Photos of the EMS (Cornwall) Synthi A 2011

[beyourdog]

If I could get a great condition Synthi today for $8k I would buy it now.

Tommorow you'll get a brand new Hornet for $7K...clones seems not to be a problem in the Buchla world...

Beyourdog sounds like he has a horse in this race somehow. Looking forward to checking out sound samples of a Hornet when one actually gets made, which I doubt will be tomorrow.

...No interests whatsoever in this venture...only interest is to eventually get a Hornet within the next 12 years

[Guidotoons]

I am extremely pleased with my EMS Cornwall Synthi A.

It is fantastic!

Perfect and I am awaiting delivery on some Digitana breakout boxes and a vintage DK-1 I snagged today.

I'm a cloned 218 away from having all newer versions of my favorite synths!

The only vintage holdout is my flawless Minimoog in the 2000 serial number area.

Synthi, Music Easel, Arp 2600 and Minimoog.

The "Axes of Evil".

Muhoowhahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[ZooTooK]

Sorry for bringing this old thread to life - but how much weaker would a control signal get by using a green instead of a white pin be roughly? Half, third, fifth?

[deltaphoenix]

There is not a switch that allows you to switch from 110 Volts to 220 Volts on the new Synthis. Based on photos of old Synthis, the first Mark I's and early Mark II's also did not have this switch and it was added in later runs of the Mark II's. I'd rather buy a adaptor anyways if I was planning to use it abroad so this isn't really a huge issue for me.

I just received my new Synthi A (:nana:) and I noticed upon taking it out of the Spartanite case that there's a switch on the right side, parallel to the Attack button, to toggle between 115/130 volts. So it's still there; you just have to remove the Synthi from the briefcase to get to it.

Also, mine turns out to be a silver face (it looked white in the pics from Robin), so the assumption I made about the prestopatch socket being cut into a white face model wasn't correct.

Up from the grave!

So, I recently took possession of a 2011 Cornwall Synthi A. The person I bought it from is from the US but was living in New Zealand at the time that this Synthi was ready. It slipped the guys mind when he sent over to me that it wasn’t setup for 110v, he has other gear from his time in NZ that is plugged into a step up power converter and he tested the Synthi onthis power converter before shipping to me.

When I first got the Synthi, I was running into lots of strange issues before we figured out that it was set-up for 220v.

I am not an electronics wizard but I am fairly handy/have common sense. I took the Synthi out of the Spartinite case, and just can’t find this switch anywhere. I am looking where it is describe as being in the post above and that is all near power supply components and it totally makes sense that the switch would be there but no dice. Have any other Cornwal owners run into this situation? How did you fix it? In the area described above, it looks like there are sleeved wires connecting to a component with pins the wires push onto and there is an open pin on this component. I have a thought that I can fix the issue by moving one wire but am not going to risk damaging the Synthi on a hunch.

I do have a step up power converter coming from Amazon but I would rather not use it if I can help it.

Thanks for any help!

[deltaphoenix]

Update: I received the power converter and this Synthi sounds AMAZINGLY GOOD!

[jfloftin]

Could anyone post recent or over the past year or so pictures of their new Synthi 'A's or VCS3s? I'm not sure if anyone on here has gotten a new machine recently or not. Let us know. I am number 10 on the Synthi 'A' list right now so I am interested in what folkes on here have gotten and the mods that they have on their machines. Thanks!

[Portabella]

Could anyone post recent or over the past year or so pictures of their new Synthi 'A's or VCS3s? I'm not sure if anyone on here has gotten a new machine recently or not. Let us know. I am number 10 on the Synthi 'A' list right now so I am interested in what folkes on here have gotten and the mods that they have on their machines. Thanks!

+1 for some Cornwall VCS3 gut shots.. there's some Cornwall Synthi A inside shots floating around the www but not a single VCS3

[papz]

Did you ask Robin Wood ?

