Synthesizerpark at springeight festival

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"Synthesizerpark at springeight festival
Graz, May 2008

Peoples, hear the oscillators!"

The third presentation of the synthesizerpark is themed "Peoples, hear the oscillators!". After two years participating at the c/o pop in Cologne the exhibition is now going to be shown in Medienkunstlabor at Kunsthaus Graz as a part of springeight.

Countless sound production units from the over 30 year old synthesizer-history are presented and ready to be tested by the festival visitors. Spontaneous live jams are welcome and form an integral part of the programme.

Ever since 2005 the synthesizerpark has presented the most important, quaintest and most interesting devices from more than 30 years of analogue synths. All devices in the synthesizer park are completely wired and ready to be used. Several devices have been linked to complete systems. Visitors are given the opportunity to enjoy a unique -- on request also guided -- experience of the world of analogue sounds and collect practical information on the functionality of the devices.

All synth-manufacturers, from ARP, Moog and Korg to Roland, Sequential Circuits and Vermona to the recent Macbeth, will be represented. Almost all of the synthesizers on display are part of Frank Husemann's and Sunny Vollherbst's collection. The two curators have launched the synthesizerpark with passion and enthusiasm. As both are not mere collectors but active musicians, they regard it as very important that the visitors are not only passive spectators but part of a continuous live-jam.

In addition to the exhibition of those analogue classics Andreas Schneider from Schneiders Buero in Berlin (www.schneidersbuero.de) will bring the newest synthesizer technology to Graz.

Moreover, there will be several workshops and a photo exhibition by renowned photographer Katja Ruge from Hamburg (www.katjaruge.de). A synthesizer slideshow will complete the broad concept of the exhibition.

Excerpt of exhibition:
Synthesizer
minimoog, moog prodigy, OSCar, jen sx 1000, yamaha cs30, yamaha cs10, yamaha cs20m, roland juno6, roland jupiter4, roland jupiter6, roland jupiter8, roland system 100 (2x), roland sh5, roland sh2, roland paraphonic 505, roland vocoder vp330, ARP odyssey, ARP Quadra, ARP pro solist, Crumar bit99, farfisa synthorchestra, Oberheim OB 8, korg lambda, korg MS 10, korg MS 20, PPG wave 2.2, kawai synthesizer 100f, MCBETH M5, etc.

Drum Machines
roland cr 78, roland cr 8000, roland tr 606, sequential drum tracks, korg minipops 7, korg minipops120, korg kpr77, aria diamond, novation drumstation, vermona DRM1 MK3, etc.

Step-Sequencer
roland system 100 (modul 104), roland CSQ 600, yamaha cs30

Workshops
The last few exhibitions have appealed to a much larger audience than initially expected. A great deal of the visitors had not had any direct contact with analogue electronic musical instruments before or had been producing music exclusively on computers with software synthesizers.
The many questions regarding functions and operating the machines showed a clear need for workshops for newcomers. Two workshop modules are to open up the world of synthesizers to interested visitors.

Workshop 1
Fundamentals of setup and operation of an analogue synthesizer using the example of the monophonic Moog Prodigy (Our "Learning Synthesizer")

Lecturers: Frank Husemann and Sunny Vollherbst
- Sound generation (Oscillator VCO)
- Sound editing (Filter VCF)
- Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO)
- Musical playground, play guides (Glide, Pitchbend, Modulation)

Workshop 2
Setup and operation of an analogue synthesizer
Conducted by Andreas Schneider with modular systems by Döpfer.
- System components (drum synthesizer, step sequencer and synthesizer)
- System connections (patching, control voltage and synchronization)
- Musical handling of the complete system

The workshops can repeatedly take place alternately during the exhibition period.


The curators:
Sunny Vollherbst works as a sound engineer for the bands Tocotronic, Blumfeld, Kettcar, for the Hamburg live clubs Fabrik, Übel & Gefährlich and Molotow.

Frank Husemann works as the executive sound engineer in the Hamburg live club Übel & Gefährlich and ran the vintage instrument store Subraum in Hamburg for seven years.

Both have been working with analogue synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines since the 80s and are producing electronic music.

In 2007 they launched the synthesizer studio Hamburg where one can record with about 30 analogue synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines, all synchronised by Midi Clock.
www.myspace.com/synthesizerpark

Their new project Q cubic (together with Axel Kochmeier) is an Electro live-act with analogue synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines, without laptop and playbacks.
www.myspace.com/qelectro"