Eml synthesizers

For me, the role that the EMS500 played in the Devo Sound was enough 
for me.  

EMS synths are a whole different experience. They are wonderfully 
made and you can see where the money is.  But, there is a reason why 
you don't hear many lead lines on PF albums until the late 
seventies.  Keeping a EMS in tune AND intonated is the hardest of 
any analog synth I have ever used.  Moogs, Arps and OB FVS are all 
much easier to use.

They are great for sound effects and as a filter processor, but they 
are a real challenge as a lead instrument.  My hats off to Eno, 
Rundgren and others, but only with a Kenton Midi to CV controller 
have I been able to use my VCS3 MKI melodically.


--- In emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "nicholas_kent" 
<nicholas_kent@y...> wrote:
> 
> > >
> > >While it's possible to drive samples somehow, it's incredibly
> > >improbable someone would use a Control Voltage based
> > >sequencer to conntrol samples. Let alone risk doing so 
> reliably
> > >in a live context.
> > >
> > >Also wouldn't you think EML would have used the fact PF 
> used
> > >their gear for their marketing somewhere sometime if it was
> > >used on any kind of regular basis?
> > >
> > >There just has to be more of a mistake than just the sampling
> > >one. Like that gear belongs to an openning act, or someone
> > >thought that pic was cool, kept it and then years later guessed
> > >it came from a PF gig.
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > I was just trying to conjure up some idea of a way the 
> sequencer could 
> > conceivably be used in conjunction with samples. But it's really 
> of another 
> > era, there would be better ways. Have to doubt that caption.
> 
> Yes, it's something an experimenter might think about, it's not 
> beyond possibility but really no one does that sort of thing on a 
> commercial tour.
> 
> > 
> > I'm skeptical that PF ever used that gear, but I wouldn't be 
> surprized to 
> > learn that they did , Even if they just tried it out. I seem to 
recall 
> > reading that Frank Zappa played around with a 101 too but the 
> company never 
> > capitalized on that either. (Altho my recollection is that Zappa 
> wasn't 
> > very complimentary of it....)
> 
> Well thats sort off why. Also now that I think about it if someone 
> on the artist's side thinks it looks like an endorsement they 
might  
> demand something in return. On the other hand if someone 
> uses visible gear live word does get out. 
> 
> Which of course brings up that for example Zappa was a well 
> known Emu user . EMS use is well documented in the 70s. (Pink 
> Floyd, Eno, Schulze, Jarre, etc.). 
> 
> What other pre-1990s users of EML were there who are well 
> documented ? The only ones I ever hear are Pere Ubu and Devo. 
> Why, if it's true that it wasn't known PF were using them before 
> that site.