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Vintage synth tidbit

Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-11 by zappatx

On the synth yahoogroup I started a big discussion on the "Dream
Weaver" song from 75 (the last song in the world I thought anyone
would take seriously). The attached message below he mentions the
Solina String Ensemble. (was used in the song) I was just wondering
if anyone here has seen one of these or it's equivalent ARP String
Section? I want one of those babys!
Ches M400 #997


I see that it has been answered a few times now,
it was definitely a Solina String Ensemble.
I picked one up very cheap a few years ago, it was
one of the last batches (led in switch) and it came
with the original flightcase. Solina's were made
in my neighborhood town just about 10km away.
Lately I've seen a midi kit for it and I'm wondering
if I will get it. Don't want to mess up the machine.
I doubt it can be reproduced on any synth...I know a
few people who did it on a Nord Modular but it didn't
come close (to my ears anyway).

Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by ceccles_ca

--- In Mellotronists@y..., "zappatx" <mellotron@s...> wrote:

"...Solina String Ensemble..."
This is an ARP synth. Everybody and his dog had one in the late
70's. The Cure and Elton John used them alot. It has about 12
factory presets. (cello, brass, strings, horns, trumpets, viola plus
combinations). Some of the string combinations are nice, but most of
the others are crap. I would guess that most people would set it up
for high strings and never change it. I rented one in the mid 80's.
It didn't give me a hard on or any goose bumps, so I sent it back.

Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by Joachim Verghese

On Fri, 12 Jul 2002, ceccles_ca wrote:

> "...Solina String Ensemble..."
> This is an ARP synth. Everybody and his dog had one in the late
> 70's.

Yes, but not to be confused with the even more successful
Omni and Omni-2. I believe the Solina was designed and
manufactured by Dutch company Eminent, then rebadged by ARP
for the American market.

> I rented one in the mid 80's. It didn't give me a hard on or any
> goose bumps, so I sent it back.

I actually prefer the silky sound of the Solina to the buzzier
Omnis, but IMO string synths sound best when mixed with samples
of real strings -- like Genesis did on The Lamb.. (Elka Rhapsody
plus Three Violins), for example.

Speaking of string synths, there's a very interesting article
about the Roland RS-202 in the current issue of Sound-On-Sound
magazine (http://www.sospubs.co.uk/). Apparently the RS-202 was
blatantly copied by another Japanese manufacturer, and sold
under the name of Multivox MX202 -- quite a remarkable story.

Now, I'd like to see an equally in-depth article on the odd
machine known as SLM Concert Spectrum, thanks! (hint, hint :-)

-joachim

Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by Gordon Reid

>Now, I'd like to see an equally in-depth article on the odd
>machine known as SLM Concert Spectrum, thanks! (hint, hint :-)

I would need to own one for a while.

(hint, hint :-)

Gordon.

Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by Colin G Crawford

>--- In Mellotronists@y..., "zappatx" <mellotron@s...> wrote:
>
>"...Solina String Ensemble..."
>This is an ARP synth. Everybody and his dog had one in the late
>70's. The Cure and Elton John used them alot. It has about 12
>factory presets. (cello, brass, strings, horns, trumpets, viola plus
>combinations). Some of the string combinations are nice, but most of
>the others are crap. I would guess that most people would set it up
>for high strings and never change it. I rented one in the mid 80's.
>It didn't give me a hard on or any goose bumps, so I sent it back.


Quite Right Too!

The Sundae Club archive contains an ARP "Quartet" which is quite literally
falling to pieces. A most convincing Solina noise can be coaxed out of it,
but much else is inaccessible owing to the self-destruction of the slider
controls. Otherwise, a truly dreadful bit of kit.

The latest addition to the above is a mint 1963 Hammond L100!

CfN!!

CC

http://www.s-club.co.uk

Pics viewable on
http://www,.technostalgia.org

Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by kinchmusic@aol.com

You guys in the States don't know how lucky you are having such a diversity
of Radio stations. You'd never get Yes or any other Prog band for that matter
played here in the UK in a month of Sundays!
We were talking earlier about the Roland JV vintage card. Apart from some
pretty decent Tron samples, it also has a Solina pre-set which I'm happy to
report is just as crass as the real thing!
Does anyone remember "Time and Tide" by Greenslade? 3 Instruments only.
Heavily Chorused Fender Rhodes bass. Tracked 3 violins. And what I presume is
Mk2 Brass.-Mellotron Heaven!
Andy K

Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by JS

> Does anyone remember "Time and Tide" by Greenslade? 3 Instruments only.
> Heavily Chorused Fender Rhodes bass. Tracked 3 violins. And what I presume
is
> Mk2 Brass.-Mellotron Heaven!
> Andy K



And a Roger Dean cover, if I recall correctly!

Re: analog stringers - I've noticed that most of them, except the Freeman
unit, had a very characteristic and repetitive chorusing pattern giving the
sounds a very looped effect except that it doesn't speed up and slow down as
you ascend and descend the keyboard. I have tried to emulate that with LFO
and vibrato speed control on a couple of patches based on my old Crumar
Orchestrator and have come close to the feel, but it's obvious all of those
old stringer manufacturers were using the same chorusing circuit to create
the randomness of string pads with simple sawtooth waves as a starting
point.

Hold a note down and you'll hear what I mean.

And I'd still like to get one of the earlier ARP String Ensembles, just to
have that syrupy sweet string pad occasionally, and I'd be happy to commit
illegal acts for a Freeman.

Jon E Salley
MiloJohnson@...
M400 #886

Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by MSB

Artwork was by Patrick Woodruff, I do believe.........

MSB

----- Original Message -----
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: "JS" <jonesalley@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit


> > Does anyone remember "Time and Tide" by Greenslade?
> > Andy K
>
>
>
> And a Roger Dean cover, if I recall correctly!
>
> Jon E Salley
> MiloJohnson@...
> M400 #886
>

Re: [Mellotronists] Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-14 by fdoddy@aol.com

In a message dated 07/14/2002 12:06:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kinchmusic@... writes:


Show quoted textHide quoted text
Me, I've always found the oscillators on Korg synths weedy in the extreme.
The worst example of which, was when I went to see Rick Wakeman in concert a
few years back.


Other than his use of mellotron and moog, his modern synth sounds are kinda crappy to my ear. I love the keyboardist in Rammstein! His sounds vary from small and dweeby to soaring and tronlike. He also is a hoot to see live. Now there's a band who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has more under the surface than one thinks.

Fritz m400#1697