[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

792.0. "Looking for Classic (Analog) Synthesizers" by ADVAX::T_ROBERT () Mon May 11 1987 09:59

    
    
    	Now that I've got pretty much the setup I need for my
    	musical hobby with synths and stuff, at least with current
    	stuff, I was thinking about looking for some old used synths.
    
    	I thought it would be neat to find a couple of the old classics,
    	in the want ads or wherever (if they are being offered)
    
    	I figure I could use them for old cover tunes, by Yes, and ELP,
    	and Jefferson Airplane, and especially old Styx which I love.
    	Dennis De Young is like my inspiration.
    
    	I was just wondering what the real "classics" were.  The first
    	mono and dual and poly synths.  I've got a book that covers the history
    	of synths, and it names all the originals and stuff, but it
    	doesn't really mention what were the "good" ones of it's time.
    	You know what I mean, like the car that every car collector
    	wants, or the stamp that all stamp collectors want.
    
    	I was just wondering if some of you guys could name some of
        these classics, and if possible the price they went for then and/or
    	a good selling price now.  That way I could keep my eyes/ears
    	open for any that may come around.  I especially like the old modular
        type where you had to patch everything together.  I think that
    	would give me a better understanding to how they actually work
    	as well.                           
    
    	I know repairing them would be a bitch and stuff, and they probably
    	don't work that well now.  But as long they work at all for
    	now, even if it breaks and I can't fix it, if was a cheap purchase
    	it would worth having it just for the hell of it.  You know
    	what I mean?  Like a collectors item or conversation piece.
    
    	Any info would be much appreciated.
    
    
    -Dr. Feelgood.
    
                                     
                                                                   
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
792.1to name a fewHUMAN::DIORIOMon May 11 1987 15:1411
    Some synthesizers that I would call "classics" are the Minimoog,
    the ARP Odyssey, and the ARP 2600. The 2600 is a textbook example of
    the old patch-cord type of modular synthesizer.
    
    I've seen Minimoogs and Odysseys for $200-$300 in the WantAds. You
    rarely see 2600s, but I saw one a few months back in the WantAds
    for either $400 or $500. You could probably negotiate on all these
    prices, because I don't think that a lot of people are in the market
    for the old synths anymore. Check out the WantAds!
    
    Mike 
792.2 whats a patchcord?JON::ROSSwockin' juanMon May 11 1987 15:3412
    
    Keep looking. Agree with 2600. Its more flexible than the
    Oddysee (which has limited patching) and a 5 octave keyboard,
    not 3.
    
    AND, they still work and work well. The 2600 was my "solo
    guitar voice" at Winterjam. 
    
    You will need to "trim" these beasts for oscillator tracking
    and such, but it is an easy operation, and can be done without
    any other equipment besides a small screwdriver.
    
792.3While you're looking for a minimoog... MARVIN::MACHINMon May 11 1987 16:135
    If you see a micromoog, grab it! Single oscillator, great tone,
    ribbon pitchbend, and indestructible.
    
    Richard.
    
792.4Some more classic synthsCLULES::SPEEDDerek Speed, WorksystemsMon May 11 1987 16:1612
    Since you mentioned Dennis DeYoung, he used to use the Oberheim
    Four Voice and Eight Voice synths, especially on songs like "Fooling
    Yourself".  I don't ever remember seeing one of those in the WantAd
    though.  Not surprising as they were quite expensive.
    
    Another classic might be the ARP String Ensemble, but I would put
    the Mini-Moog at the top of the list.  I think they listed for about
    $2000-$2500 in the mid-Seventies.
    
    Another classic, but less old, would be a Prophet 5.
    
    		Derek
792.5no, it ISNT a 57 chevy....JON::ROSSorigs:$15,requests:$99,Proud Mary:$999999Mon May 11 1987 23:3922
    
    Arp string ensemble was an organ with a vcf and vca.
    
    Not recommended for synthesis. Some ok sounds....
    
    Teensy Moogs are not as patchable as the arp odessey (will I ever
    spell it right), which is not patchable as the 2600, which is not
    as.....as the 2500....or a Moog Modular.
    
    The patchable guys dont show up in used adds much, do they?
    
    Patching was what analog synth versitility was all about. And
    still worth having.
    
    AND the 4 or 8 voice beauties...
    and then the matrix-12.....and matrix-6.
    see? You can still buy analog for great sounds.
    
    Its still harder to "patch" a matrix-6 than a 2600, but
    you get 6 notes...reasonable trade.

    ronalog
792.6You see the world thru your cynical eyes...ADVAX::T_ROBERTMon May 11 1987 23:5514
    
    	Thanks.  Sounds good so far.   I'll keep my eyes in the
    	want ads.  If anyone knows anyone selling any of these, please
    	let me know.
    
    re .4:	I love the keys on "Fooling Yourself" and other songs
    		on that album!  I looked up the Oberheim Four-Voice
    		in my book.  I like it, but no price mentioned,
    		anyone know how "quite expensive" they were?
    
    
    -Dr. Feelgood.
                              
