Trend price : 700€
Anlog polysynth from the mid 80 era with neat Midi, also branded as TEISCO SX-240 technically the same.
Overview
KEYBOARD 61 keys keyboard. The main panel features a 8 segments display, a pitch bender, 39 buttons, a big data encoder and 2 volume sliders.
Rear panel terminal connectors:
-
main stereo signal out
- Midi interface
- damper pedalswitch input
- tape interface
- start stop sequencer pedalswitch input
- phones out.
Voice
8 voices polyphony. Each voice is composed by two Digitally controlled oscillators (DCO1 and DCO2) + 1 suboscillator and a dedicated white noise generator.
Performance
- split mode keyboard into two sounds (voices can be assigned in 2+6 / 4+4 / 6+2)
- dual mode
play two sounds (LOWER+ UPPED) at the time reducing polyphony to 4 voices.
- monophonic mode
- portamento with glissando effect
- chord mode
- bender can be assigned to
standard pitch or filter cutoff.
Filter
multimode resonant filter HPF + 4 poles LPF based on 8 chips SSM 2044.
For some strange reasons, the resonance self-oscillation is abruptly reached from step 98 to 99..
LFO
a single bipolar delayed modulator (shapes: square, sawtooth and triangle) and 3 destinations:
- DCOs pitches (whole)
- VCF cutoff filter
- DCO1 rectangular width (PWM).
Envelope
two main EGs both 4 segments ADSR structure:
- EG1 VCA amplitude
- EG2 VCF filter
EG VCA can be switched to special LFO TRIG (auto-trigger) REPEAT mode driven by LFO frequency (range from 1 to 20 Hz).
Sequencer
primitive real-time 1500 notes sequencer it can be synched to external trigger (like Roland TR-606). The Sx240 can be also controlled and sequenced by MIDI, too bad it handles quite nothing but note ON/OFF and for some really stupid reasons: you cannot control the LOWER part by Midi.
Memory
- 48 patches (the "tones)
- 8 sequences (each 190 notes max).
Data can be saved only to tap as the Sx240 midi interface does not feature sysex protocol.
Audio demo:
Video Clip:
Review
OK: -
SSM filter-
chorus
NOT : - limited Midi- edit interface- now too expensive
The Sx240 has never considered as a classic, and now it is now getting its revenge! too bad the interface is such bad. Try it before: love or hate! "
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci