"Selling my beloved Prophet T8 after many years of great recordings and cared use. This was serviced a few years ago by one of the best western Canadian synth technicians. Its fully function and the keybed has felt replacement recently and it feels great. Lots of information on the net about this amazing synthesizer. Its midi functionality is great and I used this as my main controller for my DAW instruments and other synths with midi. The built in real-time sequencer is amazing! Poly After touch, 8 Voice, Velovity envelope control! Its been called the Rolls Royce of Synths in the book 'A to Z of Analogue Synths' by Peter Forrest.
Its in excellent shape, some little dings and scratches on the metal here and there. Was like that when I got it. Its lived in my studio since purchasing over 10 years ago." [posted here]
"YAMAHA VP 1 | 10.000,- USD Synthesizer | Factory Songs (HQ)
The first model of synthesizer to feature VA (virtual acoustic) tone generation based on physical modeling, a complete departure from sampling and FM.
A VA tone generator creates sounds by simulating the physical mechanism by which wind, string and other instruments produce sound.
The virtual instruments simulate characteristics such as the shape and materials of music instruments, allowing the creation of tonal changes that respond to the breathing and playing methods used.
The VL1 was created with reed instruments and other wind instruments in mind, and thus is two-note polyphonic."
"The VL-1 was a ground breaking synthesizer with new technology renowned for accurate reproductions of wind instruments. It is a 2-note polyphony instrument that is best used with a breath controller such as the BC-2 or BC-3.
The VL-1 cost around 4000 pounds in 1994, and was out of reach for most musicians. As such it sold in relatively small numbers and are hard to find. They do come onto the second hand market occasionally and demand between $3000 to $5000 (Aust) depending on condition.
There was a VL7 which was essentially half a VL1 though it looked very similar. Then there is the legendary VP1 which was a VL1 with more power, polyphony and keys. It was made in very limited numbers, perhaps less than a handful. That was due to its price tag, rumoured to have been around $25,000 (US). As such it has often been considered more of a prototype than a proper production model.
This instrument suggests quality of build and sound at first sight. It has real wood, which has not been seen since the DX1 (exactly one decade earlier). Then there are the Champaign gold end panels connected by a band across the top front end. A colour very similar to that used on Yamaha’s B500 in 1990. The gold however is flat with slightly rough texture to contrast against the smooth varnished wood and its semi-gloss finish.
Interestingly it only has 49 keys which to the uninformed will instantly cast doubt, especially with only 2-notes polyphony, and no on-board sequencer.
The screen is striking and very clear with its white back light. The front panel is very well organized with good spacing between all buttons. We particularly like the way the patch buttons are perfectly arranged in 3 rows.
The pitch and modulation wheels feel nice and was a successful design that continued to many future generations. The 3 wheels placed on a stage is an innovative design solution to integrate with a curvy end panel. There is also a disk drive discretely tucked under the left side edge
All controllers feel like they would on a Rolls Royce and command respect. This is not a toy or machine to be thrown around on stage or studio. This was built to look and feel like a digital cross between a violin and a saxophone."
"'Ichika's Brand New Dress' - recorded live on February 27, 2021 using a MIDI sequencer, 3 mixers and room full of synthesizers.
The roots of "Ichika's" was composed on a Yamaha RS7000 sequencer and left unfinished for several years. The intricate timings and swing notes were too difficult to mix when overdubbing and editing on the RS7000 and was nearly abandoned altogether. Fast forward to December 2020 - I don't think I would have ever finished this without the Akai MPC X. It's essentially a sports car wrapped around a Rolls Royce. The 10" display is comfortable to use and the generous physicality of buttons, knobs, OLED displays make editing a breeze. Mixing straight notes, with triplets and swing was something nearly impossible to manage on the RS. The MPC not only made it easy, but I never felt constrained to try things out. Although I may never touch its sampler and built-in synths, the MIDI capabilities alone are amazing and worth the price - especially coming from the RS7000.