[vassili]

Robin sent me this photo from may 2020:

[strettara]

Well the Synthi A's have started shipping. These are photos were kindly sent to me by someone who has been on the waiting list since 1998. He received it a few days ago..

You gotta laugh.

[jfloftin]

Robin sent me this photo from may 2020:

IMG_3518.jpg

This is exactly what I was asking for. Thanks for the post! It looks like a very nice machine too! Tell us about the modifications.

[jfloftin]

Well the Synthi A's have started shipping. These are photos were kindly sent to me by someone who has been on the waiting list since 1998. He received it a few days ago..

You gotta laugh.

Not sure what your point is here...

[vassili]

Robin sent me this photo from may 2020:

IMG_3518.jpg

This is exactly what I was asking for. Thanks for the post! It looks like a very nice machine too! Tell us about the modifications.

It's not mine so I can't tell how much mods this particularly one have, Robin sent this photo as reference.

For your curiosity here's the mods Robin propose in 2020:

-Prestopatch socket
-Oscillator stabilisation (per osc) standard on Osc1 and Osc2
-Dual transistor upgrade for Osc3 if Hi/lo fitted
-Oscillator Sync - variable via potentiometer(per osc)
-Oscillator Sync – hard (per osc)
-Voltage Controlled Shape (per osc)
-Hi/Lo frequency range - switchable (per osc)
-Portamento/glide
-X10 Envelope Attack/Decay time multiplier
-Voltage Controlled Filter Response ('Q')
-10-turn pots on input channels - for easier tuning (each)
-Centre-zero trapezoid - gives inverted bipolar output
-Patchable Voltage Inverter
-Extra Input Channel
-Switchable 18/24 db per octave filter
-Filter 'unslew' switchable on filter's CV input
-Main signal output mute switches (per channel)
-External gate input – buffered
-Envelope follower
-Papageorgiadis Sample and hold
-Special jack leads with 100K resistors (for CV ins)
-Pair of direct-to-matrix pin-to-3.5mm jack cables (in and out)

[jfloftin]

Robin sent me this photo from may 2020:

IMG_3518.jpg

This is exactly what I was asking for. Thanks for the post! It looks like a very nice machine too! Tell us about the modifications.

It's not mine so I can't tell how much mods this particularly one have, Robin send this photo for reference.

For your curiosity here's the mods Robin propose in 2020:

-Prestopatch socket
-Oscillator stabilisation (per osc) standard on Osc1 and Osc2
-Dual transistor upgrade for Osc3 if Hi/lo fitted
-Oscillator Sync - variable via potentiometer(per osc)
-Oscillator Sync – hard (per osc)
-Voltage Controlled Shape (per osc)
-Hi/Lo frequency range - switchable (per osc)
-Portamento/glide
-X10 Envelope Attack/Decay time multiplier
-Voltage Controlled Filter Response ('Q')
-10-turn pots on input channels - for easier tuning (each)
-Centre-zero trapezoid - gives inverted bipolar output
-Patchable Voltage Inverter
-Extra Input Channel
-Switchable 18/24 db per octave filter
-Filter 'unslew' switchable on filter's CV input
-Main signal output mute switches (per channel)
-External gate input – buffered
-Envelope follower
-Papageorgiadis Sample and hold
-Special jack leads with 100K resistors (for CV ins)
-Pair of direct-to-matrix pin-to-3.5mm jack cables (in and out)

I know about the modifications that Robin offers I was asking about what mods are on the VCS3 in particular. I am sorry I was not clear about that in the previous post. Thanks!

[southphillysynths]

I dont want to get negative here but this thread continues to fascinate me.

I just dont understand how a 22 year waiting list could ever be acceptable for anything. The synthi is my favorite synth and I just never will get one. I dont get the issue with the cases not being able to be produced either.

I know its been argued about in many ways before but it still just blows my mind. The pictures above are beutiful!

