[sdiy] Holy price tags, Batman!

[Grant Richter]

> Actually they sound sort of tinkly. Great for sound effects and processing,
> but it's next to impossible to get the oscillators on a VCS3 to track for
> more than a couple of octaves if you're lucky.

The original oscillators did not use matched pairs or tempcos. You can refit
LM394Hs in the metal can and Q81 type tempcos. This helps a lot in the
oscillator department. Not too hard to do either (finding the parts is
harder than the actual job).

See Graham Hintons page at:

http://www.hinton.demon.co.uk/ems/emsmods.html

Space rock was pretty much invented on VCS3s and Synthis, although an Arp
Odyssey and Echoplex combination make a fair substitute. Or an Arp 2600, any
synthesizer with enough resources that you don't need a keyboard. It's more
a matter of playing technique than the actual instrument.

One thing about the EMS instruments, is they can be rather shrill. Doug
Walker is said to make eardrum stigmata appear miraculously on audience and
band members using only a VCS3 :^)