I think it was more true in the past. These big polys sort of died out and each had a very iconic and unique timbrel fingerprint. The polys that came after either were less grand or found new sounds, so these legends were untouchable. Now the newer polys are extremely feature packed and we even have solid clones like the Black Corp Xerxes for the Elka. So the legends now just feel like something great that went out of print, but no longer untouchable or unrivaled. Just special and rare.
What a great synth and great performance. I have only the Cherry Audio Elka X Soft Synth. It sounds very similar to the original. It is today nearly the only way to get an ELKA Synthex.
I've owned a Synthex, Jp8 and a Prophet 5. My Vote would be Synthex #1, Prophet 5 #2, and Jupiter 8 #3. The Synthex and the Jp8 have similar Sonic Qualities - very '80's Sounding - but I greatly prefer the Synthex to the Jp8. That's just me. The Synthex is a fantastic synth! But because it was never as "Famous" as the Jp8 (not used on nearly as many famous tracks), because far fewer were made, and because it was made by a very unlikely company, Elka, it never got the Glory - and most people have never seen or tried one. But, it has The Sound - and for those lucky enough to discover it - it ranks as one of the Top Analog Synths Ever Made for Sure....
I was an Elka dealer back in the day when MIDI was born building computers to run Cakewalk and other sequencers like Band in a Box and focused on their MK series poly AT controllers and later Fatar without poly AT. Still have an MK76 but kicking myself for not getting a Synthex and a few other great elderly synths.
@@JohnFHendry That's cool! I have an Elka MK88, I love it. Very well built Master Keyboard Controller. Renovating the keybed and aftertouch strip was a pain, though. The keybed really isn't built to be disassembled. Cool that you can decide how "heavy" you want the keys with a plastic knob under each key.
@@F0nkyNinja Does yours have the metal spring key contact switches or the later version with rubber contact switches? My MK77 has the metal switches which at the time were supposed to be better than the early rubber contacts. I have to rebuild the action on mine as it was stolen and put in storage for 3 years (long story) and the wood keys got too tight. Can't believe after all these decades we are still asking for PolyAT to be brought back!
@@JohnFHendry It has the metal spring key contact switches. I'm thankful for that, because some previous owner had spilled black coffee with sugar over the keys which felt like a jackhammer to play, had to take the whole thing apart, but after repairing it works fine, I'm pretty amazed at the build quality of Elka products. I also have the AMK800, accordion version. I can't believe the MK77 has wood keys, wish mine had that. The PolyAT is so simple in the MK88 I don't see why it can't be done nowadays. Patent issue?
From Wikipedia: The Synthex was conceived and developed by independent Italian designer Mario Maggi, who then gained the financial backing of the Elka company of Italy, who produced the synthesizer from 1981 to 1985. Elka, a company more noted for its organs, had previously introduced their Rhapsody 490, 610 string machine, the monophonic Solist 505 and the big combo organ/synth X-705. A total of 1850 units were produced. Today is a highly sought-after instrument which recently reached quotations around 8,000 GBP.[1] It was succeeded by the Elka EK-22 (based on the CEM3396 chip which was also featured in e.g. Oberheim's Matrix line of synthesizers) and the Elka EK-44 (based on Yamaha's 4-OP FM).
It also does the best Keith Emerson Fanfare for the Common Man brass lead and comp. At one time Keith was planning to use it after he accidently ran over his Yamaha GX-1 with his tractor.
What's the keybed like on the Elka? I always thought it not only sounded great but was a great concept. The multi-mode filter I think really helps it go far. The sonic palette is quite large as it's evident here. The chorus and the ring modulator are also cool. Is the chorus analogue? I don't know that much about it.
@@Pulsophonic Nice. I'd love to get my hands on one but they're so expensive right now. It's a pretty great sound. Puts to be the whole DCO/VCO thing I think. Great video by the way and great patches. Keep it up please. :)
Ps. Have you A-B'd against Cherry Audio's newly launched plug in, to see if great emulation or gave reservations on certain elements of?? Would be interested in your views on that! 🍻's again!! 🎹🎶👍
Yeah, all those records that have Junos in there...didn't sell much eh? Come on, this don't sound bad...and if you want a VCO synth, there are many to choose from. This is a different sound, don't like it? Fair enough. Is it "cutting" it? For a lot of people, it does.
nektar single osc polys are thin by default. That is why the chorus is there. Budget synths that have dual osc/adsr kill the Junos. Check out the Kawai SX-240 & Siel DK-600.
