The History of EMS Part 1

via Bitexion on VSE

"This is copied off the Analogue Systems user manual, since they have two cloned EMS modules in their line, the filter and trapezoid. Not written by me. Part 2 comes later, it's 10 pages of tightly written text.

The most interesting parts are the part about the awful control voltage scheme internally, and the quirky DK1 keyboard. Here you go. This part deals with the VCS3 and why it is said to be an effects machine. The next parts will deal with the success and fall of the company, no time to write all that down now.

THE EMS STORY

IN THE BEGINNING
------------------
Peter Zinovieff was born in London in 1933. A geologist who filled his home with samples (rocks, not audio) he was fascinated by electronic music, and used his wealth to develop a huge voltage controlled studio that occupied an entire room at his home in Putney.

When this became too unwieldy, he enlisted the help of engineer Dave Cockerell and programmer Peter Grogno, who helped him design an enhanced system. This used two DEC PDP-8 minicomputers to control the voltage-controlled modules of Zinovieff's early synthesizers. Their "MUSYS" system proved reasonably user-friendly,with a QWERTY keyboard and a velocity sensitive piano-style keyboard, much like today's computer-based studios.

Zinovieff's ideas and instruments were incredible. Twenty years before modern computing and sequencing packages, Zinovieff's PDP-8s could store and replay compositions, complete with sound shaping parameters. His software was even capable of twisting the music into bizarre new sounds and effects. In 1968, Zinovieff and Cockerell also invented a form of computer-controlled spectral (or 'additive') synthesis, using a system of 60 resonant filters that could analyse sounds and resynthesize them.

In 1969, when MUSYS became too expensive for Zinovieff alone, he decided to offer it 'to the nation' as a free resource for the arts. To this end, he placed an advertisement in The Times. Fortunately, a gentleman named Don Banks misunderstood this offer and, in return for a cheque for £50, he asked Zinovieff to "make me a synthesizer". So, together with Tristram Cary, a composer for electronic music for TV series such as "Dr Who", Zinovieff and Cockerell created a new company, Electronic Music Studios Ltd, and produced its first synthesizer. Cockerell's "VCS1" was a hand-built rackmount unit with two oscillators, one filter and one envelope. In an era when any synthesizer was, almost by default, a huge modular, this was not thought to be adequate, so the partners enhanced Cockerell's initial ideas, designing an instrument that was small, but powerful and flexible. It was the Voltage Controlled Studios no.3- The VCS3

THE VCS3
--------------
The VCS3 is, essentially, a modular synth that comes in two parts. The synth itself - nicknamed "The Putney" because EMS was located in that part of London - contains the bulk of the audio modules. It also incorporates two power amplifiers and speakers, making it a self-contained sound-effects generator.

Oscillators 1 and 2 are the primary sound sources, and these produce a remarkable range of frequencies, from below 1Hz to around 10KHz. Osc1 produces sine and sawtooth waveforms with a form of rectifying waveshaping for the sine wave. Independent level controls allow you to select the amounts of each waveform in the oscillator's output. The second VCO also produces two simultaneous waveforms, and again it offers independent level controls for each. This time, the waveforms are pulse and triangle waves, with simultaneous waveshaping from 0% to 100% on the former, and from sawtooth to ramp wave on the latter. It's a shame that, on an unmodified VCS3, none of the waveshapers can be voltage controlled, because this would introduce many forms of PWM and dramatically increase the range of sounds available. But there it is... Once selected, a waveform is static. A third VCO is similar to VCO 2, with pulse and triangle waveforms, but its frequency range is concentrated further down the spectrum, lying between 0.025Hz and 500Hz.

An independant section on the panel contains a noise generator, with a level control and a 'colour' control that varies from predominantly low frequencies (red) through 'white' noise, and up to predominantly high frequency (blue) noise. Another section contains the Ring Modulator which, as you would expect, offers just an output level control.

Many players and writers have described the VCS3's filter as a conventional lowpass filter with an 18dB/octave slope, but they are - to some extent - wrong. For one thing, the VCS3 filter exhibits a 'knee' in its cutoff profile; the first octave above the cutoff frequency rolls off at 12dB/octave, but the slope increases to 18dB/octave at frequencies above that. Furthermore, any amount of filter resonance significantly depresses the low frequency gain, so EMS described it as a combined low-pass/band-pass device. At high Response (the EMS term for 'resonance') the filter self-oscillates. This was mind-boggling stuff in the late 60's.

If the filter is unusual, the envelope generator (which EMS called a 'shaper') and its associated VCA are positively arcane. It has six controls. The first is straightforward enough - it's the Attack, which has a range about 2ms to 1s. So far, so good. The next control is laballed "ON", but nowadays we would call this a ustain level "Hold" because it determines the length of time the envelope stays 'high' after you release the gate. Control number three is more recognizable - it's a Decay rate, with a claimed range of 3ms to around 15 seconds. The fourth knob is labelled "OFF" and it determines the delay before autoretriggering of the envelope cycle. Until you understand that this must be in the '10' position (called 'Manual') to play the VCS3 conventionally, things can get very confusing. Indeed, the envelope will auto-repeat at frequencies of up to 60Hz, which is well inside the audio range, so the 'Shaper' can also act as an LFO or even as a deep bass oscillator.

