Thomas Lehn
 




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  SYNTHI THEFT COPENHAGEN 13th February 2019                              photo page
 
It was not a "Friday the 13th" …
Nevertheless I had bad luck on Wednesday 13th February 2019, or I should better say: just the wrong attidude, having not thought right in the right moment about dealing with my equipment – usually I never leave my synth and other valuables in a parked car, but that day, annoyingly and regrettably I did...

After an afternoon performance in duo with Danish guitarist Mark Solborg on 13th February around 4-5pm at the Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, approximately between 6-8pm my entire suitcase which contained my EMS Synthi and MacBook Pro as well as other items had been stolen out of Mark's car. It was parked on Dyrkøb, Copenhagen, near the corner to Fiolstraede on a parking strip in front of the Vor Frue Kirke, approximately here more or less close the white-colored stem tree or the street lamp in the middle.
The theft happened whilst we were enjoying an early dinner in a restaurant a few minutes walk away from the parking place.


REWARD
If the unlikely happens that the thieve(s) themselves or their associates/friends read this webpage, I kindly ask them to return the stolen items against receiving a reward and to contact me or local in Copenhagen Mark Solborg. Thank you!

POTENCIAL INTERESTED PARTIES
Same I would kindly ask people to whom these items might be offered, given or sold to. Please get in touch with us.
In particular I'd like to ask people in search to purchase an EMS Synthi A/AKS or a MacBookPro, as well as people buying and selling such products (2nd hand stores, music stores, online shops etc) to make sure they are not buying/selling these stolen items. You can identify the stolen synth by some unique charateristics and features.


Anyone else reading here or elsewhere about this is warmly welcomed and invited to keep eyes and ears open and get in touch to report any signs, indications etc. which may potencially help to trace the things I've lost by this sad incident, most of all the EMS Synthi. Thank you!


In order to identify the items unmistakably, I hope the informations given below are useful and contribute to find the lost items back !

Please, click on the [ image ] links in order to see the corresponding single photos. The photos should automatically open in a new browser tab. Then you may close the tab and you're back on this page.

To have all images on one page to scroll or navigate through, please visit the photo page




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S T O L E N   I T E M S  :

overview:
[1] - Suitcase
[2] - EMS Synthi AKS :   > Synthi & unmistakable identifying characteristics     > KS Keyboard     > Accessories
[3] - Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer
[4] - BOSS Stereo Volume Pedal 
[5] - multiple power socket
[6] - audio cables 
[7] - BOSE headphones
[8] - audio CDs 
[9] - other items 

print version of items list
download zip with all item images



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[1] SUITCASE 
model:
travelite Orbit Trolley L, 4 wheel, black [ image 1 ]
W x H x D: 43 x 75.5 x 31 cm


The suitcase contained all the following items :



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[2] EMS Synthi AKS analogue synthesizer

The EMS Synthi AKS [ image 2A ] consists of and appears in performance setup as two separate items, housing in a black plastic 'Spartanite' briefcase [ image 2B ] [ google images ] :

        the EMS SYNTHI itself in the bottom part of the briefcase (serial number 45629),
and
        the EMS KS Keyboard Sequencer in the lid of the briefcase (serial number 4911,KS).

Dimensions of the closed Spartanite briefcase: 48 x 38 x 13 cm (ca. 18.9 x 15 x 5.1 inches)

On the outside of the briefcase lid (as image 2B shows), there is NOT the usual transparent plastic plate carrying in blue letters the name: "SYNTHI EMS Cornwall" or "SYNTHI 'A' E.M.S. London Ltd." etc. . The lid is entirely black, but there are 2 screw heads fixing/holding the keyboard inside the lid (not visible on the spartanite photo) and 2 drilled holes remaining from the removed Synthi plate.

The synth briefcase is wrapped in a self-made black stretch jeans fabric protection cover, looking like this:
    - [ image 2B2 ] with 2 nylon luggage straps (as the velcro fastener of cover is warn out)
    - [ image 2C ] top side (The two lower leather pads I edited in, as they weren't there on this early photo)
    - [ image 2D ] bottom side

Both, the protection cover and the belts might have been removed by the thief.



