS-lab web store here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/Syn'X-%3A-iLok-or-eLicenser-protected.html

Syn’X 2 can also be purchased as a bundle together with the miniWork’X sound library — featuring 268 miniSyn’X sounds for Syn’X 2 programmed by Lotuzia — for an introductory discounted price of €148.00 EUR until July 21, 2015 (rising to €198.00 EUR thereafter).

Note that owners of the original Syn’X can upgrade to Syn’X 2 for free while owners of miniSyn’X can upgrade to ‘full-blown’ Syn’X 2 status for an introductory discounted price of €93.00 EUR until July 21, 2015 (rising to €124.00 EUR thereafter).

Syn’X 2 can be directly downloaded as a multi-format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit polytimbral virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.5 and later) and Windows (XP, Vista, and 7/8) from here: https://www.xils-lab.com/pages/Syn%27X_Download.html

Several superb audio demos showcasing Syn’X 2 can be heard here: https://www.xils-lab.com/pages/Syn%27X_Audio.html"

New Elka Synthex Cancelled Due to Lack of Funding

"THE ELKA SYNTHEX CAMPAIGN ON INDIEGOGO HAS NOW ENDED. WE'RE SADDENED THAT WE DID NOT REACH THE FUNDING TARGET.

THIS UNFORTUNATELY MEANS THAT ELKA SYNTHEX WILL NOT BE COMING BACK AFTER ALL. WE THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED AND SUPPORTED US.

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN REFUNDED. CONTRIBUTORS WILL RECEIVE THESE REFUNDS IN THEIR PAYPAL ACCOUNT, OR ISSUING CREDIT CARD (WITHIN 5 DAYS). IF YOU HAVE ANY FUTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REFUND PROCESS PLEASE CONTACT INDIEGOGO.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL TO BRING ELKA SYNTHEX BACK."

The campaign goal was $414,000. It is currently closed and at $0. Curious what it got up to before closing. If you know, let us know. Also curious what will happen to http://bringelkaback.com.

Update: There is still the digital Synthex 2 from original Synthex creator, Mario Maggi, in the works.

New Elka Synthex 2 Digital Desktop Synth From Mario Maggi in the Works

This one is in via swissdoc and indirectly via Florian Anwander on the AH email list. This is not the new analog Elka Synthex clone from the new Finnish Generalmusic. This is however from the creator of the original Elka Synthex, Mario Maggi, and it is all digital. An interesting side note mentioned below is that Mario Maggi owns the Synthex name. Not sure what impact if any this might have on the upcoming Generalmusic Elka Synthex remake.


An Update: via swissdoc. It appears a filing for the name SYNTHEX was made on April 29, just three days ago. The filing is under category 15 which covers: "Electronic musical instruments; Electronic synthesizers; Electronic musical apparatus and instruments; Electric and electronic musical instruments; Mechanical, electric and electronic musical instruments; Electronic apparatus for synthesising music [musical instrument]."

"Hello to everyone,

my name is Enrico Cosimi, I'm the author of the text on ACM concerning the Synthex 2. I have been in touch, here in Rome/Italy, with Mario from the late Eigthies and, from the mid Nineties, I'm working with Mario on his "version two"; as you can imagine, Mario is a very very very busy kind of genius, who conceived and realized a lot of third party non-musical items (especially for telecommunications and health). I am not allowed to reveal all the data concerning the new Synthex 2 (b.t.w., it will be a digital equipment: would you dare to conceive an analog instrument with 128 LFOs and 64 EGs in the same box?), but - trust me - when it will be done, it will be a GREAT machine.

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XILS-lab Releases miniSyn’X

"XILS-lab launches low-cost luscious soft synth emulation of Eighties polysynth par excellence!

'I’ve just got miniSyn’X and am so excited, because the Synthex is a fantastic rarity. Thanks to XILS-lab for giving everyone the opportunity to play with it.'

