Correction: I stated that the Optigan was used to make strings. That is not true, it was its professional successor, the Orchestron (which was used by many bands from 1975 onward) was the first to implement chromatic string optical discs. I unwittingly threw the two together since I only ever played these through the M-Tron Pro library, unlike the Mellotron, which I played extensivly in person. Thanks Stefan Stenzel (iOptigan and Waldorf Streichfett creator) for the tip!

@johnk6312

4 жыл бұрын

check out the Hammond novachord it dates back to 1939

@Musik_Arbeiter

3 жыл бұрын

Kraftwerk are probably the most noteworthy users of the Orchestron, it's all over their albums Radioactivity and Trans-Europe Express 🎹🎶

@alanshewitt

3 жыл бұрын

And worth noting, the Optigan was relatively *inexpensive* upon release (compared to professional instruments, like it’s successor, the Orchestron), and were intended for the home/consumer market (incidentally, manufactured not by a musical instrument company, but a toy manufacturer-Mattel). They only became pricey on the vintage market, due to scarcity and the fact that they were built very cheaply, with lots of plastic parts which deteriorate with age, making finding one in good condition even more difficult.

What I find absolutely fascinating about these old string synthesizers is that we associate "strings" with them, when taken out of context it really does not sound like a string instrument at all. I quite like this versimillite, it's very much akin to the signal lost "realness" of the tape you've talked about in the past. Almost as much as it reminds me of those italian horror soundtracks, this sound evokes Lynch, who has a knack of painting a beautifully heartfelt, yet uncanny picture about the underbelly of safe living people often think they have. It has a bittersweet grit to it, like super fine sandpaper. Textured, familiar but also a bit elusive, distant. Magnificent instrument, thanks for bringing it out and teaching us about them!

@fortheloveofnoise

5 жыл бұрын

listen to Bottin - Horror Disco

1:08, I was fully expecting to hear a voice singing "fun, fun, fun of the autobahn" at this point! :-D

This synth makes sounds like you're floating through space in a capsule. The last one to survive your mission. You've got the electronics on low to save energy, so the inside of your pod is so incredible dark, but the stars look brighter than you've ever seen in your life. You know you're going to slowly begin running out of oxygen, but despite the fear of death that nags at you, there's this appreciation for the sheer magnitude of the universe that makes you feel something like awe, but you don't know what to call it. Which is pretty cool for a machine.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Indeed it is. Thank you for sharing, I always enjoy comments such as this.

@mitchelldries6628

4 жыл бұрын

that's a pretty accurate description, tbh..

@wreckage-vs5jv

4 жыл бұрын

Gravity?

I hear quite a bit of Kraftwerk in that synthesizer!

String synthesizers have a life to them which is not present in other devices. No studio can be complete without at least one.

Thank you, Hainbach, for an interesting and inspiring video. Sorry it took me so long to get to it. I like it that the instrument makers who built the Mellotron, Optigan, Orchestron and their like figured out ways to store and play samples before the digital age. The sounds of the Mellotron are so distinctive -- and even famous -- that nowadays people make/sell/buy/play VST instruments that emulate them, giving them an extended life that transcends the physical limitations and frailties of the mechanical originals. What a nice time to be alive. There is more than nostalgia involved in the attraction these early electronic instruments have for me, although there's that too. Some 35 or 40 years ago a local entrepreneur built a restaurant near my town in the American Great Lakes Basin area called the Band Organ Restaurant. He had bought and restored a very old mechanical "band organ" that predated the age of electronics, and it dominated the restaurant, occupying a loft at the front end of the hall. It was a massive, self-playing machine comprised of many acoustic instruments -- strings, woodwinds, brass, pipe organ, Calliope, and percussion -- that were all driven by electric motors, air pumps, solenoids, and the like. There were electromechanical strikers that played things like banjos, a piano, a marimba, drums, and cymbals. I think it used something like piano rolls to store and play the notes. It was an elaboration of the player piano concept. It made a massive sound and played late 19th Century and early 20th Century American popular and "circus" music, serenading the customers as they consumed the food which also was pretty good. Similar instruments can be found in the centers of some old (and retro) carousels in our country and likely in yours. Alas, the Band Organ Restaurant did not last more than a few years, and I don't know what became of the instrument. Those things must be getting increasingly rare now. Some can be found in museums. There was a kind of charm about that mechanical music. As with your Wersi String Orchestra, there was no "velocity" sensitivity. Dynamics came from the orchestration -- how the instruments were combined and the sounds were stacked. That style of musical dynamics really dates back 1,000 years to those old pipe organs found in many large European churches and cathedrals and somewhat later in instruments like the harpsichord whose mechanical action allows little variation in loudness per note. You get louder sounds on a harpsichord by playing octaves and/or two manuals simultaneously or muting and unmuting if your instrument has a pedal providing that feature. Players compensated for the lack of dynamic range by adding ornamentation -- turns, trills, and the like -- and by making wonderful melodies. It's one of those kinds of limitations that can actually inspire creativity. For me, that is "a feature, not a bug" in old electronic keyboards (and some brand new ones) that lack velocity sensitivity. Who needs velocity sensitivity when there are so many other ways to vary the sound? (Even so, I do love velocity sensitive keyboards with aftertouch!)