    
792.7The bargain hound speaks :^)AKOV88::EATONDThen the quail came... Tue May 12 1987 13:0623
	And now for the prices:

	I only saw a OB-1 (Oberhiem's mono w/patch memory) once in the Ads
		It was going for $190.

	Arp Oddysey's are constantly in WantAds for anywhere from $150 to $350.

	The lowest Minimoog I have ever seen advertised was for $200.

	Lessee...

	Oh yeah, I saw a Multimoog once for $125 or $150.  It went fast.

	No-one mentioned the Sequential Pro-One; usually asks for about $200.

	There's an Arp 2400 (is that right?  Is it another incarnation of the 
		2600? Or just a typo?) in the Want Ads right now for $500.  

	Any other brand of mono synth can be bought for $100 or less (with
		exceptions, of course).  The Want Advertisers are wonderful 
		places to spend an evening.

	Dan  (ask me a model and I'll tell you the price)
792.82400?...no such animalLOLITA::DIORIOTue May 12 1987 13:287
    RE .7 That's got to be a typo on the ARP synth. They made a 2600,
    and a 2500, but I never heard of a 2400. If that is really an ARP
    2500, better scoop it up fast!! It's worth every cent of that. If
    it is a 2600, try to chew him down a hundred bucks or so, because
    that price seems a little steep to me.
    
    Mike
792.9I got oneNIMBUS::DAVISTue May 12 1987 13:415
    I have an ARP 2600 that's just gathering dust. Still in pretty good
    working condition, a couple of notes out on the keyboard (fairly
    easy to fix) and the filter is a little scratchy. Any offers?
            
    Rob
792.10ex-2600 ownerGALAXY::MALIKKarl MalikTue May 12 1987 17:1810
    
    	I used to have a 2600 (bought from a Want Advertizer ad umpteen
    years ago).  Finally sold it for $450 (I think).
    
    	It is a wonderful instrument for tinkerers.  I learned a LOT
    about electronic music from it.
    
    	I wonder if there are MIDI/CV convertor boxes that could drive
    the thing?
    						- Karl
792.11VCO -> DCO; so CV -> CD!BARNUM::RHODESWed May 13 1987 12:2211
>    	I wonder if there are MIDI/CV convertor boxes that could drive
>    the thing?

Sure are.  JL Cooper makes one.  They're not cheap, tho.  I think they're
around $250 or so.  I've been thinking about building one to MIDIize my
Avatar, using an intel 8051 microcontroller.

Of course I havn't had the time...

Todd.

792.12as memory servith...JON::ROSSorigs:$15,requests:$99,Proud Mary:$999999Wed May 13 1987 13:514
    
    The 2400 is NOT related to the 2600 or 2500.
    
    The 2400 I think, is the pro-soloist, which you dont want.
792.13AnalogaholicTALLIS::SEIGELWed May 13 1987 15:3422
RE: .0

Another classic, although not a synth, is the Mellotron.  Considering that
you listed Yes in your note, the mtron was a very big part of their sound.  It
was also very big with Moody Blues, Genesis (up through "And then there
were three"), and ELO, along with countless others.

Mine is covered and gathering dust.  I still take it out occasionally.
Although I'm not considering selling it right now, I may just put it up
for sale later this summer.  Perhaps a museum might want it ... !

RE: Oberheim 4 and 8 voice.  When new, the 8-voice with dual keyboard listed
for $12,500, about $10,000 with 1 keyboard, and the 4-voice was about $6500.
I don't think I've ever seen one in the Want-ads.

RE: minimoogs, etc.  I went looking for one a few years ago.  The ones in the
300s - 500s were beat to death.  I think that a mint mini can still fetch 
quite a sum.  I could kill myself for selling mine...

"Give me analog, or give me death!"

/Andy
792.14RE: MIDI -> CVDYO780::SCHAFERI need the RockWed May 13 1987 16:026
    Roland also makes a MIDI -> CV  box ... called the MPU-101 (or
    something like that).  Best price I've seen (without looking very hard)
    is (urk!) $340.

    Sounds like a ripoff to me.

792.15about the Roland...AKOV68::EATONDThen the quail came... Wed May 13 1987 16:257
re < Note 792.14 by DYO780::SCHAFER "I need the Rock" >

	The Roland MIDI -> CV  box does a good deal more than the JLC one.
The Roland can control four units and does other things like, I think, channel
filtering or channel redirecting...

	Dan
792.16While we're on the subject ...DYO780::SCHAFERI need the RockWed May 13 1987 16:5910
    Has anyone ever tried one of these dudes?  How (well) does it work? Any
    problems noticed?  I have 2 ARP units that I like real well, and would
    like to continue to use.  Has anyone ever tried interfacing an ARP unit
    with one of these?

    I'd like to convince myself that one of these would be useful, but it's
    kinda hard to justify spending $319 (the latest best price) to allow
    the use of a couple boards that aren't worth much more than that.

8^)
792.17Kinda close to the original subject... (?)SRFSUP::LEASit's about time I changed this nameWed May 13 1987 22:484
        
        What's a VCS3?
        
