EMS DK1

We are Brokering this very good condition DK1 for a UK customer.

Came into stock: September 2019.

Restoration Status: KSR has already fully serviced this DK1 so it’s ready for sale now.

Remarks: The (David Cockerell designed) EMS DK1, aka ‘The Cricklewood,’ analogue keyboard controller was made to pair with the EMS Synthi & VCS3.  The manufacturing date for this controller will be from between 1969 to 1972, so at least 47 years old.  The serial for is #2118, so Robin at EMS might have the manufacturing date for this in his archive.

This DK1 has just been subjected to complete service by Kent at KSR, so is certified 100% fully operational.  No deeper restoration has been applied to it other than some cleaning, so the wood and tolex has not been stripped or replaced, although it was not needed anyway as the overall presentation is very good.

You will notice that there has been a small slide-switch added to the control panel (between the input change toggle switches).  Our client, the owner, did not have this implemented, and has no knowledge of it, but Kent at KSR has told us that is serves no purpose and had no circuitry to it, so it’s a legacy mod that had some function for the keyboard in the last 40+ years, but no longer does anything.   The switch is non-functional, so does not interfere with the normal operation of the DK1.

Cosmetically speaking, the modification mention above could be removed and the whole panel restored to look standard, and if this was our own DK1 we might have invested into having that work carried out.  However, what we decided to do when discussing the with our client was to leave it as-is and price the DK1 accordingly, to reflect the effect the switch has to the presentation.  There is also a chrome cliff-knob cap missing.

The DK1 has two independent channels of CV, these can set to different modes, and the keyboard has its own built-in VCO for modulation options, plus as “Dynamic Channel’ output and a VCA.  You would connect the DK1 to the Synthi or VCS3 via the Cinch-Jones keyboard interconnect cable, and optionally, a second 1/4 inch jack cable for the ‘input ch2’ into the synthesizer.

The ‘Dynamic Channel’, can be used to operate the  DK1s 37 note velocity-sensitive keyboard. This means the velocity action sends a separate control voltage.  This would commonly be used for loudness control, providing you set the matrix-patch on your Synthi or VCS3 to operate that way. The ‘Dynamic Channel’ can actually be set to control almost any facility on the Synthi or VCS3…which is what these amazing synths are all about really.

If you need it, We are able to supply the Cinch-Jones keyboard interconnect cable to run the DK1 into either a Synthi or VCS3, price upon request.

Sold with a full 3-month warranty.

Price: £1290 GBP.

Availability: This DK1 is now SOLD as at 31st October 2019.

Click on the thumbnails for a high-resolution photo of the actual DK1 for sale.

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Roland VP330 Vocoder...

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK customer.

Came into stock: September 2019.

Servicing Status: KSR have already fully serviced this VP330 in October 2019, so it’s ready for sale now.

Remarks: A nice condition example of the final production version of the iconic Roland VP330 Vocoder Plus with MIDI.

The VP330 was always loved for the rich analogue strings and alone make this instrument worth having, but the vocoder section with the external mic & synth inputs can deliver some very exciting voicing effects and timbres/triggering etc.  The VP330 has been used by many great artists, including Vangelis (Blade Runner), William Orbit and many others, so it has a long and distinguished history of use and a loving fan base. 

As mentioned above, Kent at KSR has carried out a full service on this VP330, and he told us that is was a ‘very nice clean example’ so there were no significant items to address in getting the instrument ready for sale.  Everything works 100% of course, including the retrofitted Kenton MIDI kit.  The main control surfaces/keys are all still looking good, with only some normal amount of water through age and use, and all the controls are present and intact.  The faux wood cabinet is in good condition also, with just some normal wear in places.

We’ve added a small collage photo below,  just to highlight the significant cosmetic blemishes, for full disclosure.

This VP330 Vocoder Plus operates on EU 220V and is supplied with the user manuals in PDF format. As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.  

Demos are available by appointment only.

Price: £2600 GBP.

Availability: This VP330 Vocoder Plus is now SOLD, as at 21st April 2020.

Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth for sale.

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Elka Synthex Mk3

We are Brokering this Elka Synthex for and on their behalf of a UK customer

Came into stock: 8th August 2019.

Restoration Status: KSR to service once sold, and prior to shipping to the new owner.

Remarks: A truly exemplary condition example of the late version (Mk3) Elka Synthex – with the factory MIDI. We actually sold this beautiful example to the owner, our client, back in 2015, so it’s an ex-RL Music restored Synthex Mk3! Due to health reasons, our client has very reluctantly had to consider letting the Synthex go, so we collected in person from them, to ensure maximum safety in handling in getting it back to us.