The envelope has two outputs with independent level controls. The first (and the fifrth in the 'shaper' section) is the one that confuses most people: it's the "Trapezoid" level. To understand this, just picture an envelope produced by an AHD (attack/hold/decay) contour generator. This is a shape called a trapezoid. So the Trapezoid Level simply determine the level of the envelope CV. The second level control (the sixth shaper control) is the signal level, and this controls the loudness of any signal passing through the Shaper. There is a lso a large, red ATTACK button, which we would nowadays describe as a manual Gate.

The VCS3 also provides a spring reverb with Mix and Level controls. This is a simple dual-spring device, with a maximum reverberation time of approx. 2 seconds. Unfortunately, when using the VCS3's internal speakers, the reverb howls uncontrollably before the mix gets very dense, and you can only use it to its full potential with external amplification and speakers.

It may not be obvious at first sight, but the VCS3 is a stereo synthesizer with independent output channels A and B that drive the left and right speakers respectively. These have independent level controls, panning controls, and output filter that, depending upon position, attenuate the bass or trable, or porivde a flat response.

Performance controls are limited to the enormous X/Y joystick. This has two controls that govern the X and Y ranges but, unfortunately, its maximum range is about +/-2V, so it's not often that you can plumb the extremes of any parameters it controls. There is also a
voltmeter that allows you to measure any control voltages (which are close to DC) or signal levels (which are AC) within your patches. You can even connect an oscilloscope to a dedicated 1/4" output on the rear.

THE DK1 KEYBOARD
---------------------
The separate DK1 keyboard - known as "The Cricklewood", because that was where Cockerell worked - was as radical as the VCS3 it controlled. Of course, it was monophonic (there were no poly synths in 1969) but it was velocity sensitive, allowing players to add expression in a
way that had hitherto been impossible.

You connect the DK1 to the VCS3 using a dedicated 8-way cable that provides two power rails, two CVs and a Gate pulse for the envelope shaper. To the left of the keyboard itself, two switches control the two output CVs (called 'Channels') produced by the DK1. The first of these has 'Signal' and 'CV1' positions. We'll come to signal in a moment...for now, simply understand that CV1 was what we would now call pitch CV. Hang on... doesn't CV1, and therefore channel 1, produce the same thing? Yes it does, so there's no point in having both switches set to 'CV'.

Now, let's return to that 'Signal' position. The DK1 has a built-in sawtooth oscillator and an associated VCA with frequency, 'spread, level and dynamic range controls. This is a godsend because, with the spread set to '10' the oscillator tracks the keyboard in a conventional 1:1 relationship. In other words, you can play the keyboard and, with everything else set up appropriately, you'll hear the notes that you would expect. This is not necessarily the case when you use the keyboard CV channels. This is because the keyboard CV channels enter the VCS3 through two input level controls marked, sensibly enough, Channel 1 and Channel 2. The problem arises because the 1:1 keytracking occurs somewhere between '6' and '7' on the knobs, and the exact position can fluctuate wildly with the oscillators' temperature, the time of day, and the FTSE100 index. This makes it very tricky to use the VCS3's internal oscillators for correctly pitched melodies. Every time you play the thing, and even after an hour of 'warming up'm you are constantly trimming the tuning and scaling the Channels.

Furthermore, the VCS3 doesn't confirm to either 1V/octave or Hz/V standards used by every other manufacturer, before and after. It uses internal voltages of 0.32V/octave for oscillators 1 and 2, 0.26V/octave for oscillator 3, and 0.20V/octave for the self-oscillating filter. However, because there are CV amplifiers on the internal module inputs, you need to double these figures to 0.64V/octave, 0.52V/octave and 0.40V/octave respectively for external CV sources. Argghhh!!!!

Likewise, the usual 10V peak-to-peak signal levels are eschewed in favour of 3V, 4V and 6V for the oscillators (depending on waveform), 5V for the filter, 3V for the noise generator... and so on. There was nothing about the VCS3 that we would now regard as conventional.

You might think that this is enough of the VCS3's and DK1's oddities, but you would be mistaken. This is because yet discussed its most notable characteristic: the patch matrix.

