EMS Synthi KB1 synthesizer resurfaces after 46 years
Welcome back EMS Synthi KB1!
After 46 years of collecting dust, one of the world’s rarest synths are being resuscitated.
The KB1 was made in 1971 by Peter Zinovieff’s Electronic Music Studios (EMS) as a once-off synth for the prog rock band Yes and has been unearthed by UK company Digitana Electronics.
There is literally only one of them in the whole existence, a pretty special Synthi.
It is unclear how the KB1 relates to the more famous EMS Synthi A, though it appears to be a portable keyboard version of the synth- perfect for road and for the stage, I say Yes!
“The synth never went into production,” Digitana remarked on Facebook. “It has remained essentially unused for 46 years, though Steve Howe (Yes guitarist) did use it on a track in the first of his ‘homebrew’ demo recordings, some of which featured on the band’s albums.”
Say synthesizer 5 times fast!
Digitana Electronics specializes in developing custom interface modules for, wait for it, classic synthesizers made by EMS namely the Synthi A, AKS and VCS3.
They acquired this important piece of electronica history and plan to release photos and audio demos of the keyboard in use so that fans may enjoy this rare synth.
As for Digitana potentially cloning the KB1 for production? Who knows-but probably not? Mass producing such a rare piece of history will certainly cheapen the KB1.
Welcome to 2017, EMS Synthi KB1- you will be in awe of seeing your synth family of the future.
