Freeman string symphonizer

The Freeman String Symphonizer was a 5 octave [synthesizer] of the mid [1970s]. It was manufactured by the [Chicago Musical Instrument Co.] and was also known as the Cordovox CSS. Its sound was similar to that of the [Arp String Ensemble] - cool glassy sounding strings.

The Freeman had a built in spring [reverb] which gave the synthesizer a deeper sound. One could choose between violins and cellos, and shift the keyboard an octave up or down. There was an after-touch sensor which provided some [vibrato], and an adjustable chorus effect. It was a heavy machine - about 70 lbs - and was rather durable.

It was used by [The Who], [Jan Hammer], [Chick Corea], [Elton John], and [Peter Sinfield].

Recently, it has been emulated in software by [GForce], with their Virtual String Machine software.