RE: Micro synth

[Mark@asisoftware.com (Mark Kata)]

Jay,
I had a chance to buy a E-H Micro Synth in the mid-'80s for $35.00 and I 
passed on it.

It sounds like an octave down and an octave up played through an overdrive 
with envelope effects that ranged from subtle to (I think) near 
self-oscillation--like an analog synth when the filter cutoff control is 
turned down and the resonance control is turned up.

I think it could do a decent job of re-creating the "Going Mobile" sound.

>From what I remember, it only sounded good with single note lines--it 
>seemed to cut the highs a fair amount; chords sounded too mushy.

Now, since I've been through analog, digital and sampling technologies, 
I'd welcome the opportunity to re-evaluate the Micro Synth.

Vintage units are selling for around $350 ! ?  They're occasionally listed 
in Vintage Guitar's ads.

Mark Kata
Mark@asisoftware.com

----------
From:   Jay Taylor[SMTP:jtaylor@scsn.net]
Sent:   Tuesday, April 22, 1997 3:00 PM
To:     Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject:        Re: Micro synth

i am trying to imagine what this sound is like. is it like the wacky
guitar-controlled sound on "goin' mobile" on the "who's next" album? does
anybody know what that gizmo that was?

At 08:40 PM 4/21/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Is this the gizmo Helios Creed uses (besides Crybaby, delay and everything
>else) to get that "retro-future" sound? (Helios Creed = Guitarist of
>proto-industrial weirdo-rock band "Chrome", now gone solo). I saw him play
>once and he had this metalic big-muff looking thing which was some sort of
>quasi-guitar synth. Been wondering ever since what the heck it was.
>
>(Not quite loop-related, but Helios Creed uses so much delay he almost 
>counts
>as a looper!)
>
>In a message dated 97-04-21 05:41:26 EDT, you write:
>
><< 
> >>>>Not to spread rumors but I know Sovtek/EH are reissuing the 
>microsynth
> pedal (another VINTGE! item currently selling for hundreds)>>>>
> 
> I got one for free ones upon a time in a store that could not konw what 
>to
> do with it (???!!) Yes!. So I don't now what is its real street price, 
>but
> you can a hold on it.....
> 
> For those who do not know, it is a pedal (EH) with input and ouput both
> mono. Then you can adjust, with faders:
> Guitar level
> A tone an octave lower (quite octaver like but the boss OC-2 et warmer 
>and
> more punchy to my opinion)
> A square wave at the pitch of the guitar, sounding quite raw, almost like
> a fuzz but... (see at "filter...)
> A tone an octave above, that a sound you could mistake for a Roland
> GR-300 with right FILTER setting (there an hidden message here)
> 
> The filter (AH, can't Say I did not warn you)
> 
> Analog low pass, resonating at its cutoff frequency with a faders
> adjusting 1) the cutoff "in" of the filter when you play your note, then
> the cutoff "out" of the note (sorry I don't know haow best say that in
> plain english or american). Basically, you adjust the sensitivity of the
> pedal with another fader, and the time of decay of the filter, providing
> with sensitivity, those to cut-off faders and he decay, a way to have an
> envelope for the filter that is even dynamic dependant. Sounds quite 
>good,
> don't you think???
> 
> Olivier Malhomme
> 
> (OOPPS!, wasn't it off topic...)
>  >>
>
>
>
Jay Taylor
Reporter
The State
Columbia, SC
(v) 803 771 8549
(f) 803 771 8430, 8480