I just bought another Oberheim DPX-1 from a guy in Stockholm since the one I bought in the US arrived in a non working condition. This also has the 8-output and cd-rom expansion. I thought those were rare…
Another bonus is the sticker from “Music Mania” which was a music store where I bought my first synth/rompler, the Korg NS5R in 1996. I still have that one, but I don’t like any of its sounds anymore.
I was looking for a Waldorf Microwave 1, the one with analog filters. It was actually made in at least three versions; the Rev A, the Rev B and the limited edition “Mean green machine”. The Mean green machine was actually a limited batch of 99 Rev B painted green. To be honest, the Rev A is a lot better looking.
On the german eBay, a Mean green machine was up for grabs. Unfortunately I didn’t win the bidding and it was sold for €845, which is a real bargain. A so called steal.
The machine itself normally goes for at least €1000, but this auction also included an Access programmer. An Access programmer is for an MW what a PG-800 is for a Roland JX-synth. The Access programmer adds the hands on tweakability that’s missing on the Microwave, and they are quite rare and almost never sold separately. When they are, €500 are normal prices.
Too bad I lost the bidding, but I had to have a Microwave, so I got a normal Rev B with the latest OS.
I just got the DPX-1 I ordered from eBay, unfortunately in a non working state. The front panel is dented, so someone has probably dropped it during transport. I contacted the seller who had just refurbished it and replaced the PSU. He wasn’t very happy to hear the news and offered me a refund.
If I want my $100 custom fees back I had to send it back. However, the transport to the US cost $150. So I decided to keep it and maybe try to repair it someday. Or use it for parts. Now I’ll have to find another one, they’re not too common.
By the way, I opened the DPX-1 and saw that the CPU was loose. Someone must have dropped it really hard. I put the CPU back in its socket, but the DPX-1 still wouldn’t start.