ENTER THE MATRIX
-----------------
The most important thing to note here is that the VCS3 will remain forever silent unless you stick some pins into the matrix. This is because none of the devices described are connected to eachother unless you use the matrix to determine which signal goes where. Fortunately, the 16x16 matrix allows you to connect any of the VCS3's modules to eachother. For example, let's say that you want to direct the output of oscillator 1 to output channel 1. Since the signal generated by oscillator 1 emerges from the list of sources in row 3, and the input to channel 1 is column A, you simple stick a patch pin in position A3, and the connection is made. Of course, this doesnæt preclude you from sticking more pins in row 3, and yet more in column A, so patches can become very complex, very quickly. Indeed, you can stick 256 pins into all 256 available sockets, but i doubt that it would create a sound. Also, you must remember that, at this point, you have only made a set of connections between modules. Whether you hear a sound, or whether it's a useable one, still depends on the positions on the front panel controls.

Unfortunately, there are three problems with the matrix. The first two are simple to avoid: if mistreated it can become unreliable; and it's very expensive to replace. The third is more fundamental...

The matrix is not "buffered", and this means that, every time you insert a pin into an existing patch, the actions of other patch connections will change to some degree. Let's suppose that you've spent an hour creating a complex patch and getting every knob exactly as you want it. You the decide that you want to add, say, oscillator 2 to the filter input. You insert the appropriate pin - and everything else changes. As you can imagine, this is infuriating.

Now let's turn to the patch pins themselves. These are not simple metal connectors that short between the row and column rails. They are resistors, and there are three types of these in common use. White ones (with a resistance of 2.7kOhm) are the most common, and you can use them for almost anything. However, because the resistors in the pins have a wide (5%) tolerance, they are not suitable for some jobs. In particular, two white pins inserted into I8 and J8 (CV Channel A connected to the pitch CV inputs of VCO1 and 2) will often be sufficiently different to make the oscillators track differently. To overcome this, EMS supplied red pins, also 2.7KOhm, but with 2% tolerance. The third of the common pin colours is green. These pins have a higher resistance than the others, thus reducing the amplitude of a signal considerably. Most often, you use these when you want to attenuate a control signal, such as applying a delicate amount of modulation to a pitch CV input.

If you read some of the conversations flying around the Internet, you might be forgiven for thinking that the VCS3 is no more than a glorified effects unit. In part, this is because few casual users have the patience or knowledge to squeeze conventional musical signals from the instrument. But perhaps more significantly, it's because the VCS3 has four 1/4" inputs on the rear panel - two for microphones, two for line level signals - routed to the Channel 1 and Channel 2 rows on the patch matrix. Because the VCS3 is modular, this is a far more powerful arrangement than the signal inputs on pre-patched monosynths, allowing you to use an external signal as an extra module, maybe as an audio source, a CV source, or even a Gate.

There's another reason why the VCS3 is often regarded as a sound mangler. Because its internal oscillators are so unstable, using external signals (such as generated by the DK1) is often the only way that you can play conventional melodies. So, in many ways, the VCS3's status as an "effects generator extraordinaire" is a classic case of making a virtue out of a necessity."

Scroll through these posts for more history on EMS and of course check out the EMS label below for more.

Hohner String Performer Poly Voices Demo

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Published on Sep 13, 2015 keyboard resource

via this auction

"Looks good. Was recently serviced but still has a bit of a noise issue. The highest C# for polyphonic string voices sounds strange (lacks the same envelope as the rest of the keys). See video for demonstration. Missing one lid "cleat". A chunk is missing from right side foam end piece. See pictures.

Includes keyboard cover and new AC adapter.

If you're looking for those lush chunky, crunchy analog string sounds, this is the best keyboard for that."

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1977 PAIA Oz Portable Analog Synthesizer

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Published on Aug 2, 2012 keyboard resource

"Not much to this little keyboard. It has a built-in speaker and can be carried around like a suitcase. It's all note polyphonic and has a strange pitch bender pad."

via this auction

"For sale is a rare PAiA Oz 3760, an old school poly-synth kit with a very distinctive sound. This early 1970s synth kit is assembled and portable. Needs work and I don't know it's playability. Case latches a little loose and top speaker decorative bezel is loose. Looks easily repaired, but I'm not equipped to do so.

The 1 1/3 octave keyboard is fully polyphonic and has a selectable five-octave range. As used by DEVO. The PAiA takes 9v batteries and has a built in speaker.

Background: PAiA Electronics, Inc. is an American synthesizer kit company that was started by John Simonton in 1967. It sells various musical electronics kits including analog synthesizers,theremins, mixers and various music production units designed by founder John Simonton, Craig Anderton, Marvin Jones, Steve Wood and others.

Demo video of PAiA Oz 3760" [above]

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KORG KRONOS Details

via Hispasonic, translated to Googlish from Spanish:

"We have the first data and images of Kronos, the new Korg workstation. The Japanese brand has pulled the house out the window, bringing to market a synth with more than 12 GB SSD hard disk samples, 9 synthesis engines together, 16 units of effects and KARMA technology.

