Editing EMS Synthi 100

{{Short description|Hybrid synthesizer}}
[[File:EMS Synthi 100.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|EMS Synthi 100]]
[[File:EMS Synthi 100 with dual manual keyboard, VCS3, National Music Centre.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|EMS Synthi 100 with dual manual keyboard ([[National Music Centre]], Calgary, Canada)]]

The '''EMS Synthi 100''' was a large analogue/digital hybrid [[synthesizer]] made by [[Electronic Music Studios]], London, originally as a custom order from Radio Belgrade for what was to be the Radio Belgrade Electronic Studio, largely thanks to contact between composer Paul Pignon, then living in Belgrade, and Peter Zinovieff. The synthesiser was designed by David Cockerell and documented in detail in 1971. The cost at that time was £6,500 (about £92,500 in 2020 Pounds).<ref name="synthi100">{{cite web |url=http://emssynthesisers.co.uk/emsprods.html#synthi100 |title=A Guide to the EMS Product Range|last=Hinton |first=Graham |date= |website=Electronic Music Studios |publisher= |access-date=June 2, 2017 }}</ref> The last unit built by EMS was number 30.<ref>{{Citation|last=The University of Melbourne|title=Synthi 100|date=2015-09-23|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S339uKcjhI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/-S339uKcjhI| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-10-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Afterwards, one final unit was built by Datanomics, who bought assets from EMS when the company folded in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://emssynthesisers.co.uk/emsstory.html|title=The EMS History|website=emssynthesisers.co.uk|access-date=2019-05-08}}</ref> The redesigned unit was sold to Gabinete de Música Electroacústica, Cuenca, Spain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fuzzygab.uclm.es/2016/04/21/gabinete-de-musica-electroacustica-de-cuenca-gme-ayer-y-hoy/|title=Fuzzy Gab .4 » Gabinete de Música Electroacústica de Cuenca (GME). Ayer y Hoy.|language=es-ES|access-date=2019-05-08}}</ref>

Developed from an initial concept of three [[VCS3]] systems, the analogue modules on their own more closely resemble six VCS3s. With the addition of the 256-step digital sequencer's circuit cards, the card count rises to 85 (28 times larger than a VCS3 by circuit board count), with 12 [[voltage-controlled oscillator]]s and eight [[voltage-controlled filter]]s Two monophonic keyboards (both keyboards together produce four control voltages and two key triggers simultaneously). The digital sequencer has three (duophonic) layers, 10,000 clock events and 256 [[Polyphony and monophony in instruments|duophonic note events]]. Two 60&nbsp;× 60 matrixes were used to connect the different modules by using patch pins. The keyboard spread could be adjusted, making it easy to play a tuned equal temperament scale as well as alternative microtonal tunings up to 61 divisions of each semitone.

The Synthi-100 was developed a few years after the first VCS3s. Both filters and oscillators were much more stable in the Synthi-100. There is an oscillator sync function that can sync the 12 main oscillators to each another or from an external source.<ref name="Pignon2008">{{cite journal|last1=Pignon|first1=Paul|title=The radio Belgrade electronic studio: Equipment, procedures, other information|journal=Interface|volume=3|issue=2|year=2008|pages=177–186|issn=0303-3902|doi=10.1080/09298217408570195|quote="For synchronization of the oscillators use White pins (2.7kΩ). 3.7.4.2 - The synchronization of an oscillator"}}</ref> The Synthi 100 also had an add-on computer interface known as "Computer Synthi" which contained a [[PDP-8]] [[minicomputer]] and 4Kb of [[random access memory]]. It featured an [[LED]] display, twin digital [[Compact Cassette|cassettes]], Two 24&nbsp;× 60 matrix patchboards, and a switch button control panel. Only three were sold.<ref name="Holmes">{{cite book|author=Thom Holmes|title=Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cycCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA277|date=2015-10-08|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-41023-2|pages=277–}}</ref> The Vocoder 5000 (Studio Vocoder) was available as a separate module installed into the Synthi 100. It contained a 22 band filter, 22&nbsp;× 22 matrix patchboard, mic/line inputs, two [[oscillators]] and noise sources, frequency shifter, pitch to voltage extractor, and a spectrum display driver.<ref name="vocoder">{{cite web |url=http://emssynthesisers.co.uk/emsprods.html#voc5000 |title=A Guide to the EMS Product Range|last=Hinton |first=Graham |date= |website=Electronic Music Studios |publisher= |access-date=June 2, 2017 }}</ref>

