Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2015

Happy New Year everyone!  I want to thank you all for a great 2015 and I wish you all the best in 2016!

The following is my yearly round up for the year.  Feel free to dig into this post as much you like, or skip it and leave a comment at the bottom of the post. I'd be curious to hear what stood out for you in 2015. Do you like the direction the synthesizer world is headed in, or would you rather see more or less of any type of product?

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POLTAVA - Vintage soviet analog wah fuzz tremolo guitar synth effects pedal on MATRIXSYNTH CLASSIFIEDS

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Up for sale is a rare soviet analog Wah-wah\Fuzz\Tremolo effects pedal - "POLTAVA".This unit was made in 1977 in the USSR. Pedal produces warm vintage Wah, Fuzz and Tremolo effects that can`t be reproduced by modern digital effect units. Tremolo sounds really fat and fuzz is crazy. Very suitable as signal processor for guitars, synths, loops or for any type interesting sonic experiments. All effects can be used simultaneously or in any combination.

CONTROLS: Separate ON/OFF switches for fuzz and wah and tremolo. Knobs for volume and tone for the fuzz. Knob controls for rate and speed of tremolo. Power ON/OFF switch.

Input & output sockets are common 1/4TRS "Jacks". It can be powered by standard 9 volt power adapter or two bar batteries (not included).

The pedal is after full proffessional service and in 100% working condition.
Like most East-European analog gear this device produces different sound from well-known guitar pedal brands.The pedal looks great and sounds awesome!"

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New Pic of the Vintage Eight Voice Analog Moog SL-8

This one spotted on reddit by Soviet Space Child.

Via the reddit thread: "This is an actual picture taken last week, not just gear porn."

Followed by: "It's the prototype for the Moog SL8 (1983). The story goes, Moog brought this to NAMM 83 as an 8 voice polyphonic synth, a follow up to the Memory Moog (which btw has the fattest Osc's I might have ever heard). They brought the cards for the SL8 to NAMM in a 'cardboard box' and this was placed below the SL8 for performance during NAMM. After NAMM the cardboard box containing the cards was lost or misplaced and all the remains is the body. The PolyMoog can be a nightmare, but this is due to the body warping. The plastic container was reinforced on certain later revs (If memory serves correct), but early models suffer a twisting frame and thus damage to the cards. We have a PolyMoog in the collection. I could post a pic on a later date of it. I use the Memory Moog as a go to, the PolyMoog doesn't get as much use as it should."

"Yes. I am the Technical Director of the Audities Foundation. The purpose of the collection is to make sound and art with sonic artifacts This is one of the rarest synths around, but unfortunately lost to time."

You'll find some previous posts featuring the SL-8 here. See this post for some pics and a video from Audities, and this post for specs.

POLYGON UDS - RARE VINTAGE SOVIET ANALOG DRUM SYNTHESIZER

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

This appears to be the first one ever posted on MATRIXSYNTH.

"First time on Ebay an extremely rare Soviet vintage analog electronic drum synthesizer "POLYGON UDS". It is an "offspring" of infamous "Marsh UDS" which differs only by different casing (Poligon is a rack) and all inscriptions in English. Intended to be an export device for western market. It is a powerfull 5 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced in the USSR in 1980s. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used & edited freely, inscriptions like "snare", "bass" e.t.c. are just nominal). On every channel you can change: trigger signal sensitivity, base tone pitch, HF or LF, glissando, noise/tone ballance, noise decay, click, channel's volume. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack for 5 pads. It can be triggered from any drum pads like classic Simmons or modern Roland\Yamaha or any audio source - line outs of the drum machine or soundcard or CV Gate etc. The module has two stereo Outputs (1/4 Jack) ballanced & unballanced and one mono Headphone Output (1/4 Jack). This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique! Can synthesize huge pallete of sounds - from modern punchy BD & SD to classic 808 or 909 subs or claps e.t.c.."

