About The Machines ARP AXXE Model 2312 (1975): Monophonic, single oscillator little monster. Full range 37-key synth with deep sub-bass and squeaky bleeps. As simple as they get really, VCO with saw, PWM and noise waveforms, single EG, LFO with sine, square and S&H, 24 dB/oct low-pass filter. Audio input, CV, Gate and Trig in/outs. Ratings: Sound: 8/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 7/10. Overall: 9/10. ARP AXXE Owner's Manual.pdf ARP AXXE Service Manual.pdf Korg Mono/Poly (1981) Monophonic or four-voice polyphonic dream-machine with 44-keys F to C. All four VCO's have their separate knobs: tune, waveform (triangle, saw, PWM, PW), range and level. Separate EG's for VCF and VCA. Two LFO's, 24 dB/oct low-pass filter, ring-modulation and arpeggiator. Trig and gate inputs/outputs, also VCO frequency, VCF frequency CV inputs and arpeggiator trig in. How good can it get? It can do so many different things that it still surprises me occasionally, even now after fifteen years of use. This machine was true love at first sight for me. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 8/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 9/10. Korg MonoPoly Owner's Manual.pdf Korg MonoPoly Service Manual.pdf Korg PolySix (1981) Monophonic or six-voice polyphonic (as you could guess by the name). Early 61-key programmable poly-synth which was actually affordable to regular people. VCO with saw, PW and PWM waveforms. Single EG and single LFO. 24 dB/oct low-pass filter and a nice multi-effect (chorus, phase and ensemble). Same arpeggiator as Mono/Poly. Trig and gate inputs/outputs, also VCF frequency CV input, chord-memory trig and arpeggiator trig in. Beware of leaking battery! Ratings: Sound: 7/10. Ease of use: 8/10. Connectability: 6/10. Overall: 7/10. Korg Polysix Owner's Manual.pdf Korg Polysix Service Manual.pdf Roland MC-202 Micro Composer (1983) The 202 is basically a SH-101 with a 32-note micro-keyboard and a two-channel sequencer. The sequencer is more advanced than that of the 303, and holds 2,600 notes. It can't store the data if the machine is turned off, however there is a tape interface to store sequences and there are CV/Gate outputs for both sequencer channels. The synth is standard roland SH-style: Oscillator with saw and PWM waveforms, sub-osc switch, simple sine LFO, 24 dB/oct low-pass filter and ADSR envelope. It goes full range from sub-sonic to bat-frequencies with everything in between. All together this is a very powerful machine, both as a synth and as a dual CV/Gate sequencer. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 9/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 9/10. Roland MC-202 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland MC-202 Service Notes.pdf Roland SH-101 (1982) The SH-series trace their heritage back to 1973 and the SH-1000, Roland’s and Japan’s first commercial synth. The 101 was the last of the old SH’s, and a real power-house. 32-note keyboard, arpeggiator and sequencer with clock input. It could run on batteries and had an optional modulation-grip and shoulder strap so it could act as a “keytar”. It came in three different colors: gray, blue and red. The sound section is almost identical to the 202, but has a LFO with four waveforms. The sequencer is absolutely lovely. Press the load button, play notes, press the play button and trigger it from your 606 or whatever you have that spits out a voltage. It’s that simple. The 101 is an amazing travel companion. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 9/10. Overall: 9/10. Roland SH-101 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland SH-101 Service Notes.pdf Roland TB-303 Bass Line (1982) This has got to be one of the more famous machines in modern electronica. The Transistor Bass 303 is a very simple monophonic bass-synth with sequencer. Six knobs: Tuning, Cut Off Freq, Resonance, Env Mod, Decay and Accent, allow for that acid-sound to be generated. A saw or square waveform through a 18 dB/oct low-pass filter can growl at 22 Hz or squeal like a cricket from space. This is one of a kind with an instantly recognizable sound that makes the hair on my neck stand. Did someone say: ACIEEEEEED...? Many thanks to the designer Tadao Kikumoto. Ratings: Sound: 10/10. Ease of use: 8/10. Connectability: 7/10. Overall: 8/10. Roland TB-303 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TB-303 Service Notes.pdf Roland Alpha Juno-1 (1986) Six-voice polyphonic 49-key little brother of the the famous Juno-6, 60 and 106. This machine really needs its companion the PG-300 programmer, or it takes a lot of time to work with. Otherwise it's a standard mid-80's programmable poly-synth with all the usual Roland features, DCO with sub-osc and noise. 24 dB/oct low-pass filter, static non-resonant high-pass filter. Separate envelopes for filter and amp, multi-waveform LFO and chorus. Full MIDI implementation. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 5/10. Connectability: 5/10. Overall: 6/10. Roland Alpha Juno-1 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland Alpha Juno-1 Service Notes.pdf Roland Juno-106 (1984) Six-voice polyphonic synth with 61 keys of the best quality. It's got the same analog-digital hybrid sound-engine as the Juno-60 but with full MIDI capabilities. The heritage from earlier SH- and Jupiter-series synths is also obvious. One DCO per voice (saw, PWM, noise and square sub-osc). The single LFO can control DCO and/or VCF. The EG controls VCF and/or VCA. 24 dB/oct low-pass filter and a static non-resonant high-pass with four settings. Two chorus-modes and 128 patches in memory. It's possible to store and edit sound via a MIDI patch editor. This is a sweet-sounding, powerful and popular synth. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 9/10. Roland Juno-106 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland Juno-106 Service Notes.pdf Roland MSQ-100 (1984) Midi Keyboard recorder with DIN-sync. It's the follow-up of the famous MSQ-700, but lacks DCB (Roland's pre-MIDI control system) and tape-sync. Medium efficient as a sequencer, but a good machine for MIDI to sync-24 or vice versa. The colors match the Juno-106. Ratings: Ease of use: 6/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 7/10. Roland MSQ-100 Owner's Manual.pdf Abbreviations: VCO - Voltage Controlled Oscillator DCO - Digitally Controlled Oscillator VCF - Voltage Controlled Filter VCA - Voltage Controlled Amplifier LFO - Low Frequency Oscillator CV - Control Voltage EG - Envelope Generator PW - Pulse Width PWM - Pulse Width Modulation S&H - Sample And Hold

