In spite of the apparent quietness of the last few months, I’ve been working on synths in between other things; in particular on the Vermona. After the initial post, in the absence of any written technical information, I was planning to draw my own circuit diagrams. Actually I did some board drawings, because that’s easier when all you have are last year’s photos and enough space to sit.   ^[1] A couple of weeks ago, this was complicated by my discovery of a new (I think) and rather great old manuals page at vermona.com, which includes circuit schematics ^[2] for both versions of the Synth. The full update I was slowly working on will be rewritten in the light of the new information . . . but it will be better. For now, here are my drawings — with the component numbering brought into line with the schematics, as far as possible. (My earlier numbering was entirely arbitrary as there is no screening on the boards.)

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MS-10s need no introduction, so — here’s one. Probably from about 1980 but I haven’t got it far enough apart to look for component dates.

This arrived in a purportedly “Pro-Serviced” state. In contrast to my many other gripes on the topic, I must note that it was well-packed, and arrived faster than the estimated earliest date. Also in near-perfect physical condition, which for me is a first, for a synth without a case. So would buy again? Maybe. It doesn’t even smell bad. No rotting food or wildlife, no decaying components, no decades of garage-storage and no undead tobacco. ^[1]

But I’d like to know what “Pro-Serviced” means. Perhaps that this time I’m paying someone to do the things I would normally do myself? This clearly doesn’t include cleaning, past a cursory wipe; there’s a lot of dust ingrained on the modwheel and at the back of the keys.

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(Actually an update to a tangential note.)

I mused:

“Are feet and Prime an English-language convention? Since this convention stems from pipe organs, were pipe organs all over Europe described in feet, in the past? . . . Have there ever been organs (or synths) described in cm? Or, were the Prime (′″) marks used with other pre-metric measurements?”

From a survey of the web, it seems that different languages do use versions of the ‘foot’ measurement to describe organ registers, but the Prime mark was not always used. e.g.:

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Back in the DDR days, before Vermona were reinvented as a purveyor of cool synthesiser and effects gear, they (or at least the brand) had already been a purveyor of moothies, organs, amps and effects to the people for decades, so far as the people were allowed such. But in the early 1980s they came up with an all-in-one synth, simply named the Vermona Synthesizer. (References to Vermonas below are to this model unless otherwise specified.) They were manufactured from 1983 to possibly as late as 1990, though I’ve not seen a definitive end date. ^[1] This page begins with me getting one. And recovering a few square feet of usable working space. Up on the table with it:

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Hey, got a Polivoks.

First, some points of nomenclature. I’ve had no occasion hitherto to consider it, but I now realise the correct English plural of Polivoks is Polivoksen. With that established, on the Polivoks:

• Generator (Генератор) = tone generator = (audio frequency) oscillator = VCO.
• Modulator (Модулятор) is mainly an LFO. (The control can select noise as well as periodic functions, so LFO would be incorrect . . . a less cumbersome term than Korg’s ‘modulation generator’.)
• Glissando (Глиссандо) = portamento (a.k.a. ‘glide’).
• Pedestal (Пьедестал) = sustain level.

I’ll use the Polivoks terms here, mostly.

This Polivoks was made in 1987, and came with lid, pedal and cables (5-pin and 3-pin DIN; don’t know what the 3-pin one was for . . . ). No power cable but has an IEC C-14 power socket mod. ^[1]

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