From majortom@muc.de Thu Dec 29 21:42:17 1994 Date: Thu, 29 Dec 1994 17:57:26 +0100 From: mw To: Michael Dvorkin Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: NEED INFO: EMS Synthi, VCS3 etc Hi. The EMS appeared in 1971. It is still beeing manufactured. There are 3 models available: EMS VCS 3 = contained in a wooden cabinet, no keyboard EMS Synthi A = contained in a brief case, no keyboard EMS AKS = contained in a brief case with plastic sensor keyboard and digital 256 Note Sequencer and S+H The EMS is a very versatile synth. It is operated like a modular synth with no fixed wireing. All connections between its modules are made via small pins on a patch bay. It's main application is to produce experimental sounds and effects and to process external signals. The keyboard was introduced only much later and it doesn't play a chromatic scale, also it's CV is not compatible to V/Oct or V/Hz so it's not easy to interface it with any other instruments. The EMS has the following modules: 3 Oscillators, Noise, Low Pass Filter, Envelope Generator, Ringmodulator, Spring Reverb. For control a joystick can be assigned to any module. Among the artists using it are Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, Jean Michel Jarre, Roxy Music and Kraftwerk. If your're really into analouge synthesis and programming real unique sounds this one is a must have. A friend of mine used to own one and I played around with that a little, now I'm looking for one myself. Hope that helps. If you have any further questions feel free to ask. - mw (http://www.muc.de/~majortom/mw.html) From jhusted@halcyon.com Tue Jan 3 12:47:53 1995 Date: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 09:56:08 -0800 (PST) From: James Husted To: Michael Dvorkin Cc: analogique gear Subject: Re: NEED INFO: EMS Synthi, VCS3 etc On Thu, 29 Dec 1994, Michael Dvorkin wrote: > Hi, > > Does anyone here have any of this machines? What's the impresion? > Could you describe the architecture, the type of textures it's capable > off etc. I've heard that EMS is still around, does it mean I can still > get them new/reconditioned? How much are they going for? WHere can I find > one new/used? > The VCS3 and the AKS share much of the same architecture. They both have 3 VCO's, VCF (lowpass), Ring modulator, VCA with envelope generator having voltage controlled decay (they call this arrangement an Envelope Shaper), varible dark-pink-white Noise generator, voltage controlled Reverb, 2 channel Mic-Line inputs (1/4"), Left and Right voltage controlled outputs (with speakers, headphone monitoring, pan controls, and low-high tone controls). Two of the VCOs are considered audio (thier range is VERY wide). VCO1 has one output that is a varible mix of positive rectified sine to sine to negitive rectified sine (this is sort of a comb looking waveform, continously varible) and a pos ramp to triangle to neg ramp (sawtooth). They have seperate output level controls. VCO2 is a variable pulse and ramp-tri-ramp version. VCO3 is considered a control ocs even though it can go into the audio range. I has 2 outputs, one a vvari pulse and the other a variable ramp. There is also a scope output for monitoring and both units have a 2axis joystick and pushbutton (triggers the envelope shaper) for control. The KS part of the AKS is the keyboard sequencer. This is a 256 event recorder. When you press the record button, it starts filling memory cells at a speed set by a pot control. If you are playing faster than the clock notes are left out. If you are not playing anything, blank space is recorded into the cells. This is how note length is recorded (long notes record into adjacent cells). The keyboard has no moving keys and still is velocity sensitive. There is a meter on the unit which reads out the memory-time left while recording. The AKS is a plastic briefcase unit (sometimes called the Porabella) and the VCS3 is a teak wood trimmed l-shaped desk unit (sometimes called a Putney after the factory location at the time). Both units are quite quirky and lovable. I think Eno was quoted as saying that he loved his AKS because it never sounded the same even with the same patch! The things drift and go out of tune all the time and I use my 2 AKS's for modifying other sounds and Rayguns-from-mars sounds (which NO modern synth can do as well). They can be found in the $800 to $1200 range and sometimes much cheaper (I got one of mine for $300 and the other for $500 about 8yr ago). The worst/best thing about the units is the patching scheme. Think of all the module outputs connected to one of 16 rows of connections lying under 16 columns of the inputs to each module. A patch is made by pluging a patch pin (which looks like a very small phone plug with a resistor in it) at the intersection of a roe and column. This makes for almost unlimited patching (one