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Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by Tony Moffett

How about the Freeman string symphonizer? Anyone remember, own or use one? I fixed a few and for it's time (already had my Mellotron too), the sound was interesting. IMHO it far out did the ARP string ensemble, but was substantially larger like something else we cherish.

Tony

#510

----- Original Message -----
From: Gordon Reid

To: Joachim Verghese ; Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:33 AM

Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

>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.

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Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by Mark Glinsky

At 10:56 AM 7/12/2002 -0400, Tony Moffett wrote:

>How about the Freeman string symphonizer? Anyone remember, own or use one?
>I fixed a few and for it's time (already had my Mellotron too), the sound
>was interesting. IMHO it far out did the ARP string ensemble, but was
>substantially larger like something else we cherish.

I have two Freemans, that I was going to make into a double unit, but now I
think I'll
just sample them.

I always liked the Freeman much more than the Solinas, ARPs and especially the
Omni (IMO one of the worst keyboards ever made), and bought my first Freeman
new in 1978. The Freeman weighs 77 pounds, so it was a handful, but the
package was well designed for setting up quickly, and it's a great
instrument to
stack others on.

Wish I could track down one of Ken Freeman's original prototype units (or the
prototype unit, since he kept cannabalizing one unit to make the next), but
I don't
think it exists. As a matter of fact, I own Ken Freeman's old Korg M1
module &
sound cards, and tried to find if he remembered any of his old modifications
for the Freeman circuitry (as well as the Yamaha CS-80 unison modification
mentioned in Peter Forrest's A-Z Synth book), but apparently they're lost
in the mists of time.

---------------------------------------------------------
Mark S. Glinsky - Arlington, TX
Email - glinskym@...
http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
"Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
---------------------------------------------------------

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by sdavmor

Tony Moffett wrote:

> How about the Freeman string symphonizer? Anyone remember, own or use
> one? I fixed a few and for it's time (already had my Mellotron too), the
> sound was interesting. IMHO it far out did the ARP string ensemble, but
> was substantially larger like something else we cherish.
>
> Tony
> #510

Way back when, in the *good old days* when you could actually hear prog on
California FM radio in the middle of the afternoon, I was in a band that
pooled it's $$$ to buy a Micro-moog, a Rhodes 73 and an ARP Omni. Of
course we were always looking to upgrade equipment any way we could -- my
first bass was a 67 Gibson EBO for $20 + some Thai Stick...and I got to
smoke the Thai Stick, so I made out like a bandit. My first guitar was a
63 Mosrite with spectacular sunburst finish. I traded 75 LPs for it,
keeping my fingers crossed that its owner didn't want my Crimson, Yes,
Genesis, PFM, Banco, etc..... he didn't, so I dodged a bullet there :-)

I look back and realize we were pretty damn lucky to have acquired those
keyboards. We got them second hand -- real cheap -- through ads in "The
Reader" IIRC, and they were all in good working order. I wish I had them
now! Of course, now I have Greg Amov with a Roland XP-30 + a zillion
plugins, Mike Dickson with an M400 + monster frames, and more horspower
than God on my desktop music workstation, so it's still *all good*, just
in a different way :-)
--
Cheers,
SDM -- a 21st century schizoid Alan Parsons
www.systemstheory.net
www.thecleanersystem.com

Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by JS

Do you accept "outside jobs?"

Jon E Salley
MiloJohnson@...
M400 #886

> Know what you mean. I had a wife like that once. Mind you, I didn't send
> her back but they'll never find the body.

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by fdoddy@aol.com

SDM wrote:

Way back when, in the *good old days* when you could actually hear prog on
California FM radio in the middle of the afternoon,

All I can say is "XM radio". Here in the lower 48, XM(sattelite) radio kicks total ass! Album sides, obscure Yes , even more obscure Kayak (remember them?), new stuff old stuff, whatever! I put XM radio in my wifes car because she's on the road 20 hours/week. I can't wait to put it my vehicle. The revolution is in geostationary orbit.

Fritz

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-12 by ferrograph@aol.com

<< my first bass was a 67 Gibson EBO for $20 + some Thai Stick...and I got
to smoke the Thai Stick, so I made out like a bandit. My first guitar was a
63 Mosrite with spectacular sunburst finish. >>

never mind the keyboards, you got lucky with the guitars!

duncan/74 rick 4001, 71 fender jazz, 74 precision, 82 jv precision, 82 ibanez
musician, 95 rick 4003-5, 96 strat, 85 rick 620-12, 91 tele thinline, 59
hofner senator, 82 dynacord bs412 head, 71 orange 120 head, ashdown 4x10 and
many stompboxes. and some keyboards.... including a crumar string synth I
bought from martin. grungey but marvellous.

