British synth maker EMS are known not only for their classic VCS3, but also for their unique retro vocoders. Designed by Tim Orr, the EMS Vocoder 2000 is an excellent voice synthesizer comparable to the Roland SVC-350.
It has been around since the late seventies, and is still available to this day. The Vocoder 2000 offered 16-channels of vocoding with filters, mic/line inputs, oscillator and noise sources, voiced/unvoiced detector, and slew/freeze control.
The EMS Vocoder 3000 offers 16 channels of vocoding like the 2000, but with individual level controls for each band and newer knobs & switches on the front panel, plus a new LED signal meter. It came out in 1977. It has been used by Jimmy Edgar and Vangelis.
The EMS Vocoder 5000 is still available for order and considered the most detailed of vocoders ever produced. It could split sounds into their component frequencies and re-synthesise them.
Its has 22 band analysis and synthesis sections which can accurately superimpose the spectral content of one signal upon another. By use of the pin matrix it is possible to transmute the sex and age of the voice that is input into the unit.