Dug some keyboards out today.

HarrySeven · May 2022

Pulled a few things out from the pile this morning...

https://i.imgur.com/NYgKjNm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aEQSzYz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gzpM9ZG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZxIRwGB.jpg

I’d forgotten I had more than one of these:

https://i.imgur.com/ZgTyotX.jpg

Can’t get to my Hammond and Leslie at the moment, though. I’m pretty sure there are quite a few more - Roland SH-1000, Korg Micro-Preset, various String synths, etc. There’s a Juno-D and an SH-201 too. Oh, and a huge Elka X-705.

Kittyfrisk · May 2022

Why have I now got this image in mind ?
And Now for Something Completely Different - YouTube

https://tenor.com/view/organ-organist-naked-terry-jones-gif-12605974

susbemol · May 2022

Mr @HarrySeven, you have some incredibly cool stuff.

Roland · May 2022

Lifting all this stuff beats going to a gym

hollywoodrox · May 2022

Those Juno’s

vasselmeyer · May 2022

Roland said:

Lifting all this stuff beats going to a gym

I once depped for a band where the keyboard player used a Hammond B-3. I carelessly said I'd arrive early to give them a hand with loading in.

NEVER AGAIN...that organ had it's own gravity, it was so heavy.

I got my cash and left ASAP once the gig ended. There was no way I was helping with that thing again. Judge me all you like, but if you'd been in the same situation, you'd have done the same.

Grangousier · May 2022

I had to google the Philicorda - it was developed by Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaijmakers (a.k.a. Kid Baltan), who were making tape-based electro pop in the late 50s under the name Electrosoniks (their Electronic Music EP was my introduction to that sort of thing - like the Dr Who theme, but earlier and groovier - as it was hanging around the house when I was very small). Anyway, I'm impressed. What does it sound like?

Bridgehouse · May 2022

Aren’t those Juno G’s a bit modern for you Harry?

EricTheWeary · May 2022

As long as they don’t sound like Jan Hammer…

vasselmeyer said:
Roland said: Lifting all this stuff beats going to a gym
I once depped for a band where the keyboard player used a Hammond B-3. I carelessly said I'd arrive early to give them a hand with loading in.
NEVER AGAIN...that organ had it's own gravity, it was so heavy.
I got my cash and left ASAP once the gig ended. There was no way I was helping with that thing again. Judge me all you like, but if you'd been in the same situation, you'd have done the same.
In the early days of The Selecter the keyboard player had a Hammond and none of them had a car that could take it. So they could only use it for gigs that it could be wheeled to from his house; some photos somewhere of the band pushing the Hammond through the streets of Coventry.

HarrySeven · May 2022

Bridgehouse said:

Aren’t those Juno G’s a bit modern for you Harry?

Yes, but I’m bearing it bravely!

HarrySeven · May 2022

Currently fannying around with this beast:

https://i.imgur.com/AqLQAkU.jpg

HarrySeven · May 2022

Grangousier said:

I had to google the Philicorda - it was developed by Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaijmakers (a.k.a. Kid Baltan), who were making tape-based electro pop in the late 50s under the name Electrosoniks (their Electronic Music EP was my introduction to that sort of thing - like the Dr Who theme, but earlier and groovier - as it was hanging around the house when I was very small). Anyway, I'm impressed. What does it sound like?

Like the future in 1964.

Bridgehouse · May 2022

HarrySeven said:

Bridgehouse said:

Aren’t those Juno G’s a bit modern for you Harry?

Yes, but I’m bearing it bravely!

They are pretty good, and they do a good impression of some of the vintage junos

Stratavarious · May 2022

vasselmeyer said:

Roland said:

Lifting all this stuff beats going to a gym

I once depped for a band where the keyboard player used a Hammond B-3. I carelessly said I'd arrive early to give them a hand with loading in.

NEVER AGAIN...that organ had it's own gravity, it was so heavy.

I got my cash and left ASAP once the gig ended. There was no way I was helping with that thing again. Judge me all you like, but if you'd been in the same situation, you'd have done the same.

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

Basher · May 2022

Stratavarious said:

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

A CS-80 - bloody hell!

I'm guessing that you're either Vangelis or Eddie Jobson as I think they were the only people in the world that could afford one (and the crew to lift it).

Still, if you pay as much as a medium-sized house for a synth, it makes sense that it should at least weigh as much as one. Sort of.

It must have been quite interesting to own one of the holy grail synths.

octatonic · May 2022

That Juno 6 is worth a fortune now.
I had one mid 90's and sold it for about £300 when I relocated to the UK.

HarrySeven · May 2022

Basher said:

Stratavarious said:

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

A CS-80 - bloody hell!

...

Still, if you pay as much as a medium-sized house for a synth

...

It must have been quite interesting to own one of the holy grail synths.

There was a time when you couldn’t give ‘em away, same as Mellotrons, Jupiter 8’s, blahblahblah.

Basher · May 2022

HarrySeven said:

Basher said:

Stratavarious said:

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

A CS-80 - bloody hell!

...

Still, if you pay as much as a medium-sized house for a synth

...

It must have been quite interesting to own one of the holy grail synths.

There was a time when you couldn’t give ‘em away, same as Mellotrons, Jupiter 8’s, blahblahblah.

I know. Once the DX7 came out you could pick up most of Tangerine Dream's live modular setup for less than a pound, and still have change for a bag of chips.

I always wanted a Jupiter 8 but never quite had the cash, even in the post-FM world of cheezy electric piano and flutey leads. Came this close (holds thumb and index finger almost together) to buying a used Jupiter 6 but bought some stupid guitar instead. Ah well, you live and learn. (Or don't learn, in my case.)