Features in detail

There are 9 synthesis engines on a single workstation, available in 61, 76 and 88 keys. The engines are:

* SGX-1 Premium Piano: German piano with more than 4 GB in samples. 8 layers and the choice of opening angle of the tail of the piano.
* EP-1 MDS Electric Piano, electric pianos (with sound "signature" by George Duke, Herbie Hancock Rodan Rudess or others)
* CX-3 Organ Tonewheel: integrating technology famed CX-3 in the Kronos. Drawbars controllable from its faders. Leslie Posilibidad to adjust the joystick, from speed to the position you just rotate.
* MS20-EX Legacy Analog Collection: emulation of vintage Korg MS20 synth.
-EX * Polysix Legacy Analog Collection: Polysix emulation.
* AL-1 Analog Synthesizer
* NOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synthesizer
* STR-1 Plucked String Synthesizer: a new generation of modeling. You can choose from the material of the rope, until the tension, the execution (if pick, rub with your finger ...)
* HD-1 High Definition Synthesizer: A portion of all types of samples.

Account with a set of 16 "sets" may be, from Programs, to vans, to sequences. What makes the live performance much easier and full of possibilities. One of the most exciting new features is that you can move from one set to another without interruption of sound (so if you keep notes of the previous set, still playing).

It eliminates the concept appears rompler and integration / provision of more than 12 GB of content hosted on a hard disk SSD.

Has integrated USB connection to your computer, not just save / edit, but also as a USB interface with 2 inputs and 2 outputs.

Section 16 effects available. 9-band equalizer general. Flexible Routing. Mastering tools. 16-track sequencer."



Update:

Korg KRONOS Music Workstation- Official Product Introduction video added below.

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1987 CASIO SK-200 Vintage Sampling Keyboard

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Published on Jan 13, 2014 keyboard resource·71 videos

"One of the most versatile of the SK series. 8-voice polyphony. In stereo as well."

via this auction

KIMBALL Challenger P5 Vintage Digital Synthesizer SFX Drum Machine

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Published on Jun 27, 2017 keyboard resource

via this auction

"In excellent condition. Only missing one white plastic, screw cap.
Looks like a part of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger. It is built very solidly and is fairly heavy for a keyboard of this type.

Features:
- Built-in speaker.
- All note polyphony.
- 6 polyphonic sounds: Program, Piano, Banjo, Violin, Brass, Organ.
- 6 monophonic voices (top note priority): Program, Brazz, Bells, Trombone, Trumpet, Jazz Flutes. Some have built-in portamento effect.
- 5 sound effects: Program, Crash, Birds, Arcade (sounds like Pac-Man dying), Whistle.
- 6 rhythms: Program (march), Waltz, Country, Swing, Rock, Latin. There is a different Drum Break fill for each pattern.
- Separate volume controls for accompaniment chords, bass and rhythm.
- Auto-accompaniment with several variations: Chord Rhythm (chops up the chord depending on the pattern selected), Swinger Bass (adds a bass note), Magic Chord (plays left hand chords with one finger), Solo Chord (plays right hand chords with one finger based on what chord is chosen with left hand), Magic Memory (sustains the chords until another key is pressed).
- Vibrato (on/off) with delay (on/off).
- Sustain: long, medium, off.
- Default "Program" sounds are overwritten with use of MusicPro Reader cards (not included).
- Jacks/controls on the back: 1/4" headphone out, 1/4" line out, pitch (tuning), 1/4" expression (volume) pedal, 1/4" sustain pedal, 1/8" test (?)."

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1977 SLM Concert Spectrum Vintage Analog String Synthesizer SN 1551

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. SLM Concert Spectrum Stereo Analog String Brass Piano Harpsichord Synthesizer

Published on Apr 26, 2015 keyboard resource

via this auction

"Condition: Works good. Bottom-left corner is cracked. Includes metal legs and crossbar. The legs may be missing parts to keep it from tilting. I'm not sure as I've never seen a picture of the complete package. See pictures.

The SLM (St. Louis Music) Concert Spectrum is an extremely rare, stereo analog string/brass/piano synthesizer from the mid-1970's.

Famously used by Richard Tandy of The Electric Light Orchestra. It is mention in this excerpt from a December 1978 Keyboard magazine article: 'Richard's collection of onstage instruments consists of a Hohner Clavinet, a Polymoog, a Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer, a Mellotron (called "Old Faithful" by Tandy), a seven-foot Yamaha grand piano, and the Wutlitzer. In addition to these, the band carries several back-up keyboards - an extra Mellotron, two spare Wurtlizer electric pianos, a Minimoog, and an SLM Concert Spectrum string synthesizer - in case any of the front-line instruments malfunction.'"

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1975 FARFISA Syntorchestra Vintage Polyphonic + Mono Analog Synthesizer Demo

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Published on Sep 13, 2015 keyboard resource

via this auction

"Looks beat. The ends have been taped and glued. But, all features, functions and keys work. Occasionally the leftmost C# will not work for poly voices. I've found that tugging the wire bundle immediately to the left for the keybed usually gets it to work again. There is probably a loose connection somewhere. Someone added a three-way switch which seems to combine the poly voices (see video).

