page_title: Farfisa
section_title: Syntorchestra
hierarchical_section_title: Farfisa / Series / Syntorchestra
caption_attribution_description: English: Overview of the 1979 Farfisa Soundmaker Synthesizer
context_page_description: Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy. The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. Today, the Farfisa brand mainly produces intercom systems with the company ACI Farfisa which makes and distributes systems for video intercoms, access control, video surveillance, and home automation. The Bontempi group owns the keyboard division Farfisa brand name.
  At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments in Camerano in the Marche region of Italy. Farfisa also made radios, televisions, and other electronic items. The Farfisa brand name is an acronym for "FAbbriche Riunite di FISArmoniche", which translates to "united factories of accordions".
context_section_description: In the mid-1970s Farfisa produced the "Stereo Syntorchestra", with a three octave keyboard, and "mono" and "poli" tone generator sections. The "poli" section has four timbres: Trombone, Trumpet, Piano, and Viola. The mono section is the "synth" part of the machine. It has nine timbres: Tuba, Trombone, Trumpet, Bari Sax, Alto Sax, Bass Flute, Flute, Piccolo, and Violin. This section is monophonic, with a highest note priority. The mono section can be modified by two envelope controls and a wah-wah; there is also a variable portamento. Only one timbre from each section can be used at a time. Each section has a brilliance control, which adds more top end to the sound, and a variable speed vibrato, which has a delay function, for delayed vibrato effects.  The Syntorchestra also has separate outputs for each of its two sections. Farfisa also produced two very large organs which incorporated the Syntorchestra at this time, the 259r and 6290r "Maharani" organs.
  Some examples of recordings including the Farfisa Syntorchestra are New Age of Earth by Ashra (Manuel Göttsching) and Moondawn by Klaus Schulze (especially the first half of the B-side, "Mindphaser").
  The Syntorchestra was produced at a similar period in the mid-1970s to the more basic String Orchestra, which included piano and string sections. The Soundmaker was Farfisa's next non-organ instrument, with a further development of the synthesizer approach, incorporating string, brass and monosynth sections.
caption: Farfisa Soundmaker (1979–1981)
exif: {"Image Software": "Google"}