Hi folks, I'm new to this forum and I already like it. Already got nice replies on stupid newbie questions, that's great!

Anyway, I'm not much of a pro musician, but I like doing sounds with crappy 80s home keyboards -- I especially love the (semi-)analogue stuff by Casio and Yamaha, but also other cheapo digital stuff, and I'd like to know if there are any other guys with the same passion? There's not too many nice synth/keyboard forums around, unfortunately, and I'm in need of inter-nerd communication.

And if anyone has questions concerning 80s home keyboards, I'll be glad to answer them.

Also: Is it okay to post the annoted list of my noisome device collection here -- just for boasting a little -- or is that considered bad manners?

I have a Micro-Korg from the early 80's and a PAIA string machine-piano that was from the same era. It came in a kit form. It was so complicated that a top engineeer from the electrical manufacturing company-Square D-gave up on completing assembly after over a year. Before I sent it back for completion, the company offered it assembled at a cost less than I paid for the kit and the engineer's work.


The Old Synth Guy made offers for them a while back, but I decided to hang on to them.


Both work fine. The Korg is voltage controlled and the contacts need to be cleaned about every 4 months or so to keep it in tune. Of course, that was when it was used in a smoke filled lounge 6 nights a week.


Neat old toys!


Welcome, by the way.


Russ

Thanks Russ!

The most synth-like I possess is -- apart the VL-1, of course -- the great Casio MT-400V. Probably nobody of you pro's will have heard of it, but it's quite cool. It has an analoge resonance envelope filter that can be used to modify the accompaniment sounds and the rhythm as well -- makes it a mean dirty techno machine. You can also switch between 4 bass and accompaniment variations at real-time, I tell you -- you can really have a good time with it. Fat squarewave basses too. It was my first keyboard and it's by far my favourite!

Funnily, my most expensive piece of quipment was a Boss ME-50 guitar multi-effect box. I thought, hey, when I use crappy keyboards, I at least want the effects sound good. And they do! I love the distortion...

But I never heard about a "PAIA string machine-piano". Sounds wild... Is it the same as describd here: http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/paia_stringsnthings.cfm ?

[This message has been edited by General Error (edited 06-01-2009).]

Yes, I believe it is a Strings and Things. Cool, with lots of patch-type connections.

I'm going to dust it off at play it some tomorrow.


R.

What a incredibly cool name, by the way. I'd love to see a picture of it. If you can provide one, Captain Russ, I'll see to it that you'll be promoted Major real soon

http://www.miniorgan.com/ has been a feature link on the front page of Synth Zone for a while and has a great collection of sound bites from really crappy musical toys from the 70s and 80s.

I'll take one (photo) when I get it out of the back of the warehouse. In the meantime, they're pretty easy to find if you just Google PAiA synths.


R.

Well, I did a Google search, but it didn't yield a single image of Strings and Things, however small...

And yeah, the miniorgan site is great. I also like Synth Mania (http://www.synthmania.com/), who also have lots of 1980s home keyboards on file, with sound examples.

The model number of the PAiA Strings 'n' Things is 1550. When I google it, I get a great site first up, with photos and even an mp3 sample.

Google: PAiA 1550 Strings 'n' Things keyboard.

Hadn't thought of this old thing in years. As I recall, It was pretty neat. Played a B-3 at the time. Had a Suitcase Rhodes on my right hand and the PAiA 1550 on top of that. Had a DX-7 on top of the B.

PAiA still exists making kits like Thermin's and others, including, I think, some high end lighting devices.

I have located the one in the warehouse and will hook it up when I get a minute. Looks to be in perfect condition. Last time it was plugged in was around 1982.

Ran across some old die-hards on the net who are actually wanting to buy these things.

Think the old Korg Micro I have is equally neat!

Russ

The Korg is a model 500 Micro-Preset. Early 80's. Quirky little thing I put on top of my B-3 in 1980 and used it on a six night a week house job until about 1992. Smoke makes it go out of tune easily. Have to break it down and clean the gold contacts. It's voltage controlled and the corroded contacts cause the out-of-tune problem. Turned it on about a year ago. Worked fine, but...you guessed it...it was out of tune and needed a cleaning.

R

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 06-03-2009).]