LEM INSTA-STRINGS String Machine 1975 | HD DEMO

(c) 2016 by AnalogAudio1
Demo of the LEM (Galanti Group) Insta-Strings. Played with Korg SDD-3000 for delay effects and in the intro and beginning from 3:08 an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phase Shifter.
The LEM Insta-Strings (instant strings like instant coffee?) is a simple string machine from Italy. I came across it incidentally, I never heard of it before! It seems to be very rare. It has a cheesy string sound, but it surely has character - I love its sound. It has 4 free combinable presets: TUBA, TRUMPET and VIOLIN. Controls for ATTACK, DECAY, VOLUME and BALANCE. The latter is for the volume balance between left and right half of the keyboard (some kind of volume split). Tune knob.

[@synthcata7015]

What a fantastic sound. I wish the bigger companies would make a proper stringer again. Always loved that ensemble sound.

[@alexlouwekooijmans6821]

Never heard of it, but sounds like a good contender of the Solina. These string machines had a very defining sound in the 70's rock music.

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

I'm a big fan of string machines, and I loved this video. It's really cool how you can modulate the tone just by pressing various combinations of the preset buttons. Near the end, I noticed you doing it rhythmically, which sounded awesome with the delay and Phaser.

[@AnalogAudio1]

yeah, thanks

[@obc_obdo]

I have just found one of these ultra rare beasts. I bought it from the first owner who bought it at a trade show in Germany in the seventies. Mine never had a LEM or GEM badge, only Galanti. I love how the Insta-Strings has polyphonic VCA's, so true individual attack and release per note. Many string synths don't have this, even the big name big money ones. And as mentioned here, it doesn't have this overly obvious tremolo droning sound that many of the old string synths have in the lower regions. A rare few string synths are even smoother, but the majority of them growl like a cold diesel which isn't often desirable. Mine also has lost a bit of its finish around the faders, just like yours. :)

[@MrSkywalker1000]

Ich liebe diese alten Strings in Verbindung mit dem EHX einfach alle.Traumhaft....dieser hier kann sich klangmaessig locker mit einer Solina messen.Top :-)

[@rossbeighed]

never heard of this 70's stringer before..a real beauty

[@AnalogAudio1]

yeah, it's a rare beast like all LEM products. LEM even made a sampling keyboard, but just a few copies were produced.

[@petejohnston5880]

I had one of these and I preferred it over the other string machines even though it was less popular. I found that the three phase type chorus gave less tremolo to the sound. If I added a delay line in one of the stereo legs and stereo reverb (and a bit of EQ) I could get a really convincing string section so long as it wasn't too exposed. I managed to get hold of the circuit diagram and with a few switches and a set of diodes (one for each note) I made an instant attack option, a bypass chorus option, an external input to the chorus stage (which I plugged my electronic EP10 piano into) and I ended up with a whole new range of sounds (not string related at all).

[@JoeySalmon1]

Hiya... Im wondering if you can point me to where I can get the circuit diagram, schematic. or service manual....cheers

[@petejohnston5880]

@@JoeySalmon1 Hi Joey. sadly I lost my copy many years ago. mind you if you do find a copy somewhere I'd like to know as well. Thanks

[@Beephouse]

Wow this sounds awesome!

[@wandawanda5962]

wow one of the best!!!

[@wildbilltexas]

Cool sound, it's soooo Mid 70's!

[@Josue143803]

I had never heard of this one before. It sounds a bit like the Eminent/ARP Solina. The Small Stone just adds to the awesomeness of this thing.

[@yaanno]

wonderful space age sounds :)

[@irvanali34]

Ne güzel o yıllardaki sesler Bizim Barış Manço abimiz kullanırdı bu sesleri. I am from Turkey.

[@audiodood]

It’s a very nice sounding machine. Does this use divide-down circuitry like a Solina?

[@AnalogAudio1]

Yes it does

[@audiodood]

@@AnalogAudio1 cool thanks

[@DocWelson]

Hello Chris,Oh yes, I can remeber you from the Kufstein Meeting HajoBTW:today, the new SYNMAG is out, here you find an ROBOTERWERKE article from me Hajo

[@JoeySalmon1]

Anybody find a service manual or schematics for this beauty...found one down the tip- powers up but no output

[@CML_VISUAL_LABS_LTD]

That's super psychedelic how much do these cost?

[@JohnLRice]

Sounds cool, similar to the PAiA Stringz N Thingz keyboard.

[@jensingvordsen]

Much better sounding than a Siel Cruise.

[@synthesizerhome2041]

it's likely because this does not have square wave tones like the Siel

[@t55a2]

Very nice indeed, a bit like a SIEL Orchestra

[@ctspf]

Der Sound erinnert mich an einige Alben von Klaus Schulze (Timewind zum Beispiel).

[@AnalogAudio1]

das war die Elka Rhapsody... klar, eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit ist da

[@ctspf]

Aha! Ich wusste, der KS hatte damals einen Elka-Synthesizer benützt (im Büchlein der CD steht nur "Elka String") aber ich wusste nicht welchen... Bis heute. Danke schön!

[@AnalogAudio1]

Von Elka gab es keine anderen String-Keyboards außer der Rhapsody... ;-)

[@erebousde]

@@AnalogAudio1 Naja kommt drauf an ob man unterscheiden will zwischen 490 und 610, soweit ich beurteilen kann klingt das 610 noch etwas "reichhaltiger" ;)

[@synthesizerhome2041]

@@erebousde KS hat ja eh nur die String-Sounds gespielt - im Gegensatz zu TD, die auch die "Harpsichord" Register gerne einsetzten. KS sieht man auf Fotos nur mit dem 610.

[@schmittwilli]

sounds somewhere like the Elka 610

[@mastercylinder1939]

Freeze dried strings, just add phaser to bring to boil.

[@AnalogAudio1]

haha... not exactly freezed, I would say cheesy but nice. But with a phaser the magic begins!

[@mastercylinder1939]

@@AnalogAudio1 I liked them, they sounded authentic to me, a match for the Solina.