What a fantastic sounding and looking machine. Thank you for the sounds.

String synths are awesome. I have a Jen String Machine and I love it. With the right amount of phaser in the mix it sounds like old horror, with reverb and chorus it sounds like old science fiction.

Sounds amazing. I miss my string synth. I had a Roland RS-202. Nice little synth. But the Wersi sounds incredible. Such an evocative sound.

Beautiful instrument. Excellent demo.

This is the best advertisement for a solina ive ever seen.

Great music at the end. Great vid. Cheers!

This is great! I recently got a bargain on a Crumar Orchestrator, and have been thoroughly enjoying the charming, grainy sound of those old Italian strings. Such otherworldly and mysterious sounds!

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Oh yes! The Crumar stuff also had a magical phaser if I recall correctly.

impressive sounds, and dig that wood grain!

Wow! I love it!!

wow it sounds amazing!

Fantastic synth !! Just signed up for your Patreon !!

These things are always awesome, I've been obsessed with them and combo organs too. The little jam at 5:15 reminds me of sounds in a song by Lau Nau, Kuoleman Tappajan Kuolema

Another amazing video from a brilliant muscician

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

Really hope we’ll see a new analog sting synth come out. I know Behringer and Waldorf are doing some but I would like to see more companies (Korg’s ARP) do one.

Gute Arbeit! I have to admit, I used to hate the sound of a string synth, despite being a synth nut. But there's something about the thick "string machine" chorus I grew to appreciate and ultimately really like. Nochmal, gut gemacht. Cheers...

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Dankeschön!

Wow what a great string beast!

Good purchase! Great mods! 😍😍😍😍😍😍

That is the Goblin sound track machine. So awesome!

This looks so familiar to me. I’ve played one somewhere, at a friends house, at school? I can’t remember but those sliders and layout are so familiar. It sounds fantastic, I can see why you got it.

Sounds like heaven!

There are three “chorus”. Although most say it like “choruses” absolutely love your channel. Greetings from an American in Köln

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I played Düsseldorf last Tuesday, would love to perform in Köln next year.

I love synths with silver faceplates.. sounds great looks amazing

The tone is absolutely beautiful 🥰 I couldn't find any for sale. Lucky you!

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

It was one of those "Is this for real?" moments that have become rare on eBay/classifieds.

15:19 I love you.

@synthmalicious7541

4 жыл бұрын

What

That bass is amazing!

@Hainbach

4 жыл бұрын

It's very physical and sits so well in a mix.

The Wersi has a sound like the Logan String Melody II with a Small Stone phaser. I wanted these sounds so I bought a Logan. Pair it with a Small Stone phaser and it's 70's horror movie heaven. Does a mean theme track for The Warriors movie as well.

I'm just trying to picture how the sales people would have demoed the "Slalom" and "Hawaii" features back in the day...

Swiss band Yello used this synth a lot, on every track of the albums Solid Pleasure and Claro Que Si

Wow this is Awesome! I hear some of the “Farfisa” sound in the Wersi. Love to have a vst of it

Goblin soundtrack Dawn of the dead encompasses a great sample of some of the greatest analog synths. Many great soundtracks waiting to be written with that synth. Great synths you have there. Tnx for the demo and saw early Genesis and Yes @ 72 and mellotron sounded great. Liked and subbed

I heard so many Italian horror soundtracks (especially from the phaser section) on this one! Thanks for the tip on Twitter.

@Hainbach

2 жыл бұрын

Lovely to see you here!

I'm working on a composition centred around the idea 'the worlds sloppiest orchestra' and this synth sounds like it will sit beautifully into what I have in mind

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yes! Perfect!