- Jean-Michel Jarre (April 2015)

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of miniSyn’X — an authentic, cost-conscious soft synth emulation of a much-loved Eighties-vintage analogue polysynth of Italian origin that helped define the sound of an era — as of April 8...

miniSyn’X is a multi-format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit polyphonic, duo-timbral virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.5 and later) Windows (XP, Vista, and 7/8) that faithfully emulates the still-sought-after sound of the Synthex, a luscious, 1982-vintage, eight-voice programmable analogue polysynth independently designed by Mario Maggi and built by Italian home organ manufacturer Elka. Indeed, it was much loved by synth luminaries of the day — not least French synth wizard Jean-Michel Jarre, whose well-known Laser Harp performances still emanate exclusively from an amazing-sounding Synthex patch produced by one-time UK demonstrator/ programmer Paul Wiffen and audible in isolation in ‘Second Rendez-Vous’ on Jarre’s multi-million-copy-selling Rendez-Vouz album of 1986. Pity, then, that the Synthex did not sell in such Jarre-like quantities during a four-year, three-stage (50-, 800-, and 1,000-unit) production run, with one last post-production unit being built especially for Stevie Wonder, such was the legendary American singer-songwriter/multi- instrumentalist/record producer’s love for the future-classic instrument that initially failed to fly in the face of the-then ‘art nouveau’ digital age of dominating desirable FM synthesis from Yamaha’s considerably cheaper, MIDI-equipped DX7, and subsequent super-selling, all- singing, all-dancing digital designs from the likes of Roland (D50) and Korg (M1).

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ELKA SYNTHEX MIDI - 3rd series - mint control panel extra sounds & manual

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via this auction

"ELKA SYNTHEX, third generation series, with factory onboard MIDI sockets, fully working, excellent cosmetic condition.
This model has a mint control panel. The wood parts are in very good condition.
It works perfectly and smoothly, but one slider needs servicing or replacing.
This model has never been touched inside! All electronics are immaculate.
Also included are Mario Maggi's own memory presets, in wav format for you to load through the cassette interface."

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ELKA SYNTHEX MIDI - 3rd series - mint control panel extra +Maggi sounds & manual

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via this auction, via MATRIXSYNTH CLASSIFIEDS.

"ELKA SYNTHEX, third generation series, with factory onboard MIDI sockets, fully working, excellent cosmetic condition. This model has a mint control panel. The wood parts are in excellent condition. It works perfectly and smoothly. Included is also the original manual in english and a very rare handwritten manual. Also included are Mario Maggi's own memory presets, in wav format for you to load."

Worldwide shipping on this one. Details in the listing.

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Elka Synthex

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via this VEMIA auction

SN 861

"A beautiful example of one of the great analogue polysynths, the finest work by the genius of Italian synth technology, Sr Mario Maggi. It plays superbly, full of rich smooth room-filling textures, with or without the three-position chorus. All knobs are smooth and silent, the keyboard is a delight, and everything about it we tried is perfect. Cosmetically, it has a few tiny dings on the wooden endcheeks, a crack on the front of the left endcheek, and two superficial marks to the left of the control panel at the bottom of the LFO controls. Apart from these minor things it is undoubtedly near mint. It comes with MIDI via the standard umbilical cord to the 15-pin socket, very professionally done. It has clearly been serviced recently to the highest standards. Packing 20GBP. We will include a UK or standard European mains lead."

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"ASE" Vintage DIY Modular Remains a Mystery

Back in 2011 this post went up on  a custom DIY modular synth with the letters ASE on the upper right of the main cabinet. It was questioned whether this could have been an early modular creation from Mario Maggi, the man behind the ASE MCS-70 (see here and here), and later, the Elka Synthex.

It turns out this system is not his.  If anyone out there has more info on the system let me know.  You'll find more pics and info in the original post here.

The "wonderful" Elka Synthex: my 40 original patches by hayeye

Published on May 12, 2013 hayeye·19 videos

"40 personal patches on my Elka Synthex. No external effects oro processing. Some sounds are a bit distorted...sorry.
Thank to my friend mr. Mario Maggi for is kindness and helpfulness"

Rare Vintage ASE Modular Synthesizer

In the history of the site there has only been one other ASE post. That post from August of 2006 was on Automat and the ASE MCS70. The ASE MCS70 was a knob laden keyboard synthesizer. In the post you will find a link to Synthmuseum.com with some additional info.