This has to be one of the finest analogue polysynths ever made and was used by all the top artists of the ’80s, especially JMJ. Built-in 4 track sequencer 8 voice polyphonic, twin oscillator 24 dB/octave low pass filter 6 & 12 dB/octave bandpass filters 12 dB/octave high pass filter. The specification doesn’t tell you that this is a silky smooth performer and in the right hands can deliver and almost polyphonic modular experience…just an amazing machine.

The overall condition of this Synthex is exemplary and has most definitely been treated with love and care throughout its life, and whilst our client has owned it they have had it set up in their home with a dust cover over it when not in use. It’s a stunning machine, a collector grade instrument: 9.9 out of 10.

We reluctantly sold our own ‘in-house’ Elka Synthex back in 2017, which we considered being the best condition Mk3 example we had ever seen. This Synthex now available, certainly matches that in quality, and will represent a fine instrument and investment for anyone looking for the best condition Synthex in the world.

KSR will be conducting a full service/health-check on the operational side, even though it was fully restored by them in 2015.

Runs on EU 220V, sold with a full 3-month warranty and a copy of the owners manual will be supplied (PDF) as well.

Price: £7,000 GBP.

Availability: This Elka Synthex is available is now SOLD, as at 29th September 2019.

Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth for sale.

 

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Prophet 5 Rev 3.2 w/...

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK customer

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in July 2019.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR has already been carried out (July 2019), so this Prophet 5 is ready for sale & shipping now.

Remarks: We are delighted to offer this super condition Prophet 5 Rev 3.2 with a Kenton MIDI retrofit installed. This synth has been in the ownership of our client for at least 20 years, although they told us it was in storage for at least the last 10 years, so they commissioned Kent at KSR to give the Prophet 5 a full overhaul/service etc.

The Kenton MIDI kit works flawlessly and brings the P5 into the DAW environment nicely which keeps the synth in step with all the modern music tech.

The service included full system overhaul (re-capped/calibration etc) and clean and keyboard assembly deep-clean with new bushings. The wood case has been also been refinished by hand. All the potentiometers and micro-switches were cleaned as well so all are smooth to touch and operate. We decided to leave the patches in the Prophet 5 as they are actually really nice, but we can install the factory resent if the buyer of this prefers.

These are unique sounding instruments and don’t be fooled in thinking the Prophet 6 is an alternative…it’s not. There’s a certain punch and warmth that this vintage Curtis chipset based system delivers, and you just have to listen to a-ha, Soft Cell and Genesis etc. to appreciate how influential this synth was to musicians in the 1980s….and still is today.

Did you know that the Prophet 5 can be set up to operate in different temperaments from equal-temperament? The operating system allows you to program microtonal adjustments across the keyboard, and store this in the synth memory locations. This is not something we have tried, but the user manual goes into some depth about how to achieve it.

Kent at KSR commented that this Prophet 5 was in really great shape internally and had clearly been really well maintained throughout its life, including the current owner’s custodianship.

The operational condition is flawless, and as you can see in the high-res pictures below, the overall cosmetic condition is very good for a 35+ year-old instrument, with only minor wear from use. The rear/back panel does show some marks and wear to the factory painted surfaces, so we wouldn’t rate this is a collector grade example, but certainly 8 out of ten, and it looks beautiful where it counts.

This Prophet 5 is sold through RL Music with a 3-month warranty and can operate on US 110V or EU 220V. Also, a user manual (PDF) will be supplied with the synth plus a UK IEC power-cable if required.

Price Post-Servicing: £4990 GBP.

Availability: This Prophet 5 Rev 3.2 w/MIDI is now SOLD, as at 4th May 2020.

Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth for sale.

 

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Roland MPG80

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in July 2018.

Servicing Status: A full health-check by KSR has already been carried out (July 2019), so this MPG80 is ready for sale & shipping now.

Remarks: Here’s a rare opportunity to grab the dedicated Roland MKS80 Controller, the MPG80. We very rarely see these units up or sale on their own, and if you’re an MKS80 user without one, then it’s a no-brainer!

This MPG80 was purchased by our client many years ago, with the plan to get the full combo to use it with, but they never got around to it, so it’s sat used for a while. We happen to have an MKS80 in stock at the moment, so we were able to give the MPG80 a full test after KSR had given the unit a full deep-clean.

This really good cosmetic condition MPG80 works perfectly and looks like it’s never been racked either. Being a MIDI controller is can also be used to operate any other MIDI device as well, so it’s a really useful device to have around.

As pictured below, the MPG80 is supplied with the interconnect cable required to connect to the MKS synth.

As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

Price: £1350 GBP.

Availability: Sorry but this MPG80 is no longer available for sale now (updated 5th August 2020).

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual MPG80 for sale.

BUY THIS MPG80

Roland MKS80 & ...