Really Nice sound

Interesting and entertaining video. Subbed

Great video and super nostalgic sounds. Thanks for the play through, really interesting. Have you ever come across the Eminent 310 unique?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Sadly, no. I have to say this my first real-life string synth contact.

wider was gelernt, auch wenn es nicht "my bag" ist der Waldorf Streichfett ist mein kleiner Ausflug im string synth land

Very nice

I've been lusting after the Streichfett for months. Now I have to rethink a few things...

In the beginning I didn’t not like the sound. Now as I watch it sounds so much better with the phaser board.

Beautiful sounds. Am I being dead cheeky asking about the quadraverb update? Much love!

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Its a bit behind, since I have the pedal series and toy piano I want to tackle, as well as some fun ones and a primer on tape machines. Here is a request thread, I tend to bump things up the schedule if there is demand: www.reddit.com/r/Hainbach/comments/9ucn93/the_video_request_thread/

I love goblin! And these kinds of synths! I need to find out how to get my deepmind12 in this ballpark.

The sound is very similar to the Logan String Melody. Nice video. .

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it is very likely a copy of the Logan from all I read about it.

Love it

EXCELLENT

OK, mentions Globin, shows an old string machine, mentions Logan the day after I surfed for old synths and string machines, found a Siel Cruise... time to hit that Subscribe button ... das lohnt sich, keine Frage ;)

A magical thing i love it ;-)

Lovely video after seeing this I was wondering have you ever played a buchla synth? I saw a video on the buchla 200 and its such an amazing synth the sound is very unique. There are some "box" versions which are also quite nice.

I imagine the Wersi into the Bastl Thyme would be incredible!

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yes! It loves FX. I want to do a "Desktop FX" video, will try that combo for sure.

sounds like the first Prodigy's recordings!

klingt manchmal wie bei clockwork orange... aber das war, glaub ich, ein anderer... wie auch immer coole sache, cooler kanal, danke. grüsse aus Ff/M

wow, the added phaser board sounds fabulous in combination with the ensemble effect. much more flexible and intricate than the wonderful-but-predictable small stone plus stringer combo. if you ever open it, it would be interesting to find out what phaser circuit did the technician install in it. you mentioned four modes, if i heard correctly? only phaser i know of, that has four modes of operation and was existant in early 70s, is original script logo MXR Phase 100. but never had one myself so hard to say conclude from the demo. anyways, a wonderful demonstration, and the whole channel of course .. always mega interesting :)

I have a big wersi. It is awesome.

I have a Waldorf Streichfett, sadly no space for something like this but paired up with some choice effects can sound great!

@yaanno

5 жыл бұрын

@stephen roldan get an stvc if you can, upgraded sound and keys. waldorfmusic.com/en/stvc

@1st2mind44

5 жыл бұрын

I just bought a Streichfett. I freaking love it. I love the Solina, and I think Streichfett is defenitely in the neighbourhood. So why didn’t I get the STVC? I have also heard, that Waldorf has improved the sound. Because the Streichfett is exactly what I wanted. I haven’t been had the opportunity to try out the STVC. But even if I had, I don’t think I would get one right away. I bought my Streichfett second hand and paid 1/5 of what the STVC would cost me. And I want to use it in a setup with a Nord Stage 3 and play it from then Nord.

I've been looking for a decent string synth. I already have an Elka 901 that I share with a friend, but that only does so much for the high stuff.

Unfassbar schöne Klänge.

Почти "Электроника ЭМ-04" 😉

Great video, and great piece of music at the end. How did you do the bass sound for this piece? Is it the Wersi sampled into Op1? With reverb from the op1 then tracked onto the 4 track?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Its the Wersi pitched down on tape.

@rekindle

5 жыл бұрын

It's kinda Popol Vuh!

This thing is beautiful…ps have streichfett and looking for modules,or even Arduino strings to add to mix.

The Hawaii button is supposed to sound like a Hawaiian guitar. It works best(still not so great) if you push the button before depressing the key. You then release the button right after depressing the key and it is supposed to sound like you are sliding into the note.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, there is a sound example in the later part where I employ that technique. Sounds interesting there, rather dramatic.

@AlexBallMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Was just about to say the same thing. It's for emulating the cliché sus2 to 3 bend you get on lap steel guitars in Hawaiian and Country music.

@jimmygumballs4993

5 жыл бұрын

Then again, where is the fun in using something as intended.

