Bell Tone Synth WorksHere's a look inside a Mellotron M400 we just restored and an explanation of how it works! The famous (or notorious) Mellotron M400, made in the 1970s, is a unique keyboard instrument in which every key plays back a recording of that note on actual magnetic tape.
This Mellotron (#1344) was restored by Alison Stout at Bell Tone Synth Works in Philadelphia, PA. Read more about this and other vintage keyboard restorations on our blog at http://belltonesynthworks.com !
Inside a Mellotron M400: How the Mellotron WorksBell Tone Synth Works2017-11-27 | Here's a look inside a Mellotron M400 we just restored and an explanation of how it works! The famous (or notorious) Mellotron M400, made in the 1970s, is a unique keyboard instrument in which every key plays back a recording of that note on actual magnetic tape.
This Mellotron (#1344) was restored by Alison Stout at Bell Tone Synth Works in Philadelphia, PA. Read more about this and other vintage keyboard restorations on our blog at http://belltonesynthworks.com !Yamaha CS-80 Synthesizer Sound Selection Circuit AnalysisBell Tone Synth Works2021-04-15 | I had the idea to do some videos breaking down how specific circuits or sections from different vintage synths work in step-by-step detail, and here's my first one, about how preset, memory, and panel sound selection works in the notorious/legendary Yamaha CS-80.
This video is meant to be more "educational" than "fun" and if you personally don't think it's fun (or musical) enough, that's OK! It also requires at least a basic understanding of a few key electronics theory concepts to follow.
We're working on another (somewhat more fun) CS-80 video that should be up soon!
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Bell Tone Synth Works is an electronic musical instrument repair workshop in Philadelphia, PA specializing in restoration and repair of vintage synthesizers and organs. Please email us with synth restoration inquiries at belltonesynthworks@gmail.com.
Video and text by Alison StoutRestoring TWO Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 synths and stacking them with MIDI (40 Oscillators)!Bell Tone Synth Works2020-05-09 | The techs at Bell Tone Synth Works vintage synth repair workshop recently restored TWO amazing Sequential Circuits Prophet 10s and since we also retrofitted both with MIDI, we decided to chain them together to create a 20-voice, 40-oscillator monster polysynth! Here's an overview of what goes into restoring one of them, and a demonstration of the "Prophet 20" in action, also featuring our lovely Hawk HE-2150 stereo tape echo. This is like playing FOUR Prophet 5s at the same time!
Sound demonstration starts at 6:42 (in case you don't care about the "tech stuff")
Bell Tone Synth Works is an electronic musical instrument repair workshop in Philadelphia, PA specializing in restoration and repair of vintage synthesizers and organs. Please email us with synth restoration inquiries at belltonesynthworks@gmail.com.
Video by Alison and Stout and Darian Scatton, May 2020.The Organ Machine combo organ CV interface and how it works (ADCs and multiplexers!)Bell Tone Synth Works2020-04-05 | The interface circuits we designed and built for "The Organ Machine" allow a vintage combo organ or other instrument with a divide-down architecture to be controlled with control voltage sequencers, with a separate CV input for each octave. Each octave of the organ is used as the core of a separate synthesizer voice after being fed through the envelopes and filters of a Music From Outer Space modular synth and Buchla clone low pass gates. In this video, Darian demos the instrument and Alison explains how it works, with an explanation of what ADCs (analog to digital converters) and multiplexers do.
This isn't the kind of thing we usually do, but we thought it might be fun to share this weird DIY project while everyone's at home because of the Coronavirus!
Bell Tone Synth Works is a electronic musical instrument repair workshop in Philadelphia, PA specializing in restoration repair of vintage synthesizers and organs.
The ElectroComp EML-101 is a fantastic duophonic semi-modular synthesizer from 1974. Bell Tone Synth Works repaired this 101 and also added a custom circuit to allow the synth, which is scaled to 1.4 V/octave with a DC offset, to accept control voltage of the standard 1V/octave scale, allowing it to be played with an external sequencer or other CV source. In this video, we're using it with the inexpensive Korg SQ-1 step sequencer. This synth also has unique FM capabilities that allow it to make some amazing sounds! For more info or to inquire about having your synth repaired or modded, visit http://belltonesynthworks.com.
ElectroComp demos performed by Darian ScattonMoog Werkstatt modded with built In Synthrotek echo moduleBell Tone Synth Works2017-07-08 | Here's a little demo video of a Moog Werkstott custom mod project we did. The main attraction is a built-in echo module with patchable CV modulation. It's also got a volume knob, a gate input jack (this needs a little transistor circuit in order to work), and separate 1/8" outputs for the pulse and square waveforms. The first half shows the Korg sequencer triggering the envelope generator through the new gate input jack, and then gradually adding echo. The second half shows one of my favorite ways to use it-- pushing the echo processor until it starts to feed back and then manipulating the harmonics using the Feedback and Delay Time knobs while the synth plays a PWM drone. Visit http://belltonesynthworks.com to learn more. Get in touch and we'll help you dream up some cool mods for your synth!Nomad Model 61 Combo Organ Features DemonstrationBell Tone Synth Works2016-12-19 | This organ is currently for sale in the Bell Tone Synth Works shop on Reverb at http://reverb.com/shop/belltonesynthworks! This Nomad Model 61 (aka Teisco Teischord G) is a really slick looking organ with a warm tone and awesome growly bass. It's light and well-built and a great organ to take on tour! Check out this overview of its sound and features.Elka Panther 300 Combo Organ Features Demonstration - Elka CapriBell Tone Synth Works2016-11-27 | Here's a features demonstration of the Elka Panther 300 / Elka Capri combo organ. This is a really great, classic organ with three mixable footages (octaves) per note, many filter (tone) options, polyphonic bass, a great vibrato with multiple options, unusual "Mixture" footages you can add in and tone decay. There are some occasional key squeaks that you may hear at the end of the video, but this is just the sound of the physical keys rubbing against each other and would not show up on a direct-in recording or come through an amplifier.Suzuki Omnichord OM-200M as MIDI controller for Korg EX-800 synthesizerBell Tone Synth Works2016-10-03 | This is a demo of a Suzuki Omnichord OM-200 M (1989) being used as a MIDI controller for a Korg EX-800 (1984) polyphonic synth module, the little brother of the Poly-800. This is a powerful combination in which the Omnichord's ability to send out humanistic cascades of tones really complements the Korg's unique 6-pointed (ADBSSR) envelopes, highly resonant filter and loud pink noise generator.