John Baker's EMS VCS3 For Sale

John Baker worked for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop between 1963 and 1974, during the time when many special sounds for Doctor Who were made by the department. The auction site Ebay currently an EMS VCS3 synthesiser listed which was owned by the composer, and it has been reported as being used for Doctor Who, and possibly even used for the re-arrangement of the Doctor Who theme tune in the early 1970s (though this has not been confirmed).

The item has, unsurprisingly, attracted interest, with the bid at the time of writing at £3877. Running until 4th March, you can view the item on the auction website.

You can read more about John Baker at the Trunk Records website.

Pff i don't need another one.. *undresses*

a mate one had an ex Radiophnic Odyssey, tho he didn't get any more for it

I remember seeing a VCS3 go for £1800ish on ebay about 4-5 years ago :-(

whats the point of bidding 6 days before the auction ends?

meaningless

27 retard bidders

  On 2/25/2010 at 2:46 PM, chunky said:

whats the point of bidding 6 days before the auction ends?

meaningless

 

27 retard bidders

putting no reserve and getting a mate to put a huge first bid saves a bit of cash

"I have no idea how to operate this machine apart from twiddling some knobs. So I can give you no more info on its working order"

I'm always wary of these types of sellers. The VCS3 isn't that difficult to work!

i hope there's some documentation to go with this.

I remember one of Jarre's VCS3's came up for sale years ago although it did have his name (and signiture) in the service notes from Robin Wood.

methinks someone in the Beeb has found this stashed in a cupboard after Radiophinic's got axed then kept it a while and is now collecting a bonus to their pension or redundancy.

no way was it used on any Doctor Who theme

The 70s redo of the theme was never broadcast and was done on a Synthi-100

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypsMB7aX4Ss

The official theme was just numerous re-edits of the Delia version all the way up to 1980 when the fucking sweet cs80/arp odyssey version came out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3iBUL0nRm8

  On 3/1/2010 at 3:30 AM, ieafs said:

was john baker even with the BBC in the 70s? ie. after the shift to using synths.

 

i know some of the john matthews library stuff he did has synths on it... but none of those two trunk records ones have any? (other than a few 4 second "dx7 feedback" things he did in the '80s...)

I think he was fired in 1974and I bet that this ems was used on some of those john matthews tracks. If I had the money, I would bid on this just so I can say that I have the ems that was used in "pots and pans".

Just did a search for "Synthi" as my housemate has one of these knocking around in his bedroom. Any idea what it's worth?

£100 and my least favourite cat sounds reasonable.

  On 4/16/2010 at 5:47 PM, gettinpumped said:

Just did a search for "Synthi" as my housemate has one of these knocking around in his bedroom. Any idea what it's worth?

I'll give him £200 cash in hand?

  On 4/16/2010 at 6:43 PM, soundwave said:

  On 4/16/2010 at 5:47 PM, gettinpumped said:

Just did a search for "Synthi" as my housemate has one of these knocking around in his bedroom. Any idea what it's worth?

I'll give him £200 cash in hand?

I'll give him £300 cash in hand....?

if his housemate seriously does have a synthi just knocking about i could stretch to £300 cash and four cats.

He does. It's not strictly his - he loaned it from a well-known London art college where it was never used, and never gave it back. They don't seem particularly bothered. I don't think they really understood what it was. I was just curious as it seems to be a fairly well-regarded bit of vintage gear. I don't think we're going to sell it.

  On 4/16/2010 at 8:21 PM, gettinpumped said:

He does. It's not strictly his - he loaned it from a well-known London art college where it was never used, and never gave it back. They don't seem particularly bothered. I don't think they really understood what it was. I was just curious as it seems to be a fairly well-regarded bit of vintage gear. I don't think we're going to sell it.

does it stay in tune? if it does its worth about a million quid.

if not make music with it

  On 4/16/2010 at 8:21 PM, gettinpumped said:

He does. It's not strictly his - he loaned it from a well-known London art college where it was never used, and never gave it back. They don't seem particularly bothered. I don't think they really understood what it was. I was just curious as it seems to be a fairly well-regarded bit of vintage gear. I don't think we're going to sell it.

I'm assuming this is not a synthi-100 because that would be one hell of a bedroom

I'll swap him a Monomachine and collect in person?

Hey guys my niece has got this weird little briefcase under her bed that says Music Easel on it.

I'll mail it for a cats.

  On 4/18/2010 at 2:37 PM, solarion said:

  On 4/16/2010 at 8:21 PM, gettinpumped said:

He does. It's not strictly his - he loaned it from a well-known London art college where it was never used, and never gave it back. They don't seem particularly bothered. I don't think they really understood what it was. I was just curious as it seems to be a fairly well-regarded bit of vintage gear. I don't think we're going to sell it.

 

I'm assuming this is not a synthi-100 because that would be one hell of a bedroom

i have one hell of a bedroom, you should come see it some time

  On 4/19/2010 at 11:19 AM, Awepittance said:

  On 4/18/2010 at 2:37 PM, solarion said:

  On 4/16/2010 at 8:21 PM, gettinpumped said:

He does. It's not strictly his - he loaned it from a well-known London art college where it was never used, and never gave it back. They don't seem particularly bothered. I don't think they really understood what it was. I was just curious as it seems to be a fairly well-regarded bit of vintage gear. I don't think we're going to sell it.

 

I'm assuming this is not a synthi-100 because that would be one hell of a bedroom

 

i have one hell of a bedroom, you should come see it some time

This could be the most famous synthi for sale since Bonehead from Oasis sold his.