I've owned a Prophet 5 and a Jupiter 8. I sold the Prophet as there was no reason to touch it except for audio-range modulation of the filter cutoff. Anything else the Jupiter could do and sound better doing it. The synths I'd kind of like to have are the OB-X (its filter circuits were unique and sound great), and possibly the Chroma, which was hard to program but by far the most flexible of the dinosaur era. I admire the ribbon controller of the CS-80 but I don't find the sound appealing compared to the Jupiter or OB-X.
![[UNCUT] “เชื่อมจิต” ใกล้จนมุม อนันต์ชัยเปิดตัวละครลับ เตรียมล้างบาง I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ l 2 ก.ค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jeOwG0vt114/mqdefault.jpg)
Why do people have to say ‘it’s better than this or that’. They are all fuckin great man. The music world would be a poorer place without any of them.
because they werent all created equal
I think it was more true in the past. These big polys sort of died out and each had a very iconic and unique timbrel fingerprint. The polys that came after either were less grand or found new sounds, so these legends were untouchable. Now the newer polys are extremely feature packed and we even have solid clones like the Black Corp Xerxes for the Elka. So the legends now just feel like something great that went out of print, but no longer untouchable or unrivaled. Just special and rare.
Such a lovely sounding keyboard!
Great Synthesizer, used for Jean Michel Jarre in laser harp rendez vous.
16:30 > very Jarre-esque patch that, nice!!! 😎👍🎹🍻
Well, no surprise: Jarre used the Synthex on many of his tracks, Rendez-vous most notably :)
Omg. The patch at 2.54!!! 90's Sci fi movie love!
What a great synth and great performance. I have only the Cherry Audio Elka X Soft Synth. It sounds very similar to the original. It is today nearly the only way to get an ELKA Synthex.
I bought it a few weeks ago and it sounds amazing and $39...
That Elka-X is the best sounding synth I've ever used, softsynth or hardware.
At last, someone else that can do a great demo of Synthex custom sounds instead of just playing the laser harp preset. Nice work.
😂👍
Wow, blown away by the sounds of this synth, ahead of its time. I owned an Elka EK22 and that was a great synth too.
I've owned a Synthex, Jp8 and a Prophet 5. My Vote would be Synthex #1, Prophet 5 #2, and Jupiter 8 #3. The Synthex and the Jp8 have similar Sonic Qualities - very '80's Sounding - but I greatly prefer the Synthex to the Jp8. That's just me. The Synthex is a fantastic synth! But because it was never as "Famous" as the Jp8 (not used on nearly as many famous tracks), because far fewer were made, and because it was made by a very unlikely company, Elka, it never got the Glory - and most people have never seen or tried one. But, it has The Sound - and for those lucky enough to discover it - it ranks as one of the Top Analog Synths Ever Made for Sure....
I was an Elka dealer back in the day when MIDI was born building computers to run Cakewalk and other sequencers like Band in a Box and focused on their MK series poly AT controllers and later Fatar without poly AT. Still have an MK76 but kicking myself for not getting a Synthex and a few other great elderly synths.
@@JohnFHendry That's cool! I have an Elka MK88, I love it. Very well built Master Keyboard Controller. Renovating the keybed and aftertouch strip was a pain, though. The keybed really isn't built to be disassembled. Cool that you can decide how "heavy" you want the keys with a plastic knob under each key.
@@F0nkyNinja Does yours have the metal spring key contact switches or the later version with rubber contact switches? My MK77 has the metal switches which at the time were supposed to be better than the early rubber contacts. I have to rebuild the action on mine as it was stolen and put in storage for 3 years (long story) and the wood keys got too tight. Can't believe after all these decades we are still asking for PolyAT to be brought back!
@@JohnFHendry It has the metal spring key contact switches. I'm thankful for that, because some previous owner had spilled black coffee with sugar over the keys which felt like a jackhammer to play, had to take the whole thing apart, but after repairing it works fine, I'm pretty amazed at the build quality of Elka products. I also have the AMK800, accordion version. I can't believe the MK77 has wood keys, wish mine had that. The PolyAT is so simple in the MK88 I don't see why it can't be done nowadays. Patent issue?
It is clear that you really understand the Synthex. Awesome patches!
From Wikipedia:
The Synthex was conceived and developed by independent Italian designer Mario Maggi, who then gained the financial backing of the Elka company of Italy, who produced the synthesizer from 1981 to 1985. Elka, a company more noted for its organs, had previously introduced their Rhapsody 490, 610 string machine, the monophonic Solist 505 and the big combo organ/synth X-705. A total of 1850 units were produced. Today is a highly sought-after instrument which recently reached quotations around 8,000 GBP.[1] It was succeeded by the Elka EK-22 (based on the CEM3396 chip which was also featured in e.g. Oberheim's Matrix line of synthesizers) and the Elka EK-44 (based on Yamaha's 4-OP FM).
latasha66 we know.