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in July 2019.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR has already been carried out (July 2019), so this MKS80 & MPG80 are ready for sale & shipping now.

Remarks: The classic rack polysynth combo is considered by many enthusiasts to be one of the best sounding vintage analogue rack-synths ever.

The MKS80 Super Jupiter is powerful velocity and pressure sensitive 8 voice/16 VCO analogue polysynth with that big vintage Roland sound, and a stack of modulation and editing facilities.  The accompanying MPG80 controller is an essential piece of kit if you want to really dig down into the programming and open up the synth’s capabilities, and is a joy to use.

This unit is the much sought after Rev.5 version of the MKS80 (see PCB pictures below) featuring the Roland IR3R03 VCO and VCF/VCA IR3R05 chipset, amongst other architectural differences to the earlier versions. Many say the Rev.5 comes closest to sounding like the Jupiter 8, but we’ll leave that debate to the internet to continue.

Both the operating panels MKS80 & MPG80 programmer are in excellent cosmetic condition as you would expect from a rack system, and the interconnect cable for the MPG80 is present. In addition, there original Roland M-64C Memory Cartridge is also supplied with this combo, providing additional samples for the MKS80.

Both units work perfectly and contain many of their original patches, and they’re simple to set up in your studio and get to work with straight out of the box. This combo has come to us from a private owner who is downsizing his synth collection, which is all in fantastic condition, so home use only for many years, which the overall condition verifies.

This combo sounds and operates like all MKS80 should, so if the sound is more important than looks, then this instrument will make a good studio workhorse for your vintage analogue poly needs.

The MKS80 is a EU220V machine, and as mentioned above, is supplied with the MPG80 interconnect cable and an IEC cable with UK-plug fitted. We will supply a copy of the user manual on PDF.

As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

Price: £2990 GBP.

Availability: This MKS80/MPG80 combo is now SOLD, as at 6th March 2020.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual MKS80/MPG80 for sale.

BUY THIS MKS80/MPG80

Oberheim Xpander

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our customer

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in July 2019

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR has already been carried out (July 2019) on this Xpander, so it’s ready for sale & shipping now.

Remarks: Much has been written on these incredible synthesizers and it’s understandable when you use them as they really can deliver a thick analogue wall of sound, and are perfect pad and brass sources just for starters.

The Xpander lineage includes the Matrix 6 and 12 and is a fully midi configured, 6 voice Polysynth – an excellent addition to any analogue set-up and has to be heard to be believed. he Xpander offers a deep programmable architecture for those of you into tweaking but can also be a very user-friendly hands-on preset machine. This means they sit between that digital and analogue medium perfectly and are arguably the best of the hybrid technology of the early to mid-1980s.

This example is a Japanese build unit (serial #700151), that works perfectly, and as mentioned above, has just been fully serviced by KSR. The cosmetic condition is excellent, as you can see from the pictures below. Kent at KSR has also restored the wood end-cheeks on the Xpander, so the whole presentation is superb.

This Oberheim Xpander has come to us from a private owner who is downsizing his synth collection, which is all in fantastic condition, so home use only for many years, which the overall condition verifies. We’re very pleased to be able to offer this wonderful synthesizer as a Brokered deal, and we will be fully servicing it and selling it with a 3-month warranty.

The Xpander runs on 115~230V, is supplied with an IEC cable with UK-plug fitted and an original Oberheim Xpander Owners Manual.

Price: £2990 GBP.

Availability: This Oberheim Xpander is now SOLD, as at 22nd July 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photo of the actual Xpander for sale.


RESERVE THIS XPANDER

EMS Synthi A Mk1

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK client.

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in July 2019

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR has already been carried out (July 2019) on this Synthi A, so it’s ready for sale & shipping now.

Remarks: A fabulous opportunity to own a vintage EMS Synthi A, and this example is in super all original condition throughout.

This Synthi (serial #4024) was purchased brand new by our client Father-in-Law in 1972 so they are the original and only owner of this instrument. There have not been any modifications made to this Synthi so it’s factory spec. Being an early model, the sound of this Synths sublime, and a real connoisseurs/collectors machine that we would grade as 9.5 out of 10.

Since 1973, this Synthi A was used in numerous avant-garde music projects by the owner, who was an experimentalist musician, that published an album in the early 70s using this Synthi A (amongst other items). Since the death of the owner, this Synthi A has been kept in storage, unused, since the early 1980s. This is a bit of a ‘barn find’ for the family, so they had commissioned Kent at KSR to undertake a full restoration of this Synthi, which was completed 7 days ago, so the EMS is now in perfect operations condition.

