From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Re the linked advert with the line "every nun needs a Synthi": my secondary school had a Synthi A in the music dept, and there was a poster on the wall of the music room reading "Even Orpheus needs a Synthi". This was in September 1976. Possibly there were other variants? -- Redrose64 ( talk) 22:46, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

There were indeed. I went to an EMS presentation in Liverpool in about 1974 just before I bought my VCS3 and the walls were covered with an array of posters. I doubt many have survived, however. Rodhull andemu 22:57, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Patch pins

There were three types of patch pins: white, red and green. The proportions differed: I think that about 75% were white, the rest red or green in equal quantities. Each was essentially a jack plug, no larger than 2.5mm diameter - but may have been smaller, since they were easily bent, particularly near the tips. Red and green ones contained a resistor, whilst white ones were plain wire internally.

I was once told the circumstances for using each, something to do with "if you're routing the signal out of here or into here you should use a red pin, otherwise use white", but I was never told the actual reasoning, nor did I see an official description. Didn't find out what green were for, either. RTFM yes, I would have done, but I was under the instruction of one who believed in hands-on training, and I think the manual got filed under "recycling". -- Redrose64 ( talk) 10:46, 11 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Since you seem to know a bit about the patch pins, could you please help me with this part of the text that says "The 2700 ohm resistors soldered inside the pin vary in tolerance 5% variance and later 1%; the pins have different colours: the 'red' pins have 1% tolerance and the 'white' have 5% while the 'green' pins are attenuating pins having a resistance of 68,000 ohms."? I can't seem to understand exactly what it says, because it was hastily written. Thank you in advance. SentientContrarian ( talk) 17:00, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply
I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to mean myself.
The thing is, it seems to give undue importance to the tolerance. The electronic component known as a " resistor" has a number of properties, the most important of which is the resistance, which is measured in ohms, symbol Ω. The value is never exact: manufacturers will specify the tolerance as a percentage. Thus, a resistor nominally of 2700Ω may actually have a value greater or less than 2700Ω, but the manufacturer will endeavour to ensure that it lies somewhere in a given range. Where the tolerance is 5%, this range is between 2565Ω and 2835Ω; and for tol. 1%, the range is 2673Ω to 2727Ω. So, since either one may produce a resistor of the same value as the other, I don't think that the tolerance is the significant factor for the Synthi A patch board.
I can try to find out: I've not seen my abovementioned instructor since about 1983, but I see his brother once a week. -- Redrose64 ( talk) 20:24, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply


I'm not aware of any patch pins, white or otherwise, that were a straight short-circuit inside. this would have made their delicate construction rather redundant, & in any case, the purpose of the resistors was to remove the need for the extra circuitry that would have been required to buffer multiple destinations from a single source, whether this be signal or control; if you patched using multiple "short circuit" pins, the sources would be overloaded.

my synthi has white, red, green, yellow & two shades of grey. I mix & match them with impunity, but will measure the resistances at least & report back.

& upon the matter of tolerance- in 1970, very accurate resistors of the small size necessary to fit inside the patch pin shells were expensive. remember that the EMS instruments were an attempt to make synthesis more affordable; it made sense for the pins to be offered in standard & deluxe variants. the higher accuracy of the more expensive pins has a practical advantage if one wishes to achieve a predictable & reliable result. one wonders what accuracy of component was installed in the prestopatch devices....

duncanrmi ( talk) —Preceding undated comment added 14:57, 29 August 2012 (UTC) reply


[reporting back, after an unconscionable absence, for which many apologies...]

white- 2k7 red- 2k7 yellow- 2k7 grey- 2k7 purple- 3k1 green- 6k2

I can only presume- not wishing to take them apart, & with no way of measuring it- that the difference between the various 2k7 pins is the accuracy/tolerance of the value. plainly, though, there are no straight shorts amongst them.

duncanrmi ( talk) 11:23, 3 December 2013 (UTC) reply

Grammar, Spelling & Syntax

I will try to correct some spelling, grammar and syntax errors. However, there are a few points where I don't exactly understand what one of the previous contributor meant. More on that later. SentientContrarian ( talk) 07:36, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Re the linked advert with the line "every nun needs a Synthi": my secondary school had a Synthi A in the music dept, and there was a poster on the wall of the music room reading "Even Orpheus needs a Synthi". This was in September 1976. Possibly there were other variants? -- Redrose64 ( talk) 22:46, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

