A February 1983 British review describes the CX1 as an organ upgrade or a standalone accompaniment instrument.
Period press
The accompaniment box learns to remember.
The 1983 review shows the CX1 as more than a bank of fixed rhythms: drums, bass, chords and arpeggios could be programmed, then saved to cassette. It catches Wersi turning the organ player’s accompaniment system into a small composition environment.
Read the 1983 review ↗The machine in the record
Klaus Wunderlich / a reported touring Wersi.
A later owner account attributes a CX1-fitted Wersi Helios to Klaus Wunderlich’s touring setup. It is not a contemporary tour document and no performance is claimed, so the page keeps this as a reported instrument association.
Read Meine Helios ↗An arranger from the organ workshop
A CX1 could live inside a Wersi organ or stand beside the player with its own keyboard. Separate rhythm and accompaniment circuits coordinated percussion, chords, bass and arpeggios. The construction manual shows the two forms sharing a modular design: boards in a card rack, linked to the playing and programming panels.
Assembly Manual: Technical Data Wersimatic CX1, AM383 First Edition ↗
A rhythm writer in plain sight
McAlpine’s February 1983 review describes 32 factory rhythms and 16 writable Composer locations. Copy a preset, alter it and save the result. Introductions and breaks offer changes during performance; bass drum and snare each have loud and soft entries.
From a bar to an evening’s music
Dynamic mode records button presses against a metronome; Static mode enters notes and rests step by step. Sixteen sequences can each hold 32 rhythm selections. Super Sequence then plays through the stored sequences, turning individual bars into a much longer accompaniment.
Memory for the working player
A battery protects the writable memory when power goes away. The CPU keeps user rhythms separately from accompaniment, sequence, tempo and registration data. A cassette interface carries Composer data to and from tape, giving the player a way to keep work beyond the current memory contents.
Assembly Manual: Technical Data Wersimatic CX1, AM383 First Edition ↗
Digital control, analogue percussion
The Z80 directs the patterns; dedicated voice circuits make the percussion. Triggered ringing oscillators produce the bass drum and other pitched drums. Noise feeds snare, tambourine, brushes and maracas; square-wave oscillator pairs supply the cymbal and hi-hat circuits. The Synthedrum uses an amplifier and active filter. The computer organises these sounds rather than replaying a set of recorded drum hits.
Assembly Manual: Technical Data Wersimatic CX1, AM383 First Edition ↗
A British invitation
McAlpine listed organ-upgrade kits at £527–£627, depending on the host. The standalone version cost £1,177 as a kit or £1,782 assembled, including VAT. Wersi’s British advertisements followed in July and September 1983, inviting readers to find out more through its dealers.
Wersimatic CX1, Electronics & Music Maker pp34 and 36 ↗ Wersi Wersimatic CX1 advertisement, Electronics & Music Maker p.107 ↗ Introducing the Wersimatic CX1, Electronics & Music Maker p.17 ↗
In the market
- 1983-02: GBP 527 — British contemporary review price range minimum. Circuitry fitted to an existing organ; review range £527–£627 depending on host model Source ↗
- 1983-02: GBP 627 — British contemporary review price range maximum. Circuitry fitted to an existing organ; review range £527–£627 depending on host model Source ↗
- 1983-02: GBP 1177 — British contemporary review price. Standalone CX1 kit Source ↗
- 1983-02: GBP 1782 — British contemporary review price. Ready-built standalone CX1 Source ↗
On record
- Klaus Wunderlich. A later owner account attributes a CX1-fitted Wersi Helios to Klaus Wunderlich’s touring setup. Source ↗
Sources
- Comet promotional folder: Wersimatic CX1 rhythm and auto-accompaniment
- Wersimatic CX1, Electronics & Music Maker pp34 and 36
- Assembly Manual: Technical Data Wersimatic CX1, AM383 First Edition
- Wersi Wersimatic CX1 advertisement, Electronics & Music Maker p.107
- Introducing the Wersimatic CX1, Electronics & Music Maker p.17
The visual archive
Further visual evidence.
Sources for images shown earlier (1)
Additional visual sources (3)
Original publications and related image sources.
- Wersimatic CX1 review ↗
1983-02 · Kenneth McAlpine / E&MM · Printed pp34 and 36 / PDF36 and 38 - Comet promotional folder: Wersimatic CX1 ↗
Archive assigns 1982 · Wersi · PDF pp12–13; cover and following spread also inspected - Assembly Manual: Technical Data Wersimatic CX1, AM383 First Edition ↗
Undated First Edition · Wersi · 80 pages; especially pp1, 4–13 and 15–80