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FORMANTA RHYTHM FRET NECK SOVIET USSR GUITAR KEYTAR

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Up for the auction is FORMANTA UDS RHYTHM FRET NECK GUITAR — INCREDIBLY RARE VINTAGE SOVIET GEAR IN ORIGINAL PACKING, WITH CABLE AND SHOULDER STRAP
LOOKS REALLY LIKE A CRAZY-SPACE-GUITAR ;]

The unit has one connection plug - Soviet 5DIN. It's used as an addition to FORMANTA UDS and MARSH UDS drum sets. MINT condition, comes in original packing with shoulder stripe and connection cable.
It has 7 buttons on the front side and 2 on the back. According to manual while tapping the "SPHERIC THING" the unit sends trigger commands to the control module. Probably it can trigger any drum machine or kinda.

The unit has a velocity-sensitive piezo trigger pad under sphere and nine red knobs:
seven on the front for choosing which drum sound you wanted to trigger from the synth and two back knobs for switching "preset" or "synth" sound mode on the synthesizer."

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FORMANTA UDS - RARE VINTAGE SOVIET ANALOG DRUM MODULE

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Formanta UDS fully analog electronic percussion synthesizer. Formanta UDS is soviet version of classic analog beat-box so as Roland TR and Simmons. Synth was produced in 80-s years in USSR on the same military plant in Kachkanar where well known synth Polivoks was developed. Sound of UDS is very aggressive and "military". And it looks like the piece of soviet army gear - heavy, khaki colored and studded with knobs. It is very powerful drum synth."

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New Akai Rhythm Wolf - Analog Drum Machine and Bass Synth?

Real or not? You be the judge. I'm not seeing anything on the Akai site yet. This one is in via Soviet Space Child.  Synthtopia is reporting on it and the following is via Gearslutz.  $199 price point.

Update: some discussion on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

Update2: looks like the Akai site is down. Updates coming or too much traffic?

Update3: The site is back and the info is up here.  Supersize image and press release captured further below.

"Musikmesse 2014: Following in the wake of the Korg Volcas and Roland's Aira range, Akai is the latest brand to get in on the vintage-inspired groovebox action with the announcement of the Rhythm Wolf – an analogue unit combining a five-voice drum machine and single-ocsillator bass synth.

The drum machine section of the Rhythm Wolf comprises kick, snare, metallic percussion, and open and closed hi-hat sounds, all of which are tuneable. The bass synth, meanwhile, can be switched between saw and square waveshapes, and features a filter with resonance control and a basic envelope shaper. Akai describes Rhythm Wolf as having an "authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers" - no prizes for guessing which instruments the company is alluding to.

The whole unit is built around a 32-step sequencer, and also features six MPC pads for live performance. There's also a 'Howl' distortion circuit for adding a bit of dirt to the sounds. Additionally, the Rhythm Wolf features a USB MIDI connection and has both MIDI and gate in and out ports, so can be triggered via a DAW or external hardware. It packs a swing control on its front panel, and the unit also appears to have a built-in preset bank.

Arguably the most interesting aspect of the Rhythm Wolf, however, is its price. At an estimated street price of $199, the unit comes in at slightly cheaper than the combined price of the Volca Beats and Bass, and cheaper than either the Roland TR-8 or TB-3.

The Rhythm Wolf is due to arrive summer 2014. Visit Akai Professional for more details.

Rhythm Wolf highlights (from the official press release)
5-voice analog drum machine and synth—authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers
Legendary analog drum sounds—kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion
Synth-bass module—selectable square or sawtooth wave with classic filter design for warm, deep basses and squelchy leads.
Onboard 32-step sequencer—classic drum machine workflow for quickly laying down grooves and melodies
Six genuine MPC pads—responsive controls for sequencing and finger drumming
Howl knob—custom distortion circuit for additional sound design
USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out—flexible MIDI connectivity for easy integration into modern studios
Gate Trigger—triggering via modular synths, vintage sequencers, or external sound sources
Independent audio outputs—dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth-bass module for precise mixing"

Update: full size pic & press release:

"AKAI PROFESSIONAL UNLEASHES THE RHYTHM WOLF

Leading music production equipment manufacturer debuts an analog drum machine and bass synthesizer inspired by the classics.

Cumberland, RI, USA—March 11, 2014. Akai Professional (akaipro.com), a leading innovator of music equipment for production and performance, announces the Rhythm Wolf, an analog drum machine and bass synthesizer module with built-in sequencing.

