Wersi Synthesisers

[vcs3]

I don't see much info about Wersi synths, I know they a organ manufacturer but I
think JM Jarre use one.
Any one as a Wersi?
Why there are no mention i VSE?

[ryryoftokyo]

AutomaticGainsay did a video on the Wersi Bass Synth. Rather nice video.

[calyx93]

For a short (and frustrating) time, I had one of their digital synths - well, sort of a hybrid if you count a single paraphonic analog filter strapped to an additive synth engine. It was the weird and ugly Stage Performer Mark 1:




It seemed very hard to program at the time since you needed the manual most of the time - there were many buttons that had multiple functions - sometimes up to six or more - but it had some fun drawbar sliders for quick additive tones like organs and such. The filter is a SSM-2044, so it could sound really nice, but again, it was implemented in a paraphonic fashion - not so exciting. The thing I loved it for was the excellent string ensemble emulation - had a sound very close to a Solina or Elka Rhapsody.

There was also a rack version called the EX-20 - both keyboard and rack versions are almost impossible to find - guess they never sold well. I seem to recall that they were more interested in owners purchasing patch cartridges instead of having easy programmability - again - very user un-friendly

Here are a couple of videos of the EX-20 - gives you an idea of the types of sounds it was capable of:






Other than that, I think they mostly made organs.

[tim gueguen]

Wersi apparently had some sort of a distributor in the US in the late '80s and early '90s, as Keyboard ran the occasional Wersi ad in those days. But I never saw any indications they had much if any of a dealer network stateside.

[urgetoplay]

There's also an ex-10 module that looks similar. The cartridges are extremely hard to find ....programming with the manual is quite difficult; w/o the manual nearly impossible and there are quite a few quirks in the OS.

[Nannerfan]

What's the difference between the EX10 and EX20 ??

I'm loving the sound of this thing...

[meatballfulton]

Wersi apparently had some sort of a distributor in the US in the late '80s and early '90s, as Keyboard ran the occasional Wersi ad in those days. But I never saw any indications they had much if any of a dealer network stateside.

Wersi were selling kits mainly. I don't think they had any dealers, period.

They also used to advertise in DIY magazines like Popular Electronics. They were one of the first organ mfrs to embrace digital technology, both for control as well as audio.

Whatever happened to organ kits anyway? Wersi, Schober and even Heathkit sold big-a*s console organ kits well into the 1970s.

[goom]

Here's an interview with Wolfram Franke (of Waldorf), where he mentioned the Stage Performer and EX20. I had to get an archived version of the page, since I couldn't find it on sonikmatter.com anymore:

http://web.archive.org/web/200206021134 ... ws/franke/

[goom]

Here's another youtube vid of the EX20. The audio is terrible, but you can hear the (very nice) strings sound it has:

[goom]

For a short (and frustrating) time, I had one of their digital synths - well, sort of a hybrid if you count a single paraphonic analog filter strapped to an additive synth engine. It was the weird and ugly Stage Performer Mark 1:




It seemed very hard to program at the time since you needed the manual most of the time - there were many buttons that had multiple functions - sometimes up to six or more - but it had some fun drawbar sliders for quick additive tones like organs and such. The filter is a SSM-2044, so it could sound really nice, but again, it was implemented in a paraphonic fashion - not so exciting. The thing I loved it for was the excellent string ensemble emulation - had a sound very close to a Solina or Elka Rhapsody.

There was also a rack version called the EX-20 - both keyboard and rack versions are almost impossible to find - guess they never sold well. I seem to recall that they were more interested in owners purchasing patch cartridges instead of having easy programmability - again - very user un-friendly

Here are a couple of videos of the EX-20 - gives you an idea of the types of sounds it was capable of:






Other than that, I think they mostly made organs.

Those are INCREDIBLE sounds Calyx! Thanks for sharing...

[Automatic Gainsay]

Wersi were selling kits mainly. I don't think they had any dealers, period.

Yes, the one I demonstrated was among the kit versions. I don't know that the non-kit version of the Synth Baß was ever sold in the U.S., and the previous owner of the synth I demonstrated said he had bought three kits and had never done anything with them.

[urgetoplay]

Ex20 is additive; Ex10 is more like an organ's version of a rompler w/ organ,brass and string settings. The sluders on the front act like drawbars. IIRC its a rackmount of a spefific wersi organ.

[Nannerfan]

Thanks! great to know.

I'll stick with the EX20 thank you..

[loungedumore]

Ask and ye shall receive .... Matrix synth has 3 or 4 posts on this brand today

[Nannerfan]

So ... Wersi EX20 vs Waldorf Mircowave I