images via this auctionnote the dual level knobs.
"AKAI VX600 is 12VCO (2VCO per VOICE – 6 VOICE) 6 note polyphonic programmable analog synthesizer. It was one of the last Japanese pure analog synthesizers in '80s. Few quantities were built, so very hard to find. This modular matrix analog synthesizer is very similar to OBERHEIM EXPANDER synthesizer and older ARP Odyssey. AKAI adopted basic schematics made by OBERHEIM, so actually the VX600 and OBERHEIM EXPANDER uses the same voice chip, so basically VX600's sound the same as the OBERHEIM EXPANDER MODULE - very fat and warm! But in my opinion, the VX600 is fatter than the OBERHEIM EXPANDER - especially brass, strings, and lead sounds are really great You can use 12VCO for 6 voice polyphonic or unison all 12VCO to a monophonic lead sound (CAUTION! it's very BIG & FAT!) Also it can be used as a multi timbre synth. (6 different voices). It's very flexible. VX600 has a variety of modulation source and destinations to program sound including MIDI control change, so you can use a MIDI controller to tweak cut off etc, and very cool feature is external audio in jack so you can synthesize external sounds using analog filter and other parameters AKAI VX600 is used but in great working condition."
As always, take auction descriptions with a grain of salt. If anyone out has had extensive time with one, feel free to comment.
It's true that it has the same chipset as the Xpander. I haven't spent enough time with an Xpander to compare the sound between them. You can get some nice fat sounds out of the VX600. This synth is not a replacement for an Xpander, IMO.
ReplyDeleteThe synth has an auto-tune function which is good because mine falls out of tune pretty quickly. (I have to re-tune 3 or 4 times within the first half-hour after turning it on; less often after that). There are NO real-time controls on this synth (except for key pressure) The knobs you see are designed for the connection to AKAI's EWI1000 or EVI1000 wind controllers. I use a Kurzweil Expressionmate ribbon connected to the MIDI port to control mod and pitch bend.
Likewise, the external input is designed for the EWI/EVI. It uses the MIDI out to trigger a sampler (or other synth) and the sampler's output is run back into the VX600 to take advantage of the filters, which are controlled by the wind controller. It's supposed to make the samples sound less digital and more responsive to breath.
Like the Xpander, the VX600 has very flexible matrix routing possibilities. You can save patches internally or onto a RAM card, but there is no Sysex implementation or cassette interface -- very odd! You have to resort to patch sheets.
Anyone buying one of these should check out the display. The foils have faded as they age making the menus more difficult to read. It's possible to replace the foil.
Great pics..
ReplyDeleteThis synth came out quite late for a machine based around the curtis 3340 VCO - about 1986.
I have a love/hate relationship with mine. I've been programming analogues since the mid 80's and I'm usually pretty good at getting what I want out of them but the VX600 stops me in my tracks...and I've owned the thing for about 5 or 6 years..
It's a great machine and I love the mod matrix but it is a pig to program. It is capable of some breath-taking sounds but they are never the sounds that I want at that time. It doesn't seem to behave in the way it should...
If you want to check out the VX600 in action then pop over to my blog at http://www.quadraphonicallstars.com
Pretty good comments here with a few minor slip ups. It does not have the same chips as the Xpander. The VX600 had an odd blend of CEM and SSM chips which is probably why it drifted out of tune so often. It had no SysEx at all and the RAM cards were impossible to find back them...a deal killer! I had two of them and I replaced the fixed power cords with removable computer sockets which looked much better. Years later word got back to me that Akai made a few rare ones with removable cords...yeah right...heh...
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