Synthstuff Sequential Circuits SixTrak
Time for some studio gearfreaking again, say hello the Sequential Circuits SIX TRAK synthesizer! This is a synthesizer I coveted but for some reason I never got one, not that they are rare it just never did happen. Until a few weeks ago: On a cold rainy day a mysterious man in a raincoat and hat came to my door…It was my Synth Dealer….some cash was exchanged and hey presto I was the owner of a sparkling mint Sequential Circuits Six Trak!
Built in 1984 in San Jose California by Sequential Circuits this was kinda floating in the lower end “budget” product line of that company. But that didn’t mean it was a cheap sounding product cause this thing has just that pure beautifull rich american analog Sequential sound…but with an added SICK (as in good sick) twist…it is 6 voice polyphonic but you can also use it as a 6 part multitrimbal monophonic synth…as in 6 different synth sounds/synthesizers playing at the same time! (or 2 different 3 voice polyphonic ones or 1 monophonic and a 5 voice polyphonic part…you get the idea). Add to that the six track sequencer and a cool arpeggiator with a cool “assign” mode
Each synth part consists of 1 oscillator going through a VCF and VCA with one LFO that can be assigned to pitch, Pulse Width and VCF (but not VCA). There are envelope generators for the pitch, VCF and VCA. There is portamento, a kind of sync modulation and a noise generator too…this seems a bit meagre but even the 1 osc parts have quite a bit of spark and don’t forget you can have one giant synth sound made out of 6 different sounds (or 2 or 3 etc.).
A really cool thing is that you can have the arpeggiator running and then select another sound and play over it giving you instant jamming fun and power, instant dark John Carpenter/Airwolf/action/horror soundtrack style atmospheres! For some reason it also sounds really medieval a lot of sounds have this harpish/ hurdygurdy flutish vibe to it which is a pretty cool thing
Listen to some mp3 sounds I recorded from the mighty Sequential SixTrak: (All 100% Sixtrak with some Behringer delay reverb)
Sequential Sixtrak Kung Fu style Soundtrack
Sequential Sixtrak Season of The Witch
Sequential Sixtrak Medieval Feeling