The breakout stars of this piece are the Korg Wavestate and the Sequential REV2 which due to its versatility played the bulk of parts [00:11], [01:13], [0:31], [05:50] both layered and split all throughout [02:27], [02:56], [04:32]. Its generous modulation capabilities allowed nuance everywhere needed especially since the MPC X made editing so much easier. Velocity and the MOD wheel are used primarily to articulate notes; discrete use of specific CC modulations were also used. The digital distortion and filter modulations were synchronized with MIDI [04:52].
The Wavestate's factory patches are so expertly designed although I found it difficult to fit them in initially. Luckily I know enough to adjust the envelopes to get a good fitting. Still the Wavestate remains a challenge for me to wrap my head around. Swirling strings [02:03], [02:38], [03:50] and bell tones [02:29].
Drums - I'm surprised how many drums are in this. The Roland TR8s was used to replace RS7000 analog kit used in the original 'Ichika's'. The MDX 1400 was used to compress the 808 kick. Two acoustic kits from the Yamaha Motif XS were tweaked to make use of its built-in VCM compressors - room reverb first, then the compression. Most of the acoustic kit performance was sequenced on the RS7000 and later tweaked on the MPC X. The crash choke was made by playing a regular crash using a second note at a lower velocity (greater than zero) at [05:14]. The delicious sound of the Boss DR-660 [03:26] was added to "Ichika's" recently as new sections using the Wavestate were created. The Alesis 3630 was used to tame the dynamics of the DR-660, especially the toms. Lastly, my custom "noise and sine" kit on the Korg Radias embellishes all through the piece.
The Korg EX-8000 had a minor role except for the amazing sweeping patch showered in its digital delay [03:27], [03:48]. I believe an original preset patch with minor tweaks on the envelopes.
Upbeat vox played by the Korg Radias near the beginning [00:12] and at the end [05:25], also modulated here [01:22] and here [01:32].
The original Minilogue wears its characterful filter again throughout "Ichika's", reusing patches from previous arrangements. Layered up, the Minilogue XD *high-def* embellishments filled in when needed.
The lightning acrobatics of the Novation Bass Station II and its ability to switch patches on a tick emphasized individual notes in a few places [01:27], [03:36]. Unfortunately my mixing isn't sufficient to put these subleties out front enough to hear.
Brassy swells [00:53] and stringy melodies [02:06] on the Prophet 6. Digital voice chatter here [02:30] and here [03:18], melodic emphasis on the main parts [00:11] on the Korg MS 2000 - shining near the end with a chaotic sequence of LFO modulations [04:52].
The Yamaha Tx81Z played a minor part filling in space when needed [01:00], [05:17].
Video from a Canon EOS SL3 was captured over a two day period while the audio was recorded after getting a satisfying take."
"Beautifully-produced second volume of Matthias Becker's authoritative 'Synthesizers of the Past' book - in German, but with so many superb illustrations that it's hardly necessary to read the text. New, unused, still sealed. The photos were taken of another copy of the book.
Too many highlights to mention all, but the book covers such absolute classic synths as the Trautonium, ARP 2500, EMS Synthi 100, E-mu Modular, Steiner-Parker Synthacon, RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, Birotron, PPG 1002, Moog Taurus and Liberation, Roland System 700, Synlab Modular, Roland SH-7, Crumar DS-2, Korg Sigma, ARP Quadra, Roland RS-505 and VP-330, Fairlight CMI, Realton Variophon, Oberhaim OB-Xa, Xpander and OB-SX, Gleeman Pentaphonic, RSF Kobol, Emulator 1, Synergy, Roland SH-101, TB-303, TR-606, MC-202, Jupiter 6, Syntec Banana, SCI Prophet T8, OSCar......... an incredible roster which would (in the beautiful condition they are in the photos) probably now be worth over half a million US dollars.
All with superb photos by Dieter Stork. Hardback, beautifully printed on very high quality paper, bound to the highest standards. A coffee-table book which is also a superb source of information. The Rolls-Royce (OK, Mercedes) of synth literature. (I should know - I produced the Ford Fiestas of the genre.) ISBN 3927954012, printed in 1995."
