Rare Titan Synthesizer by Tim Orr of Powertran, Transcendent 2000, & Maplin ETI 4600

A Funky Uses For A Tape Machine and a massive Tape - MAGICALL E2 video upload by @THISMUSEUMISNOTOBSOLETE

Formant & Digisound get a mention as well. See this post for another video of the Titan and an article.

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VINTAGE ANALOGUE SYNTHESIZER....Wireless World 1973

video upload by Outdoorsman

"This is an early analogue synth that I built from a series of articles in Wireless World magazine. I obviously spent a LOT of time making it....let's see if it still works..... (update coming soon!) Here's a link to the original articles....http://www.keith-snook.info/wireless-..." (PDF link - pics below if you want to skip)

Note the article appears to be by Tim Orr of Powertran, and a D. W. Thomas. Anyone know who that is? The design reminds me of a Maplin.

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Powertran Transcendent DPX Synthesizer c.1979

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via this auction

"This synth was designed by Tim Orr who also designed synths for EMS, and was sold in kit form by 'Electronics Today' magazine." [See this post]

"They originally sold for £365 + VAT which would be around £2k +VAT today. This particular example seems to have been assembled as all the screw holes have been used, but was then was opened up again, presumably due to a fault."

Pics of the inside below.

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TRANSCENDENT 2000 ANALOG SYNTH by TIM ORR of EMS

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via this auction

You can find a demo video of this auctual synth here.

"The T2000 was sold only in kit form and this unit has been very well constructed (see interior photo) with a nice style of large knurled control knobs chosen, and unusually a small Roland style knob added to what is usually just the stump of a potentiometer for overall tuning.

Although this unit has never been anywhere near Martin Hannett or any member of Joy Division or New Order AFAIK, it was the unit featured in the book "Analog Synthesizers" (2nd Edition 2019, pp. 364-5) and for many sounds on the CD "Sequencer Loops" (2002) by Mark Jenkins of which a brand new copy is included.

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Powertran Transcendent Polysynth

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. Powertran Transcendent Polysynth / Tim Orr / Vintage Synth / Synthesizer 1980's

Published on Jan 20, 2018 Emily Anne

via this auction

"Excellent immaculate condition, has been sitting up in the loft untouched for 30 years. Only used a couple of times from new. Recently had the power updated and a few parts inside changed, to ensure it’s working beautifully. Found a detailed manual for it online: [PDF]"

"The Transcendent Polysynth was a 4 voice, polyphonic synthesizer. Based on CEM ICs the design by Tim Orr was published in ETI from December 1980 to March 1982. It was available as a kit or fully assembled from Powertran"

Two advert scans below.

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Powertran Transcendent 2000 Synthesizer w/ Filter Sweep Pedal

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via this auction

You rarely see the pedal.

"Legendary 70's synth. The Transcendent 2000 was one of the first commercially available synths to be available to the public. It was sold as a kit and this one was built by myself. It was never used in anger and was put away with other band gear in a store room. Now I am having a clear out and it's up for sale.

There is lots about this synth on the internet. Designed by Tim Orr this type of synth was popular in the late 70's early 80's and in particular was used by Joy Division. These are fairly rare beasts , especially a working one. I have checked the synth out and adjusted some of the key contacts to give better contact / overtravel. This was a weak point on these synths as they are fairly delicate. So here we have a fully working example of this traditional analogue synth. All the keys work , all the controls work. Overall it is in good condition for its' age. It is monophonic ( one note at a time) but has some great sounds /effects. If you are not familiar with this synth please note it must be plugged into a sound system/ amplifier etc. in order to use it , ie. no built in sound system but that's pretty standard for a synth."

