Part One of the shootout between the Erica Synths Syntrx and an original Synthi AKS.
Simple patches are compared highlighting a single Oscillator, FM, RingMod, Filter, Reverb & Noise.
This video simply compares Sound and Timbre, not the functionality, extras or differences in the Matrix implementation.
(Part Two will look at a Putney VCS3 and some more complex patches).
Thanks to Allinaire for the use of his new Syntrx.
Playing around with the Synthi-E's envelope shaper.
It's an unusual beast.
We are all used to a 4 stage ADSR style of envelope.
EMS however used the Trapezoidal Envelope.
This also has 4 stages. They are Attack, ON, Decay, Off.
The Synthi AKS uses knobs to adjust the 4 stages, and can be set to
"manual" or "free run" triggering.
The Synthi E is much simplier.
Attack & decay are set using the rise & fall sliders.
On /off are determined by the gate length.
Connecting a gate to the second black input form the bottom (bipolar "?") will make it behave as if it were an LFO.
The envelope starts on both the rise & fall of the gate ... I think this is the equivalent "free run mode".
The gate itself is interesting ... it's a short to ground.
Touching a cable with your bare fingers will produce the required gate.
This is essentially an S-trig.
Manufacturers like (vintage) Korg & Moog use S-trigs.
About the patch:
I'm using a square wave to trigger the EG.... which is opening /closing the VCA.
The filter is in self oscillation mode.
If you still want to trigger the Synthi' gate with eurorack, you will probably need a V-trig to S-trig converter. I haven't tested this myself. These synthi's are rare and expensive so be careful if you plan to try this.
BTW, I don't recommend plugging anything into your synthi which is not from EMS.
Analogue Systems still produce a Eurorack version of the Trapezoidal Generator.
(Thanks to James from Synthwerks for the info) .
"AS make both it (RS-510e) and the EMS filter module (RS-500e) both
now with universal mounting hole and power connector for both AS and
Doepfer systems".
Erica Synths also has a Euro format envelope generator module... It looks like
two EMS Synthi functionality inspired looping envelope generators with
simultaneous unipolar (0V - 10V) and bipolar (-5V - +5V), VCA, Noise
generator and Sample & Hold. ...... That's nice :-)
I wonder if it's inspired by the Synthi 100, who's envelope shapers also have dual trapezoidal outputs.
The Synthi 100's envelopes however differ in that they have 5 triggering modes (Signal threshold, Hold, Single Shot, Free run & Gated free run) & the 4 stages are Delay, Attack, On, Decay.
The addition of a second output for each of the synthi 100's trapezoidal generators is pretty neat.
The second output lags behind the first by one quarter of a complete trapezoidal cycle.
Allinaire latest track. He told me the video was produced using a 'hacked' or modified existing Max for live video device (details to follow). Learning by experimenting with existing Max devices is a valid way of learning. Whereas other prefer to start from scratch Allinaire dives right in and stands on the shoulders of experienced programers. He calls it 'Circuit bending existing code'!
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