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Electric Keys - Vintage electric keyboard instrument

String Machines

These instruments from the 1970's represent some of the first attempts to product string sounds from a keyboard instrument.

Cheap Strings and Cheeezy Strings

The names — and sound — of these presets are true to the instruments used to create them. They are representative of the type of sound produced by this class of keyboards.

Classic Strings Machine

Six presets are provided for this famous strings machine instrument. Electric Keys provides full polyphony and built-in chorus.

Used by these artists:

  • Herbie Hancock
  • Elton John
  • The Cure
  • The Buggles
  • Pink floyd
  • Air
  • Jean-Michel Jarre
  • And many more...

Classic Str Machine - Full On:

Download: MP3 (337 KB) / AIFF (9.4 MB)

Classic Str Machine - Violin:

Download: MP3 (156 KB) / AIFF (4.3 MB)

Cruma Strings

This Italian analog strings and bass machine, fully polyphonic, had two oscillators with 8’ and 16’ settings and a strong LFO.

Used by:

Also used by these artists:

  • Duran Duran
  • And many more...

Download: MP3 (654 KB) / AIFF (5.6 MB)

Italian Strings

This instrument represents a milestone in Italian string ensembles with four presets.

Used by these artists:

  • Jean-Michel Jarre
  • Tangerine Dream
  • And many more...

Japanese Strings

This classic strings machine from the seventies with keyboard division and two tones for each note also has an individual VCA envelope for each key.

Used by these artists:

  • Ultravox
  • Midge ure
  • And many more...

Download: MP3 (582 KB) / AIFF (4.9 MB)

Melody Strings

This strong strings machine, with equal keyboard splitting, can accept combinations of up to three strings sound per division. It also features controls for attack and decay.

Used by these artists:

  • Steve Hackett
  • And many more...

Melody Cello:

Download: MP3 (326 KB) / AIFF (2.7 MB)

Melody Violin:

Download: MP3 (160 KB) / AIFF (1.3 MB)

Polyphonic Strings

Very characteristic of the seventies, this strings machine with eight presets also has full polyphony, three VCOs, and attack + release control.

Used by these artists:

  • Jean-Michel Jarre
  • Tangerine Dream
  • Hawkwind
  • And many more...

Download: MP3 (335 KB) / AIFF (2.8 MB)

S-Orchestra

This four-part orchestral Italian synthesizer with four presets is remarkable for its unique strings sound.

VP Strings and Choir

This instrument had one of the best vocoders ever designed, but it was also outstanding for the quality of its strings and choir. It had organ-style tabs and analogue synthesis.

Used by these artists:

  • Mike Oldfield
  • Vangelis
  • Kraftwerk
  • And many more...

VP Choir:

Download: MP3 (465 KB) / AIFF (3.9 MB)

VP Strings and Choir:

Download: MP3 (523 KB) / AIFF (4.4 MB)

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