Dynacord Percuter
The Dynacord Percuter turns up in period advertising and directory listings far more often than it turns up in anyone's home today. Both the Dynacord product archive and hifi-wiki.de call it an "Analog Percussion Synthesizer," which is about as specific as the surviving documentation gets. There is no manual, no brochure and no spec sheet. The record is thin.
The period press tells us more. Polyphony (December 1984, p.25) covered the Percuter as part of a complete Dynacord electronic drum system: seven 13" pads at $150 each, one 20" pad at $230, and the Percuter itself, described as an 8-channel digital drum machine, at $895. The same piece listed interchangeable EPROM cartridges at $60 and $90, which suggests the sounds could be swapped or expanded with plug-in ROM. The manufacturer says "analog percussion synthesizer" and the press says "digital drum machine." That points to a hybrid design, but the details beyond that aren't documented.
A later item in Recording Engineer (April 1985, p.136) adds some detail. A reviewer named Holman had one negative remark about the Percuter, and the manufacturer responded by offering an individual channel-tuning modification for an additional $200. Europa Technology in Venice, CA was also offering a tuning modification for the Percuter around the same time, per Mix Magazine (May 1985, p.59). So the unit apparently lacked per-channel tuning out of the box, which is a real limitation for a drum synth. Both the manufacturer and a third party moved to fix it.
Known facts, such as they are:
- 8-channel electronic percussion synthesizer with pad triggering
- Interchangeable EPROM cartridges for sound expansion ($60 - $90)
- Original price: $895 (Percuter electronics only; pads sold separately)
- Individual channel tuning was not standard; available as a $200 factory modification
No production years, no audio specs, no weight or dimensions, and no owner reviews have surfaced. If you have a Percuter manual or brochure, the archive would like to see it.
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Similar items on eBay
No exact Dynacord Percuter listings are live right now — these searches show current Dynacord and similar vintage synth gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.