The EMS Synthi 100
This page is concerned with
electronic music from synthesisers which I designed.
I was once employed by a company known as 'Datanomics' based at
Westminster Road, Wareham. This was one of a group of companies brought
together by
the entrepeneur Richard Howling.
Richard had acquired the synthesiser manufacturing company known as EMS
and during my time with the company, I was responsible for the
following:
1) The re-design of the huge EMS Synthi 100 (See picture above)
This is still in service in Spain and
restored to working order.
2) The design of a new synthesiser known as the 'Datasynth'
3) The design of a polyphonic synthesiser known as the 'Synthi
Underground' (I still have the prototype). See pictures below:
These two pictures show the addition of a later sequencer/recorder.
Note that the EMS division was later
bought by Robin Wood, who still runs the company from Cornwall.
I include here some audio recordings from both the Datasynth and the
Synthi Underground.
Firstly, two items from the Datasynth - these are not musical, unless
you describe the sound as 'music concrete', but they do give an idea of
the sequencer capability
and the filters, modulators, etc. These tracks were recorded in
real-time, with no multi-tracking.
Rocking example
Various sounds/rythms
Here are some musical tracks which I produced using the Synth
Underground (polyphonic) synthesiser. Please forgive my hesitant
playing, I have never mastered keyboards...
Love is the
sweetest thing Return to me
Knights (nights)? in white
satin
In recent times, I have delved into the realm of digital sampling and
have been playing around with a wonderful application called Mixcraft
which enables playing of any instrument (including drums) from a little
MIDI keyboard. Below are links to a couple of examples which I cobbled
together:
Goodnight Sweetheart
Caravan Country road Chatanooga choo choo Chanson
A fine romance
Knock knock Both sides now
Shadow of
your smile The Breeze & I
Finally, some tunes which I
wrote:
Annes The Dairy
barn quickstep Hayward's
lament
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