Includes keyboard cover and all four feet.

This is like a combination ARP Pro-Soloist and simple polyphonic string machine. But, it has its own character especially when you add the envelope wah effect, portamento and vibrato."

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Steve Fisk's 1976 ARP 2600 with 3620 Keyboard SN 0732 ?

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You can find a demo by Steve Fisk at the 2011 PNW SynthFest demoing his ARP 2600 posted here (see this post for additional videos of the event). P.S. If you aren't familiar with Steve Fisk, see this Wikipedia article. His Yamaha CS60 went up for sale back in 2013. According to this auction by Salamander Labs, his 2600 is up for sale. I have no way of verifying, so do your due diligence if you are interested. Note in the video linked above there is a green monkey sticker on the front panel. It's missing from this ARP 2600 but you can see a slight discoloration where it would have been. As always, who knows...

Details via the listing:

"Ok, this is it. An Arp 2600 with keyboard used extensively as a live and studio instrument by Steve Fisk, whose comments and the unit’s pedigree are below. This instrument has been used on the road internationally, in studio, and live performance settings, and as a result has some cosmetic scratches. The power supply caps, speaker amp driver transistors, key bushings, and a few key springs have been replaced…and the shittyist plug ever used for a keyboard has been replaced as noted below….otherwise it is original. It is fully discrete, and the circuit boards are NOT epoxied so it can be serviced. A full factory calibration was completed by Gemma at Sound Audio Repair in Olympia, Wa…"

"From Steve Fisk;

My 2600 is the first synth you see on the Arp 2600 Wikipedia page. I am the original owner. I bought the synthesizer in 1976. It was my primary instrument for years. I wrote and performed several noisy live pieces with the ARP. It was also my “jam” instrument for many improvs in Olympia and Seattle in the late 70’s. It was a key part of my live setup for Pell Mell, Pigeonhed, Customer Service, and Tiny Holes. It is also featured in much of my studio work with Pell Mell, Soundgarden, Pigeonhed, Reggie Watts, Unwound, Some Velvet Sidewalk and Seacats. The beast was my goto box for 808 kick drums(see Soundgarden’s “Spoonman” remix). It also did duty on several film soundtracks and corporate work. In 1995 the Jones plug that connected the keyboard to the main frame was replaced with a robust milspec connector by Omega Intl, a vintage synth service run by an ex roadie from the Moody Blues. It is in excellent working order despite some well earned cosmetic blemishes. I’m going to miss the spring reverb, a great resource for sound effects."

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1979 KORG Lambda ES-50 Vintage Stereo Analog String Synthesizer

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Published on Jan 13, 2014 keyboard resource·71 videos

via this auction

"- All note polyphony for lush, rich chords.
- 9 voices in two separate sections: Percussive (electric piano, clavi, piano, harmonics) and Ensemble (brass, organ, chorus, strings 1, strings2).
- Three separate oscillators.
- Overal tuning and tuners for two of the three ocillators. Tuning LEDs blink faster the further you detune each ocillator. This creates interesting phasing and chorus effects or harsh noiscapes.
- Separate stereo chorus/phase shifter on/off switch for each section.
- Interesting tremolo effect for Percussive section with rate knob for a shimmering effect.
- Joystick controls pitch bend on the X-axis and chorus phase speed on the Y-axis. It is designed to sping back to the middle of the X-axis. The Y-axis stays in position.
- Separate volume sliders for each section.
- Tone filter knobs for each section.
- Filter cutoff knob for brass sound.
- Key click adds a plunking sound to electric piano (similar to RMI Electra-Piano's "accenter" except you control the amount).
- Decay knob for Percussive voices.
- Attack and release knobs for chorus, strings 1 and strings 2.
- Stereo, mono mix and headphone outputs.
- Expression pedal input jack (can be set to either or both sections). It may require a vintage Korg pedal as it doesn't work with a modern Roland EV-5.
- Sustain pedal input.
- Keyboard trigger out."

Synth Gods Dedicated to Bob Moog

via the Bob Moog Foundation newsletter:
"Keyboard Magazine Presents: Synth Gods, edited by former Keyboard editor Ernie Rideout, includes interviews from the last 40 years with some, but not all, synthesizer legends from the 70s and 80s -- both musicians and designers. Included in the group are Wendy Carlos, Brian Eno, Rick Wakeman, Dave Smith, Richard Barbeiri, Jan Hammer, Edgar Winter, Prince, Bernie Worrell, Joe Zawinul, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream and Bob Moog.

Synth Gods was dedicated to Bob by the author.

You can read a review of Synth Gods here.

In honor of Bob's recent birthday and in honor of his 50 year career, we are offering Keyboard Presents: Synth Gods, signed by our Executive Director and Bob's daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa, as your gift with a donation of $50.00. This offer runs through May 31, 2011.

Support our programs and honor Bob by making your donation here.