This Monday, Patrick Hopewell posted the image to the left on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge with the following: "Can you identify this machine? I believe this to be a kit from the early 70's." At first I didn't recognize it and I read "ASI" instead of "ASE" on the top right, so a search came up empty. After mentioning this to Patrick he said it looks like ASI in the pic, but is actually "ASE" and he received an offer to pick up the system. It was in a garage for 30 years before now. Patrick currently has it in possession. He put up some pics here including some of the inside. The following is what he had to say.

"I finally took the back off and documented every circuit. There are some issues with the synth but nothing that can't be resolved. I have been chatting with Norman Leete and he says that everything looks good but I still should go through and test every circuit before I try to power it up again. I have sent the guy I bought it from an email to see if he has the contact info for the guy who built this thing in the 70's. I will keep you posted as I find out anymore information. Feel free to post anything you find interesting. I would like to see if any of your readers recognize any of the circuits. I did find out from Norman that the pots are the same ones used in Moog modulars."

If anyone has any insight feel free to leave a comment here, on Facebook, or email me directly and I'll forward it along.

Update: some additional info from Florian Anwander on ASE (note per Update2 below this modular is not from the same ASE):

"As far as I remember ASE was a kind of 'one man show' company by Mario Maggi, later engineer for various Italy based musical instruments companies like Elka (the man behind the Synthex).

There is an interview with M. Maggi on http://www.synthesizer.at (german) [Googlish here], which says 'The world heared already around 1970 from Mario Maggi, when he built his first monophonic synthesizer. It was in the style of an ARP Odyssey and Minimoog [translaters remark: in opposite to modular synths]. This synth still works today. Musicians like Enrico Olivieri, Roberto Turbitosi, Mario Natali and others used it.'

I have seen in the early 80s an ASE in a studio in the outskirts of Frankfurt which looked similar (same black glossy panels, same kind of various knobs), but to my memory it was smaller than one of Patrick Hopewell."

Update2 (6/12/2014): I have confirmation this is not from Mario Maggi.  The designer remains unknown. If anyone has any insight to the maker of this system, feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

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CRUMAR BIT-99 SYNTHESIZER SN 00811

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via this auction

Googlish translation from German:

"Aka Crumar BIT ONE BIT 99/01 or fall into this category.

Crumar Bit-99 Synthesizer

Perhaps brightens the mind of some ne "Oh, do not Crumar !!!"- thinkers on something, when the name Mario Maggi. All well known as a highly respected "father" of the Elka Synthex has Maggi also Crumar BIT-designed series. So it's no wonder if some ingenious features such as the (random) Stereo mode can be found in the BITs to. Other things - such as for example the high standard of customer Synthex hardware - it looks around the BITs, however vainly, too, is correct.

Crumar BIT aka ...
wanted the MIDI era begin in a new guise. Although the Crumar Spirit had track record dating from 1983 has a MIDI-bore labels including, but even for MIDI, it has not served there. Thus, there is no Crumar synth, the (factory-equipped) via said interface. With the introduction of the first MIDI keyboard Crumar changed his (official) name in BIT (probably to get away to the professional musicians from the camp Orgel-/Multikeyboard-Image). Hence ONE BIT, BIT 01 BIT 99; Sometimes these instruments may also carry other designations such as "Unique", or LEM, but everything "would be clear and simple," would not be so Italian. The unique instruments were sold under the said name in the U.S. ... e.g. Unique DBE (E for expander) = BIT 01 And after Crumar in the late 80s, first bought by LEM (and later by the same alias General Music has taken over GEM), produced one still on for some months, the BIT instruments under LEM name. Thus, there are so many name-names for one and the same instruments. Has begun the story with the ...

