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Analogue Synths

Akai VX600 Matrix Synth

Time for some more inane mouthing about my favorite subject….vintage analogue synthesizers. Next up the mighty Akai VX600.

As touched on in my previous post about the Akai VX90 Module, Akai were not really known for their synths. Most people associate them for making sampling affordable and bringing it to the masses. This is a shame because they made some lovely machines like the AX60, AX80, and the last in the line, the VX600.

The VX600 is a bit of an enigma. It was released in the Netherlands as a prototype by Akai back in 1986, which is quite late for a machine based around the Curtis 3340 VCO chip-set that had been doing the rounds since the late 70′s.  It’s the same VCO that you’ll find in things like the Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, Oberheim Matrix synths, Roland Jupiter 8 and so on. Due to its complexity, and reports of its tuning instability, it never actually went into full production. Because of this, good examples are becoming harder to find. I got mine about 6 years ago from the Netherlands and it is in full working order thankfully.

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Akai VX90 Analogue Synthesizer Module

Akai VX90 Analogue Synthesizer Module

Anyone that knows me will tell you that I like to talk about analogue synths an awful lot, and then some. In this blog infested world, it makes sense then to write about them too so I shall…

Rather than focusing entirely on tech specs, oscillators and such (though there will be some of this), I prefer to talk about the creative and practical possibilities of the various analogue synthesizers that I regularly use or have owned over the years.

I should point out that I’m not an analogue snob (I’ve met a few). If I like the sound, I will use anything regardless of how shitty it is. And that brings me nicely to the Akai VX90 Analogue Expander!

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This is why the Moog Rogue is one of my all time favourite mono synths…

My-Favourite-Synthesizers-of-all-time