The Story of the Elka Synthex
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- Опубліковано 19 жов 2024
- A mini-doc about the inception of the Elka Synthex. A legendary 1980's synthesizer designed by Italian synth pioneer Mario Maggi.
Note - 4:08sec this should be "Digitally Controlled Oscillators" not "Digital Oscillators" - sorry for this error.
Just to clarify ...
The elka Synthex has 4 Master Analog High Frequency (4 mhz) oscillators for Vcos 1 and Vcos2 (divided in 2 groups each one of 4 voices for stacking two voices in Double mode ). Each voice is linked to a couple of this OSC and generate the correct frequency by Divide down Digital Circuitry...Something like is found the old String Machines but in a new original way!
It will assure that all 4 Voices in a group are perfectly tuned because divided from the same sources!!
So there are no real VCO nor DCO!!!
It is an ORIGINAL hybrid solution that allow to keep the tuning stability of DCOs but the phasing effect of the 4 Analog Master VCOs...;)
NO OTHER SYNTH STILL HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR !!!
SO ONLY A SYNTHEX SOUND LIKE A SYNTHEX!!!!
Thanks for that detail Michele - I going to pin this comment!
When I spotted this video, the oscillator circuit was the first thing I thought of as way cool. I studied it and wanted to build a synth based on it, but that one Texas Instrument chip is OOP. Oh well, back to CEM and SSM reissues.
THX man👍👌👏
I think the Crumar Bit99 has the same type of sound generation
It is a very different circuit...as you can see Bit99 has a classic DCO....@@LB-pp7pu
Great video! Luckily I was able to buy a broken SYNTHEX last year. It’s fully functional now and sounds just gorgeous.
Amazing! You're so lucky to have one. It's my dream synth for sure.
Wow..but it's was simple to repair..?
I don't know if the spare parts are on the market.
And spend several hours for search the bug...😜
But It sounds superb.✌🏻
@@Sandelec-gm2cl I had to scratch my head a few times and had a bit of help from an expert, since the Synthex is not easy to repair because of the compact and stacked pcbs. Here is my Synthex
ua-cam.com/video/T9uy5l5fyj8/v-deo.htmlsi=e66Nhw0uJHInXXNV
Love mine....Produced mid 1982.....Bought by my dad, for his studio. Also still have a 610 string machine....
Amazing. That's so great you have your Dad's Synthex which he bought in 1982!
I have it and I love it😊
Best synth ever💥
One man created such a legend👏
Mario Maggi is a magician❤️
THX for great video🙏
Couldn't agree more!
My father is an old friend of Mario Maggi. They worked togheter for many years, he also designed the panel of the Synthex!
That is incredible - so very cool that your father had a hand in this legend. He did a fantastic job!
Elka Synthex was the engine that powered the notorious Jean Michel Jarre's laser harp, connected through midi interface. In 2011 during Jarre live performance in Monaco, the laser harp failed live on stage, for the millions to see. That incident was the reason for the recent re-manufacturing of Elka Synthex a few years later, and finally proved to the world, that the Laser Harp is not playback, and is in fact played live.
There has never been any re-manufacturing of Elka Synthex. There was an attempt but it never happened.
As a kid, maybe 8 or 9 years in 84, when my dad brought me along visiting a colleague / friend, this friend knew I liked piano's and organs so would let me play for hours with a Synth that was in his possession since 82/83.
At that time, synthesizer greatest 1,2 and 3 by Ed starink (with covers from Jean Michel jarre, blue order, Alan parsons etc etc) was a big hit in the Netherlands, so I tried to reproduce all the sounds I had heard in the songs and most stuff I tried came very close. I thought this was true for any synth and they all could do the same, sort of. Years later I realized it was an Elka Syntex which was an absolute king of analog sounds. I never seen or played one since I was 10 yrs old. Would love to be able to play again.
I still remember finding out how the sequencer worked, which was easy enough for a kid like me. A few years later I remember he even added midi to his syntex when he bought an atari st with pro24. Such a dream machine
That is a great story! Thank you so much for sharing that bit of history.
Great job!
Not much was out there on the origins and history of this magnificent synthesizer.
Thank you for such a fantastic production.
It really is amazing - and sounds incredible.
Sad, there are no stories like this in this day and age. What a wonderful instrument, and story. I was amazed by the size of the Elka factory.
Another great video Johnny! Mario Maggi was truly a genius.The Synthex has the best sounding DCOs ever put into a synth. The incredible design of the detune and oscillator circuits can get them closer to the "VCO" sound than anything else out there (vintage or modern), and BY MILES! The filter design was also way ahead of the rest of the industry, as you mentioned. Those BP and HP filters bring tears to the eyes with ease ;) - I am a proud owner of an early no midi no stand option model. It's just one of those magical machines that feels like a direct emotional connection to the soul... The Story of the Voyetra 8 next?!?😁
Thank you! That's so incredible you own an early Synthex - must be such a pleasure to play. Mario Maggi was a true inventor - but also a bit mysterious - very hard to find many details on his life or even a photo of him. Great idea on the Voyetra 8!
