D3
EML Electrocomp - 101
Year of manufacture
1972
Production period
11(1972 – 81)
Polyphony
2
Oscillators
4(VCO)
Waveforms
7+2(Saw up, Saw down, Sloped Square, Triangle, Pulse, Pulse Variable, Double Octave Saw + White & Pink Noise)
Modulation
2(2 LFO)
Filters
1(Low-, High-, Band-pass / -reject 12dB/octave)
Keys
44
Features
5(Glide, Ring Modulation, Sample & Hold, Semi Modular, Keys/Octave Control)
Sound-Memory
-
EML - Electrocomp - 101
Designed and manufactured by “Electronic Music Laboratories” in Connecticut, USA, the Electrocomp-101 is a 4-oscillator, up to duo-phonic, semi-modular synthesizer. The synth came with a blendable multimode filter, the option to re-wire the internal connections via patch cables, a ring modulator, sample & hold (“sampler”), a 44-keys keyboard and a portable casing, in which it could easily be folded into. Two of its oscillators could go sub-sonic, to be used as LFOs. Additionally, the 101 doesn’t differentiate between audio paths or control voltages, enabling the user to patch any source with any audio- or control-input, in no specific order.
Another advantage of the synth was EML’s use of op-amps instead of transistors, making their synths way more stable in tuning than the competing Moog or ARP synthesizers. The Electrocomp 101s marketing was mainly directed at universities and other educational institutions, but due to its flexibility, tuning-stability and portability, the 101 soon found a way into mainstream music. It was prominently used by bands like Skinny Puppy, Tommy Mars, Download, Weezer, Foreigner, and Ohm.