Described by synth guru and composer extrodinarre Jean-Michel Jarre as 'The Rolls Royce of Polysynths'... we proudly present the Moog Memorymoog plus with the rare dbm MIDI, sequencer, and OS upgrades !
Our experts date this instrument, which is serial# 3132, to 1984/5. Our technicians have fully tested, restored to full functionality, calibrated, and tuned this instrument. Note from the pictures that all 6 voices tune properly and that the dbm upgrades are present (see 'dbm tech' displayed on startup). Must be one of the finest examples of this iconic instrument left."
"If you're looking for the Rolls Royce of synthesizers - you've found one. It functions perfectly and has been babied its whole life - hardly a scratch other than a few on the bottom. Original foot pedal and original manual included and will need to be shipped extremely carefully so please contact me for a shipping quote before purchase.
This is the model is the one with the 12 individual outputs.The synthesizer was recently cleaned and serviced for optimal performance.
Not for the faint of heart - this is a beast capable of taking you into endless musical creation. It's truly a work of art, and I've never seen one in this shape before."
The Serge Modular has been called the 'Rolls Royce of synthesizers'. Its delicate textures and unpredictable sonorities invite the player and the audience down an exquisite rabbit hole. For more Serge, stay tuned on this channel.
Serge Modular Synthesizer
Performed by Morley Robertson"
"At Zurich Modular, I met Marko from Elektro Kosmos and he showed me the KOSMONAUT, a new high-end handmade full analog Synthesizer from Switzerland! It can be described as Rolls-Royce /Bentley of the mono Synthesizers!"
"'The Rolls Royce of polyphonic synths' - JM Jarre.
For sale in superb working order and excellent condition. Our tech has just recapped the power supply and recalibrated the synth, but no further work was necessary.
This is a monster of a synth - like six Minimoogs in one with separate filters for each voice, VCO sync, sample and hold... The unison mode can stack up to 18 oscillators for thunderous monophonic bass and lead sounds. Our engineer's favourite synth also. More info from the net below.
The previous owner had maintained this synth very well - all necessary internal upgrades and service work had been carried out to a high standard and the synth auto-tunes every time on start up. We have recapped the power supply and given it a thorough check over and it is working extremely well.
There are a few dings and marks to the wooden parts and a couple of dents/bumps to the aluminium case - at some point it appears to have had impact damage to the wooden corners - but otherwise this synth is in exceptional condition for its age.
The Midi on these is very basic and many people choose to upgrade the Midi capabilities."
Note the listing does not mention if the individual outs are working, so check to be sure.
"If you're looking you know what this is. On many lists as one of the best sounding synths ever produced. Hugely variable with mountains of parameters to sculpt the sound you are after with full digital recall. If you're looking for the Rolls Royce of synthesizers - you've found one. It functions perfectly and has been babied its whole life - hardly a scratch other than a few on the bottom. Original foot pedal and manual included and will need to be shipped extremely carefully so please contact me for a shipping quote before purchase."
New line of ultra-versatile MIDI problem solvers offering support for 0 to 2 computers simultaneously, plus built-in MIDI merging, filtering, remapping, and routing
The mio™ Advanced MIDI interfaces are here! It’s a new line of MIDI problem-solvers from iConnectivity. Just plug in to connect and collaborate, in the studio or on stage. These are reinvented MIDI interfaces that work standalone or with up to six Macs/PCs at the same time.
They all feature built-in MIDI merging, filtering, remapping, and routing functions so you don’t need extra hardware units. mio10 has 10x10 5-pin MIDI, the mio4 has 4x4, and both support everything: USB MIDI, Ethernet MIDI, and more.
The affordable mio2 (2x2 5-pin MIDI) supports two Macs/PCs at the same time.
iConnectivity now has a comprehensive line of innovative MIDI and audio interfaces to handle modern setups of all sizes.
The mio™ line handles everything from essential up to extreme MIDI setups, in the studio and on stage. They're all USB MIDI Class-Compliant, so they plug-'n-play - no drivers become outdated, and other musicians only have to plug in to collaborate.
