A Guide to the EMS Product Range
1969 to 1979

The Products

• VCS3 (aka The Putney)
• VCS4
• DK1 (aka The Cricklewood)
• Synthi KB1
• Synthi 100
• Sequencer 32
• Sequencer 164
• Sequencer 128
• Synthi Sequencer 256
• Pitch to Voltage Converter
• Eight Octave Filter Bank
• Triple Slew Limiter
• Two-Voltage Random Generator
• Synthi A
• Synthi AKS
• DKS
• KS
• Synthi Hi-Fli
• Synthi VCS3 II
• 32 x 32 Matrix
• 49 x 49 Matrix
• Synthi P
• Spectron (formerly Spectre)
• Computer Synthi
• Synthi E
• Synthi DKE
• QUEG - Quadrophonic Effects Generator
• Phase Frequency Shifter
• Vocoder 5000 (aka Studio Vocoder)
• Universal Sequencer
• Vocoder 2000
• PolySynthi
• PolySequencer

[Key to prices: (Price when introduced) 1979 Price]

London geography lesson: Peter Zinovieff lived in Putney, David Cockerell lived in Cricklewood, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was located in Delaware Road and Portabello Road was (and still is) a fashionable market.

VCS3 (aka The Putney)
1969. (£330)
Designer: David Cockerell.

Very early VCS3 (pre-Putney), note Oscillator 1
The original portable synthesizer introduced in 1969. A solid Aformosia cabinet housed the following modules interconnected by means of a matrix patchboard.

• 3 x Voltage Controlled Oscillators.
• Noise Generator.
• 2 x Input Amplifiers.
• Ring Modulator.
• Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter.
• Trapezoid Envelope Generator.
• Voltage Controlled Reverberation.
• Meter.
• 2 x Stereo Output Amplifiers.
• Joystick.

VCS4
1969. Not produced.
Designer: David Cockerell.

"Live Performance Module" comprising two VCS3s side by side with a keyboard in front all in a single wooden cabinet. Only one prototype, last seen in 1983.

DK1 (aka The Cricklewood)
1969. (£145)
Designer: David Cockerell.
Velocity sensitive "Dynamic" monophonic Keyboard for use with VCS3.
Included an extra VCO and VCA.

Synthi KB1
1970. (£330) Not produced.
Designer: David Cockerell.

Same circuit modules as the VCS3 housed in a different case with a 29 note miniature keyboard, Prototype sold to Yes.

Synthi 100 (formerly Digitana, aka the Delaware)
1971. (£6,500) £35,000
Designer: David Cockerell.

Synth100 (heavily modified) with Computer Synthi (1977)

Same technology as the VCS3, but built into a very large console patched with two 60 x 60 matrix boards, one for the signals and one for control voltages. Module complement:

• 12 x Voltage Controlled Oscillator.
• 2 x Noise Generator.
• 3 x Ring Modulator.
• 4 x Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter.
• 4 x Voltage Controlled High Pass Filter.
• 3 x Trapezoid Envelope Generator.
• 2 x Voltage Controlled Reverberation.
• Octave Filter Bank.
• Slew Limiter.
• Envelope Follower.
• Pitch to Voltage Converter.
• 8 x Input amplifiers.
• 8 x Stereo Output amplifiers.
• 2 x Joysticks.
• 2 x 5 octave Dynamic Keyboards.
• 256 step digital sequencer.
• Oscilloscope.
• Frequency meter/counter.

Several of the devices were packaged separately as small wooden sleeved units:

• Pitch to Voltage Converter (£70)
• Triple Slew Limiter
• Eight Octave Filter Bank (£80)
• Two-Voltage Random Generator (£125)

Sequencer 128 (also 32 and 64 versions)
1971. (£135)

Prototype of what became the Sequencer 256
Peter Zinovieff and Tristam Cary walked into the Moog Trumansberg factory with this and just plugged it in, to much surprise and annoyance - their sequencer could only do 8 steps.

Synthi Sequencer 256 (formerly Synthi Moog Sequencer)
1971. (£1,100)
Designer: David Cockerell.

Separate version of the Synthi 100 sequencer.

• 3 Layers with 2 Control Voltages plus Key Parameters
• Fourth Key only Layer
• Five Octave Velocity Sensistive Keyboard
• 256 Event x 42 bit Memory
  Each event comprises 2 x 6-bit Control Voltages and 13-bit Start & Stop times
• Internal (0.1 - 200 Hz) or External Clock
• Plays Forwards and Backwards
• Editing

Synthi A (formerly Portabella)
1971. (£198)
Designer: David Cockerell.
Same specification and pcbs as the VCS3, but fitted in an attache briefcase. (Yes, it actually is a Spartanite one.)

The prototype Synthi A. Note the name, the meter and the lid loudspeaker.

Synthi AKS
1972. (£420) £1,452
Designer: David Cockerell.
Synthi A with a KS sequencer in the lid.

Synthi A with original KS and Sequencer32
The first 30 KS Sequencers featured a black and silver Touch pad, Spin-and-touch random note selector and an unplayable resistive touch sensitive keyboard. This was replaced by the familiar blue capacitive touch sensitive keyboard layout.

DK2
1972. (£145) £472
Designer: David Cockerell.
"Duophonic" version of DK1.

