Tech
This Incredibly Rare Synth Was Just Rediscovered After 46 Years
It’s so rare, in fact, that only one prototype was ever made.
As far as vintage synths go, it’s tough to find one that’s more difficult to find than this. After lying in absolute obscurity for 46 years, a prototype of an EMS Synthi KB1 has been discovered. This one-of-a kind machine was developed by Peter Zinovieff’s Electronic Music Studios (EMS) in 1971 for prog rock band Yes, but was scarcely used after a handful of early demos.
Somehow, UK company Digitana Electronics came to acquire the synthesizer and posted images from this seminal piece of analog synth history. The machine never entered full production, so this really is edition 1 of 1. Digitana plans to release more photos and audio demos from the synth for synth heads to drool over soon. While we wait though, watch Laurie Spiegel rip another ’70s synth beast: the Alles Machine.
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Read more: This cool analog synth was made by The Future Sound Of London