[synthfanatic]

I joined Robin Wood’s waiting list in April, 2002 and took delivery of my Synthi A in August, 2012. I was all but a poor college student at the time so in many ways I am glad that Robin didn’t deliver the synth until 10 years later. To get on the list, I had to send a check which Robin holds on to but does not cash. Once your Synthi is ready, he contacts you and only accepts payment via bank wire. Not sure if the process has changed since then...

[southphillysynths]

Right, that is what I've heard but it sounds that there would be no reason to even attempt getting on the list at this point unfortunately.

only VCS3s at this point if I'm correct, or a naked synthi?

[synthfanatic]

You might as well put your name on the waiting list; after all what does it hurt? When I registered for the waiting list, I didn't really have money at the time for a Synthi A, and for the longest time I didn't even think I would ever even receive it...I would email Robin every couple of years and he indicated that he had yet to restart production and was at the time dealing with the sales of Soundbeams and repairs for EMS equipment. It wasn't until 2011 or so that there were rumblings of that Robin had secured resources and time to restart production. Had I not been on the waiting list for all that time, I would have missed my golden opportunity... The worst that can happen is you are in no worse position you are in now.

[amnesia]

Robin is ace! VCS3 and Synthi without case are available still.

[klang]

I dont want to get negative here but this thread continues to fascinate me.

I just dont understand how a 22 year waiting list could ever be acceptable for anything. The synthi is my favorite synth and I just never will get one. I dont get the issue with the cases not being able to be produced either.

I know its been argued about in many ways before but it still just blows my mind. The pictures above are beutiful!

its tricky , so a guy owns a business ,wants to keep it small , has high demand product that is very time consuming to make and so it takes years but is that unacceptable ? for him yes ? for you no but he has free will , its his business ? he chooses for personal reasons to keep Ems small and 2 man ? thats his right ? its just the nature of things for Ems right now and i am not sure its right to say its unacceptable

I agree its irritating and in a way its a shame Ems did not expand it is also why the Synthi still has a quality to it nothing else does possibly and an amazing hand made quality and sound.

Mass production would probably change the quality of it , also the energy of the device and also its charm as a very obscure small company and product .

Maybe in this day and age of mass produced cheap shit from companies run sometimes but utter leeches its a good thing but i know its annoying and not idea but its one mans choice to run his company as he does so its acceptable as personal free will is and thats what he chooses

i do totally understand your angle

[cebec]

Is it tricky or difficult to mount a naked Synthi A in a Spartanite case (should you be lucky enough to find one) or to modify another case to fit?

[papz]

It's much more difficult to find the Spartanite case than to adapt it for a Synthi A.
All you have to do is basically to cut off the central panel, to cut off some female parts of the hinges to make the lid removable, to add 4 rubber feet and to drill the 3 mounting screws holes near the handle and feet.

I've seen some Spartaniteless Synthi A's mounted in a custom made flight case, with tailored internal foam. It is stronger and offers better protection than the Spartanite but larger and heavier... and not as sexy.

[cebec]

Thanks for the info!

[jfloftin]

It's much more difficult to find the Spartanite case than to adapt it for a Synthi A.
All you have to do is basically to cut off the central panel, to cut off some female parts of the hinges to make the lid removable, to add 4 rubber feet and to drill the 3 mounting screws holes near the handle and feet.

Yeap... in 4 steps that's it!

I've seen some Spartaniteless Synthi A's mounted in a custom made flight case, with tailored internal foam. It is stronger and offers better protection than the Spartanite but larger and heavier... and not as sexy.

Ya know... there could be a strong agrgument to have it in a flight case anyway. Consider how much it costs (especially if it is an old one). I have a friend who has a flight case for his MiniMoog. He asked me shortly after we met "why don't you get a flight case for your Synthi 'A'? That thing is very valuable." You know... I think I might just have to consider getting a flight case just to put (with further protection of the Spartanite briefcase too) my Synthi in.