LFO can be connected to EVERY input). The drag is the pins get lost or broken and are VERY rare. The newer versions of the units have a pcb edge card socket under the patchbat that brings out every roe/column so one can make Presto-patches of favorite patches. This could be connected to a switch matrix but the cost would be high (256 switches!). There is an american company that makes a similar patchbay but thier cost is high also. I hope this wasn't info overkill. If you need to know anymore, just 'E' me. James Husted jhusted@halcyon.com From batzman@apanix.apana.org.au Tue Jan 3 12:52:22 1995 Date: Sun, 1 Jan 1995 23:37:59 +1030 (CST) From: Batz Goodfortune To: Tomy Hudson Cc: Analogue Heaven Subject: Re: NEED INFO: EMS Synthi, VCS3 etc Yea Ok. I can't help but buy in at this point. (So flame me) The VCS3 was the first synth I ever owned. In fact one of the original designers lives here in Adelaide "Tristram Kery" I actually have a photo of me standing next to him when I was about 14. (That's a long long time ago) The only thing I can't remeber about it is why in hell I got rid of the thing. :( It was a bugger of a thing to keep in tune. I have no idea how Pink Floyd manage to tour using 3 of them. Setting up for a gig must have been a nightmare. The thing had a jones plug on it through which all exeternal controller devices were connected. These included a slide bar like the old MOOG series 3s had and a hoopy "pitch to CV converter". A keyboard was considered very optional. I had the thing for three months b4 I could afford one. I ended up borrowing one of each from a local colledge for a while through a friend. Because "REAL" electronic musicians were right into odd tunings in those days there were three controls to adjust the tuning. Two on the keyboard and one on the main unit. Bump any of them and your whole tuning could change in ways you just can't imagin. It would drift during the night so that when you turned it on in the morning you had to tune it all over again. Still it was the best sounding analogue synth I've ever heard. And Being stereo was just the icing on the cake. I mean this thing's got a VC LFO with sine wave's. You could even do FM with the damn thing if you realy realy wanted to. (Of course I didn't think of that back in those days) And when you look inside the thing it was just a bunch of fairly ordenary OP-Amps on three medium sized boards. All hand wired to the front pannels. And the AKS3. I borrowed one of them once. The sequencer on that was way ahead of it's time. It has a very analogue meter on it that tells you how much time you have left in memory and you just play the sequence in. I was involved in a project where we use to use the AKS3 to take music in off a tape and process it into control voltages to control the deflection of some lasers. In live a Pompei/sensual perception (The Floyd Movie) there is a bit where the guys are in the studio at EMI putting together Dark side of the moon. Dave Gilmore is sitting there playing these wierd sounds out of his guitar. Just off camera you can see Richard Write twiddling the knobs of what looks very much like a VCS3. Whilst they all sit around with looks on their faces like "Yea we make the coolest noises". Had to be there I guess. Ok I've done the memory lane thing. But if I ever see one for sale round here you can forget it, it's mine :) _____________________________ __________________________________ | _ __ _ || Batz J Goodfortune | | | "_ \ | | || of the | | | |_)/ __ _| |_ ____ || ALL ELECTRIC KITCHEN | | | _ \ / _` | __|___ | || Heavy Silicone Music | | | |_) | (_| | |_ / / || | | |_,__/ \__,_|\__|/ / || Direct from Tumbolia | | / ,__ || | | |_____| || Adelaide South Australia | | batzman@apanix.apana.org,au || voice +618 356 4081 | |_____________________________||__________________________________| DISCLAIMER: I'z Callz 'em as I'z Seez 'em From CGRA%BTMA74@bipsy.se.bel.alcatel.be Tue Jan 3 12:55:07 1995 Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 12:44 GMT+0100 From: Chris Gray To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: NEED INFO: EMS Synthi, VCS3 etc The following was posted to this list last August by one J. .Bennitt. I haven't followed it up: I am trying desperately to resist the temptation to do so, and you guys aren't helping me at all! \begin{quote} Aparently EMS still sell reconditioned VCS3's with guarantee for #600(UK). their address: EMS England Trandeal Vean Barn Ladock Truro Cornwall TR2 4N \end{quote} It was the first synth I ever touched, and played with. It was a brilliant concept, in some ways still unbettered: that patch matrix was the ultimate in flexible routing, and when they called it Voltage-Controlled Synthesiser, they meant _everything_ was voltage controlled. (Well, just about). And of course the VCF wasn't just resonant, it oscillated. 