Cosmetically, this is in excellent all original condition throughout, with hardly any noticeable wear to the control panel. The Spartanite case is undamaged and looks almost like new, and the nickel catches/hinges are in very good condition. This Synthi A also comes with a full complement of Matrix pins and the proprietary power-cable.

These iconic and truly amazing pure analogue music instruments are in great demand by professional users, and prices are being driven up fast on the second-hand market around the world, so now might be a good time to invest in one before they become ‘Vintage Buchla or RA Moog Modular’ prices. The price of this Synthi A has been agreed with the owner to stimulate a faster sale, so it’s available at a fantastic price and by far the best value in the world today, for a vintage EMS synthesizer.

We can’t think of a more iconic, truly portable synthesizer ever being made, and even today the design of the Synthi is considered a triumph of feature and form…incredible.

This Synthi only operates on EU 220V~240V with UK 3-pin plug fitted, and as mentioned above, comes with a full set of matrix pins, and the original proprietary power-cable. We will all supply a copy EMS Synthi User Manual (PDF) with the sale.

As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty, and we can ship worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

Sales Price: £9,800. GBP

Availability: This EMS Synthi is now SOLD, as at 19th July 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photo of the actual Synthi for sale.

BUY THIS SYNTHI A

Multimoog

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK customer

Came into stock: June 2019.

Service Status: A full service by KSR has already been carried out (June 2019), so this Multimoog is ready for sale now.

Remarks: We are delighted to offer quite a rare machine to find in the UK these days, a Moog Multimoog.

This particular example has been in the ownership, and cared for, by Jessica Lauren (our client), for many years, and has been one of her main ‘go-to’ synths for all her live & studio work. Jessica is a very talented Jazz musician and highly skilled keyboard player. Her Multimoog can be heard on many of HER albums over the years, but she has decided it was time to let the Moog go to a new home.

It’s a brilliant mono-synth that has a sound character all of its own, boasting a punchy 24dB Moog Filter and some complex routing and performance options. In the right hands (like Jessica’s hands), this is a highly capable & versatile synthesizer.

Jessica posted a status update on your Facebook page about letting her faithful Moog go and said we could use it here, as it has some photos that will be of interest, plus it adds some provenance to the instrument – click the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/jlauren001/posts/10157447009261468

This Multimoog has been meticulously maintained over the years by KSR, so we can confirm it’s a perfectly working instrument, and used as an old Moog should be…for making music. It’s fair to say that the Multimoog is not a collector’s piece, but it’s in average cosmetic condition for its age and in pretty good shape. This is an honest machine with a fabulous provenance and will serve the right buyer for many more years to come.

The price for this Multimoog has been set to reflect it’s the condition, but looking at global prices for these models, it represents an absolute bargain, a steal, at the advertised price below, so we don’t think it will be available for long.

This Multimoog is sold through RL Music with a 3-month warranty and operates on EU 220V.

Price: £1,690 GBP.

Availability: This Multimoog is no longer available for sale (updated 12th August 2020).

Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth (customer supplied).

 

BUY THIS MULTIMOOG

EMS Synthi Mk2

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK client.

Came into stock: Available from RL Music as at 9th January 2019.

Servicing Status: A full health-check by KSR will be carried out post-sale but this Synthi was fully serviced by EMS in October 2016.

Remarks: A fabulous opportunity to own a vintage EMS Synthi, and this example is in super all original condition throughout.

This Synthi (serial #4656KS so a Mk2 version) was purchased brand new by our client in 1973 so they are the original and only owner of this instrument. When purchased, this was a (complete) Synthi AKS model and therefore had the Keyboard Sequencer (KS) controller, but our client sold that some decades ago so it no longer comes included with this, hence it’s been advertised as only a Synthi, or Synthi A. There have not been any modifications made to this Synthi so it’s factory spec. One advantage to it being an ex-AKS model is that the PSU is rated to easily run external devices like the KS or DK series controllers.

Since 1973, this Synthi has been in regular home use only, and the owner decided to have a detailed service carried out by Robin at EMS in late 2016. We have the original EMS service receipt which we have scanned and made available to view below so you can see what was carried out.

The cosmetic condition is very good indeed, with only some wear to the screen-print along the matrix, which is not unusual. Both Spartanite cases are in excellent condition. The nickel latches & hinges show signs of oxidisation, which again is normal to see on a 45+ year-old synth, although they easily could be improved with some light restorative work if needed. In all, the instrument shows normal signs of ageing and has not any overt cosmetic restoration carried out, which we know for many people is important in terms of retaining authenticity.

Included in the sale (pictured), is a nearly-new Kenton Pro-Solo Mk2 with PSU and required cables to carry CV/Gate/Filter (cinch-jones connector) to operate this Synthi via MIDI. These are all included in the price, and worth around £200 GBP if purchased new/separately.

