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The A-Z of Analogue (Part 5) | |
This month, Electronic Dream Plant to Elka.
MT's exclusive guide to every analogue synth made. Included are keyboards, expanders/sound modules and the better known electronic pianos and organs. Not included are drum machines, standalone sequencers and effects units, vocoders and those guitar/wind synths which aren't regularly used as expanders in their own right.
Readers are invited to submit details of little-known instruments which may be of use in compiling the series and also to point out any mistakes and/or omissions if these occur. All contributions will be fully credited. Compiled by Peter Forrest.
Thanks to Robin Wood for the fruits of his amazingly detailed insider knowledge of EMS, and to Richard Ballinger.
Synthesiser company established in Oxfordshire by Adrian Wagner (descendant of Richard) with design input from Chris Huggett (later of OSCar and other fame).
Single DCO monophonic synthesiser, 25-note non-moving (touch operated) keyboard. 1980 - 1981. See Wasp for other details.
Original price: £99
Target price: £20 - £60
Interface: | |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
Combined Wasp Deluxe and Spider sequencer with 37-note keyboard, c.1980. Possibly never went into production, but at least one prototype was made.
Interface: | |
VFM: | ★★ |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
15-preset, 44-note monosynth with VCF/VCA/LFO controls. 1979 - c.1980
Original price: £299
Target price: £40 - £70
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★ |
Prolific American effects manufacturers who made low-budget, high-excitement pedals.
Foot pedal-style synthesisers. c.1979.
Original price: £70
Target price: £20
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | ★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
Based in Connecticut USA, EML started out making educational synthesisers, then branched out into modular synths, performance synths and peripherals - including the Electrocomp 400 sequencer which used quantising before ARP did. Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo was a keen user.
Modular synthesiser for educational market, c.1968.
Duophonic semi-modular synthesiser, c.1969 - 1972.
Original price: Unknown
Target price: c.£300
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
Duophonic, semi-modular 44-note synthesiser. 1972 - 1982. The most popular EML product - about a thousand were produced.
Original price: $1395
Target price: c.£450
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
2-VCO, monophonic expander. 1969 - 1980. One of the first expanders ever built
Original price: $950
Target price: c.£400.
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★ |
Controller for Electrocomp 200 with one extra VCO. c.1970 - 1979.
Original price: $325
Target price: c.£230
Users include: Bob Casale (Devo).
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
2-VCO, monophonic expander for 400 sequencer.
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
2-VCO performance synthesiser. 1973 - 1984.
Original price: $895
Target price: c.£300
Interface: | ★★ |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
13-note keyboard harmoniser for mono/duophonic synths. 1977 - 1984. A rare/curious product, only 130 were ever made.
Original price: $475
Target price: c.£400
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
Polyphonic 44-note synthesiser. 1978 - 1984.
Original price: $925
Target price: c.£275
Users include: Frank Zappa
Interface: | ★ |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
Semi-programmable 44-note, polyphonic synthesiser. 1979 - 1984.
Original price: $1350
Target price: c.£350
Interface: | ★ |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | ★ |
Ease of use: | ★ |
Monophonic 49-note string synthesiser. Invented and built 1946 by Canadian inventor, Hugh Le Caine. Second prototype in early 70s.
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | ★★★★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: |
6-voice, 12-DCO, 61-note MIDI synthesiser. Velocity and aftertouch-sensitive; 64 presets, 32 user patches, 16 performance memories, c.1986
Original price: £999
Target price: £150 - £250
MT review (with EM22): Oct '86.
Interface: | ★★★★★ |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | |
Memories: | ★★★ |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
Module version of EK22 synthesiser. c.1986.
Original price: £799
Target price: £120 - £200
Interface: | ★★★★ |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | |
Controls: | ★ |
Collectability: | |
Memories: | ★★★ |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
49-note string synthesiser. c.1976 - 1980.
Original price: £392
Target price: £50 - £80
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | |
Character: | |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
61-note string synthesiser, c.1975 - 1980.
Original price: £647
Target price: £60 - £100
Users include: Rick Davies (Supertramp), Geoff Downes, Dave Hewson, Hot Chocolate, J-M Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Phil Thornton, Ultravox
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★ |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★ |
49-note monophonic preset synthesiser. 1978 - c. 1982.
Original price: £384
Target price: £30 - £50
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | |
Character: | ★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★ |
61-note, 16-DCO, 8-voice MIDI synth with built-in sequencer. 1982 - 1985.
Original price: £3199 (going down to £999)
Target price: £400 - £600
Users include: Keith Emerson, Geoff Downes, BBC, Neil Carter (Gary Moore Band), J-M Jarre, Trans X, Stevie Wonder (Characters album)
MT review: Dec '82
Interface: | ★★★★★ |
VFM: | ★★★ |
Sounds: | ★★★★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★★★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | ★★★ |
Ease of use: | ★★★ |
Read the next part in this series:
The A-Z of Analogue (Part 6)
Topic:
Series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 (Viewing) | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Feature by Peter Forrest
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