Just came across this on YouTube. He says they are at PCB stage and still writing the firmware. I’m sure it’ll make a lot of people very happy (and a lot not).
Prob the most well known and popular string machine but not the best IMO. But I’m a string machine perv. Big time.
so Uli cashing in on this too so more YouTube video demos showing off more vintage tech that can be sonically developed in so much more interesting ways using omnisphere 2 or others.
I’m sooo cynical
I read that they’ll be using version 2, not really a big fan of the Solina but hey, if someone wants to buy one, they’ll be for sale. Built in small stone.
The magic is in the bucket brigade analogue ensemble units in the originals. That and the pulse filtering of the raw waveforms is what stood each offering apart. Technically the Solina isn’t the best; the OG had one global VCA whereas the better specced (and IMO better sounding) instruments had a VCA per note for full note articulation. Another handicap in the OG is the Ensemble Control, of lack of. It’s pretty much on or off.
Damn. Surprised to see this. Makes me wonder if they will make a Rhodes clone at some point!!!
I’ve got the arthuria plug in which I actually end up using quite a lot. Seeing as this would just sit on my desk in the studio theres no point for me. Used to have the Waldorf streichfett but sold it.
That would be be an electro-mechanical project to do it right. But they could do it. Way beyond a spring-reverb sort of thing to engineer. Also a big challenge to get it economical to manufacture.
The Solina project will be interesting to see how closely they go to the original, and how much they enhance. Behringer engineers certainly know how to do the analogue bucket brigade stuff.
You really know the internals of this Bunker, it was good to read your description.
I’m a Solina (and Siel) freak.
The BEST Solina machine now is the Prophet Rev2. I pretty much use the Rev2 for nothing but string machines.
If you want the Solina string ensemble experience, get a Rev2. A cheap Bolina knockoff with 4 octaves and less polyphony is infinitely less versatile by comparison to the Rev2 Mod monster.
people going nuts about behringer!
wait till they drop the linndrum 
There were a good few stringers released through the 70’s and into the early 80’s. With most of them following the same principle. One or two Top Octage Generator LSI chips that literally generate the top 12 notes as square or pulse waves. These are then fed to frequency divider chips so you end up with full polyphony across the keyboard, usually with the option to go up or down an octave too (to simulate viola, violin and cello registers)
The dividers feed pulse shaping and filtering circuits which is where some of the sonic differences between models start to show up. It’s worth noting that those filter circuits have different cut off frequencies depending on the octave. From memory most have 3 or 4 sets of filter circuits. Similarly the pulse shapers are different in the higher registers than the lower ones.
Some instruments actually feed the divided waves directly to the key switches, sometimes upto three at a time on each key while others use the keyboard to control individual VCAs or a global VCA. As I’ve already pointed out VCA per key is infinitely more expressive that being stuck with a single VCA.
Some offer attack and decay (release really) controls and again, these lend a more expressive quality, especially with a single VCA per key. Others may have a release control but no attack controls.
Beyond the architecture of the different instruments available the other major factor in their sound is the Ensemble effect the majority used. To generalise the effect Is usually made up of three BBD chips in parallel modulated by two discrete LFO’s, one quite slow (less than 1Hz) and the other a bit faster at several Hz. The choice LFO speeds and the filtering applied before the signal hits the BBD chips combined with the differences in the filtered and shaped waveforms are what make each offering sound different.
The sonic qualities are subjective and sometimes rather than full on wobbly ‘fairground ride’ chorus you want a shallower, more subtle effect, especially in the higher registers. If you’re string machine has only got on/off or a basic level control you’re out of luck. Sure, it’ll do that classic fast modulation wobbly chorus sound or if you switch it off a very static pulse wave. Some machines offer more control over the Ensemble effect and it can make a huge difference, especially when coupled with attack and decay controls.
Although the Solina has its DNA in the Eminent Unique organ (Eminent were a Dutch organ company) the majority of offerings came from the Adriatic coast of Italy, the spiritual home of Italian accordion manufacture. Some of the better known instruments were the Crumar Performer (Crumar had a thing about including string sections in many of their multi instrument keyboards and synths with differing levels of control), Elka Rhapsody 490 and 610, the Logan String Orchestra and String Orchestra II, the Siel Orchestra, Jen Stringer, various models built in Italy by Elex and badged as Hohner and my personal favourite and IMO the ultimate string machine, the Godwin String Concert. The SC749 has three footages, attack and decay controls, a VCA per key, treble and bass controls but it’s crowning glory is the two faders for the Ensemble section. They’re marked ‘Chorus’ and ‘Tremolo’ and essentially control the two LFO’s that modulate the BBD’s. That means you can go from full on wobble to beautiful soft almost phasey chorus. With some judicious settings you can gate lovely warm pad sounds, especially on just the 8’ voice. The subtle effect settings are something most other stringers just can’t do.