DKS
1972. Not produced.
Designer: David Cockerell.

A mechanical keyboard version of the KS sequencer.

KS
1972. (£164)
Designer: David Cockerell.

The sequencer from the Synthi AKS available separately.

• 30 Note touch sensitive dynamic(!) keyboard
• Real Time & Sequencer Pitch Outputs
• 256 step x 6 bit memory (5 bits for keyboard + 1 for Key)
• Sequence length range: 700ms to 100s.
• Transposition controls.

Synthi Hi-Fli (formerly Sound Freak)
1973. (£180) £308
Designer: David Cockerell.

A guitar treatment unit built as a console on a stand with two pedal controllers.

• Top Boost
• Sustain Fuzz
• Ring Modulator
• Octave Divider
• Vibrato/Transient Generator
• Phase Filter

Synthi VCS3 II
1973. (£374) £1,268
Designer: David Cockerell.
Prestopatch added, matrix layout and some circuitry changed, otherwise same as VCS3 Mk I.

32 x 32 Matrix
1974. (£450)
Designer: David Cockerell.

Patchboard for interconnecting two VCS3s or Synthi As by plugging into the Prestopatch sockets.

49 x 49 Matrix
1974. (£583)
Designer: David Cockerell.
Larger version of above with keyboard sockets.

Synthi P
1974. Not produced.
Designer: David Cockerell.

A MkIII "Professional" version with improved Oscillators, Filter and Envelope.
Only 3 prototypes made, 2 in this form with bronze finish, the other in standard Synthi A case and styling.

Speech Synthesizer
1974. Not produced.
Designer: David Cockerell.

Prototype with graphic Formant entry (drawn with a biro!).

Spectron (formerly Spectre)
1974/5. (£4,000)
Designer: Richard Monkhouse.

Innovative Video Synthesiser using analogue and digital techniques.

• Digital Matrix Patch Panel: 53 inputs by 57 outputs.
• Analogue Matrix Patch Panel: 16 by 20.
• Manual, VCO and Audio controls.
• Digital counters, delays and video modifiers.

Computer Synthi
1975/6. (£15,000, software extra)
Designer: Peter Eastty.
An add-on to the Synthi 100 interfaced to the control matrix board via two 24 x 60 matrix boards. Complement:

• PDP8/M with 4K RAM
• Twin digital cassettes.
• 24 Input ADCs.
• 24 Output DACs.
• 16 Slider CV Inputs.
• Switch button Panel.
• LED Display.

Synthi E
1975. (£200) £558
Designer: Tim Orr
A low cost "Educational" synthesizer in briefcase format.

• 3 x VCO 1Hz - 10kHz.
• LFO
• VCF LP - BP - HP / Oscillator.
• Trapezoid Generator.
• Noise, Inverter, Mixer, Modulator, Internal monitor.
• Manual Tape Controllers

Synthi DKE
1975. £200
Designer: Tim Orr
A 3 octave mechanical keyboard for Synthi E.

QUEG - Quadrophonic Effects Generator
1975. (£1400)
Designer: Tim Orr.

Four channel quad surround sound mixer with joystick and quadrature VCO control. A two channel version was also made fitted into a custom Electrosonic EMS Mixing Console.

Phase Frequency Shifter
1975. (£400).
Designer: Tim Orr.
Separate version of the one in the Vocoder 5000.

Vocoder 5000 (aka Studio Vocoder)
1976 (£5,000) £7,165
Designer: Tim Orr.

Custom version built into Synthi 100 for WDR Germany (Stockhausen)

• 22 Band Filter + Follower + Modulator Filter with 22 x 22 matrix patchboard.
  
• Mic/Line Input, 2 Oscillators & Noise sources.
• Voiced/Unvoiced detector and slew/freeze control.
• Pitch to Voltage Extractor.
• Frequency Shifter.
• 3 PPM meters, Spectrum display driver and comprehensive interfacing.

Universal Sequencer
1977. (£700)
Designer: Tim Orr.

Upgraded KS with Control Voltage and Gate interface.
Few built.

Vocoder 2000
1977. £813
Designer: Tim Orr.

• 16 Band Filter + Follower + Modulator Filter.
• Mic/Line Input, Oscillator & Noise sources.
• Voiced/Unvoiced detector and slew/freeze control.

VCS3/Synthi A Upgrade Cards
1978. Not produced.
Designer: Graham Hinton.
Replacement circuit boards featuring improved VCOs with temperature compensation and synchronisation, improved VCAs, RM and Reverb.

PolySynthi
1978. (£700) £1,200
Designer: Graham Hinton.

• Four Octave keyboard with Aftertouch.
• Four Octave Oscillator Bank.
• Noise and External input with envelope follower.
• 2 x VC LFO.
• 2 x VC ADSR.
• 2 pole/4 pole VCF.
• VC Analogue Delay.

PolySequencer
1978. Not produced.
Designers: Peter Zinovieff and Graham Hinton.

Microprocessor based polyphonic sequencer with up to 10 minutes recording capacity.
Real time editing and effects.
2 prototypes built.

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All material on these pages Copyright ©1995, 1996 Graham Hinton.
Photos by permission of Robin Wood.

Synthi is a trademark of Electronic Music Studios.
All manufacturers' trademarks are acknowledged.