Below is an excerpt from Bob's interview in Synth Gods:

"But musicians always come up with stuff I couldn’t imagine, using my instruments. I can get a sense of whether something would be a good musical resource, but I don’t do music. I’m a toolmaker. It’s always amazing what someone like Herbie Hancock, Wendy Carlos, or Stevie Wonder can come up with. What they’ll do when you put something new in front of them is they’ll turn a couple knobs and listen, and immediately get a sense of where to go. The muse talks to them.”

The “muse” plays a big part in Bob Moog’s own work, though he maintains that he’s anything but a musician. “I call it the Cosmic Network, the source of creativity. It’s really out there. It’s not just for music, it’s for writing, and for designing hardware. I think different people experience it in different ways. Sometimes an idea will come to me as I’m waking up. Sometimes it will come to me here in the office, with the phones ringing all around.

“There’s no way to do this just by opening up an engineering book and finding the formula,” he says. “It’s a matter of judgment and intuition. That’s what I’ve been doing all my life.” He smiles, “I’m pretty good at it now.”

From Keyboard Presents: Synth Gods, edited by Ernie Rideout, (c) 2011 by New Bay Media LLC. Published by Backbeat Books, an imprint of Hal Leonard. ISBN: 978-0-87930-999-2. Reprinted with permission. www.backbeatbooks.com.

Make a donation honoring Bob's birthday and his legacy here."

Book image via Amazon

Update: Not to be confused with the film Synth God previously posted here in 2007 and here in 2006 when that project first started.

Oberheim SEM Resource Page - ErsatZ Planet

In via AH. Someone asked for the pin out points for the Oberheim SEM. James Husted replied with his site, ErsatZ Planet. Amazing resource including the following (Title link takes you there):

The Owner's Manual for the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM)
The Schematics for the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM)
This includes the stand alone SEM power supply and wireing harness
Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM) Parts Placement drawing
Operations manual for the 2-voice with Mini Sequencer
The Schematics for the 2-voice Analog Keyboard (1st Generation)
The Schematics for the 2-voice Digital Keyboard (2st Generation)
The Schematics for the 2-voice (and 4-voice) Power Supply
The Schematics for the 2-voice Mini Sequencer
The Schematics for the 2-voice Output Module
The 2-voice Wiring Harness
The 4-voice Wiring Harness
The Schematics for the 4-voice Digital Keyboard (also 8-voice)
The Schematics for the 4-voice Programmer
The Schematics for the 2-voice (and 4-voice) Power Supply

Vintage MOOG SIGNAL PROCESSORS

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via this auction

See the original advert for the set in this post.

via the seller: "THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE TO OWN ALL THESE UNITS WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT YEARS & YEARS TO FIND THEM ALL... IT TOOK ME MANY YEARS TO FIND THEM ALL AND SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON THEM PLUS ALL THE ELECTRONIC MAINTENANCE I HAVE GIVEN TO EACH ONE OF THEM TO HAVE THEM WORK ALL 100%.

I have 5 units in a robust ATA Molded PE Shock w/ Rubber Shock Suspension (12U Space) Model: G-Shock-12L almost new with both front and back lid covers with it's own locking key as well... (REFER TO PHOTOS...) And the Moog Parametric Equalizer as a single unit because it didn't fit in the case unfortunately... But you get all 6 units shipped together as a complete set... NOTE: On the last picture the Bode Frequency Shifter, Bode Vocoder, and the second Moog Parametric EQ ARE NOT included in the bundle they are there just because that's where I had mounted both Parametric EQs but you only get one of the Parametric EQs and not 2 that are pictured there along with the other Bode stuff... Although the Bode Units are going for sale as well but are being sold separately so please refer to info description or ask questions if you're not sure. Thanks...

Here's what's included in the bundle:

- Moog 16 Channel Vocoder 327A - Model: MBVO - X 1 Unit
- Moog Custom Engineering String Filter - ( Fully Calibrated...) - X 1 Unit
- Moog Custom Engineering Dual VCO - ( Fully Calibrated As Well...) - X 1 Unit
- Moog 12 Stage Phaser - Model: MPKH - X 1 Unit
- Moog Three Band Parametric Equalizer 304A - Model: MKPE - X 1 Unit
- Moog Ten Band Graphic Equalizer - Model: MKGE - X 1 Unit

Here's some info you may want to know about each unit:

* Moog Dual VCO - The Moog Dual Voltage Controlled Oscillator was built in very limited quantities by the Moog Custom Engineering Department A.K.A. Modusonic which has 2 Ultra-Stable VCOs based on the 3rd Revision of the Minimoog 921A VCO With Temp Comp UA 726 Matched Differential Pair Transistors. SUPER FREAKING PHAT..!!! Personally I think it beats any Minimoog I've own... The waveforms are just "EARGASMIC"... =) You've got to hear it for yourself... The Moog Dual VCO was designed to add that extra two oscillator fatness to other Moog Synthesizers as the Multimoog, Micromoog and the Minimoog at the time; although the Minimoog required the addition of the Keyboard CV Output Modification so it could control the Moog Dual VCO's pitch and route it's output back into the Minimoog's External Audio Input... The Micromoog & Multimoog did not require this mod because they have already a Keyboard CV Output Jack as well as their respective audio input. So basically you can use the Moog Dual VCO with any Analog Synthesizer with a Keyboard CV Output (1 Volt/Oct.) and an External Audio Input to pass the Dual VCO's output signal back in it and voila two extra fat Moog Oscillators in your set up.

