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3800 At a Glance
	Released: 1979 \| Specifications User rating: Not yet Reviewed \| Read reviews (0) Miscellaneous News(6)
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rich writes:

The Maplin 3800 is based on a synth-kit, the Maplin 3600. As far as I know, the 3800 came pre-assembled, as opposed to the 3600 kit, but I'm not sure about this. Many sources call the 3800 a kit-synth, but maybe they're confused with the 3600... who knows?

Anyway, the build-quality of mine is first rate - nothing to indicate any sloppy assembling by some spotty hippy (no offense meant, really) - BUT...

The sound quality of mine isn't all that it could be. There's a LOT of noise in the sound, triggered together with the envelopes. Maybe it's a defective VCA, or internal dust - dunno. I'm going to have mine revised a.s.a.p. Once the noise is down this will be one HELL of a synth!

Already I love it to death for its moody, ARROGANT sounds and looks. It has some special features, like a patented way to produce a sort of clipped sawtooth wave, a 'transient' envelope which I don't fully understand yet, a VCO pitch-range which is four times normal (according to Peter Forrest's book), and some unusual ring modulation and AM (I think) options.

Comments About the Sounds:
The Maplin 3800 has a very distinctive analog sound. The audiopath is totally analog, from the oscillators all the way to the build in spring reverb! It's very good for Moog-like basses and leads, total weirdness and drones. The spring reverb is a sort of

(Thanks to rich for this info.)
and Sez You for the pic

Links for the Maplin 3800

	More Synth Gear Best US prices on many current models
	A maxed out 3800/4600 custom modular Pictures and brief description of a HUGE 4600 based custom modular synth.
	A simple sequence done on the maxed out modular. (670k mp3)

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