ONE BIT
The first device in the series corresponds in principle in terms of sound architecture all other BIT variations. In a row - alongside key MIDI enhancements and a few other details - sound not changed much. ONE of the BIT is a 6-voice analog synthesizer based on DCO. In 1984, placed on the market instrument is voice 2 DCOs per track record, 2 LFO, 1 VCF, 1 VCA and 2 ENVS. Thus, the BIT ONE (and, since as I said hardly any structural changes, including the entire family BIT) in about a Juno-60/-106 Roland, Roland JX-8P, Matrix-6, Siel Opera-6 / kiwi Korg DW-6000/-8000 equivalent. Of course, only "roughly". Of the extensive modulation possibilities for the Oberheim Matrix starting, we just want to venture no comparison, and the 16 wave forms of a DW-8000 can not be here "to be thrown into one package." But enforcing it is true about the direction, which is now in that environment, Crumar BIT alias in the mid-80s to be out in the market against similar "hybrid" or "late-analog" synthesizers had.

With the ONE BIT was originally a race win. The coward was called "MIDI" and was the first BIT to a severe test. The instrument worked ausschließich the Omni-on mode (there are note-to receive all incoming data - MIDI channels, there was, as far as my memory is still not ...) and comprehensive MIDI-hangers and other childhood diseases were not uncommon. Just one year later - 1985 - came ...

BIT 99
on the market. The instrument had better MIDI capabilities (and in general: more reliable MIDI), provided a sound chain function and other small changes. TWO ONE BIT of good things, however, were left out: The placed on the front panel fader to the detuning (de-tuning) of DCO 2 and the noise had the fader knob to set the soft-velocity sensitivity."

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ELKA Synthex

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images via this auction

"elka synthex prototype. as you can see in the pictures it has no metal ears for the legs on the side of the wood like ordinary synthex also it has the early voice boards with one led lamp on each voice board the software on the rom chips is the first version and it has the earliest dates on the stickers two synthex experts i talked to. it also has an extra mix output not just the normal upper and lower.this synthex was the first one ever made by mario maggi for maestro gianni mazza a very famous italian composer. the synth was bought by maestro mazza a few months ago.it was owned by mazza all these years and i am the second owner. the synth comes with original hard case. this is not just a synth. its a piece of history.the band pass filters on this particular synthex are much more powerful than the ones on a normal synthex. i had a normal synthex for ten years and i can tell you that this one sounds much more fat than the normal one. the only reason i am selling it is that i am restoring a modular synthesizer and i need the money."

inside an ELKA Synthex

via synthorama.com

Elka Synthex Prototype

via synthorama
"hi this is a photo of an elka synthex i just bought. it is a very special one. it is the prototype with no elka logo, no computer interface or midi (this section at the back is not there not even the graphics, no holes in the wood for the leg attachments and it has a mix output next to the on/off switch. also it is a bit different inside for example the boards have only one led not two on each board and the eproms have stickers that say 25-8-82. i had another synthex which i sold and this one sounds better. its more fat sounding and the bp1 and bp2 filters do much more than the previous i had. you do get much more than a fizzzzzz. also on the filter when you do a sweep you can hear at some point the filter like scaling , like you can here the individual clicks you similar to the oberheim 4voice filter. i talked to a tech who has seen a lot of synthex and he told me he had never come across anything like that in a synthex. he told me maybe it has to do with my software ! being very early and has something different to do with the filters. this one was made as a prototype by mario maggi for maestro Mazza(Gianni Mazza) a very famous italian composer who i think did a lot of work for italian channel RAI."
Inside an Elka Synthex

Automat and the ASE MCS70

Another via Frederic. Automat is an old electronic album from 1978 that featured the ASE MCS70. You can read more about the album here where you will find a number of samples. You can find more on the MCS70 on Synthmuseum.com where the image below was pulled from.

via the Automat page:
"When I saw my incoming mail box in 2000/October/01 I had a great surprise. A message from Mario Maggi (the man who idealized and constructed the MCS70, the sinthesizer used to do "automat"). Once again, my thanks to Sergio A. Simões. He found the Mario Maggi´s e-mail, contacted him, and told him about my page. To receive a message from Mario Maggi and all creators of "automat" is one of my great objectives. Naturally, I had (and still have) thousands of questions. We change a few messages, and I´ll continue changing. Now you can see a few questions. The first message was from Mario Maggi to answer questions for Sergio. The main subject is about MCS70, but there is a lot of information regarding 'automat'." Thanks Frederic!