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What is there to say about the Mellotron? Three words mostly: Strawberry Fields Forever. The CZ V features 32 voices, extended multi-segment loopable envelopes, 2 synthesis lines, 4 FX slots and advanced modulation routings make this one tough Casio. Obviously, being a budget friendly range of synths, the CZs had some limitations, and of course, Arturia have promptly done away with them.
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Recreating a Casio from the ’80s might leave some scratching their heads (it’s a far cry from an EMS Synthi after-all), but Casio were really onto something with their phase distortion CZ series synths, and became a cult classic that was low on price and big on sound - sitting somewhere between an FM synth and analogue synth in timbre. The Synthi V will be at home amongst fellow ’60s/’70s oddities, the Buchla Easel V and (Moog) Modular V within V Collection.
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Made famous by the intro to Pink Floyd’s classic On The Run, Synthi V features 3 oscillators, an 18db/oct resonant filter and a spring reverb - but most notable is its Battleship inspired pin modulation matrix, that provides a hands on interface for experimental routings. I think it’s fair to say, owning an original hardware Synthi is probably out of reach of most of us synth nerds.
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Tristan got hands on with the new instruments this week, check out his video demo overview below: Updates include a full update to Analog Lab and an overhaul of the Hammond B3 organ, as well as 800 new presets for the othe pre-existing instruments. Now up to 24 seperate synthesiser/keys instruments, V Collection adds recreations of the Casio CZ series phase distortion synthesisers, the legendary Mellotron and the bizarre British semi-modular EMS Synthi AKS synth. Arturia have just announced the new edition of their software instrument suite, V Collection 7, adding 3 new instruments and a range of updates to their existing stable.
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