== Users ==
The Synthi 100 owned by [[Jack Dangers]] can be heard being used extensively on [[electronica]] group [[Meat Beat Manifesto]]'s album ''[[RUOK? (album)|R.U.O.K.?]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Stephanie Jorgl|url=http://www.audiohead.net/interviews/jackdangers/ |title=Jack Dangers: Master of Dub Electronica |accessdate=2009-09-14}}</ref> Many photos from that album's CD sleeve are close-up photos of the Synthi 100's control panels and displays.

A Synthi 100 (formally from Melodia Radio) is on display at the National Music Centre in Calgary, Canada.<ref>{{citation |title=National Music Centre Collection Checklist - June 2012 |url=http://nmc.ca/pdf/collection-checklist.pdf <!-- http://cantos.ca/explore/collection-checklist --> |page=[http://nmc.ca/pdf/collection-checklist.pdf#page=50 50] |publisher=National Music Centre |location=Calgary, Canada |quote=''#353: EMS, Synthi 100 - 2 manual (1971-78, S/N 3009) Instrument - Synth'' |accessdate=19 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630075114/http://www.nmc.ca/pdf/collection-checklist.pdf |archivedate=2014-06-30 }}</ref> Until recently The Music Department of the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada, also possessed a Synthi 100.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ocnarchives.usask.ca/10-mar-12/campus_oddities.php|title=On Campus News (OCN) - University of Saskatchewan|website=ocnarchives.usask.ca|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}</ref>

The [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] already had an informal relationship with EMS which went back as far as 1964 and were familiar with products being developed.<ref name="Niebur">{{cite book|author=Louis Niebur|title=Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TPcciOXRHCcC|date=2010-11-11|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-536840-6}}</ref> They took delivery of an EMS Synthi 100 modular system in 1970 which had been modified to BBC specifications,<ref name="White">{{cite web |url=http://whitefiles.org/rws/r03.htm |title=BBC Radiophonic Workshop:Voltage Control |last=White |first=Ray |date= |website=whitefiles.org |publisher=Ray White |access-date= June 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Desmond Briscoe|author2=Roy Curtis-Bramwell|author3=BBC Radiophonic Workshop|title=The BBC Radiophonic Workshop: the first 25 years : the inside story of providing sound and music for television and radio, 1958-1983|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FqEYAQAAIAAJ|year=1983|publisher=British Broadcasting Corp.|isbn=9780563201502 }}</ref> dubbing it the "Delaware", after the name of the road outside the studio.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr08/articles/radiophonic.htm |author=Steve Marshall| title= The Story of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop | work=Sound on Sound | date=April 2008 | accessdate=5 June 2012}}</ref> Their composer [[Malcolm Clarke (composer)|Malcolm Clarke]] was one of its most enthusiastic users. One of the more notable scores he produced with the Synthi 100 was the incidental music for the 1972 ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[The Sea Devils]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.factmag.com/2015/02/19/rare-doctor-era-synthesizer-restored-decades-storage/ | title= Rare Doctor Who-era synthesizer restored after decades in storage | work=factmag.com | date= 19 February 2015 | accessdate=18 April 2015}}</ref>

The first classical electronic music LP album generated exclusively on the Synthi 100 was released by [[Composers Recordings, Inc.]] in 1975. Called "American Contemporary-Electronic Music" (CRI SD 335), it featured full LP side lengths of music from [[Barton McLean]] (Spirals) and [[Priscilla McLean]] (Dance of Dawn).<ref>{{cite web|title=Electronic Music|url=http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=86757|work=Spirals, Dance of Dawn|publisher=New World Records}}</ref>