These iconic and truly amazing pure analogue music instruments are in great demand by professional users, and prices are being driven up fast on the second-hand market around the world, so now might be a good time to invest in one before they become ‘Vintage Buchla or RA Moog Modular’ prices.

We can’t think of a more iconic, truly portable synthesizer ever being made, and even today the design of the Synthi is considered a triumph of feature and form…incredible.

This EMS Synthi comes with way more than a full set of matrix pins, 35 in total, and 16 of them are brand new (all red), so the pin situation is covered.

KSR will give this Synthi a full health-check post-sale, but we have tested it extensively and can confirm it’s working perfectly, as it should really as Robin did all the refurbishment work only a couple of years ago.

This Synthi is set to operate on EU 220V~240V (front-panel setting). We were also supplied with the original EMS ‘Education manual’ for this model and the proprietary EMS power-cable (with UK 3-pin plug fitted).

As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and we can ship worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully health-checked post-sale, before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The work is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Sales Price: £9027 GBP.

Availability: This EMS Synthi is available now SOLD, as at 11th February 2020.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photo of the actual Synthi for sale.

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Roland System 700

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music on 17th March 2019

Restoration Status: KSR to service once sold, and prior to shipping to the new owner.

We are both delighted and honoured to be able to offer the Roland System 700 Block 1 (Main Console) and Block 2 (Keyboard Controller) for sale.

We probably don’t need to make much in terms of introduction here, but with there only believed to be around 40 full System 700 ever made, then you will appreciate this instrument was scarce even when it was in manufactured during the period of 8 years from 1976. Over the years, the systems were broken up, and/or perhaps Roland only supplied partial systems to buyers back in the 1970s, but it’s not uncommon to see partial systems coming up for sale, like the one we are offering here.

As electronic musical instruments go, this is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of synthesizers, and is without any doubt, amongst the very best designed and built analogue modular synthesizers ever made. It’s not for us to sell the virtues of such an outstanding instrument as the worlds most accomplished synthesists have shown the capability of these beautiful creations, so we will just talk here about this particular instrument that’s available for sale.

Provenance

This System 700 has been in our client’s ownership for only a few short years, and they had purchased it from a very respected analogue synth collector in the EU. Any provenance prior to this is unknown, but like most System 700 we see, these Blocks have been extremely well cared for and maintained.

Cosmetic Condition

Upon arrival at RL Music, we checked over the system and found it to be 100% intact with all the controls, ancillary hardware (including all lids), knobs, sliders caps, switches, keys, cable and serial plates etc., all to be present and correct.

The overall condition of the Tolex covering on each Block is excellent, with only 2 scuffs to note, that can be seen in photos below. The anodised control surfaces & screen print on each individual module to be superb, with only minimal wear…remarkable!

Operational Condition

We carried out a full assessment on the Blocks after they arrived here, so can confirm everything is working. The system will benefit from a minor service, which would include a full potentiometer/slider clean and calibration etc., and this will be included in the sales price.

A much higher level of ‘restoration’ can be undertaken, should any new owner decide that this is something they would like, for future proofing, so the best thing is to contact Richard here at RL Music to discuss your needs as a customised support package can be costed, including extended warranty.

Configuration

This is a standard configured Block 1 – Main Console. here is a full configuration breakdown:

Block 1 – Main Console (sn: 730139)
This is the Heart of the System, and it contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, 2 x LFO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generators, Noise, Ring Mod, Voltage Processor, S/H, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 1 x Mixer, 2 X 5 multiples, Headphone Monitor Module, and an Output Module, which includes Stereo VU Meters, a six-position test-tone, Phase Shifter, Spring Reverb, and voltage controlled Panning. Most common module connections (power, cv, gate) are made internally for easier patching.

Block 2 – Keyboard Controller (sn: 780202):
The 61-key two-voice Keyboard with Portamento and Pitch-bend controls.

What does it sound like?
It sounds incredible, and can be huge or beautifully musical and subtle…like any quality modular system, but the System 700 has its own sound and unique character. Kent at KSR actually wrote a short track with the full System 700 we sold recently, just after he had completed the restoration work, so if you click the link below you can listen to the piece on his Soundcloud account:

https://soundcloud.com/ksr80/uphill-700

The System 700 is a professional grade instrument, with a price tag to match back, even in the 1970s. The recent full System 700 we had available, sold for £70K GBP (February 2019). Recent specialist auction prices ( £110K GBP at VEMIA November 2017) show that these have risen very sharply in price. Demand has always been very high for anything System 700 related, either in the Lab Systems or separate Blocks being sold.

