Six-Trak

The Six-Trak was an analogue synthesizer manufactured by Sequential Circuits in San Jose, California and released in January 1984. It is notable for being one of the first multi-timbral synthesizers, equipped with MIDI and an on-board six-track digital sequencer, hence the name. It was designed as an inexpensive and easily portable 'scratch-pad' machine for trying out arrangements. It is possible to latch the arpeggiator and play along with sequences in real time. Also available is a unison mode which renders the keyboard monophonic but allows for very rich sounding timbres.

Six-Trak
Sequential Circuits Six-Trak
ManufacturerSequential Circuits
Dates1984
Technical specifications
Polyphony6
Oscillator6 VCO
Synthesis typeAnalog Subtractive
Input/output
Keyboard49-key
Left-hand controlPitch, Modulation
External controlMIDI

The Six-Trak is prominently featured and can be heard on the 1998 minimalist space music CD release The Dream Garden, by musician/composer Dane Rochelle. More recently it has been used by composer Christopher de Groot for the 2012 soundtrack to Australian feature film "Sororal".

The Six-Trak's more famous sibling is the Prophet 5, widely used in much of the 1970s progressive rock. A number of other synthesizers made by Sequential Circuits used similar electronics, including the Multi-Trak, Max, and Split-8. the important parts on board of them was CEM3394 (a complete monophonic analog synth chip manufactured by Curtis Electromusic Specialties ). The Six-Trak used 6 chips for 6 voices of different timbre program.

Notable Users
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