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Paul Tillotson

My basses perhaps reflect a misspent youth:
74 rick 4001, 75 fender jazz, 78? Hamer 8 string bought stripped and
bizarrely chopped by expert demented woodworker- I had it painted and
outfitted with Alembic pickups and tone filters, Early Chapman Stick , mid
era Chapman Stick, early Steinberger fretless, yet another rick 4001 much
too lazy to investigate it's age now, newish12 String Hamer bass, custom 8
string fretless, custom 8 string fretted, custom 5 string, hilarious Aria
whammy bass in a tasteful metalic sparkle green finish with nice bartolinis
and resonant active tone filters, 2 guild ashbury basses, several 4 string
fretlesses { I was big on Warmoth garage sales so I ended up with lots of
custom stuff }, rick 370 mcguinn 12 string, 74 gibson sg, 30s oahu lapsteel,
keyboards, drum machines, stuff. I did sell a guitar today.
Paul T M400 #1226

----- Original Message -----
From: <ferrograph@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 1:52 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

> << my first bass was a 67 Gibson EBO for $20 + some Thai Stick...and I
got
> to smoke the Thai Stick, so I made out like a bandit. My first guitar was
a
> 63 Mosrite with spectacular sunburst finish. >>
>
> never mind the keyboards, you got lucky with the guitars!
>
> duncan/74 rick 4001, 71 fender jazz, 74 precision, 82 jv precision, 82
ibanez
> musician, 95 rick 4003-5, 96 strat, 85 rick 620-12, 91 tele thinline, 59
> hofner senator, 82 dynacord bs412 head, 71 orange 120 head, ashdown 4x10
and
> many stompboxes. and some keyboards.... including a crumar string synth I
> bought from martin. grungey but marvellous.
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Pomeroy Ranch

I always liked my Crumar Orchestrator. The strings were clean and adjustable
enough and you could always blend in the brass for a little bottom to them.......

Vance....now I have my Synergy for non-tape string (and other) sounds

Mark Glinsky wrote:

> At 10:56 AM 7/12/2002 -0400, Tony Moffett wrote:
> >How about the Freeman string symphonizer? Anyone remember, own or use one?
> >I fixed a few and for it's time (already had my Mellotron too), the sound
> >was interesting. IMHO it far out did the ARP string ensemble, but was
> >substantially larger like something else we cherish.
>
> I have two Freemans, that I was going to make into a double unit, but now I
> think I'll
> just sample them.
>
> I always liked the Freeman much more than the Solinas, ARPs and especially the
> Omni (IMO one of the worst keyboards ever made), and bought my first Freeman
> new in 1978. The Freeman weighs 77 pounds, so it was a handful, but the
> package was well designed for setting up quickly, and it's a great
> instrument to
> stack others on.
>
> Wish I could track down one of Ken Freeman's original prototype units (or the
> prototype unit, since he kept cannabalizing one unit to make the next), but
> I don't
> think it exists. As a matter of fact, I own Ken Freeman's old Korg M1
> module &
> sound cards, and tried to find if he remembered any of his old modifications
> for the Freeman circuitry (as well as the Yamaha CS-80 unison modification
> mentioned in Peter Forrest's A-Z Synth book), but apparently they're lost
> in the mists of time.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Mark S. Glinsky - Arlington, TX
> Email - glinskym@...
> http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
> "Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Pomeroy Ranch

sdavmor wrote:

>
> My first guitar was a
> 63 Mosrite with spectacular sunburst finish.
>

My first electric was also a Mosrite....a 12 string Ventures model for
$75.....long gone, but it put me on the path to becoming a bit of a Mosrite
collector. Many have come and gone thru the years - but I still have a 1970
350 in pristine shape including original strings, 1976 Brass Rail, a Fuzzrite
stomp box and a Mosrite amp along with gobs of other ephemera....

Oh we tron/chamby folks are into a lot of other weird stuff besides, aren't
we? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Vance....pulling out his old Adrian Gurvitz records...again

SV: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Ivens de Carvalho

Yup! I have no less than 4 of their albums.

Frank

Album sides, obscure Yes , even more obscure Kayak (remember them?)

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Rick Blechta

ferrograph@... wrote:

... including a crumar string synth I
bought from martin. grungey but marvellous.

Yes, I've always felt the same way about Martin. Glad that we agree...
Rick SFX 10030

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Mark Glinsky

At 10:09 PM 7/12/2002 -0700, Pomeroy Ranch wrote:

>I always liked my Crumar Orchestrator. The strings were clean and adjustable
>enough and you could always blend in the brass for a little bottom to
>them.......
>
>Vance....now I have my Synergy for non-tape string (and other) sounds

Another black horse contender that really surprised me was the Korg Trident
(I have the Mk.II). I had never played one, and bought one on a lark.
Was very surprised at how good it is for string sounds, and massed string
and brass sounds. A real keeper.

