rare birds: Dynacord Magic 370 spring reverb [& Korg Mini Pops 120]

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

This appears to be the first one to be featured on the site.

"this is a quite rare spring reverb built by Dynacord in the late 60s. As minimal as it can possibly be: a black box with only a socket (input/output) and a gain level. Not even a power switch ! This particular unit was fully recapped and it sounds very nice, deep but quite bright for a spring reverb. Tank is a Accutronics one and electronics is only transistor based. The pot is not a blend pot but a gain level. As you can hear you can get the unit to overdrive quite easily. You need to set the unit as an aux to your mixing desk or soundcard. If you plug an instrument directly you will get wet sound only. In this demo it is connected to a RME babyface as an aux, and I used a Korg Mini Pops 120 (btw for sale here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/305744488287) and a Roland SH-101 as source materials"

via this listing

Note the listing is for the Minipops only.

"classic Korg Minipops 120, the last drum machine from the Mini Pops serie. Unit was serviced, partially recapped and calibrated. It's in fully working order. Unit was also slightly modded: the balance knob which originally acted as a kind of EQ (boosting bass on the left side and high on the right side) is now acting as a HI Hats / Cymbal volume (like it should have IMO) so you can totally dialed off the hi hats / cymbal and it allows for more rhythmic variations, perfect for those breaks."

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Dynacord VRS 23 / analog BBD delay and reverb

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"UNIT IS FOR SALE HERE: https://www.ebay.com/itm/305722769747

quick demo of the Dynacord VRS 23 "Vertical Reverberation System", an analog BBD delay and unique stereo reverb. As a bucket brigade device delay, the VRS23 is among the best sounding ever produced (listen to those very long yet defined repetitions).
But what makes it truly unique is the reverb mode, which is a true stereo reverb (circuitry is double inside the unit to produce the reverb mode).
I used a Roland SH-101 as a source but the unit sounds great on any material you can provide."

VintageRack process vintage synths

video upload by Igor Vasiliev

"VintageRack (iOS/Mac) - minimalistic and convenient multi-effect app realistically modeling notable retro gear from the early digital era with their inherent aesthetics and atmosphere. ~
In this demo I tried to give some ambience and depth to the sound of vintage synths by adding a little processing with several effects in the VintageRack app specifically for each track. ~
The original tracks, without any processing, were recorded from real instruments and were kindly provided by @ohm_studi_ohm, as were images of these instruments from which they were recorded. On his channel you can find original demos of these synths and other interesting instruments and devices."

Rare birds: Vermona Phaser 80

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Quick demo of the vintage DDR phaser unit by Vermona, based on classic TCA350 Bucket Brigade Device."

Phaser is for sale here.

and Roland Juno 106 Kiwi upgraded here. [pics previously captured here]

Pics of the Phaser for the archives:

via this listing

"This is a rare DDR analog phaser based on the classic TCA350Y Bucket Brigade Device. The unit is in fully working order and in good cosmetic condition. Original DIN sockets were replaced by more convenient jack ones."

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Roland Juno 106 with Kiwi Upgrade

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"The Kiwitechnics Kiwi 106 is a major upgrade to the iconic Roland Juno 106 which adds too many features to be listed here, so just check their website.
Among those the ones I think would alone justify the upgrade are: arppegiator, LFO extra waveshapes with sync possibilities and extra key modes (among which a real monophonic mode and a unison mode with adjustable detune). Here is a quick demo of those features.
Once again i'm only scratching the surface of what's possible with the mod but if you're familiar with the 106 sound and playability you'll have an idea of all the new territories it can cover.
Actually making it quite close to the Jupiter 4 (despite the Jupiter 8 style overlay :-)"

via this listing

"This unit was serviced and upgraded:
- Kiwitechnics Kiwi 106 upgrade was fitted and updated to the firmware v2
- The 6 VCA VCF voice cards were unsoldered and cleaned of their resin coating with acetone and fitted on sockets, so that in the future you could replace a faulty voice without any need for soldering.
- power supply capacitors were replaced
- 16 faders from the control panel (all the fader except for the HPF) were replaced by new ones
- original leds were replaced with blue ones
- blue display was fitted
- clear bender was fitted
- unit was calibrated
- SynthGraphics Jupiter 8 theme panel overlay was fitted. Please note this is based on the Kiwi 106 v1 so there are a few discrepancies in the layout since the upgrade is now in version 2. Only minor differences that would not justify an overlay replacement IMO

Cosmetic are very good with only minor signs of wear."