        Rob
792.18VCS3 = PutneyAQUA::ROSTBut are they friendly spirits?Thu May 14 1987 12:5213
    re: -.17
    
    The VCS3 which was sold in the US as the Putney was a monosynth
    of the patch cord type.  Pretty primitive, but around 1970 it sold
    for just about $1000 so it was *cheap* in those days when Minimoogs
    were like $3000.
    
    It can be heard to great effect on "Dark Side of the Moon" as that
    was the only synth the Floyd owned at the time. Other British bands
    used it so perhaps it was made in the UK???
    
    Reportedly one of the most tempermental of all the early synths
    it came and went pretty quickly.
792.19I remember when ...NIMBUS::DAVISThu May 14 1987 13:0910
    I actually got to play with a VCS3 once and it was pretty neat as
    I remember. Had a matrix patch panel instead of patch cords, you
    put a pin in the right hole to connect two points. You could have
    cards, with pins in the proper places, custom made for your favorite
    patches. Also had a primitive sequencer built in, and was quite
    compact and portable. The keyboard however was a touch sensitive
    plastic panel, no moving parts. That was OK for a hack like myself,
    but probably not acceptable for any real keyboard players.
    
    Rob
792.20The past remembered ...DECWET::BISMUTHThu May 14 1987 18:2233
    
    
    This takes me back ...
    
    I started in "electronic music, M101" with the Putney. It actually
    was a pretty good intro synth at the time, and as pointed out was
    the cheapest "professional" synth you could get with its capabilities.
    
    The patch matrix was cute - it allowed you to patch anything to
    anything else and perform "wired-or" type patching. It was, however,
    prone to noise problems if you cranked up signal levels. The keyboard
    on the unit I used had real keys, but was monophonic and not velocity
    or touch sensitive.
    
    VCS3 stood for: voltage controlled synth, model 3.
    
    Somewhere I have a copy of the original "Whole Earth Catalogue",
    which lists the Putney, along with various Moog, ARP and Mellotron
    machines. The Putney was made in the UK.
    
    Somewhere too, I still have tapes of sessions using the Putney. - I
    don't still have the 1/2 track 15 ips drive though ... 
    
    The wave of nostalgia hits: remember those days? No Midi, no
    multi-timbral, no polyphony, no real "electric drummers", and lots of
    time spent cutting and splicing tape? 

    Not to mention that people taking composition and "electronic music"
    were sneered at by those playing "real" instruments ...
        
    Robert
    
    
792.21Big Demand in Japan For "Classic" SynthsAQUA::ROSTBad imitation of Rick CalcagniMon Aug 20 1990 13:0661
    From USENET: This is Len's big chance to get rich quick....time to dust
    off that old ARP you ahve in your closet, folks!!!
    
    
From: shin@rainbow.uchicago.edu (Shin Kurokawa)
Subject: How much for your old gear? (more Japanese prices)
Date: 18 Aug 90 02:09:33 GMT
 
Looking through the ads put out by a bunch of keyboard shops in Tokyo, 
an average American visitor may be flabbergasted by seeing old/used 
American gear selling for hefty price in Tokyo. Here's the list of used 
American gear being sold in Tokyo right now. Believe it or not, the 
used gear from the USA are _worth_ much much more than the new models 
produced FOR Japan!! Remember, the price is in Yens, so consult your 
newspaper for exchange rates! So, if you got any of the following synths 
collecting dust, you can look at it this way: "hey, all those young budding 
keyboardists in Japan would DIE for what I got here collecting dust..."!!!!
:) :)
 
                  List of Used Synths sold in Tokyo
                  ---------------------------------
 
_____Model________________________price/price_range__________________
Arp 2600+3620 			400,000
Arp Quadra 			390,000
Prophet T8 			900,000 - 780,000
Prophet 10 			750,000 - 500,000
Prophet 5  			680,000 (Rev.1), 
				620,000 (Rev.2/Midi),
				580,000 - 350,000(Rev.3.2-3/Midi)
Matrix 12 			830,000 - 800,000, 680,000
Expander 			560,000 - 450,000
OBXa 				320,000 - 220,000
OB8 				340,000 - 320,000
Jupiter 8(USA model) 		400,000 - 380,000
Jupiter 6(USA) 			250,000 - 230,000
MKS80 (USA) 			268,000
TR808(USA) 			138,000
Memorymoog 			650,000 - 380,000
Minimoog 			280,000 - 250,000
Moog System 35 			1,500,000
Moog Taurus1 			390,000 - 280,000
Polymoog 			550,000
OB 8 voice modul.syst. 		2,500,000
 
..... and as always, just as comparison, the retail prices for the new 
gear....
 
SY77				300,000
Wavestation			220,000
T1				500,000
D70				250,000
S770				780,000
 
Cheers,
--Shin--
--
/ \\\\\ S h i n  K u r o k a w a    shin@rainbow.uchicago.edu  [128.135.4.33]
 ^ //// Research Institutes,Univ.of Chicago  {mimsy,ncar,rutgers}!oddjob!shin
 @ \@   5640 S.Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 USA - Fax:(312)7025863  
   v )                                             Eat more rice!!