Electronic Dream Plant
Encyclopedia
Electronic Dream Plant was a British
firm which manufactured audio synthesizers
during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company was formed by musician Adrian Wagner (a descendant of the German composer Richard Wagner) and electronics designer Chris Huggett
; the company was small and none of their products were particularly successful commercially. All of their products are quite rare, and are prized by collectors for their unique sound and for their kitsch
value, due to their cheap construction and lo-fi sound.
The Wasp was undoubtedly EDP's most famous product, distinctive for its black/yellow colour scheme and brittle, cheap construction. It was notorious for its lack of a mechanical keyboard; instead, it used flat conductive copper plates, hidden under a silk-screened vinyl sticker. This was claimed to be unreliable, unintuitive, and devoid of much of the expression present with a real keyboard. Despite these flaws, the Wasp was fairly advanced technologically. It was one of the first commercially available synthesisers to adopt digital technology, which at the time was just beginning to become a standard. It also utilised a proprietary system for connecting several Wasp synthesisers together, predating the invention and standardisation of MIDI by several years. The digital interface should not, however, be confused with MIDI, even though similar DIN plugs are utilised (7-pin DIN instead of the 5-pin DIN which MIDI standardized to.
Architecturally, the wasp is dual DCO (not VCO) synth, with dual envelopes, and single, switchable (low/band/highpass) CMOS-based filter.
The last Wasp revision was named the Deluxe. It offered virtually the same circuitry (but on a redesigned PCB) to the other two Wasps, but with the additional moving keyboard. The deluxe also featured an external audio input to its filter, and mix controls for the DCO, and external input levels. Rumour states that around 80 deluxes were produced before the demise of EDP.
The Deluxe commands an increased price with collectors, presumably because of its further increased rarity, and its improved playability.
A 252-step digital sequencer (most analogue sequencers at the time had 8 or 16-steps, built in the same style as the standard wasp, outputting both LINK (to drive EDP products) and CV/gate information for use with standard analogue synths.
Anthony Harrison-Griffin an independent product designer was responsible for the design and build of the Gnat, drawing on the basic design and colour scheme of the already well established Wasp. The Gnat being a single oscillator version, which used PWN modulation to get around the single oscillator limitation. As a result, it actually had a bigger sound than the Wasp but was less flexible. ~
A true, 3-octave master keyboard which could control up to four Wasps or Gnats using EDP's proprietary digital control system.
A "heavily modded Wasp that was built into a guitar form" [vintagesynth.com] which, although prototyped, never went into production.
This 'wooden' wasp used the same membrane keyboard as the standard version, but with a new black and gold colour scheme, and the loss of the internal batteries and speaker. An internal mains transformer was added.
Again, as with the wasp special, a wooden case, different colour scheme, and the loss of the internal speaker.
EDP stopped doing business in 1982. The designer of the Wasp, Chris Hugget, went on to co-form another British company, OSC, with Paul Wiffen producing the OSCar synthesizer in collaboration with Anthony Harrison-Griffin an independent product designer responsible for the unique look and build of the OSCar
. Anthony had previously been responsible for the visual design and build of EDP's "Gnat" version. Anthony's use of the distinctive black rubberized components to protect the controls and main casing has become one of its lasting features. It proved a great hit when touring as you could literally throw an OSCar into the back of a van without the need of a flight case. He even built into the ends a dummy 3-pin main plug to safely store the plug.
Although only 2000 OSCars were made they found their way into much more professional hands because both the build quality and the sound quality were much higher. Many are still in use today.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
firm which manufactured audio synthesizers
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company was formed by musician Adrian Wagner (a descendant of the German composer Richard Wagner) and electronics designer Chris Huggett
Chris Huggett
Chris Huggett is an engineer/designer who co-founded Electronic Dream Plant and Oxford Synthesizer Company, who is currently technical director at Novation Digital Music Systems, all manufacturers of audio synthesizers.- Electronic Dream Plant :...
; the company was small and none of their products were particularly successful commercially. All of their products are quite rare, and are prized by collectors for their unique sound and for their kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
value, due to their cheap construction and lo-fi sound.
