The sounds it makes are straight out of science fiction, but a rare synthesiser housed at Melbourne University has been recognised as an historic piece of engineering heritage.

The British-built EMS Synthi 100 synthesiser was meticulously restored in 2015 by Melbourne University technician Leslie Craythorn.

Today, Engineers Australia will award the synthesiser an Engineering Heritage Marker at a ceremony at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music's Southbank campus, recognising both the instrument's importance in music history and Mr Craythorn's work in restoring it.

Past recipients of the Marker include Brisbane's Story Bridge, the Parkes radio telescope, and the Sydney Tower.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 47 seconds 47 s The sounds of the EMS Synthi 100

The Synthi 100 was released in 1971 by London company EMS and retailed for £6,500 — the equivalent of more than $100,000 today.

Only 30 were produced, many of which are now inoperative, in storage, or on display as museum pieces.

Owen Peake, chair of Engineers Australia's Victorian Heritage Committee, said the machine came from a "golden age" of synthesisers.

"There's a move back [today] towards the style of synthesisers that were built around that time," he told 774 ABC Melbourne's Red Symons.



BBC's Doctor Who used Synthi 100

Mr Craythorn said he was "absolutely thrilled" with Engineers Australia's recognition of the groundbreaking synthesiser.

He said the synthesiser was the first to feature a digital sequencer — a computer which could be programmed to make the instrument play an electronic musical "score".

The sequencer was more powerful than those found on many mass-produced synthesisers today.

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop used a Synthi 100 in the 1970s to produce incidental music and sound effects for Doctor Who.

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In 1980, the Melbourne University released an album called Electronic Music, which was entirely recorded with its Synthi 100.

But the synthesiser was soon superseded by digital instruments, and was in storage for decades before Mr Craythorn dusted it off and restored it.

Large and difficult to move, the Synthi 100 was intended to be used as a studio instrument, but in April Mr Craythorn performed with it in a concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

"Who would have thought that this instrument would be performing in a concert hall?" Mr Craythorn said.

Mr Peake said the synthesiser was nominated for the Marker by two students from Victoria University.

"We've introduced another generation of young engineers into the secrets of this machine," he said.