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Roland Juno 106 Chorus + HPF input mod demo

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"A very easy mod for the Juno 106 consists in adding an input socket that allows external sources to benefit from the builtin chorus and high pass filter (and VCA gain).

This short video illustrate how it sounds with a Yamaha Reface DX."

SoundMaster ST-305, Roland Jupiter 4 & Echolette SE251

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Quick impro to demo the Sound Master Stix Programma ST-305 (!) analog drum machine syncing the Roland Jupiter 4 arpeggiator. The Echolette SE251 provides echo/reverb.
The ST-305 is an 80s programmable analog drum machine. Very basic, no sound editing but you get 7 sounds, an accent track, dedicated volume faders and outputs for every instrument.
And the icing on the cake is it can be synced to external gear and/or sync other gear, which is a nice feature (you can use it slaved to a sequencer and in the same time slaving a synth, so it acts as a 'through').
I did not know this one till recently and it was a pleasant surprise."

Klemt Echolette SE-251 tape delay.

via this listing

Pics of the inside below.

"This is quite a rare tape echo manufactured by Dynacord. It seems to be one of the very last tape echo introduced by the brand (with the Echolette Echo 400).
It shares many parts with the Echocord line of delays like motor, pinch roller, heads, oscillator board etc
But this one used op amps instead of only transistors for amp stages (the Echocord Super 76 also already used one op amp for the output stage).

The unit has 2 heads which you can mix with the dedicated pot. Otherwise classic features like input volume, tone, echo send level, echo feedback and echo level.
In the back the original DIN socket enabled output and aux input. In this case you only get the wet signal out of the delay, which is nice in a studio environment.

Unit was fully serviced and modded:
- all electrolityc caps were replaced (except 3 bipolar ones )
- original 4x op amps were upgraded to better one (TL081)
- original DIN socket was replaced by 2 jack sockets, one for the output and one for the aux input. Also a pot was added to attenuate the level for the aux input
- unit was meticulously cleaned
- heads were cleaned, demagnetized and aligned
- unit was calibrated
- tape is new

The unit is in perfect working order and in excellent cosmetic condition."

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Hohner String Performer

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"The Hohner String Performer was one of the very last effort to release a string synth, in the early 80s I think. This was the only one genuinely manufactured by Hohner. The early ones like the String Melody, StringVox or String Orchestra were italian rebadged ones.
The Performer features 3 strings presets, 1 piano, 1 harpsichord, 1 bass (only on the left part of the keyboard) and a monophonic 'solo' section on the right part of the keyboard only. Just like other 'orchestral' synths like the Crumar Orchestrator/Multiman or the Elka Rhapsody 610 you have individual volume faders for each sound on each side as well as a mute switch per section.
The 'bass' preset overides everything on the left part of the keyboard when selected.
Overall this is one of the most refined string sound you can get, very polished, maybe too polished for some. I like it a lot, I find it very cinematographic.
The solo section is not very interesting in its own but when layered with the strings it adds a very nice lead touch.
The instrument features 3x seperate outputs in top of the general output, and jack input for piano/harpsichord sustain pedal and a volume pedal.
There were 2 revisions made to this instrument, and the only difference is the power supply. The most common you will find is this one and it uses an external power supply (18v DC but you can use anything between 15 and 24 since this supply gets regulated inside the synth). The second one has a built in 230v power supply and you can easily recognized it because it has a red translucent on/off switch.
The builtin power supply probably lowers the tendency to hum and magnetic interference you get with the first one, which can be quite picky on the power adapter you use. But I never had a second version at hand to compare to the first one so i can't be sure.