We are selling this Block 1 & 2 System 700 with a full 3-month warranty, and we will ship worldwide. A quote for custom packing (by us), shipping & insurance to get it to you will be produced upon request. Delivery by us (in person) is possible for most UK destinations – prices subject to address.

This beautiful synthesizer is currently set to operate on 220V, but it can be set internally to 110V if needed. We are not supplying any 1/4” jack audio cables with the sale, but the owner has printed off the original owners manual (red folder pictured), so that’s supplied with the system. We also have a high-quality version in PDF which we will include in the sale if needed.

This is one serious music machine and words simply can’t describe the power and potential for infinite sound creation possibilities. There is such a lot to say about this legendary and beautiful modular system but we just haven’t enough room here on our website so please call or email us to discuss your requirements.

Price: £40,000. GBP

Availability: This Roland System 700 Block 1 & 2 is now SOLD, as at 23rd March 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual System 700 Block 1 & 2 for sale.

BUY THIS SYSTEM 700

Roland 700 Lab

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our customer.

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music on 28th November 2018.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR will be carried post-sale.

Remarks: A very rare opportunity to own stunning vintage 
modular system from the Roland 700 lineage – the System 700 Lab.

This is a very powerful 3 oscillator normalised system with 1/4 inch jack In/Out for expanded sound creation possibilities and is based entirely on the system architecture of the full System 700. Unusually, we also have a full Roland System 700 for sale at the moment – so you can see that the Lab is the same size as one of the lower wing cabinets.

This is a standard configuration system, so has not been modified from its original factory specification, and the serial number is 660042. This contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x VCF, 1 x VCA, 1 x LFO, 2 x ADSR EG, Noise (white & pink), Ring Mod, S/H and a Mixer.


The 700 Lab is in excellent all original condition, with only light wear to the modules surfaces, although there is some oxidisation to the anodising, which we are seeing as normal for these 40+-year-old instruments. The Tolex covering and chromed/nickel-plated parts are all intact and in excellent order, although there are a couple of small indentations on the back of the cabinet along the edges.

We would rate this as a collectors condition example – 9.5 out of 10. KSR has just fully serviced the system so it’s 100% perfect operationally.

This is a 1V/Oct system that can be accessed via any suitable CV/Gate controller or MIDI to CV device. To get the most out of the 700 Lab we would recommend using a multi-channel Midi to CV device like the Kenton Pro-2000 which can give you 3 note polyphonic control if needed. We can supply a Kenton Pro-200 but is not included in the sales price below, so please ask us for prices.

This System 700 Lab is sold with our normal 3-month warranty and runs on EU 220V. There was no user documentation supplied by the owner, but we will supply a copy of the System 700 Synthesizer Instruction Manual in PDF format.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully serviced post-sale before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The servicing is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Price: £18,600 GBP.

Availability: This System 700 Lab is not currently available.

Pictures of the actual synth below.

Click on the Thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth for sale.

BUY THIS 700 LAB

Moog Vocoder

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our customer

Came into stock: Available at RL Music from 18th March 2019.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR will be carried out post-sale.

Remarks: An stunning condition example of one of the worlds finest professional grade vintage analogue vocoders – the Moog 16 Channel Vocoder.

This pure analogue 16 channel vocoder has always been considered one of very best and sounds amazing – this is an extremely rare instrument to find up for sale in 2018. The Moog Vocoder was co-designed between Bob Moog and Harold Bode and launched in 1979. The Moog uses a very similar architecture to the Bode 7702 Vocoder, and that’s a very good thing. Moog and Bode collaborated on a number of technologies prior to the release of the Vocoder, one of these being the Frequency Shifter.

Our client has owned this Moog Vocoder for over 10 years and it has been in regular use and serviced regularly during their ownership. Cosmetically, this 39-year-old vintage analogue vocoder is in truly fantastic condition and we would rate this as a Collector Grade – 9.5 out of 10. The main control surface is in remarkable condition with all the controls intact and the housing is in super condition throughout, with just some light wear as you would expect for a device this age.

This Moog 16 Channel Vocoder. operates on EU 220V. We do have a user manual (in PDF format) for the BODE 7702 Vocoder, which the Moog is similarly based on. As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully serviced post-sale before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The servicing is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Price: £7,800 GBP.

Availability: This Moog 16 Channel Vocoder is now SOLD, as at 7th May 2019.

Pictures of the actual vocoder below.

Click on the Thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual vocoder for sale.


BUY THIS MOOG VOCODER

Roland System 700

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in April 2018

Restoration Status: Kent Spong of KSR completed the full 6-week restoration on 22nd June 2018, so the system now resides with RL Music in Reading, UK.

We probably don’t need to make much in terms of introduction here, but with there only believed to be 40 System 700 ever made, then you will appreciate this instrument was scarce even when it was in manufactured during the period of 8 years from 1976.

