Only 25 to 30 Synthis were ever made and of those, very few remain intact. Most were dismantled years ago for parts or were heavily modified. With its serial number of 002, it is believed that FX Music Control's Synthi is the oldest in existence. No one can remember what happened to 001 but 003 went to the BBC and 004 went to Radio Belgrade and has probably been lost forever during the recent conflicts that wrecked much of the country's technical infrastructure.
Chris Simpson, FX Music Control's resident synthesiser expert, says he spent many years trying to track down a Synthi and couldn't believe his luck when he finally managed to persuade the original owners of 002 (a UK university) to part with it. "The Synthi was such a complex instrument that most of them ended up in universities, radio stations or producers' private collections," he explains. "The few that still exist are mainly in museums, although I believe Daniel Miller, head of MUTE Records, has one in his private collection."
Simpson adds that when 002 arrived at FX Music Control he was delighted to find that it was in reasonable condition. "Over the years, most of these synthesisers have been dismantled for parts, so we were expecting ours to be a bit of a wreck. In fact, all it needs is a good clean and a few new parts, which we believe we will be able to source," he says.
The EMS Synthi is almost more of a scientific instrument than a musical one and incorporates a frequency counter, 12 oscilloscopes, eight filters and various patchbays enabling the musician to patch just about anything through it. "What you get out of it depends on your knowledge of the instrument and how much you are prepared to experiment and use your imagination," Simpson adds. "It is a totally unique instrument and, for me, restoring it is going to be a real labour of love."
The project is expected to take a year to complete and involves stripping the Synthi down, replacing all damaged parts - including some very rare Nixi tubes - and reconditioning the original wood cabinet. Once it is completed, it will be sold for a five figure sum. "We already have a buyer lined up for it, although at this stage I'm not prepared to say who he is," Simpson adds. "But whoever gets it is going to be in for a treat."
(Lee Baldock)