TECH TIPS:
This is the 5th String Performer I serviced and though they had all different issues one common issue it that they ALL had cracks on one or more PCB, leadind in cut traces.
The design of the instrument is clever but not sturdy enough. The case is very well built and solid and it's very hard to seriously damage it.
But all the 12 oscillators and filter PCBs are socketed to the motherboard which is underneath the keys, and are screwed to a hinge that tends to get bent when the instrument is subject to violent transport, so the pcbs bend too and crack.
This result usually in some mute notes on all poly section (just like if a divider has died) or on some section only, and very often the solo is also dead because of a cracked pcb.
This is one of the synth I would advice not to have shipped, the chances to receive a 100% working instrument is closed to null."

Vermona Digital Rhythm Machine

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"First i demo a few patterns I programmed along some of the functionalities like "flam" (which affects either toms or snares depending on the state of the dedicated switch), "solo", "fill", "bass only", "second rhythm". Then I program a pattern on the fly to show how straightforward it is to do (either in "TR" recording or in realtime). After that I demo the presets of the unit and finally I hooked the Vermona to a Roland TR8S to use the latter as a MIDI pad and sequencer to play the DRM's sound."

via this listing

"Analog drum machine from East Germany, often tagged as the "east block TR-808". I think it deserves better than this comparision, since it's a very nice sounding drum machine on its own, with many features for the time (MIDI, optional trigger input and individual outputs etc)

Unit was serviced, calibrated and is in fully working order. You could argue some switches sometimes mis trigger or double trigger but nothing major, and quite normal for a 40 years old technology.

Cosmetic is in very good condition with some wear of course."

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Roland Juno 106

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"First part I demo a few presets and most of the controls.
On the second part I enter test mode and let you listen to the 6 voices filter calibration.
This is a good test to check if your Juno 106 needs calibration. Most of the calibration procedure is dedicated to the filter setting, since oscillators are DCO they won't drift, but the filters can. By entering test mode and selecting bank 3 you basically recall a patch that has filter in self oscillation with keyboard tracking, thus you can easily hear if any of the 6 voices is off. Just play notes in the high and low notes and listen to the pitch (and amplitude). The 6 voices should sound the same, like on this unit. If one or more is way off it's time for calibration."

via this listing

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rare birds: Welson Keyboard Orchestra (K.O.)

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"I've seen many string synths and this one is still one of my favourite. It's one of the happy few string synths I keep. I have one always plugged in my studio and it's actually the one I use the most (along with the Arp Omni 2). It's not the lushest, not the smoothest, not the fatest one and yet there is something I'm particularly attracted to. I like the combination of the 2 strings sounds with the harpsichord one. And on the other hand I really like the piano sound, played alone. It's my favorite of all the electronic piano sound I could hear, except for the Farfisa Professional Piano that is the best electronic piano there is (and with dynamic !).
Design is very close to the Elka Rhapsody 610 but I definetly favor the sound of the Welson. Like the Rhapsody it only embeds a double chorus, and that explain why the sound is not as lush as other stringer that uses triple chorus (most of them). Still they sound very nice IMO."

via this listing

"Quite rare italian polyphonic keyboard with 4 sounds: cello, violin, piano and harpsichord.

Very simple design and yet very nice sounding. Check the demo I made.

You can mute evey section with its dedicated switch and you have control over individual volumes, as well as "sustain" for the string presets and "decay" for the keyboard presets.

Inside there is of course a BBD based chorus, using classic TCA350Y chipsets, like many famous string synth: Eminent Solina, Logan/Hohner String Melody, Elka Rhapsody etc

Like on the Elka Rhapsody it's only a double chorus, not a triple one, so string sound is not as lush as on the Solina or Logan. But these strings sounds very nice, better IMO then the Elka.

