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Weapon
of Choice
In this section, I am going to pay tribute to some
of the vintage synthesizers and vintage
electronic keyboards that have stood the test of time.
Most of these instruments are still in wide use today, and as a
testament to their staying power, most have software emulations
that strengthen their position in the Electronic Keyboard
Hall of Fame. Each page will feature a brief history of
the vintage instrument, and keeping with the theme of Play Synsthesizer.com,
the emphasis will be on the use of these keyboards in musical settings.
With that in mind I will include some audio examples from some of
my own recordings, and I will also refer you to some recordings
by a few famous keyboard players who have made landmark recordings
using these electronic keyboards.
As I was compiling these pages I was struck by the odd intended
uses of some of these classic instruments. For example, the clavinet
was originally designed for home use and aimed at playing early
European classical and folk music. But somewhere along the way somebody
ran it through a wah-wah pedal and the rest is history! The Moog
synthesizer has a similar tale.
Many of these vintage synthesizers and vintage electronic keyboards
are no longer in production. Therefore, I will also provide you
with a few links for obtaining parts and general info on maintenance
if you happen to own one. In my research I came across a site that
demonstrates the inner workings of some of the keyboards so I will
provide those links where appropriate.
As I mentioned earlier, most of the synthesizers and electronic
keyboards in the Hall of Fame have software emulations, and I will
give you my impressions of the software synths that I have actually
used.
Enjoy,
Rodney Lee
Choose a Vintage Synthesizer or Vintage Electronic
Keyboard from the list below to learn more:
Fender
Rhodes Electric Piano
Moog Synthesizer
Arp
Hammond B3 Organ
Mellotron
Hohner D6 Clavinet
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Oberheim
Vocoder
Samplers
Yamaha DX7
Synclavier
Other Classic Synthesizers ( Roland
Juno and Jupiter series, Roland D-50, etc ... )
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