Back in 1977, this Italian string machine took the analog synth world by storm with its lush, orchestral string tones, crafted by Logan Electronics and later badged by Hohner—perfect for evoking that warm, vintage pad sound straight out of 70s prog and disco tracks.
Its 49-key keyboard splits into two zones, each blending Cello, Viola, and Violin faders for octave-separated strings, plus dedicated sustain and release sliders per section. The lower zone adds a monophonic bass synth with its own volume, percussion attack/decay (around 30ms attack, 700ms decay), and lowpass filter, all controlled via intuitive faders and buttons including four presets like Organ and light chorus modes. Full polyphony shines through per-key variable-gain amps, driven by a top-octave divider (Mostek MK50240N) from a discrete 1059 kHz master oscillator, feeding into a signature BBD ensemble chorus using three TCA350 chips modulated by dual LFOs (0.6 Hz and 6 Hz tri-phase) for that swirling depth. Housed in a hefty 23 kg wooden case, it outputs stereo audio with no memory storage, keeping things purely hands-on.
Vintage players love its thick, organic string ensemble that's hard to replicate digitally, though some note the fixed envelopes and weight as trade-offs for pure analog character—it's a collector's gem for anyone chasing authentic 70s string magic.
