EXPO03: FX Group Restore EMS Synthi 100

US This rare beast turns into a real beauty 17/02/03

Top boffins James and Chris with the Synthi 100

The recent Sounds Expo at the Wembley Exhibition Centre in London found us face to face with a rare treat. FX Group, who incorporate the UK based Music Control, were showing a beautiful, fully restored EMS Synthi 100 from the late 1960's. These really are thin on the ground, this one came from a university installation and needed many hours of TLC to bring it back to it's former glory. The Synthi 100 was the flagship of the EMS range and were built to order by EMS for installations around the world. This one was named Digitana after the studio it was originally built for. Various other models had their own unique names to boot, with the rather regal sounding Delaware named after the BBC Radiophonic workshop studio in Delaware Road, London. The Synthi 100 features a dual manual keyboard plus a whopping 12 VCOs, 3 LFOs, 8 VCFs, 3 Trapeziod generators, 2 Ring Mods, 2 x Noise Generators, a unique pitch-tracker, 2 Env followers and a 3 track digital sequencer. The patch matrixes alone offer many thousands of routing possibilities. This particular model has been sold to an anonymous bidder who wishes to remain so. Pictured here with the fully restored model are workshop boffins James Walker and Chris Simpson who were responsible for this mammoth restoration project at Music Control. Apparently the building had to be partially dismantled to get the Digitana out! Music Control specialise in sourcing hard to find rarities, servicing and restoration as well as being official dealers for ProTools and other Hi-tech gear.

www.musiccontrol.co.uk