E-mu Modular System
.jpg?lang=en)
The E-mu Modular System is an analog modular synthesizer built by E-mu Systems in the early 1970s. It competed with synthesizers such as the ARP 2500, ARP 2600, and Moog modular synthesizers, although E-mu designed the instruments for mostly universities and notable musicians. The Modular System's polyphonic keyboard and sequencer are controlled by a microprocessor. While around 250 were originally produced, only around 100 are thought to exist today.
History
E-mu Systems, based in California, began producing the Modular System in 1972, as a competitor to the ARP 2500, ARP 2600, and Moog modular synthesizers of the day.[1] The Modular System was their second production synthesizer, following the E-mu 25 in 1971.[2] About 250 were produced for universities and high-profile musicians, the target markets for the Modular System. The systems were hand-built to the specifications of each customer.[1]
Construction and Operation
E-mu claims the Modular System's polyphonic keyboard and sequencer were the first to be controlled by a microprocessor, and they patented the technology at the time.[2] The term "modular" in the product name refers to the customizable set of "modules" available for the synthesizer. Each customer would specify which modules they wanted from a list of available modules such as "Quad Inverter", "Sample-and-Hold", "Dual Reverb" and others.[1]
Users create sounds by manipulating patch cords to direct the signal through the modules above the keyboard. In other words, different combinations of patch cord connections produced different sounds. Users could also save favored patch sequences using a "firm-wire" patch that connected to the instrument and could be swapped out at any time.[1]
Notable artists
References
- ^ a b c d "E-mu Modular Systems". Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ a b "E-mu Systems Product History". E-mu Systems. Retrieved January 7, 2010.