* Functions, Features & Input/Output Option:

- Master Tune - Controls overall tuning of both oscillators or one when only used as single...
- Pulse Width - Controls width of both oscillator's pulse waveforms when used either as single or dual.
- Octave Select Multi-Switch Knob with: LO, 32', 16', 8', 4', 2'. (Both Oscillator 1 & 2 have their own Multi-Switch Knob)
- Waveform Select Switch with: Up Ramp/Sawtooth, Triangle, Pulse, Sine.
- Oscillator On/Off Switch - Each Oscillator has it's own on/off switch to quickly add or subtract one oscillator while performing.
- Oscillator 2 Sync Switch - Automatically syncs both oscillators together by the flick of a switch.
- Oscillator 2 Tune Knob - To tune or detune oscillator 2 from 1 either while synced or un-synced.
- Output Level Knob - Controls overall output volume.
- Power Switch - Turns on/off unit.
- Oscillator 1 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls oscillator 1 only.
- Both In 1 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls pitch of both oscillators while oscillator 1 being the master controller.
- Oscillator 1 Output Jack 1/4" - Outputs signal of oscillator 1 only.
- Oscillator 2 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls oscillator 2 only.
- Both In 2 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls pitch of both oscillators.
- Oscillator 2 Output Jack 1/4" - Outputs signal of oscillator 2 only.
- X 4 Multiple Output Jacks 1/4" - Note: These are not connected whatsoever to any circuit inside the unit, they only serve to split any input or output signal you wish to multiply.
- Runs on 120 VAC Only.

* Moog 16 Channel Vocoder - The Moog 16 Channel Vocoder was designed by Genius Engineer and Pioneer In Electronic Music Instruments Harald Bode in the mid 70's about and first released in about 1977 under the "Bode Sound Company" Brand which was manufactured by Polyfusion under the name of Bode Vocoder 16 Channel Model 7702, and was then licensed to the Moog Synthesizer Brand in about 1978 which was then released as The Moog 16-Channel Vocoder 327A Model MBVO. Both Vocoders are almost identical in circuit design except for a few slight variations in the type of components that were used in each but functions and features are basically the same...

* Functions, Features & Input/Output Option:

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PPG WaveMapper 2 for Mac OS X and Windows Announced - Full Details

Details via Wolfgang Palm (captured here for the archives):

"PPG WaveMapper 2 for Mac And PC 1Wolfgang Palm is pleased to announce the PPG WaveMapper 2 for Mac OS X and Windows. The PPG WaveMapper first appeared as an iOS App and received widespread acclaim from public and press alike.

Music Radar said of the iOS version of WaveMapper
'Wolfgang Palm’s second iOS synth is just as impressive as his first. Again, PPG WaveMapper is one of the most complex and impressive sounding instruments on the App Store.'

Francis Preve said of the iOS version of WaveMapper in Keyboard Magazine
'So, if the depth and complexity of WaveGenerator was a tad too intimidating for users, WaveMapper has that problem solved with real innovation and an interface that brings the fun of sound design to a whole new generation of producers.'

PPG WaveMapper 2 is a greatly expanded version, with many new features, including the WaveMap and new resource merging possibilities.

PPG WaveMapper 2 comes with a very flexible synth engine, capable of playing material from classic wavetables as well as samples and a new type which we call “Time corrected sample” (TCS). This type still has the advantage of wavetables, which is totally random access of the material, but preserving the authentic sound of the original sample.

PPG WaveMapper 2 has three oscillators have independent control of the sound resources and access of the material. Each oscillator has its own WaveMap with up to 16 zones, filled with any combination of the resources. The control of the zones can be done by the keyboard, which we call Multi- tabling, or by a path that determines how the engine plays back the material.

The synthesizer is controlled by over 200 parameters, which can be directly programmed on the two editor pages. In addition to that there is the SoundMap that acts as a module manipulation tool, moving the 8 icons to different fields on the Map changes sounds. These fields are loaded with programs that then define the results of the morphing. Thus the user can setup their own “themes” of sounds they wish to generate with a setup. The morphing can be done rapidly or in an evolving morph from one sound into another.

The built in Analyzer lets you convert your own samples into resources the synth can use in its oscillators. (fig Analyser)

WaveMapper 2 comes already with around 300 resources and a huge number of presets made by our sound design team from around the world.