I do love a good tight detune&drift algorithm on digitally-controlled pure waveforms!
And now that ive watched it... its a sad story. What a beautiful instrument. Its odd to think that if they released this today, it would be successful. (few mods, of course) It surely would be wonderful to sit and play. 👍
I know - I can't believe it was so over-looked! But with the DX7 release, everything changed so quickly.
The synth I most hate myself for for selling in the 90's.
I bet. I feel the same about so many - I sold a mini-moog in 1995 for $600.
Sold mine for 250 Dutch guilders 😭
OOF.
Sold a Jupiter 4 for 600 Euro 🙈🤷♂️
Bought a poly 61 for 45 euro
Another fantastic and super-detailed documentary... I had no idea of the history behind this synth ... absolutely gobsmacked! Great work as always Johnny!
Thanks! I know the more I learn about it, the more I need to play one in person again. The Cherry Audio Elka-X is pretty fantastic BTW.
I own one of these stallions. A rev3 with midi. Great analog sound and excellent keyboard feel. Very stable.
Only down side is the loud fan noise and that musty Synthex smell when switched on.
I love the little step sequencer for getting ideas and use it to trigger other synths as it outputs midi.
Wonderful analog synth design. Thanks Mario Maggi.
Thanks for sharing - Sounds like you have a nice one!
An excellent presentation of a wonderful synth.
Thanks!
Wow, an album cover. With details the way used to be before we started streaming.
I know - I love vinyl.
Wow..I never heard of this unit...so cool that Johnny provided us this great story
Thanks Dave!
The sound of The Frozen Autumn! Amazing synth
Wooo hooo! Another classic. Cheers Johnny. 👍
Thanks Spikes!
What a beast. Italian synth pride.
It really was a beast. Incredible engineering
If it had had velocity sensitive keys, then perhaps it might have escaped the unfortunate organ curse. In the end, I suspect it came down to marketing. I contend that the chorus circuit is more sophisticated than the Juno 106's too.
Agreed - it was marketing really, and of course the DX7
Behringer has been teasing a copy of this for 5 years...
They've just confirmed that it's still going ahead, but will take a few more years.
Excellent video, and thank you for the shout out!
Hi Cherry - Amazing! Most the music was made with your Elka-X on Demo mode. I actually love it so much I'll be buying it for sure. Thank you guys!
Amazing video Johnny! Great to see you cover this rare and classic Italian synth. Synthex is definitely unique and sounds awesome.
I know - it is so amazing. Hopefully I'll get to play one again someday soon. Great to hear from you!
Another excellent mini-doc, Johnny..! Great work getting all the details together.
Thanks zmix - much appreciated.
Awesome video and love your soundtrack piece.
Great job! It’s certainly been a dream synth for me since it came out. I recall that Nick Rhodes (from Duran Duran), mentioned it was one of his top 5 fav synths of all time.
Thanks! - Yes - I saw of picture of Nick Rhodes with the Synthex - I wonder what songs he used it on?
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams I’m not sure what songs, however, I heard he used it extensively on the album ‘All You Need Is Now’ (which is a great album).
@@PacificIslandDrive Ok awesome - I will for sure check that out. Great to hear from you BTW - hope you're doing well. Drinks next time in LA.
Great documentary!
Thanks Dean
I have one and I simply LOVE IT!
Valuable information + superb video editing + pleasant speaking = 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thanks Ray!
I had a week of to study for my final exams somewhere in the eighties
A friend of mine had just gotten his hand on a Synthex and left it at my house
O what a joyful week it was, playing with the Synthex for hours
I did study a bit and passed the exams, but barely.
Great story - I would certainly have failed.
Thanks for all the work on this. Amazing music history.
Glad you enjoyed it
To me it'll always be a riddle where you gather all those infos. That makes me almost the same impressed as I was when having layed my hands on a Synthex the first time in a synth museum (fortunately) nearby. Personally I've always preferred exploring gear completely isolated, but that particular machine was the very first making me forget listeners by totally putting me under its spell. That synth not only has many sweet spots it IS a single sweet spot & I can't express how fast & easy it's to produce sounds far away from the known "laser harp" & other "usual stuff" or known realms. It sounds exactly as brute as beautiful. Distorted (hot) lead sounds (without any additional outboard) belong to it's easiest exercises but I still wonder why still mostly the usual stuff is heard from...🎧
Very interesting video, thank you for your work!
You're welcome
What an inspiring history and instrument!
Very good. Really enjoyed this.
Thanks Hawk!