Famed musician/sound designer/MIDI wizard Richard Devine has been working with a pre-production unit: "iConnectivity's new mio10 is the dream MIDI system I've been waiting for! Its routing system is very flexible, and it's a breeze to use. Absolute class all the way. The Rolls Royce of MIDI interfaces!"
"This synth is in excellent condition, and was restored & serviced by Moog guru Gerry Dahl at Moog Repair! Straight from the era of Minimoogs that we all hear & love on our favorite records…. this is the one to own! Looks amazing in it’s original spec chassis built by Wes at Analogics. Comes complete with built-in power cord, copy of manual, 2 new replacement name badges, and two sets of Cinch Jones connectors with additional parts to make your own S-Trig cables ;) Here is a great way to get a "Rolls Royce" synthesizer into your arsenal that is a bonified classic"
via the seller: "People will go on and on about how the engine of a DX1 is two DX7s. This does not ring true to me. There are so many components and circuit boards inside the DX1 compared to the bare bones set up of a DX7. They may say how a FS1R can do more. This maybe true and they are cool units but the output sounds buzzy and shrill comparatively, plus scrolling through menu after menu is not fun. There is something about the "Rolls Royce" quality of the DX1, plus the sound, plus the interface that makes it really special. This of course is all my opinion. I can say I have compared the sound of the Yamaha DX5 and Mk1 DX-7(sold one of each on ebay and received positive feedback for both) and while they both sound nice the DX1 blows them away in just the weight and warmth of the sound. Comparing a DX1 to other FM synths is like comparing a Fairlight CMI to an Akai sampler. The Akai wins on paper but you don't play paper. Again, all the machines I mentioned are great and have their place. I just think the DX1 is extra special.
They only made 140 of these. My guess is only 75-100 remain in good functioning condition. This one looks and functions excellently. As you can see from the pictures it looks sharp. It has NO smoky, musty, or unpleasant smell. It does have a few minor cosmetic flaws that I have shown in the photos keeping it from being "perfect". It has a few flaws in the wood that are not very noticeable because they blend in with the rustic grain and texture of the REAL Brazilian Rosewood, but they are there and you can see them if you look for them. Overall this is a well taken care of DX1 with a small amount of wear, it is in far better shape than many other DX1 instruments I have seen. It has always been stored in a climate controlled environment. You will not be disappointed..."
" Often described as the 'Rolls Royce of Analog Synths', there is nothing quite like it and it is quite a rare find, especially in this condition. There were only about 350 made. The original development team at Sequential in the United States said "they felt it was the best synth Sequential ever made, and that there were only around 350 Prophet T8s ever made", making them amongst the rarest, and therefore most collectable, of the large analogue synthesizers of the early '80s.
A monstrous 8 voice polysynth from SCI! The T8 has a very fat Prophet-5-like tone. This synth adds many illustrious new features (for its time) such as full MIDI implementation, 76 full size weighted keys with velocity and aftertouch, split/layer double/unison keyboard modes, and a simple but useful real-time sequencer. The new keyboard features many dynamics enhancements, ie: aftertouch can affect pitch, level, filter or the LFO. It was Sequential's finest analog synthesizer. Digital control of analog sound with an extremely flexible, intuitive and beautiful design - right down to the wood panels!"
"Synclavier II Vintage System - Digital Synthesizer, Control Unit, VT100 Monitor, 73 Disks, 3 Disk Drives, Keyboard, Cords, Button Summary Index and Manuals
Great piece of audio engineering history. The Synclavier system is the Rolls Royce of vintage synthesizers. They're prized still today by successful sound engineers, composers and musicians.
This system comes from a professional working studio. While it has not been tested recently, it has been kept in safe storage in a smoke-free environment. Everything will be shipped via freight carrier. Also available for local pickup in the Fort Wayne, IN area.
Don't let this one pass you by. You won't see too many of these listed!"
1) The EMU Emulator E III Professional keyboard. It has many memory cards installed
2) Lacey HD
3) Apple 266mhz G3 Power PC with 6gb HD, 24x cd, zip drive, AV. 32mb, 512 cache. Inside the computer is a SCSI Rev A control card for the EMU Emulator E III. This thing is huge 12" long and has 12gb memory installed (three 4gb cards).
