From Kent Williams Sent Mon, Apr 3rd 2000, 23:10
From Kent Williams Sent Mon, Apr 3rd 2000, 23:10
On Mon, 3 Apr 2000 xxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx wrote: > I'm considering an EML 101, VCS 3 or a Doepfer A100. I'd like something > flexible, patchable and dependable. I'll be using it primarily for evolving > drones, textures, sound effects and treatments. EMLs are cool, but when I've messed with one it's seemed pretty thin and harsh sounding. I even had one for about a year on loan from Dvorkin the Mad Russian, and never really found sounds on it I liked particularly. I own an EMS Putney, and while I think it's a cool piece, and I use it all the time, it's not very easy to use tonally. It's more useful, because of it's unpredictability and spastic tracking (from CV) as a sound processor. They're also old and require a lot of TLC to keep running. I got mine at a bargain price from a jr. high school, but I've had it in the shop 3 times since for things going wrong. As a matter of fact when I turned it on to test it, it worked for five minutes and went silent! Basically the EMS units were constructed very cheaply over 30 years ago, so there are a lot of parts on them that are marginal. This may actually contribute to the sound in interesting ways, but no way would I pay $2k for one. I even have the custom EMS vinyl dust cover for mine -- I should put it on EBAY and see what it fetches ;-) I've also used a Doepfer, and I think it's probably the #1 'starter modular' you can get -- relatively cheap, relatively powerful, and you can use it for 'bread and butter' modules, and then add on stuff from MOTM, Blacet etc.