Celebrating the Life of Composer and Synthesizer Pioneer Patrick Gleeson
We received the sad news about about the passing of Patrick Gleeson. With respect to Pat's widow, and in conjunction with the Bob Moog Foundation, we are sharing their Press Release:
Legendary Master Synthesist Patrick Gleeson Dies at 91
On behalf of the estate of Patrick Gleeson, the Bob Moog Foundation shares the passing of the legendary electronic music pioneer. Patrick Gleeson passed away on July 19, 2026; he was 91 years old. Gleeson may be best remembered as the owner of Different Fur Studios, and for his subsequent work with Herbie Hancock. However, his career stretched well beyond those accomplishments, including producing and engineering for a multitude of musicians, recording solo albums, scoring soundtracks, and performing live.
Wendy Carlos once wrote of Patrick, "Our eight-year wait for someone else to explore electroinc music realisation with what we judge to be appropriate technical standards and musical taste has ended. In short, one hears the ears of a gifted musician at work, in a field where one must exercise unprecedented discipline and self-control."
You can read much more about Patrick's significant contributions to the world of synthesis and music HERE."
"As many of you know, at Superbooth 2026 we had the incredible opportunity to meet Dina Pearlman—daughter of Alan R. Pearlman and founder of the ARP Foundation.
We took this special occasion to ask her a few questions about ARP, the foundation, and the legacy of these legendary instruments. Dina is an amazing human being and was so warm and welcoming to us. We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Notes:
Audio note: Please excuse the background noise inside the tent!
Image note: The photo shown at 2:35 is for representative purposes only and does not depict the actual board of the foundation."
"Tested and Working. This was pulled from a working environment. Please look at all pictures before purchasing, only what is included in pictures is included in sale."
Long time reader Adam Abraham wrote in to let me know his little synth kitty PENELOPE has passed away. You might recognize these pics from prior posts, Odyssey Cat and KORG MS20 with KORG 35 Filter & Synth Cat.
According to Adam, she's been a synthhead by his side since day one. These little friends keep us company along our journey. She will be sorely missed.
"ARP 2600P V3 Synthesizer with 3604P Keyboard
Power cable
5 patch cables
Keyboard-to-module cable
Case covers and original manual
Condition:
This unit is previously used and shows normal cosmetic wear consistent with age. It is fully operational, including all oscillators, filters (4012), and modulation sections, and functions as intended."
"Been having a pop at Autumn Part 1 these last few days and this take I recorded (take 111!) has come out slightly 'dystopian' sounding and synthy. Have pushed the filters a bit more. There’s a bit of overdrive in places and some wobbly 'pitchy' stuff happening. But lots going on and lots of things to remember to do. Or not to do. This take here was only the 4th time I’d made it to the end, and the first and only without completely ballsing it up.
Odyssey #3 was briefly back in the fold last week and was ably handling the sub bass part all on it’s own, but it started going wrong again and has been taken back to the repair shop. So to cover that part here, I’m bringing in and out oscillator 2 on Odyssey #6, which is set to a square wave an octave down. I’d say a good 80 of those earlier takes that I mucked up were ruined by me forgetting to do this, or doing it badly, or at completely the wrong time. There’s a 'high jeopardy' patch change happening on Odyssey #1 too which I liked to get wrong, transitioning from a short filtery harmony part at the beginning to a long square wave lead line for the slow bit towards the end.
As before, I got the Midi parts online and processed them in Ableton Live. I combined and reduced them down from the 24 orchestral parts to the 5 here. Fixed up a few dodgy notes. Probably added a few of my own. Then I tempo matched to an orchestral performance of the piece, which is probably the fiddliest and most time consuming bit. There were a few more evenings messing with note lengths and refining the tempos further. So, I’ve been using Korg’s Odyssey plugins up to this point in the process, slouching on the sofa on my laptop, but the next step is to move into my little music room and to practice on the actual ones. Spent a couple more evenings working things out there and then a couple of days trying to film a good run through.
It’s certainly tricky trying to adjust each part as dynamically as I’d like when they’re all coming at me in one big terrifying lump. I’m not mixing or even EQ’ing afterwards so I’m battling to keep a good audible balance between the synths as I go. If I get too involved or too “two-handy” on a synth for too long, I’m neglecting the other four and I’ve missed 5 other things I wanted to do. So I’m relying quite a lot on the Decay slider in the envelope section, as it seems to offer a one-stop dynamic shop that I can adjust on two synths at the same time. I’ve modded all of the Odysseys to have a free-running LFOs also, so I can introduce a slow LFO to the filters to keep them shifting about on their own whilst I adjust something else elsewhere.
I have started re-recording these pieces 'properly', one Odyssey at a time, with view to putting them up somewhere for streaming or perhaps even pressing them onto vinyl. Would sound good on record I reckon. You reckon? And I have a whole shelf full of peculiar synthesizer albums from the 60’s and 70’s that it would be an honour to mingle with.
