Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Do you know anything about a Siel Expander-80?  Appears to be a 2-VCO analog
module (non-rackmount).  It looks like a respectable little synth, though I
haven't heard it. It has a (6 pin?) captive power cord with a weird connector,
probably for a wall-bug, which is missing.   It has MIDI in-out-through, and a
front panel interface that looks usable.  I found it under a Korg preset analog
monosynth, covered with dust, in the back of a store that couldn't tell me
whether it was new or used, or anything about the weird cable.  And they wanted
$250.00 for it.  I plan on explaining that no one but me will ever buy it and
offer rather a lot less.

My concern is that the power cord may be expecting power (and ???) from a
keyboard, not a wall-bug.  It still might work ok if I reverse-engineer the
power requirements.  If it IS supposed to be powered from a keyboard, I don't
understand why it has it's own MIDI interface.  Oh, you say that maybe the
keyboard didn't?

	Eirikur

    I don't have any details, but I do remember this box from when it first
    came out.  I think the named is actually Seil.  You might be able to
    track it down by checking out back issues of Keyboard from a few (maybe
    as far as five or more) years back.  I'm pretty sure I recall seeing
    something about it.
    
    You might also try writing to Electronic Musician's question column.
    
    len.
    

    Eirikur,
    
    I don't know where you found this one, but Center Music in Framingham,
    MA had one *with the master keyboard* in the store about two years ago.
    Always a chance it's still there.  You might also call Gordon Music in
    Worcester, MA, they used to have some Siel and Keytek stuff in there
    and have been known to have stashes of weird junk like Electro Harmonix
    pedals and Ampeg/Hagstrom guitar synths. 
    
    							Brian

    Eirikur:
    
    I've used Seil-80's before.
    
    You don't want one. 
    
    It's like a stupidified Matrix-6.  For one thing, there is only one
    analog filter, and it's shared/servoed off all of the DCOS-
    simultaneously.  i.e. play a high note, and ALL of the notes seem to
    have their filters opened up. 
    
    	-Bill

    re .4 - Interesting - that's how Korg got the Poly-800 to sell for
    $799.95, breaking the $1K synth barrier.  Given the cost of a
    MATRIX-1000 these days, even a free POLY-800 (or SEIL-80) is not
    worth it.
    
    len.
    

    One of the Siels was a Poly-800 clone, but I forget if it was the DK-70 or
    the DK-80.  I actually have a review of one in an old EM someplace....
    
    							Brian

    Re; .6
    
    OK, I checked, and the DK-*70* was the Poly 800 clone, sold for $600
    list, had an add-on "mod grip" (like the Roland SH-101).  Still dunno
    what the DK-80 was.
    
    						Brian

I picked up a "guitar tuner" a ehile back, and have been unsucessuful
in "fixing it"...

It's a little blue box made by "Acoustyx" in Vermont about 10 years ago.
It gives a LED readout of the frequency of piped into it.  The last digit
which represets the 1/10 hertz, never worked.

The chips were sanded down, to prevent reverse-engineering, so I don't have
a clue as to what parts are in there.  If anyone has information about
the company "Acoustyx" or this tuner, I'd love to hear from you!

_John_

I've got one, and I don't recall it being sanded down.  I'm not using it, you
could certainly borrow it for comparisons.  I have no docs.  I'll open it up to
verify the....  Ok, out of the closet and open it up..  Gee, mine's
sanded-off, too.  It's a Mark II Digital Tuner, marked Rev. 1 inside.

Eirikur

    Might have to reverse-engineer the way we used to do it at TI.
    Drill a hole in the top and use a microscope to figure out what's
    inside.  ... ooops ...  
    
    Steve