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EMS SYNTHI       S e r i a l   N u m b e r  :   4 5 6 2 9
The SYNTHI is mounted in the bottom part of the Spartanite briefcase: [ image 2E ], fastened by three ISO metric screws with a black screw head [ image M ]: one at the case handle, and one at each of the two case feet.

On the bottom of the SYNTHI panel is printed: "SYNTHI  Made in England by: E.M.S."
The Serial Number: 45629 is located on the corner of the black plastic trim above the left loudspeaker (not visible on the photos I can provide)

photos:
 - [ image 2E ] SYNTHI detail: patch pins, inverter cable, KS keyboard sequencer switch
 - [ image 2F ] SYNTHI detail: all special features of this instrument (right here below)
 - [ image 2G ] SYNTHI detail: unique feature combinations (right here below)


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unmistakable characteristics to help to identify the stolen EMS SYNTHI

Unique for the stolen EMS SYNTHI is the simultanity of several features specifically made for this instrument
. The synthi photo from July 2012 [ image 2F ] highlights all these specific so-called "modifications", which are here marked with various colors.

The producer of this instrument, EMS Cornwall/England, had sent me this photo [ image 2G ] including these five remarks about features being unique for the stolen synthesizer :

 - [ image 2H ]  1)  "The two 'kb' disconnect switches above the filter level knob.
                               EMS has never done this on another Synthi."

 - [ image 2I ]  2)  "Headphone level knob is to the RIGHT of the speaker mute switch.
                              Nowadays if we add functions here the knob is to the left."

 - [ image 2J ]  3)  "The THREE switches in the envelope shaper section. Normally just one, two is
                              rare. There is only one other synth where we built three switches."

 - [ image 2K ]  4)  "Just one 3.5 mm jack socket next to matrix and one switch in Reverb section.
                              A unique combination."

 - [ image 2L ]  5)  "Label on the top four horizontal rows of the matrix is partly (the waveforms)
                              made with pen - not by printing."

However, the switch on the bottom right, just above the red square "attack" botton, has been added later; this switch is only visible on the 2019 photo: [ image 2E ]



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EMS KS Keyboard Sequencer       S e r i a l   N u m b e r  :   4 9 1 1 , K S  

On the top of the keyboard is printed:  EMS SYNTHI AKS

The Serial Number: 4911,KS is located on the bottom side of the keyboard [ image 2R ] )

photos:
 - [ image 2N ]  KS keyboard when mounted outside of briefcase lid, after concert 13th Feb. 2019
 - [ image 2O ]  KS keyboard when mounted inside the lid of synth case [this is a webphoto, not the lost KS]
 - [ image 2P ]  KS keyboard top
 - [ image 2Q ]  KS keyboard bottom
 - [ image 2R ]  KS keyboard Serial Number 
 - [ image 2Stwo srews fixing the keyboard inside or outside or the briefcase lid



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Synthi Accessories 

 - [ image 2T ]  Synthi-to-KS keyboard connector cable, grey and visibly curled up,
                         with grey metal 8-pin Jones socket/plug (external link photo with black Jones socket/plug)

 - [ image 2U ]  Synthi mains power cable, grey, ca. 2m long
                         The black plug going into the synthi is a special one. At the other end of the
                         power cable is a black german "Schuko" plug (CEE 7/4, Tape F) [wikipedia link]

The both synthi cables were both in a white woven fabric bag together with other cables/wires

 - [ image 2V ]  two selfmade presto-patch cards wrapped in a piece of black
                         woven fabric put inside the briefcase

 - [ image 2W ] / [ image 2X ] wooden piece to angle the synthi in performance setup

 - [ no image ]   a wine-red pencil case containing various audio adapters, small screw drivers
                        and other small stuff, possibly additional patch pins, SD cards [no photo available]