Whilst you were talking about the Optigan and the Mellotron, as a loyal Kraftwerk fan I was jumping up and down shouting (well, metaphorically) "Vaco Orchestron" but as this was a child of the Optigan anyway, I suppose you already had that covered. I always think about those string synthesizers and how they were a route to polyphony in the days of the Mini Moog and ARP Odyssey. A lot of those demos you did took me off to an imaginary cellar bar in Berlin in the early 1970s.

Although this may be a funny instrument, it doesn't come close to the Siel and ARP synth strings you hear everywhere on 70's records. Best one I had was a Crumar Multiman-S that combined various sounds, the strings of which were unrivalled.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the insight! Bought a Crumar Multiman-S now. If it does not live up I will hold you responsible. :-)

@agerven

5 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach Curious on your use and ratings of the Multiman. Do you have the pedal section (hold / sustain, volume) also with it? In case you don't like it I might be interested in buying it myself ...

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

For now I hope the transaction goes through well. I had to re-solder a bunch of stuff on the Wersi, transport is not nice to these machines.

@kevinmichael2593

5 жыл бұрын

I loved my multiman s. Great sounds, but built like a tank!

nice voicing,,, wish i could get hohner k2 schemo....likely similar... and wersi wm24/b for that matter i need diagram also

Hainbach! I love your videos!! What format is the sample pack? Do I need an op-1?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

It's OP1 but also 44.1khz 16 bit WAV you can import in anything. You loose the processing I did but that can be replicated in any sampler.

@whitelightenergydads

5 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach OK cool. Thank you for the reply!

Why i have the feeling this was used in a couple of horror B movies during the 1960's. I also hear a bit of that Blade Runner vibe at the end of the video. Which i really like.

@Hainbach

3 жыл бұрын

It was! This was used by Goblin in the Giallo films

@virgilwilliams2378

3 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach Ok. I have to look that up.

Cool...

Cool instrument! Reminds me a little of a PAiA Stringz 'N Thingz which was probably based on this instrument's design or a similar one?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Hi John, so nice to see you here! It is probably based on the common technology, like many stringers.

@CARLiCON

5 жыл бұрын

whatever happened to PAiA? I used to get their synth kit catalogs in the 70s & 80s seems like they missed the whole retro diy modular craze

Ok. I have to ask. I have been listening to a lot of European synth bands lately... Wad this used by the band Space? It sounds so much like their music.

I just got one of these today, I'm having a hard time finding schematics or anything anywhere on how to modify it in a similar way. I also have very little knowledge of modifying synths in general. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction, I've tried watching Elektriktomik's videos but I don't speak german haha.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

I wish I had knowledge - try maybe synthdiy communities?

13:18 Got extremely close to mellotron strings to my ear but there was too much filter motion. Can this setting be dialed in in such a way that you only get the flat string texture without that oscillating filter?

@Hainbach

Жыл бұрын

Yes you can, the Phaser is an addition.

At 9:00 my heart exploded. How do you track this thing? Is there a jack in the back?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, regular guitar jack.

@cuba1956

5 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach Sounds fantastic! Great playing!

Ich habe mein Wersi String Orchestra midifiziert. Funktioniert tadellos, wenn die Attack-Zeit auf Maximum gestellt wird, mit dem Überbrücken nur eines Kontaktes von Dreien unter der Tastatur. Verwendung fand das Doepfer Midi to Gate Interface MTC 64 und 13 Quad-Optokoppler CNY 74-4.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Danke für den Tipp! Sind sie DER Klaus Schulze oder ist das ein Screen name?

@klausschulze520

5 жыл бұрын

Das ist ein Screen Name als Ausdruck der Begeisterung für die musikalische Herangehensweise von KS.

@edgeeffect

4 жыл бұрын

I was just about to "this really reminds me of Klaus Schulze"... (that is DER Klaus Schulze)

Hi Hainbach, I am very lucky, because last sunday I got one ... for free. It is in near mint state. The Hawai has come loose and does not always work. There is one key where, with only cello, no sound is produced. I think it is a cabling issue. But for the rest, it is in perfect shape. Congratulations with your nice video. Could you tell me how, who installed the phaser - chorus mod and where I could order it? Do you think it is possible to take away the black bottom of the transport crate? As far as I found out it is part of the synth. If you want I can send pictures

@Hainbach

4 жыл бұрын

Hi, the guy who made the phaser etc is called „Wernemann“ on eBay Kleinanzeigen. But you can just add a Small Stone phaser for similar results.