There are also seperate outputs for both sections. And furthermore the instrument is quite compact and leightweight (13.5 kilos) for a string synth, which makes a great live performer."

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rare birds: Echolette SE-251 tape echo unit

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"This is quite a rare tape echo manufactured by Dynacord. It seems to be one of the very last tape echo introduced by the brand (with the Echolette Echo 400).

It shares many parts with the Echocord line of delays like motor, pinch roller, heads, oscillator board etc But this one useS op amps instead of only transistors for amp stages (the Echocord Super 76 also already used one op amp for the output stage).

The unit has 2 heads which you can mix with the dedicated pot. Otherwise classic features like input volume, tone, echo send level, echo feedback and echo level.

In the back the original DIN socket enabled output and aux input. In this case you only get the wet signal out of the delay, which is nice in a studio environment.

Unit was fully serviced and modded. [mods below]

I demoed it with 3 different instruments so you get a good idea of how it sounds with different sources. First is a Roland MC-202, analog mono synth, then an analog drum machine (Roland CR-78) and last an electric guitar (Squier Jagmaster, not in frame). Please note the SE-251 has no hi input impedance so I run the guitar through a DI Box first.

00:00 ROLAND MC202
03:18 ROLAND CR78
06:16 SQUIER JAGMASTER"

via this listing

"Unit was fully serviced and modded:

- all electrolityc caps were replaced (except 3 bipolar ones )

- original 4x op amps were upgraded to better one (TL081)

- original DIN socket was replaced by 2 jack sockets, one for the output and one for the aux input. Also a pot was added to attenuate the level for the aux input

- unit was meticulously cleaned

- heads were cleaned, demagnetized and aligned

- unit was calibrated

- tape is new"

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Dynacord Echocord Mini / Roland MC202 / Farfisa Rhythm Unit

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Quick demo of a Dynacord Echocord Mini vintage tape delay recently serviced and for sale
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/305463654546 ).
I used a Roland MC-202 to demo it, as well as a custom built Farfisa rhythm unit that is also for sale (http://www.ebay.com/itm/305464352202 )"

via this listing

"One-of-a-kind drum machine.
It"s a rhythm unit ripped from a 70s Farfisa spinet organ and built in a custom case (trying to remain faithful to the original look).
Classic analog drum sounds like the ones you get out of the many boxes of that area (Roland TR77, Ace Tone FR-1 FR-2 FR-8, Hammond Auto Vari etc etc)
It is very close in to the Farfisa Rhythm 10 unit that Kraftwerk used at its beginning.

10 rhythms that can be combined to get some more, controls for tempo and volume. Mono jack output, on/off switch and running on 12v-18v DC (power supply is provided).
Case is DIY so don't expect manufacture quality. YSWYG."

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Elka Wilgamat, Oberheim DX and Powertran Transcendent 2000 in sync

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Since I just finished adding DIN SYNC24 to my Elka Wilgamat I decided to hook it to the Arturia Keystep pro and further added an Oberheim DX and a Powertran Transcendent 2000 to the game.
Playing with the Wilgamat accompaniment part brought a known melody to my memory so temptation was high to follow this path...

The Transcendent can be seen in another video i made earlier this month. It was modded to add a sub oscillator and also to correct the peculiar CV/Gate it originally used in order to use it in a standard CV/gate environnment. It's now working fine when controlled externally as you can hear.

If you want to add sync to the Wilgamat there are 2 issues you need to adress:
- the unit needs 4ppq so unless you have a device capable of providing such a clock frequency you need to convert the more conventional 24ppq to 4ppq.
It's actually very easy to do by using a single 4018 chipset, which can divide by 6 the incoming frequency
- second issue is that the clock on the WIlgamat ask for negative pulses so you need to convert the positive pulses to negative ones. I used a single op amp to do that (TL071)"