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[3] Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer   
MacBook Pro 13-inch, Retina, early 2015, MBP13.3/2.9GHz/16GB/256GB/DEU/DEU
Model:  A1502  /  EMC 2835 
S e r i a l   N u m b e r  :   C 0 2 P N 2 J 3 F V H 6

The MacBook Pro was stored in the larger outer bag of the suitcase' lid, wrapped/protected in a slightly oversized 15"-LogicCase Neoprene sleeve (black outside and inside).

photos (on purchase date 30 July 2015):
 - [ image 3A ] MacBook Pro closed: top
 - [ image 3B ] MacBook Pro closed: bottom 
 - [ image 3C ] MacBook Pro bottom: text
 - [ image 3D ] MacBook Pro model/serial numbers  
 - [ image 3E ] MacBook Pro open: screen & keyboard
 - [ image 3F ] MacBook Pro open: keyboard
 - [ image 3G ] Case Logic laptop sleeve

The MacBook screen is password protected and displays my contact info
 - [ image 3H ] when "waking up" from sleep mode
 - [ image 3I ] on start-up/booting




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[4] BOSS FV-50L Stereo Volume Pedal [ image 4 ]
dimension, W x D x H: 8.6 x 20 x 5.4 cm, black, top front dark blue
2 inputs, 2 outputs




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[5] multiple power socket, black [ image 5 ]

 - special feature: power sockets on both sides of the socket board:
       - 3 power sockets Type F (CEE 7/3, German "Schuko") on one side
       - 6 power sockets Type C (Europlug) on the opposite side

 - black power plug, standard CEE 7/7 (Type E and F) [wikipedia link]

 - and a black ground lift switch mounted in the black power cable; tape-marked with "on/off" and "an/aus"

 - power cable ca. 1.5m long wire.

 - there is an old white and green label on the socket board, sticked on during a british electricity check,
   still visible on the photo [ image 5 ] .




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[6] audio cables 
In the white woven fabric bag mentioned above were these audio cables:

 - [ image 6A ] 1 black TS (1/4-inch jack) instrument cable with angled and straight 'Neutrik' jacks,
                       ca. 3m, "TL" marked

 - [ image 6B ] 2 black TS (1/4-inch jack) cables with metal jacks: angled on one end, straight on
                       the other, ca. 1.5m

 - [ image 6C ] 2 TRS-XLR.male adapter cables, ca. 15 cm, marked with "TL"
 
 - 2 black TS (1/4-inch jack) cables with straight metal jacks, ca. 1.5m, marked with "TL" [no photo]

The above cables I know they were there, but maybe there were more other cables in the bag...



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[7] BOSE Quiet Comfort 15 noise cancellation headphones [ image 7 ]
         In a black case with zip. Inside: headphone-adapters, resevre battery and the heaphone cable
           Headpohne cable not visible in this internet-image.




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[8] audio CDs
21 audio CDs were in a brown card board box and plastic bag inside the suitcase.

Of those I can remember are these ones [with external links to label websites]:

 - 2 Tiziana Bertoncini/Thomas Lehn  Horsky Park   www.anothertimbre.com

 - 2 Frédéric Blondy/Thomas Lehn  obdo   www.anothertimbre.com

 - 3 John Butcher/Thomas Lehn/Matthew Shipp  Tangle  www.fataka.net 

 - 1 Christopher Fox  Topophony  hatART/outthere 

 - 2 Konk Pack  Doing The Splash  Megaphone Records 

 - 1 Urs Leimgruber/Thomas Lehn  Lausanne  www.for4ears.com

 - 2 TOOT  one  www.sofamusic.no 

 - … (?)




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[9] other items
In the suitcase had been other items.
As far I can remember there were:

 - blue gloves and black wollen hat (in the small outer lid-bag of suitcase)

 - a large piece of white foamish wrap plastic

 - 1 or 2 black t-shirts

 - binocular/magnifying eyeglasses in a black spectacle case

 - … (?)


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updated on March 14, 2019