Crumar Musical Instruments User Group.

I recently realized that I have an unusual fetish for "unwanted" Italian
synthesizers/organs/pianos. Many people laugh at crumar keyboards and think
that they are worthless and this and that, I however, disagree. During my
never ending search for Crumar information, I kept hearing about a company
named Elka, and that they were in Italy, as well. I decided to search E-Bay
for Elka and I found the Rhapsody and one of their pianos, If you look on
E-Bay right now, there is another Rhapsody on there, and I'm not bidding on
it, hehe. I haven't gotten my Rhapsody yet, and I kind of excited about it,
and I hope it works. So far, nearly every single keyboard I have purchased
from E-Bay was not in working order and I have had to repair them myself so
that they do play. I just bought a Roland TR-77 and it doesn't work, and I
am fixing it right at this moment.

As far as the Elka, I was reading a review of the Elka Rhapsody 490 (the
model I bid on) and people said the sound was like "bees swarming in a jar".
I don't know if this is a good thing, or a bad thing. They also said that it
didn't sound as good as the crumar performer, I hope it just has a different
sound.  When I get it, I will play some stuff and record it and I could send
you a sample via e-mail, if you want.

Did your friend say that all Elka Rhapsody's were poor man's mellotrons, or
just a certain model? The model that is on e-bay right now sort of reminds
me of a crumar orchestrator. I see it has piano and strings, and I think
brass. But, it looks much different.

If I were you, i'd try to pick up a crumar orchestrator, and make sure it
has the brass filter and volume swell pedals. With the brass filter pedal,
you can do filter sweeps with your foot and it sounds like a wah wah synth.
I used that on a few songs and it's quite impressive. I think the piano
sound on the Orchestrator is much better than the piano sound on the Road
runner II. I have the road runner II, and I like the keyboard's action, but,
the sounds aren't too good. The bass on the road runner is better than the
bass on the orchestrator, though.

My next Crumar desire is a Crumar DS-2. I really want one of those.

Thanks for not out bidding me. That was kind of you. There are an awful lot
of people who do that bid sniping thing. It's vicious. If you have any
questions about crumar stuff, or cheesy keyboards, I might be able to help
you out.

jason


Message: 7
   Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 01:44:57 -0000
   From: toddhomer@...
Subject: HEY  THERE JAYZON  yeah you

I happen to have been told recently by a sax-player friend that the
ELKA Rapsody was indeed the poor man's Melotron. So OFCOARSE I notice
the next day your on a bay auction for one! I thought about bid
snipping you, but decided it cheaper to be a gentelman and ask you
how it really sounds.. And compared ofcoarse to the Holy Performer...
 Please let me know after you get it! -Homer