8->] I don't think I'd bother trying to computerise it: it's very much a "live" instrument (and one helluvan effects box). __________________________________________________________________________ Chris Gray cgra@btma74.se.bel.alcatel.be Compu$erve: 100065,2102 __________________________________________________________________________ From media@pcnet.comThu Apr 6 21:39:29 1995 Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 23:03:30 -0400 (EDT) From: Machine Media To: Cevin Key Cc: analog Subject: Re: ems sythi aks vcs3 etc. > I heard that these are being reconditioned and sold in the UK > anyone have that address or information around ??? > thankyou I have not verified this: ~ Aparently EMS still sell reconditioned VCS3's with guarantee for ~ #600(UK). ~ ~ their address: ~ ~ EMS England Trandeal Vean Barn Ladock Truro Cornwall TR2 4NW PEACE OUT :) MARK From dfevans@barrow.uwaterloo.caFri Apr 7 13:55:34 1995 Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 14:52:53 -0400 From: David Evans To: analogue@hyperreal.com Subject: The Definitive VCS3/AKS Story OK. Here's the story, direct from EMS. This post will be without my usual waxing about how amazing these are and how I almost got one last year and so on. There are places where editorializing is very tempting, but I'll leave that to you. This should probably go into the archives. First their address, from their letterhead (they seem to have a nifty tuning-fork logo): Electronic Music Studios Trendeal Vean Barn, Ladock, Truro Cornwall TR2 4NW Phone/Fax: +1 44 726 883265 Note that since it's after April 1st that phone number is likely now +1 44 1726 883265. Here ar some quotes from the letter, from Robin Wood: Please note that there is a 4-month waiting list for refurbished EMS synthesizers, and anyone wishing to join this list should send a deposit of $250. From the US of Canada this can be in the form of a regular cheque, as we do not bank these deposite, so it is as waste to spend money on a special bank draft. We will then notify you when your turn is about to come up. All instruments come with a users manual, but the schematics and service manual cost an additional #25. Current prices for the synthesizers are: AKS - #950, VCS3(Putney) - #850. Prestopatches are not normally supplies as they tend to have been lost over the years. Also included were some photocopied pages of info. The first is an amusing "Every Picnic Needa a Synthi" advertisement, with a bunch of people sitting around outdoors with Synthis. It includes some addresses which I believe are long-since dead: Electronic Music Studios (London) Limited, 49 Deodar Road, London, SW15 Telephone 01-874-2363 (old phone number!) and New York, 140 East 80th Street, NY, 10021, USA Then we get to a page with pictures of the VCS3 and Synthi A one one side and a slew of info on the other. Here's the info: Conceived in 1968 by designer David Cockerell, composer Tristram Cary and Dr. Peter Zinovieff, the VCS3 and Synthi A were the first portable music synthesizers every to be produced commercially. Some 20 years laters [sic] composers, teachers and experimenters the world over can still find no substitute for what has now established itself as a classic design, and one still in production today. The power of these two instruments lies in the pin-matris or patchboard system of interconnection, which allows the composer complete freedom in the way the synthesizer's devices are darnessed. Unlike more recent pre-patched or switch-patches systems in which the devices ar ehard-wired together and oriented solely for keyboard playing, the Synthi A and VCS3 release us into a largely unexplored world of abstract electronic expression. The inclusion of a Ring Modulator and voltage controlled Reverb along with oscillators, envelope and filter allows many unusual configurations of the signal processing chain. Stereo outputs means that two totally separate sounds can be programmed simultaneously, or single sounds given extra depth and perspective. Possibilities abound for sophisticated treatments of external audio signals, and the production of complex sound-effects. The Synthi A and VCS3 are electronically identical, but housed in different ways to suit different applications. The Synthi A is in a black ABS briefcase for instant portability. The VCS3 is in an L-shaped hardwood cabinet with spacious panels for more permanent installations. They were designed with the following applications in mind: - As an electronic music studio. With tape recorders, mixer, and other sound processors, to realise electronic music compositions. - As a live performance instrument. With a plug-in keyboard controller, or using its two external signal inputs to modifuy sounds from microphones or electronic instruments. - As a teaching aid. With its 'building brick' approach to electronic synthesis it illustrates