Think of this... The very popular Arp and Moog analog boards from this same time frame (in the 1990's) were selling for about $1,500 to $2,000 new... While this keyboard was selling for $12,500 to $15,000 So those other keyboards aren't even close to the same quality as this keyboard. This is the Rolls Royce of analog boards.
The Emulator III was E-mu's biggest classic "Digital Sound Production System". Also called the "EIII", it was E-mu's biggest and most professional sampler-synthesizer prior to the 1990's. It was the first sampler to offer 16-bit CD-quality specs with stereo or mono sampling at 44.1kHz or 33kHz. RAM memory is 4 MB expandable to 8 MB. There are extensive and modern sample editing features (from looping to rate conversions). The on-board 16-track sequencer and arpeggiator are also superb. Equipped with MIDI, SMPTE, SCSI, built-in disk-drive and multiple outputs, the EIII is comfortable in any studio. A Macintosh can also be hooked up to the EIII for easier graphical editing which was very useful since the LED screen on the synth is so tiny. In the 1990's this Synthesizer cost an astonishing $12,550 to $15,000, making it one of the most expensive synthesizers ever sold. The cost made this a rare sale so very few of these were actually sold. This synthesizer is extremely rare and an extremely powerful analog synth.
As a sampler workstation the EIII was at one time the dominating force. Although some modern machines exceed it today, the EIII is still a very high quality instrument with controls and functions that would be familiar to anyone who uses high end samplers. A very classic machine that can still stand strong among a generation of sampler workstations 10 years later, the EIII is still in use and will continue to be used for many more years. It has been used by Depeche Mode, Genesis, and JellyFish. If you can find one of these synthesizers you would be very fortunate because they are rarely found today (truly a prized museum piece to be put on display)."
"We’re pleased to confirm that ‘The Merlin’ is now real and in direct response to feedback and suggestions from Exclusively Analogue customers. In keeping with the aviation link the ‘Merlin’ is named after the iconic Rolls Royce engine that powered a number of aircraft including the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mosquito, and Lancaster.
The aim of Merlin is to provide a powerful analogue synthesizer with maximum flexibility and at a competitive price (approximately £800 depending on format). Part of the flexibility comes from making it small enough to fit into the Eurorack format but without compromising usability. To this end all of the jack sockets are on the bottom to avoid patch leads crossing the controls which is a common drawback of a lot of Eurorack modules. Merlin is available either as a self powered 19″ rack mount module, a self powered desktop module, or in Eurorack format able to utilise an existing power supply.
‘Out of the box’ it just requires a CV and Gate input to work and is pre-patched to form the classic Analogue Synth routing. The 54 mini jack sockets enable the user to create numerous alternative routings – input signals and control voltages or output signal and control voltages. The format is ‘classic’ with 2 Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) providing Sawtooth, Square, Sine and Triangle waveforms. There is also a separate Noise Source and an External input. There are 2 LFOs – one Voltage Controlled and the other normally dedicated to Pulse Width Modulation. For interesting modulation there is a Sample & Hold and that’s normally clocked by the VCLFO and sampling the Noise Source. A Ring Modulator is also provided to allow creation of complex waveforms.
The heart of any Analogue synthesizer is the Filter and ‘Merlin’ has a powerful Multi Mode Filter. The Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) is based around the SSM2040 design and has 24dB Lowpass, 12dB Lowpass, High Pass, and Band Pass outputs thereby giving a broad spectrum of sound modification. The standard filter frequency modulation options are available (Keyboard CV, FM, and selectable positive or negative Envelope) plus the Resonance (Q) can also be modulated which most filters do not have. There are also 2 Envelope Generators – one for the VCF and one for the Voltage Controlled Amplifier.
The picture shows the first Merlin in a rack unit and as a comparison a collection of Eurorack modules have been included on the bottom to give you an idea of how ‘Merlin’ might be added to an existing system or as a starting point for a system that can be expanded by adding modules.
We are currently at the testing phase of the prototypes and should have some sound and video files available soon. At this stage we are taking expressions of interest with the opportunity to be one of the early owners once production starts."
