eml synthesizers

Hello Everyone,

First: hello I am an EML-101 owner, #521. When I was a teenager about 22 years ago my
father worked at Fariey Discinson University. They closed the music department and he
brought home an EML-101 and gave it to me as a gift. I've had it ever since. You can see a
few photos of it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506619867/in/set-
72157602306848059/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506606903/in/set-
72157602306848059/

I also own a Kenton Pro-2000. I have never been able to control control the EML-101 via
Midi with the Kenton. Is it possible? I have read mixed things online.

If it is possible can someone walk me through the exact steps on how to do it? What
settings do I use on the Pro-2000, what patch cords do I put where and finally where
should the knobs on the EML-101 be?

I've tried numerous hair pulling sessions over the years trying to get it to work. I have a
memory of it actually working once but maybe I was dreaming?

Big thanks for any advice!
- Oliver Chesler

Hi Oliver,

Did you see my recent post asking more-or-less the same thing (I
wanted to connect a sequencer, but the issues are the same)? The
problem is that the control inputs at the top left can only control
two oscilators (apart from the 1.2v/octave scaling issue). The best
suggestion I've read for controlling the 101 properly from an external
source is to use the keyboard socket, but no one has responded with
information on how to do this & I'm not technical enough to be able to
work it out.

Matt


2008/5/13 oliverchesler <oliverchesler@...>:

>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> First: hello I am an EML-101 owner, #521. When I was a teenager about 22
> years ago my
> father worked at Fariey Discinson University. They closed the music
> department and he
> brought home an EML-101 and gave it to me as a gift. I've had it ever
> since. You can see a
> few photos of it here:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506619867/in/set-
> 72157602306848059/
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506606903/in/set-
> 72157602306848059/
>
> I also own a Kenton Pro-2000. I have never been able to control control the
> EML-101 via
> Midi with the Kenton. Is it possible? I have read mixed things online.
>
> If it is possible can someone walk me through the exact steps on how to do
> it? What
> settings do I use on the Pro-2000, what patch cords do I put where and
> finally where
> should the knobs on the EML-101 be?
>
> I've tried numerous hair pulling sessions over the years trying to get it
> to work. I have a
> memory of it actually working once but maybe I was dreaming?
>
> Big thanks for any advice!
> - Oliver Chesler
>
>

Hi Matt,

Yeah I noticed your post. I thought for some reason it was possible with the Kenton Pro-
2000... maybe its not? Hmmm.

--- In emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Fretton" <matt.fretton@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Oliver,
>
> Did you see my recent post asking more-or-less the same thing (I
> wanted to connect a sequencer, but the issues are the same)? The
> problem is that the control inputs at the top left can only control
> two oscilators (apart from the 1.2v/octave scaling issue). The best
> suggestion I've read for controlling the 101 properly from an external
> source is to use the keyboard socket, but no one has responded with
> information on how to do this & I'm not technical enough to be able to
> work it out.
>
> Matt
>
>
> 2008/5/13 oliverchesler <oliverchesler@...>:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello Everyone,
> >
> > First: hello I am an EML-101 owner, #521. When I was a teenager about 22
> > years ago my
> > father worked at Fariey Discinson University. They closed the music
> > department and he
> > brought home an EML-101 and gave it to me as a gift. I've had it ever
> > since. You can see a
> > few photos of it here:
> >
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506619867/in/set-
> > 72157602306848059/
> >
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506606903/in/set-
> > 72157602306848059/
> >
> > I also own a Kenton Pro-2000. I have never been able to control control the
> > EML-101 via
> > Midi with the Kenton. Is it possible? I have read mixed things online.
> >
> > If it is possible can someone walk me through the exact steps on how to do
> > it? What
> > settings do I use on the Pro-2000, what patch cords do I put where and
> > finally where
> > should the knobs on the EML-101 be?
> >
> > I've tried numerous hair pulling sessions over the years trying to get it
> > to work. I have a
> > memory of it actually working once but maybe I was dreaming?
> >
> > Big thanks for any advice!
> > - Oliver Chesler
> >
> >
>

Hi Oliver,

I wish I knew if it was possible, but everything I've read seems to
say it's not. I'm sure that someone out there knows how to use the
keyboard connection for MIDI or CV/Gate sequencer control (Dave
Cornutt mentions it as a possibility on his EML-101 page:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~cornutt/Music/Web%20Page/EML.html)

Matt

2008/5/13 oliverchesler <oliverchesler@...>:

