In his latest video, Keith Robert Murray (Synthesizer Keith) takes a deep dive into the restoration of an EMS VCS3 synthesizer and DK-1 keyboard.
It starts off with an assessment of the synth, which is a bit knackered. Then it covers the repairs made to bring the synth back to good health, including showing all the parts that needed to be replace.
Topics covered:
00:00 Play In
00:09 Introduction
01:20 VCS3 Demo/Assessment
06:43 Initial Repairs
09:37 Meter Repair
17:51 Power Supply and Amplifier Chips
22:00 Keyboard Assessment
23:30 The Keyboard Comes Alive!
26:30 Keyboard signals In Depth
28:25 Issues With The Trigger
31:27 Keyboard Sample & Hold
35:22 Keyboard and VCS3 Pitch Tracking and Velocity
38:10 Parts Graveyard
38:57 Alex Lifeson’s Signature and Other Markings
41:23 Play Out
“knackered” is the word i would use too.
I so cannot wait for the Behringer version to be released. The only way I can afford to play with this synth is through an iPad app haha
You mean iVCS3? That app is very good, with tons of work done when creating it. However, I don’t see much a way to turn knobs AND change dots on matrix with it, haha.
no, behringer is doing an affordable hardware version.
oh, i missed the ipad part. that app was sort of fun. but VCS is a touchy feely device to me. especially those multiturn pots clicking and clacking away!
Abput 2 years ago Bejringer shwoed a still image of a “$99 VCS3”
Cum grano salis but it could yet surface.
that was the AKS Soul Mini. still on the list.