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☢ Elka Synthex (1981)

Impressive analog cult poly synthesizer designed by Italian organ societies Elka & Orla.

☢ The free sample pack contains 2 full preset sampled, we will add more sample pack in future for sure.

🎧 Format: WAV16 bits/ 44 kHz + kontakt mapping
🎁 Price: FREE! 

▓ 80' ▓
▓ solid fat analog sound ▓
▓ electro ▓

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Synthex  SOUND LIST:

The sample pack includes two fully sampled sounds :
1- bass
2- brass like synth    

■KEYBOARD 61 keys (no velocity) optional pair of legs.
The main panel features 36 knobs, 84 buttons, 6 levers and a joystick for pitch bending and modulation.

■main 8 bits CPU 6502 clocked at 1MHz manages 8 voices polyphony organized on 4 voice boards with stereo mode . A synth basic Synthex patch is composed by 2 DCO oscillators + 1 white-pink noise generator.

■OSCILLATOR DCO1 and DCO2 can be ringmodualted and mixed with individual mixer and have similar characteristics:
octave range: 16' 8' 4' 2' 1'
shapes: sawtooth / pulse (variable width) / square / triangle
detune: yes
Hardsynch: 2>1 

■ Performance the multiplexed boards feature 4 playmodes:
- double mode: is a layer of 2 sound patches
- split assigns 2 patches on a different keyboard zones
- stereo panning mode: voice boards are sequenced to left or right stereo field
- polyphonic portamento with glide option and variable speed rate

■ FILTER is a multimode resonant model based on 8 Curtis CEM 3320 chips.
The VCF works in 3 different modes with possible polarity inversion option:
- lowpass at -24 dB slope
- bandpass at -12 or 6 dB slope
- highpass at -12 dB slope

■LFO there are 2 LFO, a main one (LFO1) and a simpler one (LFO2) triggered by joystick that modulates only pitch and filter with a triangle shape. LFO1 is quite compleet:
shape: triangle /saw/ ramp / square
destinations: pitch / width / amplitude
delay: yes
depth: yes

■ENVELOPE 2 EGs:
- EG1 VCF 4 segments ADSR
- EG2 AMP 4 segments ADSR.
In addtion 2 extra functions for envelope control: hold and sustain.

■SEQUENCER 4 tracks recorder with real-time or step entry notes.
Each track transmits Midi signals, then whole sequence can be shifted in real-time for performance.
Recording function are limited to 5 buttons and 2 knobs: write, beats, delete, loop mode, ready-reset, gate EG value. SYNC internal frequency or slave-tempo mode controlled by external + trigger pulses.

■EFFECT Based on TDA1022 is a 3-modes analog chorus fixed rate and depth values.

 ■MEMORY:
- 40 ROM presets
- 40 RAM user slots
- 128 events per track (512 total)
Memory based on a 3.6V internal battery, created sounds can be saved only to tape interface 


Old demos we did years ago, more than 20 minutes!

■Company: Elka
Model: Synthex
Class: Synthesizer
Keyboard: 61 keys
Dates: 1981
Display: none
Synthesis: analog sub
Polyphony: 8 voices
Oscillator: 2 DCO
Crossmod: hard sync
Ringmodulator: fixed
Multitimbric: 2 part
Filter: LPF / HPF / BPF
LFO: 2 modulators
Memory: 64 slots
Effect: chorus
Sequencer: 80 notes
Sync: trigger
Storage : tape
Midi: IN / OUT / THRU
CPU: 6502
IC: CEM 3320 / TDA1022

■Back panel terminal connectors:
- tape interface
- sequencer sync input
- stereo analog out
- expression pedal input control for filter cutoff
- footswitch input program up
- footswitch input sustain + EG release
- footswitch input glide control
- Midi (on some versions)

■ VERSION second and third Synthex versions implement a simple Midi interface manage only basic note ON-OFF data.According to Castelfidardo center there have been 1850 machines produced:
- wave 1: 50 units (no Midi)
- wave 2: 800 units (external Midi interface)
- wave 3: 1000 units (standard Midi)
-The 2015 Synthex reissue failure: After a failed crowd-funding campaign named "indiegogo Bringelkaback" the Finnish company just gave up on this project- even J.M jarre made a vid to support this funding.
-SYNTHEX 2- "the evolution of a legend" The original italian engineer Mario Maggi is working a new digital project called "Synthex 2" but never realized mainly due to Mario's bad health.

■ Country: Italy
Weight: 30 Kg
Dimensions: 1095 x 500 x 165 mm

USER MANUAL DOWNLOAD

SERVICE MANUAL DOWNLOAD 

■  ELKA SYNTHEX EPROM DOWNLOAD 

MAINTENANCE Synthex suffers from common issues:
repair synthex voice boards lifespan that is quite unpredictable, fortunately there are not so many custom IC onboard, Synthex is mainly build with TTL and common electrical parts on the shelf
- maintenance requires patience and experience since there are a lot of circuits inside and a precise calibration.

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