rare birds: Powertran Transcendent 2000 with sub oscillator mod

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Here is a Powertran Transcendent analog synth I just serviced.
I took the opportunity to make some modifications, mainly adding a sub oscillator circuit.
I used a simple 4024 chipset and routed the -1 and -2 octave outputs to the "noise" volume pot with a 3 positions switch so that I can chose either octave sub or the Noise generator as the source for that pot.
I also made modification to the CV and gate circuit which originally are not the common 1v/octave V-trigger kind.
Now it can be used with any standard CV / gate interface.
And last modification was a lighter one: adding a LFO rate blinking led.
Very nice synth, capable of quite a wide range of sound thanks to dual resonant filter mode (Low Pass / Band Pass), S+H, repeating enveloppe, PWM etc … and now with a sub oscillator :-)

PS: this synth is not unstable in pitch. If you look carrefully you'll notice there is a slight amount of lfo (saw) modulation applied to the OSC pitch almost all the time"

Roland RS-09 MKII string and organ synth

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++@allrounderplus135
SYNTH IS FOR SALE: https://www.ebay.com/itm/305343063515
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quick impro and functionnal demo of the underated Roland RS-09 MK2 polyphonic synthesizer. The Roland CR78 is mainly here to gather your attention :-)

Sure it would not be my first choice, and even not my third, when it comes to string synth but the RS-09 has some tricks up it sleeve that makes it worthy of interest. The main one is it's ensemble FX which is a 4 BBD stereo chorus with 2 modes. It's give a very rich sound, especially since it's stereo, and keeping with Roland's tradition of ensemble FX, it sounds quite different than your typical string synth triple chorus.

Next best thing is there is an audio input so you can run your favorite synth through the ensemble FX (and through the filter). Works very well with analog polysynth's pads.

The organ section on its own is not very interesting if you compare it to an actual organ. It lacks the percussive attack and bite of combo organs for instance. But if you consider this section as a way to build harmonic pads it can sound very sweet. And of course you can route it to the ensemble FX which dramatically changes things. Last but not least of its quality is its dimensions and weight !"

via this auction

"Analog polyphonic (paraphonic) poly synth with organ and string sounds.

It has a very nice sounding stereo ensemble fx, based on 4x Panasonic MN3004 BBD chipsets, just like in the VP-330 or the Jupiter 4 (which only has 2 of those). And most importabtly it has an audio input so you can run any source through this great stereo chorus. The audio input even goes through the filter ("tone"). Another very nice feature is its weight and dimensions ! You won't find many strign synth and/or organ you can carry so easily around.

Unit was serviced and is in full working order. The organ "ensemble" switch can be a bit temperemental but nothing major.

Cosmetic it has many scuffs and doesnot look so nice so that's why you can grab it for cheap. "

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Classic birds: Roland CR78 and Korg Mini Pops 7 MIDI flyover

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Since these days I have on hand 2 classic - shall I write cult ? - drum machines that I retrofitted with MIDI interface it was very tempting to compare them in real time, playing the same thing. So I did !

The Korg MiniPops features the Tubbutec Unipulse interface (https://tubbutec.de/unipulse/) and the Roland CR-78 was upgraded with Tauntek MCU replacement (http://tauntek.com/CR78.htm). Bless these guys for everything they give to the synth community.
In this video I don't go deep into the MIDI functionality, i simply wanted to compare the raw sound of these 2 units. It would not be fair to compare them features wise. 10 years or more separate them and in many aspects the technology gap seems abysmal.
BUT they are more alike one can think at first.
What makes them very close is the nature, number and choice of drum sounds. The MP7 has 15 of them and the CR78 14. They have those sounds in common: Bass, Snare, Rimshot, High-Hat, Cymbal, Cowbell, Conga, Large Bongo, Small Bongo, Claves, Guiro, Tambourin.
The MP7 adds a second Snare sound (longer decay) whereas the CR78 has a second Tambourine sound (longer decay). The "maracas" on th CR78 can be interpreted as Cymbal 2 on the MP7.
Actually soundwise the big difference is the "Quijada" sound that's on the MP7 and is nowhere else to be found. Quite a jaw dropping sound it is !
So anyway i MIDI mapped the MP7s sounds to their respective CR78 ones as best possible so I now have 2 analog expanders rack :-)"

