KVR Audio

werp · Post by **werp** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:38 pm

here's the link for you'se yobbos what might be interested.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Synclavier-D ... 35e708171b

lfm · Post by **lfm** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:56 pm

I know of some people in the 80's that started work to clone one of those - if this is the piece I think it is.

They xrayed all circuit boards to see all connections without unsoldering.
They were silly expensive as I recall - and could not sacrifice the unit.

Were they superseded by Akai MPC1000 or something?

BERFAB · Post by **BERFAB** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:20 pm

They were superceded by computer technology. IIRC, the Synclavier was the pre-cursor to the DAW. Everything was built right in, including access to in the box, ready to go instruments of all types.

I never personally saw one, but a lot of big names had 'em. I remember reading somewhere that Zappa used to compose on one.

sprnva · Post by **sprnva** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:36 pm

IIRC, Zappa's Jazz from Hell was done on a Synclavier.

Glyn Darby · Post by **Glyn Darby** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:42 pm

I think Eddie Jobson was a big fan of these and made some great tracks with them.

werp · Post by **werp** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 2:23 am

UVIs "The Beast" is their take on the Synclavier. Cheaper and much easier on the spine.

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 3:13 am

Sting had one too. I saw a video of him composing a tune for his new band after the Police - We work the black seam I think it was. It could print scores of parts, display notation on multiple staves, sequence and play sample based instruments. They were 200k in the money of 30 years ago.

All those $$$ monsters that used to show up and strut their stuff at the big music shows like NAMM and the Messe pretty much keeled over and died overnight in the face of commodified tech - samplers and computer based sequencing. (Literally in the case of the ex Commodore guys who founded Ensoniq

)

She Changed Her Mind · Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:41 pm

Thriller.

Kriminal · Post by **Kriminal** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:57 pm

I had one. Swapped it for a cement mixer.

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:35 pm

Kriminal wrote:I had one. Swapped it for a cement mixer.

Was this for a cover of Ready mix Revenge?

Ed A. · Post by **Ed A.** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:57 pm

If the seller gave me that Synclavier for free with the only condition that I use it and not sell it for Vegas gambling money, I would decline the offer.
A Synclavier would have been really nice to own thirty years ago, but my Mac with Logic Pro and various other plugins would just destroy it.
I'd also save a bundle on electricity if I didn't have to run that 3,000 watt rack.

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:05 pm

Neat. Probably would love to play with it ... until the point where its various inconveniences piss me off

Vectorman · Post by **Vectorman** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 3:04 am

Yeah, basically the DAW's we have now are what things like the Synclavier and Fairlight were trying to be three decades ago (within the limitations and obscene expense of the technology of the time). I was just saying to my brother the other day that I wish it had been possible to get a cheap PC and a few hundred dollars worth of software and do digital multi-track recording when I was starting out. Back then, things like this were utterly beyond my reach and seemed almost mythical. Now, I wouldn't want them if they were free...they'd be too much of a PITA compared to a modern computer setup.

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 5:24 am

I spent some time with a Synclavier in the late 80s. It was impressive tech for its time, but I wouldn't want to go back to those days now.

werp · Post by **werp** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:22 am

She Changed Her Mind wrote:Thriller.

I thought it was "beat it"

Synclavier for sale in Australia