EMS Synthesisers 1969-1979

Peter Zinovieff working the EMS Synthi 100. 

In 1969 the English electronic engineer and composer Peter Zinnovieff created EMS (London) Ltd to exploit the new market of electronic musical instruments. EMS created some of the most innovative and sometimes eccentric instruments of their time. EMS's most well known product was the VCS 3: a 3 VCO monosynth with a routable pinboard and a joystick housed in a distinctive angled wooden case. 

The VCS3 was designed and engineered by David Cockerell, who was responsible for most of the EMS product range. ( David Cockerell went on to work for Electro-Harmonix and currently designs the Akai samplers .) 

Apart from developing hardware synthesis, EMS created the forerunner of software synthesis, the MUSYS computer synthesis language. 

EMS was competing directly against Moog, Buchla and ARP, non were to last the decade. EMS (London) Ltd folded in 1979 due to investing in complex equipment which had little market demand, but have recently surfaced as a small company selling and modifying the original EMS Synthesiser range:  

Electronic Music Studios, 

Trendeal Vean Barn,

Ladock, Truro, Cornwall.

TR2 4NW. England.

Tel: Int + 44 (0)1726 883265 

Fax: Int + 44 (0)1726 883283 

EMS's main product: The VCS 3 "The Putney" 1969. 

The VCS3 had:3 Voltage Controlled Oscillators, a Noise Generator, 2 Input Amplifiers, 1 Ring Modulator,1 Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter,1 Trapezoid Envelope Generator, a Voltage Controlled Reverberation unit, 2 Stereo Output Amplifiers and a Joystick. Routing the various functions of the instrument was done via a small pin patchboard.

The VCS 4 (not commercially produced) 1969. (2 VCS3's and a keyboard) 

The EMS Synthi A "The Portabella". a portable VCS3 in a briefcase.(1971) 

The EMS Synthi AKS . A VCS3 in a briefcase with a sequencer in the lid.(1971) 

EMS Synthi Sequencer 256. 256 Event x 42 bit Memory sequencer.(1971) 

Synthi Keyboard 1 (not commercially produced) A VCS3 housed with a 29 note miniature keyboard (1970). 

The EMS Synthi 100.12 VCOs, 2 keyboards and a 256 step sequencer. 

The EMS Vocoder 2000. voice synthesiser. 

Further Information:

The True Story Of EMS. Graham Hinton's excellent first hand account of the EMS story, with 5MB of images.