The browser page allows you to list and sort your sounds. besides that you can exchange single presets with another bank of sounds.

Key Features:

3 Audio Oscillators
Up to 16 resources assembled within a WaveMap
Audio engine with 4 synthesis modes, and variable wave blending quality.
3 Noise generators, for audio and modulations
Classic 24 dB Lowpass Filter, combined with an overdrive simulation.
Dual amplifier, for versatile control of 2 audio signals as well as panning.
13 Envelopes, for control of pitch, waveform, filter, noise, gain, ringmod, and panning
4 LFOs
Analysis of your own samples and conversion into wavetables and time-corrected samples.
Powerful Step Sequencer with playback arpeggiator
Delay/Reverb effect
Directly accessible context help for each module
Free configurable schematic keypad, with extremely expressive modulation possibilities.
Ribbon controller to bend the pitch to variable intervals
4 Keyboard Modes, including mono and poly portamento.

Formats:

Mac: VST And AU 64 and 32bit
Windows: VST 64 and 32bit
PPG protection system used, no dongle or iLok is necessary.
Price:
PPG WaveMapper 2 is download only and is €99
Special intro promotional offer – buy the PPG WaveMapper 2 and WaveGenerator 2 plug-in bundle for just €149 – offer lasts 28 days.

Purchase and shipping date: October 27th 2014"

Kawai K4 Patches

keyboard resource

1975 ARP OMNI 1 Vintage Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer String Machine

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Dec 17, 2016 keyboard resource

via this auction

Update: Re-listed here. Almost thought this was this one, but realized the rug is different.

"Looks good and works correctly. The slider caps have fallen apart on the inside. So, I wedged some electrical tape inside to keeps them from falling off. Some bolts are missing on the bottom.

With this original model, there is only one synth envelope which is shared for all keys. So, if you are holding down notes and hit another key, all held notes will retrigger. This was corrected with the OMNI 2 (1977)."

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Joystick Journeys: The VCS3 Collection

Sample set via The Electronic Garden

"Welcome to the weird, whacky and wonderful world of the EMS VCS3. This unusual instrument was developed by EMS in the late Sixties and intended as a portable electronic music studio. Unlike more famous instruments of the day, the VCS3 was initially released without an accompanying keyboard. As such, it was embraced (often by those under the influence of certain mood enhancers) as a resource for special effects. It became an electronic voice for space rockers, psychedelic bands and sound designers. The VCS3 and its big brother the Synthi 100 were used by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to create effects for many programs, including of course, Doctor Who. With clever marketing ("every nun needs a Synthi"), the VCS3 and its electronically identical suitcased brother the Synthi A became mainstays of the European rock scene. EMS itself was a hot spot, visited by many musical stars of the day.

What made the VCS3 so endearing? Why does it claim ridiculously high secondhand prices to this day? Perhaps because, keyboard-free, it invited atonal experimentation. Or maybe because it looked like the flight deck from a Gallifreyan time machine. It certainly wasn't because it stayed in tune! In fact, when the keyboard was eventually released, many musicians quickly discovered that its oscillators were hopelessly undependable, drifting and wobbling like spec of cosmic dust in a solar storm. Maybe its appeal came courtesy of that crazy push-pin routing matrix (which took the place of patch cords, but traded 'em for some pretty nutty cross-talk). It's an awful lot of fun to blindly stab pins into that thing and see what happens!"

1980 Roland Saturn 09 SA-09 Stereo Organ Analog Synthesizer

Published on Jul 29, 2014 keyboard resource

"The Roland Saturn 09 (SA-09) has a built-in stereo chorus and stereo chorus + vibrato. While it doesn't sound much like an Hammond organ (more like a Farfisa), it produces interesting synthesizer sounds.

The switches and knobs look the same as a Jupiter 4 or TR-808."

1979 Multivox MX-880 MX-2000 Duo Super Roland SH-2000 Vintage Analog Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Oct 19, 2017 keyboard resource

via this auction

Two flyer/ad scans below.

"Works good (including after-touch sensor). Keys are severely yellowed from age.

You can customize the presets using the "Manual Filter" switch and "Modulation", "Cutoff Frequency" and "Resonance" sliders to get huge leads, fat basses and percussive SFX out of this little beast. You can even process external sound through the filter using the 1/4" input jack on back.

It's like a super Roland SH-2000 because it has very similar sounds and layout with the addition of a second oscillator for thick double sound or variable interval (5th, 3rd or whatever you choose up to an octave above or below)."

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JEN SX-2000 Preset Analog Synthesizer Korg Micro-Preset

Published on May 24, 2015 keyboard resource

"The addition of a VCF and VCA section and four wave shapes to choose makes the JEN SX-2000 much more versatile than other preset synths like the ARP Pro-Soloist, Roland SH-1000/2000, Yamaha SY-1/2 or Korg Micro-Preset M500. This is just a fun little synthesizer."