The Rhythm Wolf is an authentic analog instrument that combines the coveted sounds of early electronic and hip-hop music with genuine Akai Professional workflow. Inspired by the classic analog beat machines and synthesizers of the past, Rhythm Wolf enables today’s musicians to harness iconic analog sounds for music production and performance. The drum machine consists of five highly-tweakable drum sounds and includes a kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion. Onboard controls allow users to customize the tuning, amplitude envelopes, and volume of each drum voice separately for precise real-time adjustment. The bass synthesizer features a selectable oscillator (sawtooth or square wave), classic filter design, a filter envelope with variable decay, and is capable of creating powerful bass sounds and squelchy leads.

Outfitted with six genuine MPC pads and a built-in 32-step sequencer, the Rhythm Wolf provides an ultra-responsive interface with a classic drum machine layout. Drum patterns can be fine-tuned using the Rhythm Wolf features USB-MIDI, MIDI In/Out, a gate trigger, and integrates seamlessly with modern and vintage equipment.

Rhythm Wolf Highlights:
• 5-voice analog drum machine and synth—authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers
• Legendary analog drum sounds—kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion
• Synth-bass module—selectable square or sawtooth wave with classic filter design for warm, deep basses and squelchy leads.
• Onboard 32-step sequencer—classic drum machine workflow for quickly laying down grooves and melodies
Swing function, Pattern Select, and Tempo Control knob. A custom
distortion signal path, activated by the “Howl” knob, adds grit and character for additional tone
shaping.
Two audio outputs enable producers and
performers to mix percussion sounds and bass independently.
• Six genuine MPC pads—responsive controls for sequencing and finger drumming
• Howl knob—custom distortion circuit for additional sound design
• USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out—flexible MIDI connectivity for easy integration into modern
studios
• Gate Trigger—triggering via modular synths, vintage sequencers, or external sound
• —dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth-bass

Akai Professional Product Manager Dan Gill notes, “The Rhythm Wolf puts those sought after analog drum machine and synthesizer sounds right into the hands of today’s musicians. We set out to make a compact drum machine and bass synthesizer, inspired by the classics, that can adapt to any studio setup and integrate with modern and vintage music equipment.”
The Rhythm Wolf will be available in Summer 2014, distributed worldwide with a $199.99 USD street price. Akai Professional will unveil the Rhythm Wolf at Musikmesse, Hall 5.1, Booth B45, March 12-15 in Frankfurt, Germany. For more information, visit: akaipro.com/messe2014.

###

About Akai Professional
The world’s most influential manufacturer of music production gear, Akai Professional (akaipro.com) develops creative technologies to empower music makers with tools that are unmatched in expressive capability. Akai Professional is best known for creating the legendary MPC, an instrument that has inspired generations of producers and performers and spawned entirely new genres of music. Akai Professional is a part of the inMusic Brands family (www.inmusicbrands.com)."

Update4:

Musikmesse 2014: Akai Rhythm Wolf Video

Published on Mar 11, 2014 delamartv·373 videos

Unfortunately no audio demo.

FORMANTA UDS RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET USSR DRUM MACHINE

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely and you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armored antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!.."

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FULL SET ROKTON FORMANTA UDS VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET DRUM SYNTH

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

mechanical animals

"ROKTON is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals.

The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely and you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom.

Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller.

This is an armored antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!"

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FORMANTA UDS RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET USSR DRUM MACHINE

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

mechanical animals

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals.
The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely and you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom.
Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller.
This is an armored antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!"

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FORMANTA UDS RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET USSR DRUM MACHINE

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely and you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armored antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!.."

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ROKTON (FORMANTA UDS) RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET DRUM MACHINE

via this auction

mechanical animals

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely. And you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!"

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LM1229 RARE VINTAGE SOVIET REVERB DELAY

via this auction
mechanical animals (RSS)

"- 8 control knobs: Delay Time, Gain, High and Low Equalizer, Modulation with Rate and Depth controls.
- Record option activated with On/OFF button.

Like most Russian analog gear this signal processor produces sound that differs from well-known processor brands. Unit sounds really fantastic - very wide, warm and clean delay! Soviet technologies in 80's were absolutely different from their western analogs.

