Can anyone name the string synth on Dark Side of the Moon

[paulmulligan]

Ive seen listings of Pink Floyds keyboard players rigs but there is no mention of the string synthesizer model on tracks like Time. Is it a Roland Rs 202 machine?                                                    For anyone interested there is currently a Solina for sale on ebay inthe USofA.

[The Real MC]

ARP String Ensemble, made in Holland by Eminent as the "Solina" and re-badged by ARP.

[paulmulligan]

I used to have a solina . It was a gorgeous  machine made in Sweden , Eventually i sold it because  inexplicably, it began to pitch drift. Before I did I installed a good hardwwod timber top as the woodwork on it was veneered chipboard ( keyboards in the seventies !) In the band I played in i used to  put it through an Mxr Phase 100 so it sounded a bit like Elton johns strings on Song for Guy.  I write this as Im listening to the Hammond overdubs Of Focus'" Hanburger Concerto."( inever noticed before there are sometimes two layes of C3) I digress, Back to Pink Floyd.Im not so sure .If you listen to the track " Breathe", there is modulation on the string sound ?which sounds more like a Roland,.I cant remember can you achieve the same effect with the Solina?

[The Real MC]

Solina had a patent on the ensemble modulation effect.  That effect was key to *that* sound.

I know of no other string machine (I grew up during the 70s) with the same ensemble effect.  No one else could use it due to the patent.  Roland and many others tried to skirt around the Solina patent with their own architecture, but none of them got the same sound.

[paulmulligan]

True No other string machine sounded as good as a Solina. ( listen to any early George Duke )Roland however did achieve achieve a unique sound because the 202 has a  3 way vibrato slider and a 3 way ensemble slider which sounds very like Pink floyds  vibrato string sound. If tou listen to Wish you were here The sound is very Solina like .That is one of their later albums They changed there  string machine brand for the later albumsm