>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Matt,
>
> Yeah I noticed your post. I thought for some reason it was possible with
> the Kenton Pro-
> 2000... maybe its not? Hmmm.
>
>
> --- In emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Fretton" <matt.fretton@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Oliver,
> >
> > Did you see my recent post asking more-or-less the same thing (I
> > wanted to connect a sequencer, but the issues are the same)? The
> > problem is that the control inputs at the top left can only control
> > two oscilators (apart from the 1.2v/octave scaling issue). The best
> > suggestion I've read for controlling the 101 properly from an external
> > source is to use the keyboard socket, but no one has responded with
> > information on how to do this & I'm not technical enough to be able to
> > work it out.
> >
> > Matt
> >
> >
> > 2008/5/13 oliverchesler <oliverchesler@...>:
>
>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello Everyone,
> > >
> > > First: hello I am an EML-101 owner, #521. When I was a teenager about
> 22
> > > years ago my
> > > father worked at Fariey Discinson University. They closed the music
> > > department and he
> > > brought home an EML-101 and gave it to me as a gift. I've had it ever
> > > since. You can see a
> > > few photos of it here:
> > >
> > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506619867/in/set-
> > > 72157602306848059/
> > >
> > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/thingstocomerecords/1506606903/in/set-
> > > 72157602306848059/
> > >
> > > I also own a Kenton Pro-2000. I have never been able to control control
> the
> > > EML-101 via
> > > Midi with the Kenton. Is it possible? I have read mixed things online.
> > >
> > > If it is possible can someone walk me through the exact steps on how to
> do
> > > it? What
> > > settings do I use on the Pro-2000, what patch cords do I put where and
> > > finally where
> > > should the knobs on the EML-101 be?
> > >
> > > I've tried numerous hair pulling sessions over the years trying to get
> it
> > > to work. I have a
> > > memory of it actually working once but maybe I was dreaming?
> > >
> > > Big thanks for any advice!
> > > - Oliver Chesler
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>

I was at Analog Haven once talking to a guy about how he did it. He said that it doesn't really scale at 1.2 v/oct. What he did was set up a filter / multiplier in Logic so that Logic spits out a scaled version of the note he is playing. Lets say you are playing C and to get that note on the EML you have to multiply the MIDI note by X for proper scaling. I would think there's some sort of calibration in the Kenton you could adjust for the same results. Not sure if that made sense... Maybe email Kentons support?

The Kenton Pro-2000 will do some voltage adjustments. Here's my question. Assuming I can
set up the Pro-2000s parameters where do you guy think I should be plugging cables in
between the 101 and 2000? Maybe I am messing that part up somehow.

--- In emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "sascha victoria" <sascha.victoria@...> wrote:
>
> I was at Analog Haven once talking to a guy about how he did it. He said
> that it doesn't really scale at 1.2 v/oct. What he did was set up a filter /
> multiplier in Logic so that Logic spits out a scaled version of the note he
> is playing. Lets say you are playing C and to get that note on the EML you
> have to multiply the MIDI note by X for proper scaling. I would think
> there's some sort of calibration in the Kenton you could adjust for the same
> results. Not sure if that made sense... Maybe email Kentons support?
>

There are really 2 more or less separate things to deal with.

First, obviously to plug it in, the 101 seems to have had a number of changes during it's
lifespan. On mine I found 1/4" jacks at the top for SEQ IN and one of the EGs in. Even if
you don't have the scaling worked out yet you can see i you can trigger and what you can
change the pitch to. I need to revisit trying to connect mine, but my initial solution for my
101 was to unscrew the keyboard connector enough to attach alligator clips to the pins. I
figured out which pin did what by using a voltmeter and playing the keyboard.

I had 2 different Kenton MIDI to CV converters at the time, though not the 2000. They did
not scale to the full 120% of 1v/oct needed to achieve 1.2v/oct.. In my mind the best
known and most favored solution is to take a mixer module made by someone else,
attach a Y cable to the kenton or use a multiple and send the Kenton voltage to 2 DC
voltage compatible mixer channels. You'd turn the first channel all the way open - so that
means 100% comes out of the mixer as typical mixer modules never amplify. Then start at
around 20% on the second channel and adjust it until it scales. I was using a Doepfer A-
138a module. It needs to be powered and go in a rack, but the module itself cost me
under $20 used. Current U.S. retail is $80.

When using the keyboard connector I found that the gate signal causes the 101 to hold
the voltage. It probably has to do with the duophony, which seems to be controlled by an
offset voltage so if you only play 1 note both duophonic channels track the same thing?
Anyway the upshot is I started adjusting the scale and didn't hear anything then I'd play a
key again and get something completely different, because I was expecting to hear the
change in the voltage I was manually making "live". Anyway once I figured out I had to
keep hitting a key to hear a change I got the hang of it.

Another suggestion is just to scale for an octave or 2 on the keyboard playing an octave of
pitch and at first don't worry that your C isn't playing a C just as long as a the pitch from
one octave to the next really is an octave. Once it is it's easy to make the C into a C with
the vco tuning on the synth.

Anyway I did get the 101 to play correctly pitched from MIDI with all the VCOs and EGs
going. For what it's worth I didn't attempt to control the duophony.

--- In emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "oliverchesler" <oliverchesler@...> wrote:
>
> The Kenton Pro-2000 will do some voltage adjustments. Here's my question. Assuming I
can
> set up the Pro-2000s parameters where do you guy think I should be plugging cables
in
> between the 101 and 2000? Maybe I am messing that part up somehow.
>