- Connectors: Line IN, Line OUT - 1/4" mono jack, Pedal In (5DIN)
- Body made of metal, rack size
- Power : 220/240 V AC."

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FORMANTA UDS RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET USSR DRUM MACHINE

via this auction
See mechanical animals
(RSS) for more.

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely. And you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!"

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LELL EQUALIZER * RARE VINTAGE SOVIET GUITAR EFFECT PEDAL

via this auction
mechanical animals
(RSS)

"4 control sliders include level, frequency 50Hz-500Hz, frequency 500Hz-5kHz, frequency 5kHz-15kHz, and 3 control knobs for each frequency +/- 12dB. Like most Russian analog gear this pedal produce different sound from well-known guitar pedal brands. Body made of metal. Power standard BOSS type AC adaptor or 9V battery operation."

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FORMANTA UDS RARE VINTAGE ANALOG SOVIET USSR DRUM MACHINE

via this auction
mechanical animals
(RSS)

"Formanta UDS is powerfull 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely. And you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!"

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3 RARE VINTAGE SOVIET LELL EFFECT PEDALS

via this auction
mechanical animals
(RSS)
"INCLUDES (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): LELL EP (PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER), LELL DD (DRIVE DISTORTION), LELL CZ (DIGITAL DELAY) :::

LELL were the first normal stompboxes made in Russia. They had normal guitar jacks and even a 9-volt socket - same format as BOSS pedals. The footswitch pad reveals a battery cavity underneath.
The company still exists! It's website for some unknown reason claims the company was established in 1992. But look at the pictures - we've got a proof it was active in the 80's. The headquaters is located in Moscow, on the Lower Krasnoselskaja street.

In general, it must be said that some of the LELs sound interesting and useful. The die cast metal boxes of LEL fx's are heavy and solid, but the jacks and some other components tend to break which renders many of these pedals useless for gigging, but they're still very cool for a studio.

#1 LELL EP (PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER)

- 4 control sliders include level, frequency 50Hz-500Hz, frequency 500Hz-5kHz, frequency 5kHz-15kHz, and 3 control knobs for each frequency +/- 12dB.
Like most Russian analog gear this pedal produce different sound from well-known guitar pedal brands.
This pedal is truly PARAMETRIC not graphic equalizer.
Body made of metal. Power standard BOSS type AC adaptor or 9V battery operation.

#2 LELL DD (DRIVE DISTORTION)

The Drive/Distortion features two circuits in one pedal and the mini toggle switches between them. Two upper knobs are overdrive and distortion gains and the lower row of master controls affect both effects.

The overdrive section is more useable because the noise this thing produces is terrible and the distortion amplifies it too much. But I like the sound of the overdrive: it's not brutal and it aplies a very strong EQ to the signal. It cuts everything except for middles in a narrow 800-10kHz range (no' it's not from the manual, it's what I hear). The "filter" knob shifts the frequency peak around 1-5 kHz. All the rest of the knobs affect different gain/volume stages. I use this pedal mainly with vocals - the EQ it produces is very telephone-like and it makes the vocals cut through.

#3 LELL CZ (DIGITAL DELAY)

"Digital Delay" in Russian goes like "Cifrovaja Zaderjka", and while in Russian "CZ" makes sence, it was lost when it was transferred to another language. In fact, there was no chance to convert it into "DD" (digital delay) since the DD pedal already exists - it's "Drive/Distortion".

Thanks a lot http://www.meatexz.com/ for the info."

ELSITA - Vintage Soviet 4 Channel Analog Drum Synthesizer

via this auction
"It was manufacture in November 1990 by well known soviet music instruments factory 'RMIF'.

Serial number of the unit - 6934.

Elsita has 4 identical channels of analog drum synthesis with Tone and Noise section on each channel and balance between them. The synth also has metronom that can be assign to 1,2 channels. The channels can work in two switchable modes - 1,2 / 1+2 and 3,4 / 3+4, so you can link 1+2 and 3+4 channels and trigger them from one signal. This can be useful if you need some multiple drum sound. The drum synth can be triggered from drum pads or from any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. if you want to program it from sequencer.

