Friday, September 07, 2007
Prophet '08 Forum Up
In case you're interested, title link takes you to the Prophet 5 forum for all things Prophet. A new Prophet '08 forum has been added.
Why Do You Play Synths? Poll
I posted the following to the Waldorf list in response to someone leaving a snide comment asking "where's the music" in regards to Cikira's synth shots. I see someone left one in the comments of the previous posts as well. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in response to people with larger collections of synths. I thought it would be fun to put up my reply along with a poll on what others do. Feel free to comment. In the end, for me, people do different things with their synths and I can respect that. What I can't respect are people that are inconsiderate of others and feel the need to tell others what they should be doing just to justify their own perspectives on things...
"The thought of people dictating what others should or shouldn't do is kind of sad. Not everyone enjoys the composing part of making music. My favorite thing to do? Grab a synth off a shelf and explore it. The music comes out of the exploration, not the other way around for me. And 99.9% of the time I do not record it because the music comes in spurts and the focus is definitely not in making a piece of music but listening to the sound and the effects of different parameters. Does "music" come out of it? Usually yes, but it's different. The sound drives it.
The following is a loaded question, but why would anyone who only wants to make music have that many synths? Note that I'm not saying that people who like to compose music shouldn't have that many synths. What I am saying is if you do have that many synths, you probably appreciate them in a slightly different way - not just as sound sources for making music, but rather for the love of synths and all the different characteristics of each.
This always reminds me of the difference between the art of synthesis and the art of keyboard playing. They are different. I'm reminded each month when I get my copy of Keyboard Magazine. I see synths, but it's about 90% music composition and keyboards, not synthesizers. Thank you Mitchell Sigman! His column on synthesis techniques is about the only bit I'm guaranteed to enjoy every month. That and the reto synth section as well as Peter Kirn's articles (Peter also runs CDM). The rest might as well be on pianos... The point of this is there is an appreciation of synthesis I think most of us enjoy that is very different than the focus you might have in composing a piece of music. I like to think Cikira shares this enthusiasm for synths with the rest of us. In my book, anyone that makes the comment of "show me the music" is either ignorant of what synthesis is about or is just trolling." That or just plain inconsiderate. So are you a synthesist/ sound explorer, musician, or both?
"The thought of people dictating what others should or shouldn't do is kind of sad. Not everyone enjoys the composing part of making music. My favorite thing to do? Grab a synth off a shelf and explore it. The music comes out of the exploration, not the other way around for me. And 99.9% of the time I do not record it because the music comes in spurts and the focus is definitely not in making a piece of music but listening to the sound and the effects of different parameters. Does "music" come out of it? Usually yes, but it's different. The sound drives it.
The following is a loaded question, but why would anyone who only wants to make music have that many synths? Note that I'm not saying that people who like to compose music shouldn't have that many synths. What I am saying is if you do have that many synths, you probably appreciate them in a slightly different way - not just as sound sources for making music, but rather for the love of synths and all the different characteristics of each.
This always reminds me of the difference between the art of synthesis and the art of keyboard playing. They are different. I'm reminded each month when I get my copy of Keyboard Magazine. I see synths, but it's about 90% music composition and keyboards, not synthesizers. Thank you Mitchell Sigman! His column on synthesis techniques is about the only bit I'm guaranteed to enjoy every month. That and the reto synth section as well as Peter Kirn's articles (Peter also runs CDM). The rest might as well be on pianos... The point of this is there is an appreciation of synthesis I think most of us enjoy that is very different than the focus you might have in composing a piece of music. I like to think Cikira shares this enthusiasm for synths with the rest of us. In my book, anyone that makes the comment of "show me the music" is either ignorant of what synthesis is about or is just trolling." That or just plain inconsiderate. So are you a synthesist/ sound explorer, musician, or both?
