Thunderchild SZ3540 Synthesizer: Jeff Wayne to re-release modern version

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Whilst watching a video of the tour of Jeff Wayne’s home Studio – he mentions that the Thunderchild synthesizer is being re-released to a modern version with MIDI and rack mounted. Check out the video below where he tells us:

The original Thunderchild synthesizer was designed by an electronic whiz kid who was 18 at the time in 1978 – mentions Jeff Wayne in the video. The kid was a lad by the name of Nick Groome who worked at JWM Electronics at the time. He made around 6 to 10 prototypes but they never made it to the music scene.

Check out this advert from 1978 from Chappell Music in London:

You could purchase the Thunderchild synthesizer for £550 for a “2 v.c.o synth, with internal monitor speaker”

The specs say:

Two VCO’s with ramp waveforms, a Sub Oscillator with square-wave output, LFO with triangle and square outputs, white/pink noise, two ‘Shape’ controllers (envelopes) with a variety of modes, a multimode VCF and two VCA’s with separate outputs so you can simultaneously route Low Pass to one and High Pass to the other, for example. VCO 2 can also modulate the filter. On the rear panel are two external audio inputs that feed the filter and VCA’s, and three DIN sockets marked Trigger, Control and Footswitch (via this article).

We don’t know any further details yet. These questions are yet to be answered:

  • What are the details and specs of the remake?
  • When will it be available for purchase?
  • What will the price be?