Glad you enjoyed it! There's definitely some very interesting history behind it!

yes!

That account is simply wrong. It is 2 Syndrum pads being struck simultaneously. Besides, a Mini is not capable of doing that sweep.

@@mrbmodules2938 It is 100% a Minimoog. I know this because Rafferty was interviewed in 1978 by now defunct British music newspaper 'Melody Maker', in an article explaining the tricks used in certain production tricks in records of that era, and one question that was asked was 'how did you achieve that 'sighing sound' in Baker Street. Rafferty answered "It was done using a Minimoog". I read it, and I remember it well. The 'sweep' was done not with an envelope or LFO, but with a glissando technique on the Moog's keyboard. I guess back then, keyboard players worked much harder with their instruments as much of the gimmicks available today weren't around at that time. Go find the copy of the Melody Maker if you still don't believe me.

@@tomfenn7149 That's very strange indeed because I was there. They were an endorsee. It was in the press. It was well known at the time. I also find it very strange that it is effortless to produce the sound using the Syndrum, but quite a bit of work to do on a Mini. Deep dark secret: the hits you hear on this video were added because the live performance footage lacked the sound entirely. Hard time telling it apart, huh?

@@mrbmodules2938 You may very well be right. My experience of creatives is that the thing most of them want to talk about is why they wrote the music or why they took the pictures etc. But in the last 30 years or so there has been more of an obsession with the gear involved rather than the actual art. The gear and the process using it has become the star of the show, and the artist and the way they think, or are how they were influenced has taken a back seat. Good artists can create good music on the most basic of equipment, but often the listener is more interested in how it was made, I suppose a bit like how we are discussing this now? Rafferty may have forgotten the process, as he's head was likely thinking about the next song or lyric, and just in a flippant-like response said Moog. I don't know. I'm simply going on what was written in that article (I too am guilty in and at many times being more interested in the process!)

According to The Drum: A History, by Matt Dean (2012), "A year after the Syndrum, the Synare was released by Star Instruments as a self-contained unit with the pads built onto the edge of the module. It was similar to the Syndrum but also allowed for a ring modular, a sequencer, and pink noise effects." www.google.com/books/edition/The_Drum/4CdzdFgfV8YC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=syndrum

The video doesn't contradict anything you're saying. Pollard is mentioned repeatedly throughout the video, and it's quite clear in the narration that the Syndrum was Pollard's idea, and it's never implied that it wasn't his company (note the "Pollard Industries" business card shown at 3:30). It's also clear that Pollard was not an electronic engineer - as mentioned in the video, he had someone else make the first proto, and Mark Barton designed what would become the actual product.

We purchased Joe’s company and hired Joe full time. The development of the final product began at that time. The existing PC board was improved to where it became part of the product sold to the professional musicians. We developed the drum, manufactured the heads and the PC boards as well. We did not make the first proto, but we did design the product that went on the market as Syndrum. A couple years into it we also mfg the “single” Syndrum product so that beginners could have a Syndrum at a price they could afford. That was the “CM” product.

@@waynechristensen Wayne, the company was purchased 2 years into the manufacture of the Syndrum. The original manufactured units were made by Bailey International who made arcade games.

@@mrbmodules2938 when was the purchase made? We purchased the company and the patent also. Haven’t looked up dates, but around 1975.

Hi Wayne , I just came across this . It's a nice history of what lead to the Syndrum and add for their product. I remember your name from back in the day. I was the New England rep and sold the drums to David Robison . Nice to see the interest in the drums is still going.