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Powertran Transcendent 2000

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via this auction

"This fantastic British Mono synth was designed by Tim Orr of EMS. He was the chap behind some of the most classic and sought after early synths like the EMS synthi used by Pink Floyd

This was the first synth used by Joy Division / New Order and appears on there early tracks"

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Transcendent Synth from Martin Hannett 's ( Joy Division producer ) collection with Synthometer?

via this auction

I never heard of a Synthometer before now. If you know more about it, feel free to comment.

via the listing:

"ignore all those cheaper Transcendents ( that probably aren't fully working like this one and don't have famous user owner history like this one ) and buy one from Martin Hannett's personal collection of Transcendent's this one includes Hannetts unique Synthometer a unit that apparently connected this Transcendent to an AMS delay- the fully working Transcendent synth includes the correct vintage case for this synth of Hannett's and the case fits the Hannett Synthometer at the side of the Transcendent - Hannett Transcendent synth no 9 and case No 9- Transcendent is fantastic condition and the analogue sounds are out of this world. Hannett put Transcendent synths into loads of records he produced including Joy Division- there are Transcendent sounds on Unknown Pleasures and other Joy Division recordings from that era . Hannett produced and sometimes played synth effects on Joy Division early New Order, Durutti Column, John Cooper Clarke, Nico, Buzzcocks, Magazine, Pauline Murray, U2, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, he was really responsible for bringing synths and echoes into punk and post punk

Ready to plug in and create those Joy Division/ Manchester /Hannett sounds- this synth was designed by Tim Orr who also worked for EMS.

This has not just been stuck in an attic for years and full of dodgy controls or part working- this is fully serviced and refurbished and ready to go

will come with letter of provenance and Hannett's notes"

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Powertran Transcendent Synth from Martin Hannett 's ( Joy Division)

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via this auction

This appears to be #7 in the lot. You can find previous ones here.

"from Martin Hannett's personal collection of Transcendent's- probably the nicest one to date to be refurbished and with it's original Anvil made in USA Hannett bomb proof flight case. Hannett put Transcendent synths into loads of records he produced including Joy Division- there are Transcendent sounds on Unknown Pleasures and other Joy Division recordings from that era . Hannett produced Joy Division early New Order, John Cooper Clarke, Nico, Buzzcocks, Magazine, Pauline Murray, U2, Stone roses, Happy Mondays, he was really responsible for bringing synths and echoes into punk and post punk

Ready to plug in and create those Joy Division sounds- this synth was designed by Tim Orr who also worked for EMS.

This has not just been stuck in an attic for years and full of dodgy controls or part working- this is fully serviced and refurbished and ready to go

will come with Hannett's personal notes on Transcendent No 7"

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VINTAGE EMS VOCODER 2000

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via this auction

"Up for auction is an awesome, professionally maintained original EMS 2000 Vocoder System. Original Owner. Looks sharp and in perfect working order, there is some scratches from being in the rack (see pictures). Designed by Tim Orr and Robin at EMS, made personally for one of my U.S. studios well over 2 decades ago. It has a standard U.S. AC cord, a conversion that will cost a pretty penny on imported Euro units, and the import/customs/etc. cost over $1000 U.S. dollars even decades ago. They aren't made anymore and the EMS Vocoder 2000 is the best vocoder period. An awesome effect to have in your arsenal right now.

Vocoders were originally used to encode a voice to be transmitted over distance, having military tech functions... the compression and encoding of your signal and the synthesis. Essentially, a voice is compressed and encoded, then a new voice is synthesized. You can combine your signals with a keyboard/instrument or use the independent excitation mode to use the EMS Vocoder 2000 as a stand alone processor. With 16 analyzing and 16 synthesizing filters the EMS Vocoder 2000 has clarity and distinction in the processing that you WILL NOT find in plug ins or other Vocoders. Nice fat lows and mid range mix great with guitars and other synths. The EMS Vocoder 2000 is renowned for it's use in the show Battlestar Galactica as well as by Pink Floyd. Distinctive analog processing used by sonically renowned artists.

The coolest thing about this EMS Vocoder is you can design your own effects that are hard for others to duplicate. Bored of out of the box production and effects, the EMS Vocoder 2000 is the solution.

It cost almost $7000 decades ago to get this very special EMS Vocoder 2000 in my studio. It has been professionally maintained and otherwise safely racked in a professional studio since the 80's and is as mint as you will find.
If the price is too high, then you don't get what an EMS Vocoder can do.

Included in the auction are (1) EMS Vocoder 2000, Original EMS Manual, and AC cord."

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Powertran Transcendent 2000 Overview & Demo by Midi/Error!!