As electronic musical instruments go, this is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of synthesizers, and is without any doubt, amongst the very best designed and built analogue modular synthesizers ever made. It’s not for us to sell the virtues of such an outstanding instrument as the worlds most accomplished synthesists have shown the capability of these beautiful creations, so we will just talk here about this particular instrument that’s available for sale.

Provenance

This System 700 has very recently (March 2018) been purchased from its original owner in Japan. The owner purchased it new from Roland and had it kept in their home all that time, and although they could not recall the exact date it was bought, it was certainly around 40 years ago. The incredible instrument has been imported directly into the EU from Japan and is now being offered by RL Music for sale.

Cosmetic Condition

Upon arrival at RL Music, we checked over the system and found it to be 100% intact with all the controls, ancillary hardware (including all lids), knobs, sliders caps, switches, keys, cables and serial plates etc., all to be present and correct.

The condition of the Tolex covering on each and every Block is excellent, and the anodised control surfaces & screen print on each individual module to be superb, with only minimal wear…remarkable! Kent carried out some light restorative re-finishing to the Tolex to bring back its depth-of-colour and lustre. There is a ‘Roland” badge missing off the Block 4 lid, but all others are present on the other lids.

There is a small scuff on the sequencer panel, and some of the anodising on certain modules has oxidised due to age, but otherwise, this is a close to perfection as is possible, and the dream of most of us to own. KSR stripped each panel and deep-cleaned the anodised surfaces (very carefully).

Operational Condition

Kent carried out a 6-week complete overhaul of the system, so every jack-socket, sliders, block-connector, DIN-socket, interconnect cables and switches have been deep cleaned & lubricated. The twin VU meters were replaced with NOS Roland meters as the originals were no longer working.

Each and every Module was removed, tested, deep-cleaned and fully calibrated. A number of the power-regulation capacitors were replaced due to the originals having failed due to age. The PSU has been fully refurbished.

The Keyboard was stripped and fully overhauled.

Every single function and detail of the modular system has been methodically & fastidiously addressed, and after investing over £15K GBP in restoration costs, it now works flawlessly and looks stunning!

Configuration

This is a slightly non-standard configured system, and a manufactured later in the production run of these professional studio systems, from what we could ascertain, so here is a full configuration breakdown:

Block 1-Main Console (sn: 590069)
This is the Heart of the System, and it contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, 2 x LFO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generators, Noise, Ring Mod, Voltage Processor, S/H, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 1 x Mixer, 2 X 5 multiples, Headphone Monitor Module, and an Output Module, which includes Stereo VU Meters, a six-position test-tone, Phase Shifter, Spring Reverb, and voltage controlled Panning. Most common module connections (power, cv, gate) are made internally for easier patching.

Block 2 – Keyboard Controller (sn: 630116):
The 61-key two-voice Keyboard with Portamento and Pitch-bend controls.

Block 3 – Sequencer (sn: 800097):
This offers 3 x 12 step sequencer with Pulse Shaper, Clock Oscillator, and Series / Parallel output sections – considered one of the best analogue sequencers ever made.

Block 4 – VCO Bank (sn: 800002):
6 x VCO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generator, 2 x LFO, Sample and Hold and 1 x Mixer.

Block 5 – VCF/VCA Bank (sn: 800003):
1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, Noise Generator, Ring Modulator, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generator, 2 x Mixers and 2 x Gate Delay.

Block 6 – Interface/Mixer (sn: 780089):
1 x Frequency-to-Voltage Converter (with VDU) Interface with Envelope Follower & Gate Signal Generator, a VCA, 9-channel Audio Mixer, and a Multimode Filter.

Block 7 – Phase Shifter/Audio Delay (sn: 800001):
A 2-channel Phase Shifter and a 2-channel Audio Delay, Amplifier, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 2 x Mixers and a Sample & Hold.

What does it sound like?
It sounds incredible and can be huge or beautifully musical and subtle…like any quality modular system, but the System 700 has its own sound and unique character. Kent at KSR actually wrote a short track with the System 700 just after he had completed the restoration work, so if you click the link below you can listen to the piece on his Soundcloud account:

https://soundcloud.com/ksr80/uphill-700

The System 700 is a professional grade instrument, with a price tag to match back in the late 1970s, and recent specialist auction prices ( £110K GBP at VEMIA November 2017) show that these have risen very sharply in price. Demand has always been very high for anything System 700 related, either in the Lab Systems or separate Blocks being sold, but finding a full system is exceptionally rare.

Now the System 700 has been meticulously restored, we are selling it with a full 6-month warranty, and we will ship worldwide. A quote for custom packing (by us), shipping & insurance to get it to you will be produced upon request. Delivery by us (in person) is possible for most UK destinations – prices subject to address.