Roland TR-505 (1986) Transistor Rhythm 505 is like squeezing a 707 and a 727 in a small box. Unfortunately there are no faders for individual volume or separate outputs, but it has some nice sounds and still belongs with the other TR's. Due to it's simple interior layout, the 505 is a popular choice for circuit bending. Ratings: Sound: 7/10. Ease of use: 7/10. Connectability: 5/10. Overall: 6/10. Roland TR-505 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-505 Service Notes.pdf Roland TR-606 Drumatix (1981) Transistor Rhythm 606 - the infamous brother of the 303, sounds nothing like a drum set, but who cares... Similar layout as the 303 with six knobs: Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Hi Tom, Lo Tom, Cymbal and Open/Closed Hi-Hat. It sound a bit like the 808 but ruffer. 32 patterns, 8 tracks and very easy programming contribute to make this a fantastic piece of equipment. If you open it up you can easily add controllers, make modifications or connect separate instrument outputs. Ratings: Sound: 9/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 9/10. Roland TR-606 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-606 Procedure Table.pdf Roland TR-606 Schematics.pdf Roland TR-707 (1984) Transistor Rhythm goes digital! The first TR to use only samples. Like it's predecessors, there are individual outputs and volume sliders for each sound. The 707's kit is a straight forward drum kit with: two bass drums, two snare drums, three toms, rim shot, cow bell, hand clap, tambourine, closed/open hi-hat and crash/ride cymbal. Ratings: Sound: 8/10. Ease of use: 8/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 8/10. Roland TR-707 & TR-727 Service Notes.pdf Roland TR-707 Operation Guide.pdf Roland TR-707 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-727 (1985) The 727 is the percussion version of the 707: two bongos, three congas, two timbales, two agogos, casaba, maracas, two whistles, quijada and star chime. This is 80's heaven. Ratings: Sound: 8/10. Ease of use: 8/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 8/10. Roland TR-727 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-808 (1980) Transistor Rhythm 808 was Roland's second programmable rhythm composer which is still as fashionable as ever. It's all analog with super-deep bass and hissing treble. The impact of the 808 in modern music can hardly be greater, these sounds are everywhere. 16 sounds with 11 Individual volume pots and outputs. Some of the sounds have tone and decay controls. It has 12 patterns and 4 patterns/fill ins with A/B switches for a total of 32 patterns. Programming is easy and fast, and this is a fantastic machine that still has many more good years of service ahead of it. Ratings: Sound: 10/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 9/10. Overall: 10/10. Roland TR-808 Introduction.pdf Roland TR-808 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-808 Service Notes.pdf Roland TR-909 (1983) Transistor Rhythm 909 was the last of the analog TR-machines, although the hi-hats and cymbals were 12-bit samples. This techno-monster was released in an era when samples were the big thing, and it never saw a real success back then. As the years passed, it became the indispensable rhythm unit of many kinds of electronic music, and it's importance is immense. Similar controls and outputs as the rest of the TR-family, but with the biggest and most aggressive sound of them all. If distorted it makes good Gabber. Ratings: Sound: 10/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 9/10. Overall: 10/10. Roland TR-909 Owner's Manual.pdf Roland TR-909 Service Notes.pdf WurliTzer Model 200 Electronic Piano (1969) This is a classic 64-key electric piano that sounds lovely. Famous players of this instrument include Duke Ellington, Donny Hathaway and Ray Charles. Duke Ellington used it as his "hotel room composing and arranging tool" when on tour. It's got two knobs: volume and vibrato, that's all. Just plug in and touch that wonderful keyboard. Ratings: Sound: 10/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 1/10. Overall: 9/10. Yamaha CS-5 (1979) Monophonic 37-key all-round synth. Simple but effective. Smallest of the CS-series, with famous big brothers like CS10, CS15 and CS30. VCO with saw, PWM and noise. External audio in which if required creates a trig. LFO with sine, saw and S&H. Great filter selectable between 12 dB/oct low-pass, 12 dB/oct high-pass, or 6 dB/oct band-pass. Single EG controls VCA and/or VCF. CV/Gate inputs/outputs. Ratings: Sound: 8/10. Ease of use: 10/10. Connectability: 7/10. Overall: 8/10. Yamaha CS-5 Owner's Manual.pdf Yamaha DX100 (1986) The smallest member of the famous DX-series. It uses FM-synthesis (frequency modulation) and is purely digital. The basic principle is four operators which all produce sine-waveforms. These are in turn used to modulate the frequency and amplitude of the others, with the help of EG's and a LFO. Somewhat difficult to work with, but it can generate some very interesting sounds, impossible to create by standard analogue techniques. 49-key mini keyboard. This machine is probably best known for it's lovely "Solid Bass" preset sound featured in countless tracks within electronic music. Ratings: Sound: 7/10. Ease of use: 5/10. Connectability: 7/10. Overall: 6/10. Yamaha DX100 Owner's Manual.pdf M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro (2004) 88-key hammer-action keyboard, 24 rotary controllers, 22 buttons, 9 faders. A really nice MIDI-controller that runs on USB-power. Ratings: Ease of use: 6/10. Connectability: 8/10. Overall: 7/10. M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 Advanced Guide.pdf