image courtesy of William Blakeney
(note: The top cabinet is actually a repackaged Aries Series III.)

Aries modular systems were not cheap, and ranged from about $1,400 for a very basic System I to almost $4,000 for a complete Series IV (in 1978 dollars!). At the same time, they were successful enough to drive Moog out of the kit market, and establish a reputation for well made, if ugly synthesizers. When I have had to bring Aries modules across the border, Customs has had trouble believing that this is musical equipment and not military surplus!

Pictured here are close-ups of four Aries modules: To the left are the (from left to right) AR-331 Pre-Amp/Envelope Follower, the AR-334 Sequencer and the AR-318 Sample and Hold. To the right is the AR-315 Balanced Modulator. Note the slight cosmetic and colour variations from year to year. Many of the modules had dual controls, such as the 8/16 event Sequencer. Pitch was set manually with the rotary pots, not an easy thing to do given the cramped space.------ William Blakeney