Elka Soloist 222
The Elka Soloist 222 is an Italian-made portable polyphonic string synthesizer from the 1970s - the company's take on the stringer trend that dominated the decade. It's rather rare, and documentation is thin. Here is what the record shows.
The Soloist 222 has a 61-note keyboard with full polyphony and two main sections. The M1 bank handles the string voices, which pass through a Panasonic MN3009 BBD (bucket brigade delay) chip ensemble for that classic shimmering effect. The M2 bank depends on who you ask. One account says it works as a brass section. Another calls it a monophonic synth channel with a bass section. The exact nature of the second voice is uncertain, but the strings are widely agreed to be the star. The unit also has a stereo chorus, a sync-able LFO, and an external 12V DC power input, so it can run off a battery. The control surface is all sliders, no knobs, with labeled sections including DIVA, DRONE, and EFFETTI.
Sound on Sound (November 1997, p.44) noted Vangelis using an Elka Soloist during the Demis Roussos sessions in late 1976, a period piece that confirms the instrument's presence in professional studios of the era.
One reviewer called the chorus "really nice" and the bass section "surprisingly good," while noting the brass is a little thin. The BBD chips are a potential failure point, though replacements can be found. Keyboard contacts are the other common trouble spot. Current asking prices on the secondhand market have ranged from $1,100 to $1,250. No original price, production years, or production quantities have been documented.
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