Published on Aug 28, 2015 midierror

"A look at the features of the Transcendent 2000 synthesizer, designed by Tim Orr and used most notably by Martin Hannet and Joy Division."

Powertran Transcendent 2000 [ demo ]

Published on Aug 28, 2015

"Messing about with the Transcendent 2000 through a Lexicon reverb/delay unit."

Powertran Transcendant 2000

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via this auction

"Powertran Transcendant 2000 - vintage 1980s Analogue Monophonic Synthesiser in excellent physical condition. This legendary synth dates to 1980s electronic music era, and was sold in kit form, which was produced in England and designed by Tim Orr... Much of the early English 1980s electronic music was created using Powertran synthesisers.

This synth is complete except for a missing power supply, but circuit diagrams for this are available on the Internet. Also the original assembly manual and circuit diagrams are included in this sale. The synth is untested."

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EMS Synthi E

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via this VEMIA auction

"A very rare and collectable educational model from the makers of the VCS3 and Synthi-AKS. According to Robin Wood there were only around 150 of these instruments made. At first glance it appears deceptively simple, but then you notice the Tim Orr designed-filter has low pass, band pass and high pass outputs, all available simultaneously. The Attack/Decay Trapezoid Generator also has three simultaneous outputs for different modes, and can be triggered from the keyboard, the LFO, an external source via the Envelope Shaper or even patched to recycle automatically. The single VCO too, has three outputs available plus a PWM input and the VCA can be varied continuously between amplitude and ring modulation, so there are a lot of patching possibilities. This particular one is not mint, but is at least 'Good' cosmetically. Please have a look at the photographs and see for yourself. There are some scuffing marks to the outer Spartanite case, but no cracks, chips or structural damage to the plastic. The catches and hinges show some signs of corrosion but are fully functional. The front panel of the Synthi shows some panel wear, for example where the black lines and lettering have been rubbed off in a few places, but the legend is still readable. The membrane keyboard has a split along part of the top edge and near the bottom left-hand corner but this doesn't affect its function. The previous owner left a set of old batteries in it and these leaked into the rear of the case (but not onto the circuit boards), so the battery cases have been replaced. I've shown a photo of the interior so you can see that the boards are clean and unaffected by this. The good news is that this instrument has been fully overhauled by Lucid in March 2014 and is in perfect operational condition. The membrane keyboard (which usually fails on these) has been repaired and is working as is the touch-slider above it. All slide pots have been opened and cleaned. The Synthi comes with an original set of EMS patch leads, plus an additional set of five stacking leads and a UK 240V to 18V DC power supply."

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Tim Orr Modular synthesizer. Refurbished by L.Hastilow, H.Thompson & S.Scutt of London Met University.

Tim Orr Modular synthesizer. Refurbished by L.Hastilow, H.Thompson & S.Scutt of London Met University. from stephen scutt on Vimeo.

"A demonstration of the London College of Furniture Modular synthesizer. Designed by Tim Orr of EMS fame and built by electronics students of Jim Grant in 1982/3. The synthesizer was repaired & refurbished in 2012 by L.Hasilow, H. Thompson & S.Scutt to be included in the 2012 Cass exhibition.

The synthesizer has a very sumptuous sound. Here it is in action being played by the repairers."

Trancendent 2000 Modified Synth Module with Midi

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via this auction

"A rare collectable piece of equipment from the now defunkt POWERTRAN CYBERNETICS. These synths were originally sold as kits complete right down to the last nut and bolt. Designed by the legendary TIM ORR of EMS fame. A fully analogue synth designed on a single circuitboard. Gone now is the keyboard and original case, this one has been re boxed in a wood case. Now incorporates midi control that now allows connection to a computer sequencer or whatever midi device you like. Midi incorporates a push button learn facility for channel recognition. Midi control can be programmed via a PC and suitable cable allowing key span and adjustments. There are controls at the rear that allow precise tuning of octave width and pitch offset. Software links and some information will be provided on CDROM regarding these setup procedures. Now has a full compliment of moog style knobs however, the shafts that hold the knobs have been sanded to get these knobs to fit making the control turn slightly wobbly. All knobs work though with no noise, all have been cleaned. Incorporates an LFO rate indicator on the front panel. The original key switches used in the T2K become unreliable and can be a complete nightmare to set them all up correctly. With midi control this problem is eliminated. This unit plays exactly as a T2K should. A great sounding filter with a warm quality close to moog ladder designs. Incorporates band pass and low pass responce. Only genuine high quality components used when repaired and converted. Pictures show rear of the unit, midi in and thru sockets will be labelled before despatch."

