EMS Synthi-AKS
The EMS Synthi-AKS is an amazing synthesizer which a friend gracefully
allowed us to borrow. It's a direct successor to the British, keyboardless
pioneer synthesizer VCS-3, sharing the same set of parameters but encased
in a sort of briefcase. 
The bottom half of
the briefcase holds a strange plastic membrane keyboard and a simple sequencer
("K" and "S" in "AKS"). Sadly, we couldn't
use these, since the multicable connecting the keyboard/sequencer and the
actual synthesizer was long missing.
Anyway - the strength of the Synthi lies not in conventional melodic playing but in strange sounds and effects! Actually, these are often created spontaneously, since the structure of the instrument is so peculiar (note that the VCS-3 was designed before the MiniMoog standardized signal flow, envelopes, etc.).
The available building blocks are three wide-range oscillators, a noise generator, a resonant low pass filter, a bizarre envelope generator that can re-trig itself, a ring modulator, a spring reverb, external audio inputs and separate amplifiers for the two output channels (the Synthi is a stereo instrument, in other words). These devices can be interconnected by means of a matrix with signal sources on the Y axis and destination inputs on the X axis. For example, to send the signal from oscillator 1 to the filter, you place a small peg in the whole where the row of oscillator 1 meets the column of the filter input. This means you can send several signals to the same destination, if you wish. Since there is no real distinction between audio and control signals, this can lead to very fascinating och sometimes unexpected results. Furthermore, there are different types of matrix pegs, with different resistance values.
Another nice detail is the little joystick. This sends two control signals for the stick's X and Y positions, respectively, and these control signals appear as sources in the matrix (and can thus control almost anything).
SHotQ borrowed the Synthi-AKS specifically for thunder and rain effects for Stormy Weather. We hope to be allowed to borrow it again some time.