(click to enlarge)

The Solina String Ensemble is often thought of as THE String Machine of the late 1970's disco era. It's a multi-orchestral machine with violin, viola, trumpet, horn, cello and contrabass. Instead of attack and decay there are crescendo and sustain controls (which sound more orchestral but are the same thing). Apparently this synth really makes a great string sound, but that's all really... It has gate and trigger outs from the polyphonic keyboard. Completely cased in wood (or wood-like) panels with a clean and discrete layout. It's old, it's vintage, and it's been used by Air, The Eagles, Elton John, Pink Floyd, The Cure, Joy Division, OMD, Josh Wink, STYX, Tangerine Dream, Keane, Japan, and New Order.

33 VISITOR COMMENTS

boy eats drum machine

January 13, 2012 @ 2:11 pm

Not sure why those links got hosed. Sorry about that. Take two:

http://boyeatsdrummachine.bandcamp.com/track/gun-fight

ht tp://boyeatsdrummachine.bandcamp.com/track/planets-stars

boy eats drum machine

January 13, 2012 @ 2:09 pm

Nice synth! I borrowed one for my album "Booomboxxx". There are some excellent analog textures here to overdrive. Here's a 'dirty' Solina sound on the right side at 43 seconds:

http://boyeatsdrummachine.bandcamp.com/track/gun-fig ht

I found the string sound to be smooth but a tad over-hyped. They come in here 22 seconds in:

http://boyeatsdrummachine.bandcamp.com/track/planets-star s

I prefer the string section on the Moog Opus 3. Better flexibility, much more psychedelic in its capabilities, with an easier-to-find 'sweet spot' via the filter.

Superbly cool vintage synth though.

JParg

November 4, 2011 @ 7:51 pm

I think I've found a Solina at this smooth track... enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-fQzfEOWbE&feature= related

Mikalek

November 2, 2011 @ 5:06 am

My father found one of these around 84' or something I used a little,
But thought the sound was annoying some got rid of it somehow.
yesterday I recorded old cassette tape into my computer; boy what is that sound ?
So Broad and deep and well nothing that vst plugs can do.
then I remembered "It must be that old Italian stringer I had" - Why didn't i keep it.

Tjoppy

October 31, 2011 @ 5:06 pm

I'm proud to say that since saturday I have a mk 1! And I love it! Nothing can beat this baby stringwise!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaNHb3B6bCw

<7654321>

 

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