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Syntomas Élkorus

Syntomas Élkorus front

This is an tripple analog BBD chorus with two LFOs build by Synthoma from Spain. The man behind it is Sergio Koval.
My unit is from the first revision. Rev 2.01 had added 3 CV outs for the three different shifted sums of the two LFOs and a rate and level CV in per LFO. Rev 3 added a a Bypass footswitch input.

So what is it for?

It is doing the very same as all those classic ensemble FX boards in vintage string machines. Much like the french Baloran TriKo. And to get the details right, this unit does not only feature the typical two LFOs modulkate three different analog BBD choruses, but it also let you chose the LFO phase change in either 120¡ and 180¡. So yo can get it to sound like differend brands of ensemble FXs. And the LFOs are here not set to a fixed speed and modulation level, but this is changeable with knobs. And there are knobs for the volume and the panning of each individual chorus delay line. Plus a switch to change a preset filter to the typical nasal like quality used by those famous seventies vintage string machines.

Have a listen at Sergios well done and complete demo here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h3klms6FJw&fmt=18

So you need only a very basic patch with a pulse or saw wave shape and and no detuning feed into it to get a real good string machine sound. No more carrying a bulky string machine to a gig. And time to sell those vintage string machines. Atleast some of them.

I installed it in my new FX rack.



Syntomas Élkorus back

Mono input and stereo output. All at typical line level. A fuse and the power cord at the right.



Syntomas Élkorus inside

Nice build quality. And a build in power supply. And the bypass is a real passive hardware one (very left switch on the front panel)



Syntomas Élkorus TDA350 analog BBD delay chips

Those three socket chips are the TCA350Y BBD analog delay chips. They work as a Bucket Brigade Delay line. See here for some information about the BBDs: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucket-brigade_device