There were indeed. I went to an EMS presentation in Liverpool in about 1974 just before I bought my VCS3 and the walls were covered with an array of posters. I doubt many have survived, however. Rodhull andemu 22:57, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Patch pins

There were three types of patch pins: white, red and green. The proportions differed: I think that about 75% were white, the rest red or green in equal quantities. Each was essentially a jack plug, no larger than 2.5mm diameter - but may have been smaller, since they were easily bent, particularly near the tips. Red and green ones contained a resistor, whilst white ones were plain wire internally.

I was once told the circumstances for using each, something to do with "if you're routing the signal out of here or into here you should use a red pin, otherwise use white", but I was never told the actual reasoning, nor did I see an official description. Didn't find out what green were for, either. RTFM yes, I would have done, but I was under the instruction of one who believed in hands-on training, and I think the manual got filed under "recycling". -- Redrose64 ( talk) 10:46, 11 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Since you seem to know a bit about the patch pins, could you please help me with this part of the text that says "The 2700 ohm resistors soldered inside the pin vary in tolerance 5% variance and later 1%; the pins have different colours: the 'red' pins have 1% tolerance and the 'white' have 5% while the 'green' pins are attenuating pins having a resistance of 68,000 ohms."? I can't seem to understand exactly what it says, because it was hastily written. Thank you in advance. SentientContrarian ( talk) 17:00, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply
I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to mean myself.
The thing is, it seems to give undue importance to the tolerance. The electronic component known as a " resistor" has a number of properties, the most important of which is the resistance, which is measured in ohms, symbol Ω. The value is never exact: manufacturers will specify the tolerance as a percentage. Thus, a resistor nominally of 2700Ω may actually have a value greater or less than 2700Ω, but the manufacturer will endeavour to ensure that it lies somewhere in a given range. Where the tolerance is 5%, this range is between 2565Ω and 2835Ω; and for tol. 1%, the range is 2673Ω to 2727Ω. So, since either one may produce a resistor of the same value as the other, I don't think that the tolerance is the significant factor for the Synthi A patch board.
I can try to find out: I've not seen my abovementioned instructor since about 1983, but I see his brother once a week. -- Redrose64 ( talk) 20:24, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply


I'm not aware of any patch pins, white or otherwise, that were a straight short-circuit inside. this would have made their delicate construction rather redundant, & in any case, the purpose of the resistors was to remove the need for the extra circuitry that would have been required to buffer multiple destinations from a single source, whether this be signal or control; if you patched using multiple "short circuit" pins, the sources would be overloaded.

my synthi has white, red, green, yellow & two shades of grey. I mix & match them with impunity, but will measure the resistances at least & report back.

& upon the matter of tolerance- in 1970, very accurate resistors of the small size necessary to fit inside the patch pin shells were expensive. remember that the EMS instruments were an attempt to make synthesis more affordable; it made sense for the pins to be offered in standard & deluxe variants. the higher accuracy of the more expensive pins has a practical advantage if one wishes to achieve a predictable & reliable result. one wonders what accuracy of component was installed in the prestopatch devices....

duncanrmi ( talk) —Preceding undated comment added 14:57, 29 August 2012 (UTC) reply


[reporting back, after an unconscionable absence, for which many apologies...]

white- 2k7 red- 2k7 yellow- 2k7 grey- 2k7 purple- 3k1 green- 6k2

I can only presume- not wishing to take them apart, & with no way of measuring it- that the difference between the various 2k7 pins is the accuracy/tolerance of the value. plainly, though, there are no straight shorts amongst them.

duncanrmi ( talk) 11:23, 3 December 2013 (UTC) reply

Grammar, Spelling & Syntax

I will try to correct some spelling, grammar and syntax errors. However, there are a few points where I don't exactly understand what one of the previous contributor meant. More on that later. SentientContrarian ( talk) 07:36, 1 April 2012 (UTC) reply


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