Love the Synthex
That’s one great synth!
Absolutely, such an underrated synth. A true classic!
Amazing video
Quelle sonorité ce Synthex ! Par moment, on ressent dans cette démo ta formation d'organiste, ça sonne bien.
Great demo 👍🏾
It also does the best Keith Emerson Fanfare for the Common Man brass lead and comp. At one time Keith was planning to use it after he accidently ran over his Yamaha GX-1 with his tractor.
Why would he have a GX-1 around a tractor, in the first place? I did lazily look up the claim, but can't substantiate it.
According to Julian Colbeck in keyfax omnibus edition Keith Emerson used the synthex as a substitute for the GX1 while it was in for service/repair.
Just to let you know ... I'd already clicked thumbs up on fade in 😎🎹👍🏼!!!
nice beast!!
Nice... good job.
2:15 setting so good ...
nice looking synth ...
Cherry Audio might release a software emulation, would love to see you try it out and design with it, if they do release it
Great video which synthex version ?
You should make a sound pack for the new Cherry Audio Synthex synth (to be unveiled Aug. 18, 2022).
It would be great but they didn't contact me ;-)
@@Pulsophonic to bad for them.... u would had delivered a great pack..... love the subtle pads/leads with the slow moving pitchchanges
♥
It would be so great if you could make these patches for the Elka emulation software by Cherry Audio. 😊
at 3:50...... pure heaven.... god, are u there? ❤️❤️❤️
♥ !
@Uli Behringer :D
Fuck B.ULI
@@ArguZ72 for making affordable copies
Cherry Audio Elka-X
I owned one long time ago and I sold it!
No need to tell me how stupid I was!
I know.
Same here. Misery loves company -.-
@Uli Behringer are you watching this?
What's the keybed like on the Elka? I always thought it not only sounded great but was a great concept. The multi-mode filter I think really helps it go far. The sonic palette is quite large as it's evident here. The chorus and the ring modulator are also cool. Is the chorus analogue? I don't know that much about it.
The Keybed is like organ style. I found it's work fine. The chorus is analogue.
@@Pulsophonic Nice. I'd love to get my hands on one but they're so expensive right now. It's a pretty great sound. Puts to be the whole DCO/VCO thing I think. Great video by the way and great patches. Keep it up please. :)
I owned it, I sold it, I miss it
I want it
👌👌👌👌
Its like an Oberheimer /Prophet 5
Ps. Have you A-B'd against Cherry Audio's newly launched plug in, to see if great emulation or gave reservations on certain elements of?? Would be interested in your views on that! 🍻's again!! 🎹🎶👍
So much for DCOs not quite "cutting it"!
people are idiots. Purists are the worst
Yeah, all those records that have Junos in there...didn't sell much eh?
Come on, this don't sound bad...and if you want a VCO synth, there are many to choose from. This is a different sound, don't like it? Fair enough. Is it "cutting" it? For a lot of people, it does.
nektar well, Junos only have a single DCO & ADSR. A bit thin.
@@SPAZZOID100 Juno 6/60/106 a bit thin? Actually that was a rhetorical question, no they're not.
nektar single osc polys are thin by default. That is why the chorus is there.
Budget synths that have dual osc/adsr kill the Junos. Check out the Kawai SX-240 & Siel DK-600.
Cool, car c'est pas courant de trouver une banque de sons pour Synthex ! Et ça sonne bien, en plus :)
Et cool de voir un commentaire en français ;-)
I hear what you did there, starting 7:28...!
;-)
frozen autumn synth
This dude loves Bach. I'm sure of it.
You're right ;-)
oh my... the gas is real.
The Italian Stallion........ I would do unspeakable things to own one of these....
Good fucking synthesizer
you mean fucking good synthesizer
john carpenter soundtracks movie music
1,000 times phatter & more characterful than any Juno.
Junos were mass produced in the 80s as an affordable, every-man synth. Not really a reasonable comparison...
The Juno has one DCO per voice and a far simpler architecture. Really dumb comparison.
This or prophet 5?
Both are tearing up 😂😂
Both are tearing up 😂😂
dannybrazen for what???
I've owned a Prophet 5 and a Jupiter 8. I sold the Prophet as there was no reason to touch it except for audio-range modulation of the filter cutoff. Anything else the Jupiter could do and sound better doing it. The synths I'd kind of like to have are the OB-X (its filter circuits were unique and sound great), and possibly the Chroma, which was hard to program but by far the most flexible of the dinosaur era. I admire the ribbon controller of the CS-80 but I don't find the sound appealing compared to the Jupiter or OB-X.
lqr824 Totally disagree regarding the P5. It literally was THE first half of the 80’s.