all the basic processes in a logical manner, as well as amply demonstrating general acoustic phenomena (harmonic series, pitch, loudness, etc.). - As a sounds effects generator. In theatre, film and broadcasting it provides ready access to a multitude of original effects and electronic atmospheres. Two keyboards are available for use with the VCS3 and Synthi A: - DK2 mechanical keyboard. A 3-octave duo-phonic keyboard with internal oscillator and velocity-sensitive dynamics. - KS Sequencer keyboard. A 2 1/2-octave touch-keyboard which can fit into the lid of the Synthi A (thereby making an AKS) which an integral 256 event digital sequencer. A range of 1U rack-mounting modules is also available to expand systems still further: Octave Filter Bank Random Voltage Generator Pitch-to-Voltage Converted Phase Frequency Shifter Technical Specification Oscillator 1: Range: 0.5Hz - 20kHz Output: Sine (with variable shape) and Sawtooth Oscillator 2: Range: 0.5Hz - 20kHz Output: Square and Triangle Shape control gives variable pulse witdh and rising or falling ramps. Oscillator 3: Range: 0.025Hz - 500Hz Output: Square and Triangle (shaping as per Oscillator 2). Nose Generator: White and variable coloured noise. Filter/ Range: 5Hz - 15kHz Oscillator: Cut-off Rate: 15Db/octave max. Low-pass with variable resonance and sinewave oscillation Ring modulator: Transformerless integrated cirtuit design. Input Rejection: 60dB Envelope Shaper:A programmed variable gain amplified of trapezium format with analogous voltage output Timing: Attack: 2mS - 1s On: 0 - 2.5s Decay: 2mS - 15s Off: 10mS - 5s + recycle inhibition Triggering Modes: Via +5 volt tate from keyboard socket Manual trigger from attack button External signal input level threshold detector Self-triggering in recycle mode. Decay time is voltage controllable from patchboard Reveberation: Dual spring-line unit with delays of 25mS and 20mS. Max reverb time 2s. Reverb-to-Direct ratio voltage controllable from patchboard. Joystick controller: X and Y parameters may control any functions independently. Meter: For Signal Level or Control Voltage monitoring Also indicates memory availability when used with sequencer keyboard. Inputs: 2 input channels (1/4" mono jacks) High-level line inputs: 2.5V into 50Kohms Microphone inputs: 5mV into 600 ohms Both channels suitable for external CV inputs Outputs: 2 output channels (1/4" mono jacks) Signal Outputs (via VCAs): 2.5V into 600 ohms (with filters and panning). Control Outputs (pre-VCAs): 10V into 10Khoms Headphone output: 10V into 50 Ohms (stereo 1/4" jack) Scope output: 10V into 10Khoms (via meter rot on patchboard) Power supply: 240 or 115 Volts AC. 50-60Hz. 25 watts. Dimensions: VCS3: 43 x 44 x 42cm. Synthi A: 48 x 38 x 12cm. Weight: VCS3: 9kg Synthi A: 7.5kg And there is an address in West Germany which I won't repeat here. Now comes a page with the keyboard controllers (the DK2 and the KS). One one side is a picture of each with various important things labeled; I won't touch that here, although I could likely get it scanned. On the other side is another pile of info. Here we go! Synthi Keyboards DK2 and KS Both these keyboards can be attached to either the Aynthi AKS (the KS keyboard is in any case part of this model), tne VCS3 Mk.II or the Synthi A Mk.II (this being the Synthi AKS synthesizer part only). Older models of VCS3 or Synthi A (no PrestoPatch, no etched white lines on patchboard, and other details) are suitable for immediate operation with DK1, but must be modified for the KS. Owners of these older models wishing to add the KS can have their machines updated--please ask for information if in doubt. Synthi DK2 Dynamic Keyboard A conventionally dimensioned three octave keyboard with elctronics producing the following outputs: 1. Two voltages proportional to the 'pitch' of the notes played (called Keyboard Voltages). 2. A voltage proportional to the velocity with which a key is depressed (called Dynamic Voltage). 3. An audio signal of sawtooth waveform, from the keyboard's own oscillator, whose pitch and loudness are controlled by the keyboard. 4. A trigger signal which is sent every time a key is struck, connected to the envelope shaper of the synthesizer. Taking the above in order, outputs (1) are proportional to the position of the nodes played, and the voltages can be patched to any two desired parameters. When used with oscillators, the controls can also be adjusted to give normal semitones, macrotones, or microtones, which are automatically divided to perfection. Output (2) can also control any resired parameter, but the acceleration applied to the key determines the voltage. if wanted to control dynamics, ir would be sent to an output VC amplified in the synthesizer, but if controlling pitch the result would be playing tunes on one 'note'. This ingenious favility is accomplished