| Notes | Key Features
The sounds from 17 classic and rare string machines
Over 2.5Gb of data
66 individual sample sets
49 notes, each individually sampled and looped
Dual Layer & Split Keyboard capability
Vintage style Ensemble & Phaser effects
Lowpass, Bandpass & Highpass Resonant Filter Section
Two Envelope Generators
Pitch LFO
Dynamic control including filter aftertouch
700+ Patch library
Instrument Overview
The modern, polyphonic string synthesizer was invented in 1970 by Ken Freeman, a British keyboard player and engineer who discovered that if you layered a note with another detuned and slightly modulated version of itself, a pleasant ‘chorused’ sound resulted.
Even though Ken's invention wasn't the first instrument of this genre to be commercially released (That honor fell to the Eminent organ company with their 310 Unique organ) there's little doubt that Ken's vision contributed immeasurably to electronic music over the next few decades in the guise of over 100+ different models that followed from a huge variety of manufacturers.
The VSM is an intuitive but highly powerful Virtual String Machine which captures many of the sounds from this genre of instrument, containing a wealth of sounds from a small mountain of classic and rare string machines. These range from the first commercial string ensembles (Eminent 310 & Freeman String Symphonizer) through to the highly lauded Solina, Elka Rhapsody, Logan String Melody, Korg PE2000 and many more.
With the sheer amount of instruments captured within the VSM, it's simplicity itself to recreate all those golden string machine tones from yesteryear. However, with the VSM's comprehensive, yet intuitive feature-set, plus a two-layer option it's now possible to create your own hybrid instruments taking these sublime vintage tones into hitherto unchartered territory.
Full VSM Instrument List
ARP Omni
ARP Quartet
Crumar Multiman
Elka Rhapsody
Eminent 310
Freeman String Symphonizer
Junost 21
Korg PE-2000
Logan String Melody
Oberheim OB-8
Oberheim Xpander
Moog Opus 3
Polymoog
Roland RS202
Solina
Yamaha SK-15
Yamaha SS-30
Essential String Machine
Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene (Eminent 310), Equinoxe (Elka Rhapsody)
Duran Duran: Rio (Crumar)
John Foxx: Metamatic (Elka Rhapsody)
Beck: Midnight Vultures (Opus 3)
Morrisey: You are the Quarry (Opus 3)
Jeff Wayne: War Of The Worlds (Freeman String Symphonizer)
David Bowie: Low (Solina)
Roy Ayers: Everybody Loves the Sunshine (Solina)
Herbie Hancock: Chameleon (Solina)
Steve Hackett: Spectral Mornings (Logan String Melody), Voyage of the Acolyte (Elka Rhapsody)
Genesis: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album (Elka Rhapsody layered with Mellotron®)
Air: Moon Safari album (Solina)
Ultravox: Vienna (Elka Rhapsody & Yamaha SS-30), Artificial Life - (Elka Rhapsody)
Lonnie Liston Smith: Expansions (Solina)
Gary Wright: Dreamweaver (Solina)
Goldfrapp: Number One (Roland RS505)
Vangelis: Heaven & Hell (Elka Rhapsody)
Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart (ARP Omni)
New Order: Blue Monday (ARP Omni)
The Cure: In Between Days (Solina)
Pink Floyd: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Solina)
Kraftwerk: Trans Europe Express (ARP Omni) |