Great video and thanks for the Black Corp mention! Now I want an MCS70😂. Love Automat
It's so incredible that the Automat album was all MCS70 - it's unreal.
Great video. Love it’s sounds
Thanks John
it's my favorite video of all time
Great work
Thanks so much!
Jean Michel Jarre thought a lot of it, thats what made me curious.
It's not quite the same, but that cascade at the very start immediately put me in mind of the PBS WGBH Boston Channel 2 1970s call sign/sting. The title of the video here on YT is "WGBH Boston/PBS (1971)" by Broken Saw. It's around 12 seconds in.
so 70s! I remember the SCTV logo splash had something similar as well. I loved it as a kid.
I wonder why Elka didn't put their badge on the first 50 units...? I have a Mk1 with no Elka badge, however it has the cutouts in the wood for the stand fixings. The previous (1st) owner's wife threw out the stand in the bin!
That's incredible you have one of the first 50. Wow! What a treasure.
I have an MK1 with no wood cutouts, but it does have an ELKA badge on the front. Interesting, maybe the badge on mine was added later?!?
@@SacSynths_Jack_Z Wow - probably. It must certainly be one of the first units built.
Just watched your great video on the mighty Synthex. One of my big synth regrets is not buying the one advertised in E&MM in the late 80’s which was in that last sell off batch. I did get an OSCar from the same magazine for I think £325 so I guess I can’t beat myself up too much. I did refurbish the OSCar last year and apart from the battery is still fully original and works perfectly.
I know - they literally couldn't get rid of them - I wish i had of known as well!
4:07 The Synthex has analog oscillators. But DCO. Digitally controlled analog oscillators. This video erroneously states the oscillators are digital. They are not. This may seem like a small distinction, but it’s absolutely not, as a digital oscillator is a completely different beast sonically (at least it was until Sequential started making digital oscillators you could dial in analog-style drift on). The PPG is widely considered to be the first digital-oscillator synth.
Thanks for this comment - I did mean DCO's, but yes this was a mistake. I'll try and edit the video today to clarify this. Thanks for pointing this out.
I just got one in the studio at synthesizer studio Berlin. Come by if you want to play it.
I will certainly hit you up if I'm in Berlin - thank you!
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams great
I haven’t been able to find one that I can get shipped to the United States for under $12 k. Just 4 years ago I had an offer for one fully serviced for $980. What has changed in the interest of Italian 80s analog equipment? Is it just considered cool suddenly and priced triple what they were 5 years ago? I’ve always really wanted a couple of the drum machine sequencers from Elia 1980s and having trouble finding them now. Procrastination is my biggest enemy apparently
Having owned for many years the thing that makes this synth special is the chorus and the 3rd setting to be precise, SO much better than the juno106 as you say in this video, the 106 is a pretty tame affair in comparison, this is more like a Solina ensemble triple bbd type but its tweaked to perfection and just make sounds seem to swim in a stream of chorus and detuning. Also you should add famous sounds to the end, I can't believe you didn't mention the most famous sound the Jarre laser harp sound!!!
The Laser Harp is incredible - I've seen him play it live on tour about 7 years ago. Yes for sure - I should have mentioned it in retrospect. Ok thanks for sharing these first hand comments - you are so lucky to have a Synthex!
Hi Johnny. As always a great video.
Please, what's the name of the background track that starts at 1:40?
Hey Gil - it's a song I wrote for the video. I'm going to most all my original songs for the videos shortly.
Mark Stanway of Magnum used the Synthex ALOT on the album "On a storytellers night". To my ears it sounds so much better then it's contemporaries.
Ok awesome - I heard about that and will check that album out for sure now.
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams Mark was a friend of mine and I helped with patch programming on that album
@@paulwiffen3847 Great to hear from you Paul. My absolute pleasure. The Magnum album is epic and so Synthex! It's great to hear about this detail and I'm sure you have so many stories.
Great video.
Thanks!
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams Welcome 🤝
The Blackberry of synths!
I miss the days when Jarre would get a new instrument, love it and build an album around it. Was the same with the D50 and Revolutions.
It has digitally controlled oscillators, not digital oscillators!
I know - sorry that was a error! It's what I meant though.
This is a dream synth of mine. This and a Voyetra 8 please
I owned a Synthex, I bought it purely because of Jean-Michel Jarre's Rendezvous and that awesome laser harp sound. I adored it for 10 years, but had to sell it. It was the most stupid decision I've ever made. I will always regret it until the day I die.
Never have regrets though! Glad you got to experience owning a Synthex. I'm sure the synth will have many many owners!
10:45 that's Peter Howell right?
It is - what a legend. And a fantastic shot of his Synthex next to a DX7. One era to another!
funny how they churned them out for under 1k at the end ...
Ulrich Schnauss still uses one of these..