by fitting two sets of contacts to each key arranged so that one closes before the other, and measuring the time between first and second closures. Output (3) is meant specially for melodic work, giving a highly stable audio output, tunable by means of the "Frequency" and "Spread" controls to any desired three octaves in the audio range. The sawtooth waveform is ideal for filtering to a wide range of timbres. This audio output can be combined with other tone sources within the synthesizer, contorolled by the simultaneous keyboard or dynamic voltages. Adds one more source to the internal resources of your synthesizer. Output (4) sends +5V to the envelope shaper whenever a key is down. The shaper will remain 'on' as long as a key is pressed, and begin the decay then the note is released. Decay can be made proportional to 'pitch' or dynamics since it can be contage controlled. Specification Power Supply: +15V and -9V connected my 8-way umbilical from synthesizer power unit. Keyboard Voltages: +/-1.5V at 1V/octave. Middle A gives 0V (Range adjusted at synthesize rinput). Dynamic Voltage: +/-1.5V. Mezzoforte gives approx. 0V. (range adjusted by Dynamic Range control). Sawtooth Audio Signal: Frequency Range: 30 - 2000Hz (fundamentals -- harmonics go much higher of course). Maximum Output: 10V p-p Tuning: Frequency control for range position. Tuning Spread control for perfect octaves. Switches: Two output switches five four possible modes of delivering the three outputs. Synthi KS Digtal Sequencer Keyboard The KS keyboard fakes advantage of the latest monolithic integrated circuitry, containing in its very small size the truly amazing memory capicity or 1,536 bits, or 256 events of 6 bits each. Its keyboard of 30 notes has no moving parts, and is extremely simple to operate. Two outputs are delivered, one "real time" so that the sequence being played can be hard, one "sequence" which is recorded in the memory. When the sequence is played back the keyboard can still be used in the real time mode, enabling a second voice to be played against the recorder one. The real time mode even has a dynamic output, which might seem impossible without moving parts! The operation is as follows: the sequencer length depends on the slock rate, and to make the most of the available storage the rate should be set a little faster than the most rapid event to be recorder (if there are more notes than clock pulses some of them will be missed). This is very easy because the clock is arranged to move the meter on the synthesizer in 32 steps (1 step per 8 clock pulses=256). When the needle is right over the store is full, and the time for its travel shows the available length of the sequence at that clock rate. Touching RECORD erases the memory and resets the clock. As soon as you play the first note the sequence begins, and it continues running until it reaches the end and repeats, or you touch PLAY, which resets the clock and starts playback. Each key you touch generates a five-bit number (the note) and a one-bit key signal (to operate the envelope shaper) and these six-bits are stored in the shift-register memory. There are two digital-to-analogue converts, one to convert directly from the keyboard (real time) and one which converts the numbers stored in the memory (sequence). Other features are separate Pitch Spread controls for tuning real time and sequence output voltages, a trigger mode selector to decide whether the envelope is triggered from real time of sequence, a Random Voltage pad which generates any of the thirty notes are random, and four automatic transposition pads which raise the pitch of the sequence by anything up to an octave (by incrementing all the numbers). The KS is the keyboard half of Synthi AKS. WHen ordered separately it is supplied in the same briefcase as AKS, although of course the 'bottom' half will be empty. When lifted out of the case for playing, the KS looks as in our photograph. Specification Power Supply: +12 and -9V through umbilical from synthesizer power unit. Sequence Length: Range at least 700mS - 100S (time for 256 clock pulses). Storage Capacity: 1536 bits in 256 x 5+1-bit words. Memoty: Shift register. Keyboard: 30-note capacitive touch keyboard, plastic coated for protection from humidity and damage. Real Time Pitch Voltage: Mean 1V/octave adjustable +/-10% Sequence Pitch Voltage: Mean 0.32V/octave adjustable +/-10% Sequencer Ripple: 30mV p-p (worse case--5th transpose pad only) Touch Pads: Record; Play; Random Voltage; Transpose 1/2-tone, tone, major 3rd, 5th. Controls: Clock Rate; Pitch Spread (x2); Trigger Select. Whew! Hope you enjoy all that. -- David Evans dfevans@bbcr.uwaterloo.ca Computer/Synth Junkie "Default is the value selected by the University of Waterloo composer overridden by your command." Waterloo, Ontario, Canada - Roland TR-707 Manual