---------------------------------------------------------
Mark S. Glinsky - Arlington, TX
Email - glinskym@...
http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
"Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
---------------------------------------------------------

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by Mark Glinsky

At 10:20 PM 7/12/2002 -0700, Pomeroy Ranch wrote:

>My first electric was also a Mosrite....a 12 string Ventures model for
>$75.....long gone, but it put me on the path to becoming a bit of a Mosrite
>collector. Many have come and gone thru the years - but I still have a 1970
>350 in pristine shape including original strings, 1976 Brass Rail, a Fuzzrite
>stomp box and a Mosrite amp along with gobs of other ephemera....

Makes me ill to think that back around 1976 somehow I came into possession
of a Mosrite 6/12 DOUBLENECK ! I got rid of it to get an Ibanez doubleneck
(the SG type, not the Artist) in 1978, and the Ibanez was one of the worst
guitars I've ever had. Absolutely impossible to keep the 12-neck in tune.

When I see what Mosrite doublenecks go for now, I'm physically ill...

---------------------------------------------------------
Mark S. Glinsky - Arlington, TX
Email - glinskym@...
http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
"Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
---------------------------------------------------------

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-13 by JS

Had two Orchestrators at different times, did amazing things with them and
only got rid of them because they got used so much they literally fell apart
(!) Always wanted a Trident, never have been able to be in the right place
at the right time...

Jon E Salley
MiloJohnson@...
M400 #886

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Glinsky" <glinskym@...>
To: "Pomeroy Ranch" <punchbowl4@...>;
<Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

> At 10:09 PM 7/12/2002 -0700, Pomeroy Ranch wrote:
> >I always liked my Crumar Orchestrator. The strings were clean and
adjustable
> >enough and you could always blend in the brass for a little bottom to
> >them.......
> >
> >Vance....now I have my Synergy for non-tape string (and other) sounds
>
>
> Another black horse contender that really surprised me was the Korg
Trident
> (I have the Mk.II). I had never played one, and bought one on a lark.
> Was very surprised at how good it is for string sounds, and massed string
> and brass sounds. A real keeper.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Mark S. Glinsky - Arlington, TX
> Email - glinskym@...
> http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
> "Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-14 by fdoddy@aol.com

In a message dated 07/13/2002 5:26:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, glinskym@... writes:

Another black horse contender that really surprised me was the Korg Trident
(I have the Mk.II). I had never played one, and bought one on a lark.
Was very surprised at how good it is for string sounds, and massed string
and brass sounds. A real keeper.

Here here! The Trident is great sounding machine and built like a truck. Personally, I would love to come across a Mono/Poly, very quirky with a killer arp.

Fritz

Re: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-14 by NormLeete@aol.com

In a message dated 14/07/02 16:11:13 GMT Daylight Time, fdoddy@... writes:

Personally, I would love to come across a Mono/Poly, very quirky with a killer arp.

Fritz (et al)

Investigate the Korg MS2000, although current has more than a whiff of older Korg synths such as the MonoPoly...

All the best.
Norm

Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-15 by ceccles_ca

--- In Mellotronists@y..., NormLeete@a... wrote:

Investigate the Korg MS2000, although current has more than a whiff
of older Korg synths such as the MonoPoly...

The Korg MS2000 is not built like a truck, but it is $750 USD. The
arpeggiator is good. Definitely the most KNOBS for the money. It's
digital (analogue modeling) but it sounds fine to my ears. Oh yea..
a built in vocoder with line in too...(for that special Alan Parsons
moment).

Clay

Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

2002-07-15 by JS

I also recently acquired a RedSound DarkStar Analog Modeling Synthesizer
Module as a product close-out for $200.00. It's an interesting little
module, 8-voices and very deep programming-wise, especially for the price I
paid. It has a vocoder retrofit available, but I just got it for analog
type sounds. It has poly portamento, and some other interesting features.
The filters are a bit steep and "techno" oriented for my tastes, but with
careful programming and judicious EQ it's a real standout in bang for the
buck!

Jon E Salley
MiloJohnson@...
M400 #886

----- Original Message -----
From: "ceccles_ca" <clay123@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 10:52 PM
Subject: Fw: [Mellotronists] Re: Vintage synth tidbit

> --- In Mellotronists@y..., NormLeete@a... wrote:
>
> Investigate the Korg MS2000, although current has more than a whiff
> of older Korg synths such as the MonoPoly...
>
> The Korg MS2000 is not built like a truck, but it is $750 USD. The
> arpeggiator is good. Definitely the most KNOBS for the money. It's
> digital (analogue modeling) but it sounds fine to my ears. Oh yea..
> a built in vocoder with line in too...(for that special Alan Parsons
> moment).
>
> Clay
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>