Funkfingers · May 2022

HarrySeven said:

Bridgehouse said:

Aren’t those Juno G’s a bit modern for you Harry?

Yes but I’m bearing it bravely!

Does the screen on that one work properly?

HarrySeven · May 2022

Funkfingers said:

HarrySeven said:

Bridgehouse said:

Aren’t those Juno G’s a bit modern for you Harry?

Yes but I’m bearing it bravely!

Does the screen on that one work properly?

No.

Stratavarious · May 2022

Basher said:

Stratavarious said:

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

A CS-80 - bloody hell!

I'm guessing that you're either Vangelis or Eddie Jobson as I think they were the only people in the world that could afford one (and the crew to lift it).

Still, if you pay as much as a medium-sized house for a synth, it makes sense that it should at least weigh as much as one. Sort of.

It must have been quite interesting to own one of the holy grail synths.

I got it in the mid 80’s when everyone on the pro circuit went digital and the Junos, Jupiters, DXs and their ilk did similar things but lighter and cheaper. I was actually more fascinated by the potential of my Yamaha CX5 computer/synth/sequencer at the time to synch stuff with midi. A Fairlight experience on the cheap!

The CS80 portamento strip was the really cool, genius feature but the main issue with it was the tuning was always drifting as it warmed up. It was just redundant old tech at the time. The holy grail stuff is just a modern creation. I think people imagine it as mega rich and warm.. but i found it quite thin and buzzy and the ring modulator was OTT. Needed external fx to get the full Vangelis thing going but the classic Blade Runner tones were all there, esp through an early Alesis digital reverb.

The weight, tuning issues and size made it impracticable for live use and it took up too much studio space. I gave it back. Would buy a camper van today with it.

I do wonder what it would be like to rediscover it again now. the Reface CS and modern equivalents do attract but then a Korg Prologue just sounds so much better.

Basher · May 2022

Stratavarious said:

Basher said:

Stratavarious said:

I had a Yamaha CS80 for a while.

Def. a 4 person lift! Neutron Star weight.

A CS-80 - bloody hell!

I'm guessing that you're either Vangelis or Eddie Jobson as I think they were the only people in the world that could afford one (and the crew to lift it).

Still, if you pay as much as a medium-sized house for a synth, it makes sense that it should at least weigh as much as one. Sort of.

It must have been quite interesting to own one of the holy grail synths.

I got it in the mid 80’s when everyone on the pro circuit went digital and the Junos, Jupiters, DXs and their ilk did similar things but lighter and cheaper. I was actually more fascinated by the potential of my Yamaha CX5 computer/synth/sequencer at the time to synch stuff with midi. A Fairlight experience on the cheap!

The CS80 portamento strip was the really cool, genius feature but the main issue with it was the tuning was always drifting as it warmed up. It was just redundant old tech at the time. The holy grail stuff is just a modern creation. I think people imagine it as mega rich and warm.. but i found it quite thin and buzzy and the ring modulator was OTT. Needed external fx to get the full Vangelis thing going but the classic Blade Runner tones were all there, esp through an early Alesis digital reverb.

The weight, tuning issues and size made it impracticable for live use and it took up too much studio space. I gave it back. Would buy a camper van today with it.

I do wonder what it would be like to rediscover it again now. the Reface CS and modern equivalents do attract but then a Korg Prologue just sounds so much better.

....and that's all from this week's episode of Mythbusters.

Seriously though, it does my old heart good to hear such tales so thanks for the thoughts. It seems that everyone is retro/authentic mad these days, despite the amazing quality and (relative) price of the stuff that you can get new.

I was recently thinking that the current fad for tape saturation vsts that make everything sound like they were recorded on a a mangled Betamax cassette covered in Marmite might have gone a bit far. Much as I love Boards of Canada's woozy, retro-futurism, a lot of the electronic sounds and recordings I like were actually quite pristine sounding, despite the analog sources.

Have never tried a Prologue but I like what I've heard. I keep trying to justify getting a Deepmind, if only because my tiny brain can't get beyond the idea of an analog poly for so little cash. That said, I keep returning to stuff like NI Massive which even a numpty like me can easily program! No mucking about with a "modulation matrix", just drag a link from an LFO or envelope to the filter cutoff, osc pitch or whatever - wonderful!

Funkfingers · May 2022

Basher said:.
A CS-80 - bloody hell!

I'm guessing that you're either Vangelis or Eddie Jobson as I think they were the only people in the world that could afford one (and the crew to lift it).

Kate Bush had at least two. Stevie Wonder used 'em. Ultravox had several CS synths but I forget which models.

My favourite user is/was Tommy Mars. The touring synths probably belonged to Frank Zappa.

more · May 2022

I have just bought my first keyboard . A Yamaha PSS 270 . It cost me £2.00 , at a jumble sale, The helper did say she wanted £2.00, because it came with a stand . It's a borderline musical instrument / toy. One hundred voices , that sound mostly the same . At it's most basic level , it is easer to play than a guitar . It's great fun , and I'm already looking for my first upgrade. I'm glad car boot sales have restarted.

Funkfingers · May 2022

HarrySeven said:

Pulled a few things out from the pile this morning.

Okay. I'll play along.

Why have you dug out all of these keyboards, H7?

What possible agenda could you have to listing them all by name?

HarrySeven · May 2022

Funkfingers said:

HarrySeven said:

Pulled a few things out from the pile this morning.

Okay. I'll play along.

Why have you dug out all of these keyboards, H7?

What possible agenda could you have to listing them all by name?

None whatsoever. After your visit, I’d spotted some stuff I fancied tinkering with...

Funkfingers · May 2022

You can't talk about Lady Seven like that!

downbytheriver · June 2022

Nice Philicorda - just happen to have one of those myself! GM751?

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Dug some keyboards out today.

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