Jean Michel Jarre used the Synthex to create the "Laser harp" sound
I know - so cool - I should have mentioned that! I saw him play it live about 8 years ago and it was incredible.
I have just sent this link to my friend... Mario Maggi!!
That is incredible. Please give him my humble and kindest regards!
Qui Firenze! Ho un Synthex del periodo di mezzo, senza Midi. Ha smesso di funzionare anni fa! Come potrei farlo riparare? Conosci qualcuno vicino a dove abito che potrebbe farlo?
I miei saluti al Maestro!!
@@littlebritain64 Hi There - where are you located - in Florence? I can suggest to you a tech in your area.
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams
Thanks for answering! Yes, not far from Florence, Pistoia town.
@@littlebritain64 I wonder if this tech would be able to handle it ? A bit of a drive but probably worth it. synth.ewancolsell.com/
Discrete components are transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc. An IC, integrated circuit, is not a discrete component.
I'd venture to guess Johhny is aware of this fact.
The most accurate phrase would probably be discrete logic rather than discrete components - but thankfully “rather than a CPU” makes the specific comparison very clear!
Right sorry my mistake - I meant discreet logic. My bad - but you get the idea - thanks for pointing that out.
@@johnnymorgansynthdreams I did get you knew the difference. It’s the hill I’m prepared to die on. It seems like we’re in a transition from the “actual meaning” to no Processing IC’s and/or synth specific IC’s (ie 3340), and I hate that.
@@PWMaarten totally my mistake but it;s super hard to edit the video once it's posted. I will pin this thread.
Just the name Synthex makes me want one 😅
Not digital oscillators, they are analog by looking at the schematics . Controlled digitally tough.
Best name would be DCAO 🥳
At 5:37 what organ is that? I don't recognize it...
That is is the Elka Concord 902. What a machine - it looks incredible
If there is one synth Behringer has to clone, it's the Synthex...
i hear they have one in the works but it'll probably take years
Italian monster synth
欲しい❤
FRONT 242!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🥹👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Unreliable synth. Mostly broken again and again.
I bought one in 1987 with midi.
I repaired one broken voice with a new voice bought from Lem benelux. The Synthex was never popular those days. I sold it for 250 Dutch guilders because it was broken again. After 10 calls of interested people i realize it was popular to buy in the 90's because Trance music was invented. There was no Internet those days. It is my life trauma that i sold it with a lot regret.
I know - before ebay and the internet I've heard so many stories like this. But yes - with so many parts I'm sure every Synthex needs a good tech. I just put over 1K into my Jupiter-8 - it costs a lot to keep these instruments in good running condition.
Okay. Now I know why. In my over 50 years of recording. I've never heard of this contraption? And now I know why.
With its over 1000, integrated circuit chips, within. Of that vintage. That is an awful lot of integrated circuit chips on circuit boards lined up inside. Virtually impossible to repair. To find the one bad chip. When they go down. And down they went. From excess heat. Because nobody wanted to hear the fan. And they would typically disconnect them.
And so this is a failed cockamamie piece of crap. With over 1000 integrated circuit shifts inside. And when you consider those integrated circuit chips. Cost about $10 each back then. How many would 1000 cost? My math is not good but? That was a Sympathizer, not worth owning. For most. It probably cost more than a ARP 2500 Console? And so never really worth, owning. No matter how incredible it was! Because 1000 integrated circuit shifts is beyond Stupid! Beyond,, Electricity Gobbling. No need for microwave ovens anymore. It will warm your food directly. Installed on top. And the fruit you can dehydrate and dry, at the back. It's a very versatile synthesizer. And able to do hydrate food stuffs. Who wouldn't want one? But maybe only if you have a, Lactose Intolerance? As I do.
This was a very informative UA-cam video. About the best and most unknown, Sympathizer. That has ever, existed and regurgitated. It's one everybody is going to want. From their nearest Goodwill stores. If, they don't throw them out before you? As likely. None of those 1000 integrated circuit chips are made, available or have retrofits for? Oh well? After the first one goes. That'll be it. It's dead.
And that's why they are trying to sell, their overstock, here. In hopes you might relieve them of their, terrible financial losses?
My stomach muscles are hurting LOL.
RemyRAD
Your accent is a mystery: you sound American, and yet pronounce "Zed-80" and "Mario" the British way
Canadian - West Coast - good sluthing!
boring
The ELKA SYNTHEX is in my opinion the most versatile and best sounding analog polyphonic synthesizer ever built. Listen to Jean-Michel Jarre's albums Rendez-Vous, Revolutions and Waiting For Cousteau if you want to listen to the magic sound of the Elka Synthex.
A $1000 bucks? I sure wish I had seen this back when I spent $1100 on a Micromoog. alas,Haha. 😜🎶🎹🎶Play On
Me as well!
My father is an old friend of Mario Maggi. They worked togheter for many years, he also designed the panel of the Synthex!