Elsita can produce cool analog drum sounds with its own character from fat bass drums to noisy hi-hats.

This auction drum synth was fully serviced and in great working condition. The pots works without any noise on moving, all synth parameters 100% works as it should.

Trigger Inputs and Line Out changed from 5Din to a standart 1/4 mono Jack connectors, Phone Out changed on 1/4 stereo Jack.

Cosmeticaly device has few marks of time on body that you can see on actual pics bellow but overall it looks very good for such vintage music gear.

THE FRONT PANEL CONTROLS FOR EACH CHANNEL
- Attack
- Tone
- Decay
- Tone / Tone + Noise switch
- Filter
- Tone / Noise balance
- Level

MAIN SECTION CONTROLS
- Mode switch 1,2 or 1+2 channels link
- Mode switch 3,4 or 3+4 channels link
- Metronome
- Main Level

THE BACK PANEL FEATURES
- Power On/Off.
- 4 channel trigger Inputs
- Line Out
- Phone Out

The supply voltage - 220-230V/50Hz. For use with 110/127V, a voltage converter is necessary.

T H E S E T I N C L U D E S
Elsita drum synthesizer, English panel translation diagram."

formanta drum

YouTube via mikeonop | December 07, 2010

Update: video reloaded.


via this auction

"Formanta UDS - extremely powerfull vintage soviet 7 channel analog drum synthesizer, produced by the same FORMANTA factory in Kachkanar city where was mades famous Polivoks synths in eighties. It has 5 identical channels (which can be used freely) for BASS DRUM, HIGH TOM, MIDDLE TOM, LOW TOM, SNARE and two channels for Hi-hats and Cymbals. The synth has also built-in beatbox with 16 patterns. The beatbox and the synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely and you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns, full freedom. Each channel has trigger Input on a standart 1/4 mono Jack and two additional Inputs for pedals. It can be triggered from drum pads like Simmons, Rhythm-Stick hand controller (that you can see on the last picture) or any audio source - Line Outs of the drum machine or soundcard etc. The synth has two parallel mono Outs (1/4 Jack and 5Din) and two parallel stereo Outs (left-right on 1/4 Jacks and 5Din). It also has 5Din socket for Rhythm-Stick hand controller. This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sound it produces is very unique!

Controls on the front panel:

5 channels with identical parametrs - snare, small tom, middle tom, big tom, bass drum
-sensitivity
-tone (up/down)
-decay time
-octave (up/down)
-balance (tone/noise)
-filter
-accent
-volume
-sound ON (synthesis/autorhythm)

1 channel - cymbals
-sensitivity
-decay time
-volume
-sound ON (synthesis/autorhythm)

1 channel - high-hat
-sensitivity
-volume 1
-volume 2
-sound ON (synthesis/autorhythm)

Autorhythm section controls:
-switch synthesis/autorhythm mode
-start/stop
-tempo
-volume
4x4 knob matrix for selecting 16 styles

General section controls:
-out ON
-volume
-volume phones - out phones.
-synhesis ON.
-mains indicator

The supply voltage - 220-230V/50Hz. For use it with 110/127V, a voltage converter is necessary (not added).

The synth dimensions 440x440x100mm, weight 12kg.

THE SET INCLUDES
Formanta drum synthesizer, power cord, English panel translation diagram."

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FORMANTA ANALOG DRUM SYNTH

via this auction

"rare, vintage FORMANTA - analog preset drum machine / drum synthesizers, was made in Soviet Union (Russia) by well-known Polivoks/Formanta plant in Kachkanar city in 1989.

Seven editable generators: kickbass, three tomtoms, snare, hihat and cymbal. All inputs / outputs are 1/4" jack. Editable parameters: sensitivity to the triggering signal, tone, decay time, octave (range), balance, lowpass filter, accent and volume. Built-in preset drum machine with 16 patterns. The drum machine and drum synthesizer are independent modules so they can work at the same time freely. And you can tweak the generators of the beatbox patterns. Full freedom. This is an armoured antitank piece of gear and the sounds it produces is very unique.
Each of seven FORMANTA drum channels inputs can be triggered from individual outputs of the drum machines (TR 707, TR 626 etc) or analog sequencer!"

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