Korg Mini Pops 7 with Tubbutec Unipulse Midi interface

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Quick demo of a recently serviced and upgraded Korg Keio Mini Pops 7.
Every single electrolytic capacitors were replaced, instrument calibrated and fitted with Tubbutec Unipulse card which adds MIDI synchronisation AND triggers to this classic drum machine.
First part of the demo I use an Arturia Keystep Pro to sequence and program the Minipops and on the second part I simply use the Keystep to clock and start/stop the machine, showcasing a few of its patterns."

via this auction

Note auction links are affiliate links. See the site's privacy policy for more info.

"For sale is a cult Korg Minipops 7 upgraded with Tubbutec Unipulse kit which allows for MIDI triggering of sounds and MIDI tempo synchronization.

Unit was serviced and fully recapped. It's working and sounding as it should. Check the video I made."

Pics of the inside below.

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rare birds: Elka Drummer One

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Quick demo of an Elka Drummer One I just serviced. Every single electrolytic capacitors were replaced. You really HAVE to do it on those units, otherwise it doesn't sound like it should, and deserve. There is no way the bad quality capacitors italian manufacturers used in the 60s and 70s could still be in shape 50 years after. And it impacts the sound a lot in those analog drum machine, especially the attack and decay of the sounds.
Apart from that and trimmers that need attention it is a quite well built unit and easy to service.
I tuned the sound with quite long decay, I like when the sound, especially toms and congas, are bouncy. You could of course make them tighter if you like.
It's a pity the unit doesn't have more patterns that use the Cowbell and Conga sound. There is only one pattern using them each.
It is however easy to add MIDI or trigger input should you want to play the sounds as a regular drum expander.

Please note there is a slight distortion at some point in the video, it doesn't come from the Elka but from the Teisco Vocal 120 mixer it is plugged in, which has some very dirty gain attenuator switches i never manage to really clean, so eventually i'll replace them. Anyway, here is the Elka Drummer One.
Listen with headphones or decent speakers !"

The Ace Tone Rhythm Ace family: FR-1 Full Auto

video upload by ohm_studi_ohm

"Here is a glimpse of the analog drum machine range from japanese manufacturer Ace Tone. Quite popular in the late 60s and early 70s, they were probably the leader in those presets rhythm units at the time before Roland came into the game.

Full analog, only transistors and diodes, no integrated circuit yet.

FR1 and FR2 are basically the same unit. They do sound similar (same PCB) and have the same presets. The main difference is the cancel buttons. On the FR1 you can cancel "bass drum", "cowbell", "claves" and "cymbal", whereas on the FR-2L you can cancel "snare", "claves" and "cymbal".

Of course it is very easy to mod these units and add other mutes buttons, individual levels, outputs etc

The FR20 is quite similar soundwise to the previous ones. The patterns are different, they are fewer but you have 3 "customizable" presets with differents variations of snare and cymbal, thus effectively giving it a wider range of possible patterns, and this time you have cancel for "bass drum", "snare" and "cymbal" which make more sense then the previous ones' choices.

But the main feature of the FR-20 is that it has a built in amp powered speaker cabinet. And it sound loud and deep, it's a great combo. Plus ther is an input so you can plug you organ or synthesizer and play along the rhythm (start stop with foot pedal is possible on all units btw).

The FR6 is quite a different beast. It sounds very different to the other 3, soundwise and in terms of patterns. Sound is brighter, crispier even harsher.

Note all the units where fully recapped so difference in sounds isn't due to ageing component but to design. I don't have the schematics for this one but it's definetly not the same layout. It might have been designed or "inspired" by some other model available at the time. (could be the Roland TR-66 with which it shares many features).

So here is a demo of the first one: The FR-1.

Recorded through a Teisco 120 to add some reverb."

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