We found a video of the Suiko ST-50 Koto Synthesiser in one of our roundups a few years ago, but now Error Instruments has managed to find a batch of Suiko VS-1 ’80s-era synths from Japan which “produce some interesting and beautiful tones”.
According to their site, the specifications show the unit having eight VS-1 sounds, four effects (distortion, delay, chorus and reverb), multi-LFO, glide (portamento), high and lowpass filters, amplitude range controls, and three voice modes — poly, mono and legato.
The look and construction of many of these Suiko synths is interesting. The main “keys” are low-travel buttons a little akin to what you might find on an accordion. There’s a single three digit display (8-segment) and sliders for the other controls, all of which (unsurprisingly) are printed in Japanese, plus a lighted display which presumably shows which mode, voice etc. is currently selected.
Here’s a quick demonstration video we’ve found:
The company claims they are currently checking the condition to ensure everything is functioning properly, as well as preparing power supply cables.
This is a small time operation, we aren’t aware of how many are in stock, exactly what condition they are in, or how long they’ll be around for. If you want one, better head over to the sales page and snap one up now. €799.
