EMS

Explore EMS vintage synthesizer equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Models

Vocoder 2000 — EMS Vocoder 2000 — 16-band British vocoder designed by Tim Orr, service manual dated May 1977. CA3080 filter bank, internal noise and pulse excitation, slew freeze, pause stuffer. Dealer listings plac…

260-A — The EMS 260-A is a little-documented EMS model. Its one known period trace is a 1979 Studio Sound effects survey; exact specs are unconfirmed.
Synthi 100 — A large analog/digital hybrid modular synthesizer built in limited numbers, famously used at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Synthi A — A portable modular analog synthesizer produced by Electronic Music Studios (EMS) of England, first released in 1971. Includes the complete spec table.
Synthi AKS — A vintage analogue synthesizer with a matrix patching system, produced by Electronic Music Studios. With production dates.
VCS 3 — An early portable analog synthesizer from England, known for its matrix patching and use in progressive rock. Find the complete spec table here.

1550 — The name “EMS 1550” leads a double life — or possibly a triple one — and the Archive’s job here is to be honest about that.
260 — EMS 260 synthesizer – no documentation found in period sources. An intentionally sparse page recording that this model is unverified in the EMS catalog.
Synthi 10 — EMS Synthi 10 synthesizer. Virtually nothing is documented about this obscure EMS model; not listed in period price surveys from 1971.