Emu Vintage Keys
Classic Analog Keyboards (1993)

Vintage keys (model 9045) is an ffordable rackmount expander packed with samples from famous vintage keyboards and synths.

RACKMOUNT 1 unit. The main panel features a 16 X 2 lines display, 5 buttons and a rotary encoder.


Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main out
- 4 mono AUX out

Front panel terminal connectors:
- headphones.

 

 

SOUND core is a Motorola 68000 CPU manages 32 voices polyphony at 16 bits 39 KHz sampling rate, there are 6 X 16 bits DACS AD1860 (analog devices).
A basic patch is composed by 1 or 2 waveforms Primary + Secondary with some edit controls including:
- sample start offset
- tuning
- reverse mode
- start delay.

 

WAVETABLE internal 8 MB ROM contains 249 PCM at 16-bits based on vintage synthesizers such as Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond, Prophet, Minimoog D, ARP Odyssey, Mellotron, Oberheim but also some acoustic shots and drum samples; most of the samples were imported from classic Emulator III sound libraries.

 

 

UPGRADE the PLUS OPTION is a non-standard SIMM (model: 9055) can be installed into the dedicated slot doubling the ROM samples to extra 8 MB (means + 185 new samples).
Latest Vintage Keys modules (number 9056) were directly released as PLUS standard with a specific logo script and includes these new sounds: Dyno Rhodes, Yamaha DX7 FM Electric Pianos, Emulator II, Emulator III, Sequential Circuits, Oberheim, Roland analog synths, ARP analog synths, Emu SP-1200, Boss DR55, Roland TR808, Chapman Stick, Fender P-Bass and Electric Sitar.

 

PERFORMANCE up to 16 parts with some control parameters:
- individual Midi channel
- panning stereo
- pitch tune
- volume mix.

ENVELOPE 3 EGs:
- EG1 primary amplitude: 5-segments AHDSR
- EG2 secondary amplitude : 5-segments AHDSR
- EG3 AHDSR is assignable by control matrix to various parameters such as filter or pitch.
AHDSR stands for attack, hold, decay, sustain and release.

 

LFO 2 delayed digital modulators:
- LFO 1: osc pitch
- LFO 2: VCA.
Both LFO have some structure inluding 5 waveforms with variable symmetry (triangle, sine, square, sawtooth and random) and key retrig function.

 

 

FILTER structure is based on 3 ASIC chips: the primary and secondary OSC features an individual digital resonant filter lowpass at 2 / 4 poles configuration.

 

 

EFFECTS none, except the CHORUS parameter but it is a voice trick channels, halving polyphony.

MAINTENANCE 2 common issues:
- ENCODER: after some times the encoder may go berserk just clean it with Q-tip and dedicated liquid product.
- DISPLAY: is not uncommon to split dead black zones on the display.

MEMORY:
- RAM: 256 patches
- ROM: 256 presets.
Battery replacemen: RAM works with a 3V lithium battery model Br-2340 set in a plastic holder, but I managed to fit a more common BR-2325.

 

 

RELATED FAMILY there is a LOT of confusion between "vintage" models:

- Classic keys: budget version with cheaper board, some effects but no filter (means no cool sweep pads). Not recommanded!   - Emu vintage pro: many years later the vintage keys has been updated with "PRO" with brand new 32 mb wavetable and Z-plane filters . Far better!   - Emu Vintage Keys: Keys version of Vintage PRO, 32mb ROM.

 

 

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION the vintage keys has many classic instruments, many have a VST free plugin versions:

	name	price	sounds	demo
	Nanotron (mellotron choir, flute and strings)	VST free	mellotron choir, flute and strings
	Mr. RAY (rhodes)	VST Free	Rhodes
	-Minimoogue -EFM Oddse -OBXD synthesizer	VST free	-Moog minimoog - arp odyssey - ob obxa

 

AUDIO DEMO

factory demo 1 factory demo 2 water skies another mellotron filter test Tines EP DX7 stairway to tron

sample and hold awake string clavi Fairlight Hammond B3 Roland TR808 like prologue

 

VIDEO CLIP SELECTION Plus Demo demo 1 in my garden