The [[Studio for Electronic Music (WDR)|WDR Electronic Music Studio]] ordered a Synthi 100 in 1973, and it was delivered the next year<ref>{{cite book|first=Marietta|last=Morawska-Büngeler|title=Schwingende Elektronen. Eine Dokumentation über das Studio für Elektronische Musik des Westdeutschen Rundfunks in Köln 1951–1986|language=de|location=Cologne-Rodenkirchen|publisher=P. J. Tonger|year=1988|page=22|isbn=3-920950-06-2}}.</ref> It was used by [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] in ''[[Sirius (Stockhausen)|Sirius]]'' (1975–77),{{sfn|Morawska-Büngeler|1988|p=52}}<ref>Karlheinz Stockhausen, "''Sirius'', Elektronische Musik und Trompete, Sopran, Baßklarinette, Baß (1975–77)", in his ''Texte zur Musik'' 4 (DuMont Dokumente), edited by [[Christoph von Blumröder]], 301–329 (Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag, 1978): 311; Karlheinz Stockhausen, ''Stockhausen-Kurse Kürten 2000, Kompositions-Kurs über Sirius, elektronische Musik und Trompete, Sopran, Baßklarinette, Baß (1975–77)'' (Kürten: Stockhausen-Verlag, 2000): 12, 18.</ref> by [[Rolf Gehlhaar]] for ''Fünf deutsche Tänze'' (1975),{{sfn|Morawska-Büngeler|1988|p=55}} by [[John McGuire (composer)|John McGuire]] for ''Pulse Music III'' (1978),<ref>[[John McGuire (composer)|John McGuire]], "[http://kalvos.org/mcgess1.html An Electronic Music Project: The Composition of ''Pulse Music III'']". ''Neuland: Ansätze zur Musik der Gegenwart (Jahrbuch)'' 3 (1983): 252–267 (Bergisch Gladbach: Neuland), online version on Kalvos & Damian website (Accessed 29 April 2014)</ref>{{sfn|Morawska-Büngeler|1988|p=108}} and by [[York Höller]] for ''Mythos'' for 13 instruments, percussion, and electronic sounds (1979–80).<ref>Ralf Gerhard Ehlert, "[http://www.musikwissenschaften.de/komponisten/hoeller/ Die Verwendung elektronischer Klänge in der Musik York Höllers]", M.M. Thesis (Cologne: University of Cologne, 1991): §4.1.</ref>

The first one to be used in the USA was purchased by [[Stevie Wonder]].<ref name="Billboard1977">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sUUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT62|date=1977-03-19|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=62–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> [[Billy Corgan]], longtime frontman of [[the Smashing Pumpkins]], is also reported to own one.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.synthfool.com/ |title=synthfool |accessdate=2009-09-14}}</ref>

[[Image:EMS Synthi 200 (EMS Synthi 100 variant model labeled as such) - viewed from left (2016-07 by kpr2).jpg|thumb|EMS Synthi 200]]
The [[University of Osnabrück]], Germany, has a Synthi 100 variant labelled "Synthi 200" (since 1981). The same variant was bought in 1973 by the [[Bulgarian National Radio]] for the electronic music studio of Simo Lazarov.

IPEM, the musicology research center and former electroacoustic music production studio of [[Ghent University]] also owns a restored and working Synthi 100. It was acquired in the mid 1970s. Recently it was used by [[Soulwax]], a belgian electronic music band, on the album "DEEWEE sessions, Vol. 01". 

In 2017, [[Yoshio Machida]] and Constantin Papageorgiadis released an album "Music from the SYNTHI 100".<ref>{{cite web| url=https://amorfon.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-the-synthi-100 | title="Music from the SYNTHI 100"}}</ref> This album was made with IPEM's SYNTHI 100.

[[Eduard Artemyev]], Yuri Bogdanov and [[Vladimir Martynov]] used the Synthi 100 owned by Soviet label "[[Melodiya|Melodia]]" for their record "Metamorphoses - Electronic interpretations of classic and modern musical works".<ref>{{cite book | first1=Eduard|last1=Artemiev|first2=Juri|last2=Bogdanov|first3=Vladimir|last3=Martynov|title=Metamorphoses - Electronic interpretations of classic and modern musical works|year=1980|publisher=Melodia}}</ref>
Also Lithuanian composer [[Giedrius Kuprevičius]] for their rock-oratorio "Labour and Bread" (1978) and Estonian composer [[Sven Grünberg]] for the soundtrack of ''Hukkunud Alpinisti hotell'' (''[[Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (film)|Dead Mountaineer's Hotel]]'') (1979) as mentioned in the title sequence of the movie.

[[Wolfgang Dauner]] has extensively used a Synthi 100, e.g., on his Album ''Changes'' (1978).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dauner-around.de/images/image16.jpg | title=Dauner with Synti 100 and his son Flo Dauner}}.</ref>

[[Sarah Davachi]] released her album "Vergers"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sarahdavachi.bandcamp.com/album/vergers|title=Vergers, by Sarah Davachi|website=Sarah Davachi|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}</ref> in November 2016 by Important Records<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://importantrecords.com/|title=Important Records|website=Imprec|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}</ref> centred largely on the EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer.

A Synthi 100, owned by the Greek Contemporary Music Research Center, was restored and exhibited in Athens Conservatoire as part of the [[Documenta 14]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.documenta14.de/gr/venues/868/- |  title=Ωδείο Αθηνών}}</ref>

According to official documents from Radio Belgrade and [https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines/20131001 interview with Cockerell] Synthi 100 was built as a commission by Radio Belgrade. It has been part of Radio Belgrade's Electronic Studio since the 1970s, but was in a non-functional state for the 15 years leading up to October 4, 2017, when it was restored. It is serial number 4.<ref>{{cite web |title=Svetlana Maras - artistic director of EMS Radio Belgrade 2016-2021 |url=https://www.svetlanamaras.com/ems-radio-belgrade.html |website=}}</ref>

The [[University of Melbourne]]'s Synthi 100 has been regularly used in performances and demonstrations since it was restored by Tonmeister Les Craythorn.<ref>[https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/about-us/news/event-catch-the-synthi-100-streaming-live "Event: Catch the Synthi 100 streaming live"] by Alex Parade, 10 May 2018, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne</ref>

The [[Musikhochschule Stuttgart]] has had a late Synthi 100 since new. It has been in constant teaching use from arrival in 1977 to the present day.

In September 2016, [[Engineers Australia]] awarded an [[Engineers Australia#Engineering Heritage Recognition Program|Engineering Heritage Marker]] to a Synthi 100 that had been restored at [[Melbourne University]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-08/melbourne-doctor-who-synth-given-engineering-heritage-award/7820012|title=Melbourne's 'Doctor Who' synthesiser EMS Synthi 100 given engineering heritage award|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|author=Simon Leo Brown|date=2016-09-08|accessdate=2016-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://portal.engineersaustralia.org.au/heritage/synthi-100-music-synthesiser-1972-0
| title = Synthi 100 Music Synthesiser 1972-
| publisher = Engineers Australia
| access-date = 2020-05-08
}}</ref>

Synthi-100 Nr. 7 was delivered to [[Bruno Spoerri]] in Zürich, Switzerland in August 1971. It was featured in the album "Switched-on Switzerland" (CBS 1974), "Voice of Taurus" (1976) and later on the album "Toy Planet" by Bruno Spoerri and Irmin Schmidt, also in numerous TV and film features. The Synthi was given to Felix Visser in 1987 - he had to sell it and it is unknown, where it is now.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.synthmuseum.com/ems/emssynthi10001.html Synth Museum: EMS Synthi 100]
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801182913/http://thesynthi.de/data/Synthi_100.pdf |title=Synthi 100 specifications booklet}}
*[http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1023 Article on the restored 'Digitana' model at sonicstate.com]

[[Category:EMS synthesizers|Synthi 100]]
[[Category:Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers]]
[[Category:Analog synthesizers]]