@FilipTrenson

4 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach OK I even have an old Peavey with a nice phaser inside. I suppose there is no way to change the modulation rate of the internal phaser? I saw another video on youtube of a guy who modded the internal phaser kzread.info/dash/bejne/g6iO1Jd8oMm2fM4.html.

Anyone know of if there’s a vst version of this available? I’m on the verge of climax here

Unbelievable tone.Lush yet lo fi.I physically jumped back a bit listening at low volume because the sound caught me offguard..

This so, so, so reminds me of Klaus Schulze... where did I put my copies of Blackdance and Timewind?

Alesis Wedge (y) - traditionell verlacht aber das fetteste mir bekannte reverb!

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Super Hall! Besser als die meisten Pedale auf jeden Fall.

A lot of old school electric pipe organs work on the same premise as this Wersi.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah! It's just differnt waveforms, envelopes and fx.

Is this a Logan String Orchestra licensed to Wersi? They look almost identical.

some sounds could come from a boards of canada tape

did Walter/Wendy Carlos use one of these for Clockwork Orange? Sounds familiar

@MrJasongonzales23

5 жыл бұрын

I had the same exact thought, but I think she used Moogs almost exclusively.

so this is available as a wav sample pack also?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

I sampled every note of the orchestra and bass setting. You only have to cut it up in your sampler.

The only words i have to describe how cool this is are in arabic so whatever... Side note you really remind me of john from vlogbrothers, you two look very similar

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I don't know that person, though.

@kinocomix

5 жыл бұрын

He's been on the website since forever, he's also the writer who made "the fault in our stars". I don't know if you'd like their stuff honestly, but eitherway i love your music man :D

Have you owned or used a Mellotron?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

I have played it quiet a bit. Loved every second of it. No plugin can do the alive feeling you get from it justice.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Choir/Strings/Flute were installed if I remember correctly (was about 12 years ago)

@ClassicRockLivesOn

5 жыл бұрын

@@Hainbach Nice, those are the holy trinity of mellotron sounds. I wish the digital ones were more affordable.

Viola? Just a violin but an octave down? I’m sure viola players would be upset by that, haha.

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Poor viola players. Actually often my favorite people in orchestras, together with percussionist and piccolo.

Soviet Elektronika EM-04 is almost a direct clone of this keyboard.

wäre doch toll gewesen du hättest bisschen Oxygen angespielt mit dem Phaser ?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Und einen Copyright Strike riskiert? Lieber nicht. 🙂

@markussteinbacher8807

5 жыл бұрын

ich weiss nicht was ein CS ist aber viele viele Leute hier spielen irgendwas vom Herrn Jarre nach und einige clips sind seit Jahren hier.. Denke es stört ihn nicht. Hätte mich echt interessiert wie das auf dem Ding klingt vorallem weil ich einen alten Logan bekommen könnte...

@markussteinbacher8807

5 жыл бұрын

Herr Jarre will nur sein Credit im Text sehen. Schau mal hier auf YT unter : jarre Cover da gehen locker hundert clips runter ;-)

"Hawaii"

It sounds like an organ from a horror movie

@Hainbach

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, that was a prime application for these.

How do you have so much money to buy cool stuff?

@Hainbach

5 жыл бұрын

Ha, this was dirt cheap. I only buy cheap.

@nanayawberko3212

5 жыл бұрын

Another method is the starvation nation savings plan

Did Kraftwerk use this on Autobahn? I bet they did!

@edgeeffect

4 жыл бұрын

As Klaus Röder was playing a real violin, I don't think so. But.... some of those sounds really do sound like parts of Kometenmelodie, so maybe I'm wrong. Round the internet you see mention of a Farfisa organ which could do sounds like this with an external phaser and chorus???? By Radioaktivität they had their Vako Orchestron which created all the classic Kraftwerk string and voice sounds. ... It would have been so much easier if Kraftwerk had "done a Jean-Michel Jarre or Vangelis" and listed their kit on the back of the album!

I have a sudden overwhelming urge to go and watch Clockwork Orange... can’t think for the life of me why...

Say what you will, I personally think it sounds like a congested combo organ. Way too thin and harsh sounding. Very uninspiring for me, but to each their own. I'm more of a Solina guy myself anyway.

For selling Wersi String Orchestra 630 € VB