The Lambda ES50 is a vintage poly-ensemble type synthesizer with slightly editable Preset orchestral sounds. It is divided into two sections: The Percussion set includes Preset pianos, clavis and harmonics; The Ensemble section has Presets for brass, strings, organ and choruses. Filter and envelope controls affect the different instruments individually. The Lambda has 96 discrete envelopes and VCAs - two for each key - a very unusual design. There are also vibrato and chorus effects.

The Percussion group and Ensemble group each have their own separate outputs which is nice. A joystick is proveded left of the keyboard for simultaneous control of pitch bends and chorus phase speed.

The String sounds are the nicest sounds this synth can create. With three oscillators you can vary and detune them enough to get a nice layered analog string. Piano and Brass sounds are pretty cheesy. The Lambda is cased in a great big wooden case that gives it that authentically vintage status. It's nice to have around, but a good sample of it is all you'll really need these days.

Johannes

June 2, 2011 @ 1:40 pm

What a joy! I own about 30 vintage synths and this is my favourite one for sure to play.
It has so much charactor!!! And a rich ensemble sound that is simply impossible to emulate. Great to layer sounds, easy to compose with! Organ sounds similar to an SK-20 and the Lambdas strings are very similar indeed to a Trident or Solina... More luscious than the best of the Roland string synths and much fuller than those grainy Italian Stringers. Chorus/Phase sounds so late 70s! Some peculiarities. I keep my tune A at 5 and tune B at 10 to stay in key. Deep lows, soaring highs = one magical synth!

Jeremy dePrisco

March 3, 2011 @ 9:42 pm

Owned one in the early 90s. Bought it for $50 with an entire Rhodes piano. Sold the Rhodes quickly (needed lots of work, and was huge). Kept the ES-50 and it was awesome. Had a great impact on my early 4-track recordings, some of which I am beginning to showcase at Electro-Music.com.

I needed space, so sold mine a couple years ago to a guy in NY who drove down to PA to pick it up. Mine had some tuning issues, and I could never find anyone brave enough to tackle working on it. A few of the sounds didn't work too. Would buy another one if I had space. Anyone have a plugin emulator?

neilium

November 23, 2010 @ 11:31 pm

On the ensemble side, Strings and Chorus are awesome. Harmonics preset on the percussive side is unique and useful. Everything else is meh to stupid. One cool thing, it has a trigger out, so you can run it through the filters of a modular synth and trigger an envelope generator with each key. Very cool.

Henrik

October 11, 2010 @ 3:11 am

Does anybody know any artists that have used the Lambda? I had one in the 80s which I sold, and I regret it today, cause it was a great machine providing very nice string, and with a priceless look!

cla

August 13, 2010 @ 9:13 am

got one of these today. i can't stop playin strings preset!!!
this is THE analog stringer from the 70s.
sorry solina, you are fired.

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