But hey, thank you so much, everyone who showed up and watched the last video. For all the views and subscriptions and above all, the kind and encouraging comments. That was nuts. I didn’t know you lot were coming! Absoutely amazing and thank you sincerely again.
Oh, to wrap up, here the Odysseys are going balanced out into a Behringer ADA-8200 Interface, which is optically connected into the Adat In of my UAD Apollo. They get their 5 channels of Midi note on, note off information down USB from Ableton Live which is in turn recording the audio coming back. I added some Hall Reverb from Arturia’s LX-24 but nothing has been EQ’d. It’s all how it comes out of the lovely boxes. I did however have a Limiter on the main channel, to put a bit of a lid on some of the more feisty bits.
"Minimal ambient music created with the RHODES MKII, Prophet-10, and ARP ODYSSEY.
On the RHODES MKII, a Nano Clone is connected to the ACCESSORY jack for chorus. The output of the RHODES amp is then connected to the TIMELINE for delay.
The Prophet-10 performs a synth pad. Its output is treated with reverb on the MOOD MKII and further processed with a blueSky reverb.
The ODYSSEY outputs two signals for recording, one from the BASS DRIVER DI and the other treated with delay and reverb on the LOST+FOUND.
"I have been offering a synthesizer repair service since December 2025. While I had previously only occasionally breathed new life into the odd instrument, the closure of Radikal Technologies GmbH sparked a desire to find a way to continue pursuing my passion for synthesizers. When you have been personally involved in synthesizer development, the repair process constantly triggers moments of déjà vu alongside new insights. That exciting moment when an instrument is finished and invites you to play it again makes up for the days of work often poured into it.
This ARP 2600 had a variety of issues. The keyboard was in poor condition—with some broken contact springs—the voltage processor wasn't working, the oscillator scaling was terrible, all the faders were scratchy, and tuning the oscillators was an ordeal.
But time and love heal all wounds. Doesn't it sound great? The ARP 2600 is an absolute classic, and its sound possesses plenty of character, warmth, and precision.
https://www.synthesizer_service.de"
Jörg Schaaf was also the man behind Quasimidi and now Radikal Technologies.
Pretty hectic, this last chapter from Summer! Lots of 16th notes rattling along at the same time. Took a bit of programming to whittle it all down to these 5 monophonic parts. Then I slowed the tempo quite a lot compared to most of the recorded versions I've listened to.
Pretty chuffed with how it turned out though. I added a bit of Reverb from Arturia's LX-24 but other than that there was no EQ or processing.
Odyssey #3 should be home from the repair shop before too long so I can finally retire that colour photocopy ..."
"The ARP Instruments 2600 is a highly revered analogue synthesiser, renowned for its incredible flexibility and rich sonic palette. First introduced in the 1970s, this semi-modular synthesiser became an instant classic, revered by musicians and producers for its distinctive sound and intuitive design. The 2600 features three versatile oscillators, each capable of producing a wide range of waveforms, from warm, deep basses to piercing leads and complex textures. Its unique filter section, with a resonant low-pass filter, imparts a characteristic tone that has become synonymous with the ARP brand. Additionally, the synthesiser includes an envelope generator, an LFO, and a noise generator, providing users with a comprehensive toolkit for sound design.
What sets the ARP 2600 apart is its semi-modular architecture, which does not require patch cables for basic operation, yet offers extensive patching options for advanced users. This design allows for easy exploration for beginners while satisfying the creative demands of experienced synthesists. The synthesiser also features a built-in spring reverb unit and a pair of stereo speakers, adding to its versatility. Its rugged, roadworthy construction, combined with its distinctive 3-octave keyboard with aftertouch, makes the 2600 a reliable and expressive instrument for live performance. The ARP 2600 is not just a synthesiser; it's a piece of musical history, offering a unique blend of vintage sound and timeless functionality, making it a coveted piece for collectors and a valuable tool for modern musicians.
Includes three power supply cables, a collection of patch cables, lids for both cases, and printed patch manual. This unit is 110 volt, and requires a stepdown transformer for operation in Australia."
"The core of this piece is how the gong interacts with feedback from the VCS3 that I generate by overdriving the synth’s reverb module. If you’re a synth fan, the synth action in the first part of the piece is minimal but gets more involved in the second half."
"In this short video series, our Education Associate Mike Kiker will be exploring the ARP Odyssey and the collectible 'Instant Odyssey' preset overlay set. Created by David Frederick, former vice president of ARP, as a means of selling the instrument and giving the player some familiar sounds to get started and learn to program the synth along the way.
This is the final episode in this series and we want to thank the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation for their support and for collaborating with this on these videos.
In this final episode, we're demoing what they refer to as the 'Classic Patch'."