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TRANSCENDENT 2000 POWERTRAN - Analouge Mono Synth

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via this auction

"This Synth did work at some stage and with a little love and care this synth would reward you with a very usable EMS filter. Would be a great project synth. According to legend, EMS didn't want their name associated with the varying build quality of a home made synth, hence the kit being marketed by Powertran. It looks great even as an ornament.


The Powertran Transcendent 2000 was an English synthesizer designed by Tim Orr, also notable for his work at EMS and Akai. In the late 1970s, a good synthesizer was too expensive for many musicians, so Orr conceived the Transcendent 2000 as an affordable kit that could be assembled at home - a similar concept to the one used by PAiA in the United States.

The synth behaves pretty strangely, the unit powers up, however oscillators do not seem to function, except for very intermittently. The filter, which until quite recently did work with an external input, now behaves very erratically and does not process input signals."

Powertran Transcendent 2000 Vintage Monophonic Analogue Synthesizer

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via this auction

"A fully serviced monosynth rare in this sort of condition!. Designed by TIM ORR of EMS fame. Was a kit based instrument manufactured by the now defunkt POWERTRAN company. This one has been fully serviced including the keybed electronics. Has had new moog style knobs added, case has been refinished and restored. Has had and LFO rate indicator LED added on the front panel with improved signal to noise on the output. A classic sounding synth with a great filter. All electronics mounted on a single circuit board, all off the shelf electronic components. Grab a piece of synth history that also looks the part!!."

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Powertran Transcendent 2000

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via this auction

"Cult 1978-1984 British Synth - designed by Tim Orr (of EMS and later Akai fame) - this was released as a DIY kit in Electronics Today International magazine.  Unlike most Transcendent 2000s that appear on ebay this is a working example. Famously used by Joy Division on "Unknown Pleasures"..."

Link to pdf at the auction. I don't want to link to it directly as I don't want to send any unwanted load to the site hosting it.

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EMS 1975 SYNTHI-E ANALOGUE SYNTHESIZER

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via this auction

"Designed by Tim Orr for 'EMS', this remarkable D-battery powered synthesizer comes in its original briefcase format. Most experts approximate that less than 200 of these units were made, largely for educational institutions.

Case measures 18" wide x 14" tall x 5" deep (approx. 45.5cm x 35.5cm x 12.5cm).

It's not our area of expertise, but here are the features we've managed to identify:

*Input Amplifier with low (Microphone) and high (line) level inputs.

*Envelope Follower, providing a voltage proportional to the amplitude of the input.

*Oscillator 1, with true exponential voltage control of frequency and three simultaneous output waveforms (sine, triangle and voltage controlled pulse).

*Oscillator 2 for slow control voltages such as glissando or vibrato.

*Filter/Oscillator 3, with v.c. low, high and band pass filter or pure sine wave.

*A Modulator for envelope shaping or ring modulation.

*A Noise Generator.

*Trapezoid Generator, for multiple simultaneous trapezoid waveforms. These may be used for envelope shaping (trigger mode) or for low frequency waveforms (free run mode).

*Manual-Slide tape Controllers (x2), for obtaining control voltages. One slide-tape is stepped and looks to be used as a keyboard, and the other for variable control. One is said to provide a trigger pulse.

*An Inverter to invert control voltages or signals.

*A Monitor Amplifier and Loudspeaker, with two input mixer faders.

Comes 10 original patch cables and a 1/4" jack plug. Also presented with its original lock key..."

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Transcendent 2000

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via this auction

"The Powertran Transcendent 2000 was an English synthesizer designed by Tim Orr, also notable for his work at EMS and Akai. The synthesizer was used by Joy Division and New Order and is reportedly the first synthesizer Joy Division used, they then went on to use the Arp Omni..."

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