>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: analog1k
>> To: Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 4:25 PM
>> Subject: 1 Doepfer VCS3 Oscillator module
>>

<snip>> Although the VCS3/Synthi OSC were so unstable and only good for

>> sound effects at the best of times. <snip>
>>

I have no opinion of the uderlying question but will be curious to read what Dieter has to say.

But as a side note, the statement above is not accurate. As a long-time owner of 2 AKS (mid and late period) and one early VCS3 Mk 1, I can assure you they may be played quite well as tuned instruments. Much melodic music has been composed on them over the years. I played live for 5 years on the road and found my AKS to be more stable than my Minimoog (mid-period Norlin-era). It was often my main lead-line innstrument.

Many people have this impression because they are so much fun to use as sound effects devices that they assume that is what they were made for. The people who built them fully intended musicians to play them in tune as well as experiement with sound.

Issues that contribute to this common belief is misunderstanding how to use the pin matrix, matching the proper resistors in the matrix pins, and routine internal calibration maintenance.

Several years ago I brought my VCS3 to a Bay Area analogue gathering to show Peter Grenader (of Plan B fame and just a cool guy to listen to) how well an unmodified early VCS 3 would stay in tune. We plugged it in about 11 AM, tuned it at about 11:15 and then continued to check the tuning with a DK1 keyboard at least once an hour. By 4 PM the drift was so small there was only a slight beating between osc 1 &2 and only at the highest octave.

About 10 minutes later an electrolytic capacitor on the power board failed spectacularly. But it was in tune right to the last second.....