Products
- Wasp
The Wasp was undoubtedly EDP's most famous product, distinctive for its black/yellow colour scheme and brittle, cheap construction. It was notorious for its lack of a mechanical keyboard; instead, it used flat conductive copper plates, hidden under a silk-screened vinyl sticker. This was claimed to be unreliable, unintuitive, and devoid of much of the expression present with a real keyboard. Despite these flaws, the Wasp was fairly advanced technologically. It was one of the first commercially available synthesisers to adopt digital technology, which at the time was just beginning to become a standard. It also utilised a proprietary system for connecting several Wasp synthesisers together, predating the invention and standardisation of MIDI by several years. The digital interface should not, however, be confused with MIDI, even though similar DIN plugs are utilised (7-pin DIN instead of the 5-pin DIN which MIDI standardized to.
Architecturally, the wasp is dual DCO (not VCO) synth, with dual envelopes, and single, switchable (low/band/highpass) CMOS-based filter.
- Wasp Deluxe
The last Wasp revision was named the Deluxe. It offered virtually the same circuitry (but on a redesigned PCB) to the other two Wasps, but with the additional moving keyboard. The deluxe also featured an external audio input to its filter, and mix controls for the DCO, and external input levels. Rumour states that around 80 deluxes were produced before the demise of EDP.
The Deluxe commands an increased price with collectors, presumably because of its further increased rarity, and its improved playability.
- Spider
A 252-step digital sequencer (most analogue sequencers at the time had 8 or 16-steps, built in the same style as the standard wasp, outputting both LINK (to drive EDP products) and CV/gate information for use with standard analogue synths.
- Gnat
Anthony Harrison-Griffin an independent product designer was responsible for the design and build of the Gnat, drawing on the basic design and colour scheme of the already well established Wasp. The Gnat being a single oscillator version, which used PWN modulation to get around the single oscillator limitation. As a result, it actually had a bigger sound than the Wasp but was less flexible. ~
- Caterpiller
A true, 3-octave master keyboard which could control up to four Wasps or Gnats using EDP's proprietary digital control system.
- Keytar
A "heavily modded Wasp that was built into a guitar form" [vintagesynth.com] which, although prototyped, never went into production.
Legacy
An internal power struggle in 1981 led to the formation of another company Wasp Synthesisers Ltd by the ousted Adrian Wagner, which produced a very limited run of Special versions of the Wasp and Gnat. This breakaway company lasted less than a year and its products are even rarer.- Wasp Special
This 'wooden' wasp used the same membrane keyboard as the standard version, but with a new black and gold colour scheme, and the loss of the internal batteries and speaker. An internal mains transformer was added.
- Gnat Special
Again, as with the wasp special, a wooden case, different colour scheme, and the loss of the internal speaker.
EDP stopped doing business in 1982. The designer of the Wasp, Chris Hugget, went on to co-form another British company, OSC, with Paul Wiffen producing the OSCar synthesizer in collaboration with Anthony Harrison-Griffin an independent product designer responsible for the unique look and build of the OSCar
OSC Oscar
The OSCar was a synthesizer manufactured by the Oxford Synthesiser Company from 1983 to 1985. It was ahead of its time in several ways and was one of the few mono-synths to have MIDI. Around 2000 were made.- History :...
. Anthony had previously been responsible for the visual design and build of EDP's "Gnat" version. Anthony's use of the distinctive black rubberized components to protect the controls and main casing has become one of its lasting features. It proved a great hit when touring as you could literally throw an OSCar into the back of a van without the need of a flight case. He even built into the ends a dummy 3-pin main plug to safely store the plug.
Although only 2000 OSCars were made they found their way into much more professional hands because both the build quality and the sound quality were much higher. Many are still in use today.
Related companies
- Oxford Synthesiser Company (OSCar)
- Groove Electronics (Stinger -essentially two wasp voices in a midi controlled case & MIDI2CV Midi to Link converter) note: contrary to popular belief, the stinger was not made from two butchered wasp boards
- Kenton Electronics (Midi to Link daughter board, for their range of midi-cv units)
External links
- Article in Sound on Sound Magazine by Chris Carter about the Wasp Synthesizer.