Cikira's Leopardwood DSI Prophet '08
Cirkira sent in this shot of her new leopardwood Prophet '08. It looks better than I was expecting and I was expecting it to look pretty damn sharp. Be sure to click on the image for the full effect. She also sent the following shots to the AH list: doorstepfun.JPG
leopardwood1.JPG
leopardwood2.JPG
leopardwood3.JPG
leopardwoodCU.JPG
newKBs.JPG
Cikira's Beat Corner and CODE Pile
A few more shots via Cikira.
beatcorner1.JPG
beatcorner2.JPG
beatcorner3.JPG
CODEpile.JPG
Spot the synths.
Cikira's genoQs Octopus Pod
Some more shots sent in via Cikira:octopod1.JPG
octopod2.JPG
octopod3.JPG
octopodblur.JPG
As you can see I liked the blurry shot. : ) The others are sharp.
Cikira's Waldorf Q+
Some shots via Cikira (note the new Prophet '08 is hiding in there as well as a stack of 8 Pulses and a few more synths):"I was asked for Q+ photos.
Qplus1.JPG
Qplus2.JPG
Qplus3.JPG
Qplus4.JPG
Qplus5.JPG
I set up a new keyboard stand today! newKBs.JPG
Until I update my website photos properly: pulse8.JPG"
D & C
flickr by sushiluv.KORG Delta
click here for the full size shot.
click here for more (warning: cats on synths).
Analogue Heaven Bay Area 2004
YouTube via deastman2.
"Video from the 2004 gathering of San Francisco Bay Area local members of the Analogue Heaven mailing list." Note the 2007 event is this coming weekend.
Maestro Sound System
Click here for shots via this auction. Sample link below.
"Try routing a drum track through it! Weird! Used by folks like Tomita - (The Planets), and other progressive musicians. It is used on the sax on Traffic's 1971 Low Spark for High Heeled boys as well. LISTEN to this awesome excerpt! Classic!. Also appears on the Melvin Jackson LP Funky Skull. Melvin is pictured on the cover with the Maestro sitting on his amp."
J.U.M.S. RMI Harmonic Synthesizer
"The RMI Harmonic Synthesizer is really rare on this planet. There are only 4 known RMI's in Europe!So I decided build one myself, both IRL and digitally. One would excpect that, since the RMI has digital oscillators, it would be easy to create one digitally... WRONG! The real RMI oscillators can go beyond our audible range. Just because we can't hear such high frequencies doesn't mean we don't need it. Instead a really high sample rate is needed to get near. And all that because the unaudible sounds interfere with the audible sound :) Also the dynamic filter on the real RMI is really special. Unfortunately that is not easily emulated..."
Title link takes you there. via Hugo.
Rob Hubbard - Golden Days of Computer Game Music
YouTube via stormblast0891.
"Rob Hubbard, who composed a lot of classic game tunes, especially on the C64 (e.g. Monty on the Run, Commando, Delta, Skate or Die, Crazy Comets and many more), talks about the good old times."
Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands
YouTube via timkellyonair. via Greg.
Guess the Oberheim. I bet he wished he had a sequencer right about now...
My high school garage band rehearsals
YouTube via Jexus aka polaranta.
From the same person that brought these gems.
"Before I started doing funky things with synthesizers, I used to sing and play guitar and knock things over in a funky way. Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails in background."
OK, I think we officially found something worse than cats and babies. Funny stuff. Spot the keys.
DSI Prophet '08
The first Prophet '08 listed on the bay. Unfortunately just a stock shot.BTW, word is that there is one at the LA Guitar Center. If you get a chance to try it out, post back with your impressions.
Details from the auction (why 3 adapter?):
"I purchased this DSI Prophet 08 directly from Dave. I ordered it 4 weeks ago and forgot about it and it showed up yesterday on my doorstep(09/05/2007.) Things have changed in the last four weeks and I need to sell it for lack of space and want of money. I paid $1999 plus tax here in CA and shipping. Since I played it for 10 minutes and I letting it go for $1975 with free shipping in the USA(lower 48.) My gear lust is your gain.
Auction Includes: The new Prophet 08, the universal power supply(100V to 240V) with three(3) adapters, the manual and box and packaging."
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© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