This beautiful behemoth of a synthesizer runs on 110V. We are not supplying any 1/4” jack audio cables with the sale, and unfortunately, the original owners manual was not supplied to us, but we do have a high-quality version in PDF which we will include in the sale.

This is one serious music machine and words simply can’t describe the power and potential for infinite sound creation possibilities. There is such a lot to say about this legendary and beautiful modular system but we just haven’t enough room here on our website so please call or email us to discuss your requirements.

Price: £70,000 GBP

Availability: This Roland System 700 is now SOLD on deposit, as at 15th february 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual (post-restoration) System 700 for sale.

BUY THIS SYSTEM 700

Yamaha CS80

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our EU client.

Came into stock: Available from RL Music as at 20th December 2018, and this CS80 is currently located at our restoration partners – KSR in Surrey, UK.

Servicing Status: A full health-check by KSR has already been carried out (December 2018), so this CS80 is ready for sale now.

Remarks: This CS80 is good all original condition, with no modifications.

This CS80 we are offering for sale comes to us for Brokering from a private owner who had sent the instrument to KSR directly for a full check-up, to ensure it’s fully operational and ready for us to sell for them. The overall condition of this CS80 is good, but it does show signs of wear to the control surfaces and tolex, as we would expect from a 40+ year old instrument.

The pictures we have taken (see below), provide an honest appraisal, so we would rate this mid-production series CS80 (serial #13xx) to be a suitable studio example, that works flawlessly.

As mentioned, Kent at KSR has conducted a full health-check, and system-wide calibration of this CS80, but this is akin to a low-level service, so this is not a restoration. If a higher level of restoration work is something any potential buyer is interested in having done to ensure future longevity for this CS80 then please contact us for details of what is covered and the pricing etc.

Warranty provided on this CS80:

The CS80 is sold with a 3-month warranty as standard which covers all parts and labour and telephone/Skype technical support.

Upgrade Option Fitted -1:
If Midi is required on the CS80 then we are normally able to supply and install the Kenton Midi retrofit Kits for an additional £850 GBP.

Items of Note on this CS80 for sale:
Most CS80’s have lost their ‘Pedals, Music Stand and Legs’ over the years, so we are unable to supply these original accessories to the new owner, and this example for sale does not have any either. However, this CS80 does come with the original lid, and we will supply a copy of the owners manual on PDF.

This CS80 operates on EU220V but can be converted to US110V if required (subject to quotation).

We can have the CS80 professionally packed (custom crated) and shipped pretty much anywhere in the world (subject to quotation).

Price: £22,000 GBP.

Availability: This CS80 is now SOLD as at 4th February 2019.

Picture of the actual CS80 for sale below. We took these in-situ at the KSR workshop in December 2018, where the CS80 currently is available to demo (upon request).

Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution photos.

BUY THIS CS80

Roland MKS80 & ...

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in November 2018.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR will be carried post-sale.

Remarks: The classic rack polysynth combo is considered by many enthusiasts to be one of the best sounding vintage analogue rack-synths ever.

The MKS80 Super Jupiter is powerful velocity and pressure sensitive 8 voice/16 VCO analogue polysynth with that big vintage Roland sound, and a stack of modulation and editing facilities.  The accompanying MPG80 controller is an essential piece of kit if you want to really dig down into the programming and open up the synths capabilities, and is a joy to use.

This unit (serial #713737) is the much sought after Rev.5 version of the MKS80 (see PCB pictures below) featuring the Roland IR3R03 VCO and VCF/VCA IR3R05 chipset, amongst other architectural differences to the earlier versions. Many say the Rev.5 comes closest to sounding like the Jupiter 8, but we’ll leave that debate to the internet to continue.

Both the operating panels MKS80 & MPG80 programmer are in very good condition as you would expect from a rack system, and are sold with the flight-case featured in the photos. The programmer does show cosmetic damage, which we have highlighted in one of the pictures below, but these marks would normally be hidden when fully racked.

Both units work perfectly and contain many of their original patches, and they’re simple to set up in your studio and get to work with straight out of the box.

This combo sounds and operates like all MKS80 should, so if the sound is more important than looks, then this instrument will make a good studio workhorse for your vintage analogue poly needs.

The MKS80 is an EU220V machine, so is supplied with the MPG80 interconnect cable and an IEC cable with UK-plug fitted. We will supply a copy of the user manual on PDF.

As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully serviced post-sale before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The servicing is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Price: £2890 GBP.

Availability: This MKS80/MPG80 combo is now SOLD, as at 28th May 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual MKS80/MPG80 for sale.

BUY THIS MKS80/MPG80