The Italians and Dutch weren’t the only nations at the String synth game. (The basic principles were first seen in the Freeman String Symphonizer from the UK). Roland has the RS range and included a string section on the VP vocoders, Korg had the Lambda and Delta synths and Yamaha had their basic string section in their SK range. They saved the best for the dedicated SS 30 string synth. You can hear it in action at the very end of ‘Vienna’ by Ultravox. It’s got two Top octave generators as well as an ensemble section. It’s a rare and exotic festival of lush strings and fake rosewood
I’ll shut up now. 
Doubt it very much. I still own a mk1 (restored myself) and it would not make financial sense for them at all to do this.
Really heavy, lots of parts, very limited market potential.
I can dream. Lol. 
I watched the video again. I can’t be sure but it sounds to me that Behringer is taking an interesting approach to the design of this thing. Kind of one foot in older digital techniques, and the other using more modern technology.
So one approach to this is to do a complete software simulation of the whole thing, filters and effects included. Processors now would easily permit that. But it sounds like Behringer is using an amalgam of newer and older electronic technology.
They are using an FPGA. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts Bunker, on what they are actually doing with the FPGA?
What occurs to me is that at a minimum the FPGA is to replace the TOG (Top Octave Generator). (Behringer actual has the ability to do a custom version of a TOG, like they did with the 3340, but it sounds like they’re using an FPGA for this to me.) In additon i think likely the FPGA is also doing the clock dividers to get all the base frequencies across the keyboard.
What they do after that is somewhat of a mystery to me. I expect Behringer will have this MIDI controllable, but just for Note ON/OFF and Program Change. I also think they will use their BBD technologies for chorus, and perhaps additional effects for the Small Stone portion using technologies they get from TC Electronics. But where exactly they break off between the digital part and signal processing in analog i am not sure. Like for instance – how are they handling the envelopes and VCA? And is their any sense in using their 3320 “Curtis” chips for the filters? Perhaps we’ll find out more on that later.
Roland has their ACB and ABM and BMC technologies that they use to emulate older synth technologies, to create an “authentic” sound. My impression is that Behringer is using a slightly different more case by case approach to do this emulation. I don’t know what they did in their VC340 vocoder, i expect that is a more straight forward software emulation. (Isn’t that what Waldorf is doing in there Streichfett and STVC?)
I don’t see the redo of a Solina String Ensemble as being a large seller for Behringer. They must surely know this already. Even if they introduce a large section of enhancements and new features (which i doubt), they’re not going to make this into an enormous market hit. But i don’t think that is the intent. I think it’s partly that they can do this, that they are. And it just rounds out their offering. I’m not sure !
DimensionsTomorrow: Would you be OK with a Rhodes clone done in digital? Their are lots of companies doing that, and it’s not super expensive. And then there are always the Vintage Vibe Piano and Vibranet.
I think actually that their Roland Vocoder repro is a fully analog machine, aside from some digital bits for MIDI and stuff.
Interesting points. Personally I think they’ll keep it closer to the original. No memories but it’ll have the same interfacing the Solina offered plus maybe midi note on/off and a couple of basic cc’s. That will stretch to the single VCA I think too. It’s part of what makes the Solina sound.
Regarding the FPGA I agree it’ll be used for TOG duties. That’s something that’s been discussed online over the years as an option. Beyond the TOG and Ensemble the major sticking point when considering recreating a string synth is the keying. Given the lack of individual VCA per key and therefore no need for a simple EG circuit per key that might be doable with a basic keybed. I’d have to have a look at the Solina schematics to see how they did it. From memory they had a gate input didn’t they? So maybe keying is much easier on the Solina that the VCA/key instruments I own.
I don’t think they’ll offer much more beyond the basic functionality of the original apart from the phaser element. Their track record suggests this to me. Their other clones have had a few extras such as sequencers and fx but the core of the instruments is the same as the OG’s. It would be interesting to see how they did the strings section on their vocoder; it shouldn’t be a million miles from the Solina in terms of architecture.
Meaning the VC340 – that’s cool. That new Moog Vocoder redo is of course all analog too – if you’re a millionaire! That’s one interesting beast.
Thanks Hawk – any thoughts on what Behringer might do with this Solina redo?
I’m just spitballing here – i hope everyone knows that.
I have no idea really as I don’t know much about the original machines, but I do really like the Korg string machines. I looked up more Solina videos and there are definitely some cool sounds. I really dig the machines with string and synth sections which can be layered, so I’m sure it would be super fun to get this repro B is doing and stack it with pads on my Peak or e-piano sounds on my DW-8000. Hmmmmmmmmm. B is doing a good job including one or more nice effects on their repros.
If you like layered multi instruments check out the Crumar Trilogy. You get a very cheesy organ section, a string section and a weird synth section that uses the TOG’s as it’s oscillators and CEM for its VCF. I’ve got two of the beasts😂
Also have a look at their Multiman and Composers. Similar instruments with brass, piano and string sections
the voices on a Solina playing all the time (kind of in the background) but the keyboard opens the gate per note into one VCA. there’s no midi routing involved
Yip much the same as other stringers. We’re just thinking aloud about what B may offer on their version. MIDI being ubiquitous it might be offered on the B version? In the same way they’ve added it to their other clones.