Oberheim - 50 Years Of Synth Design | Podcast

video upload by Sound On Sound magazine

"In an impromptu chat, Tom Oberheim tells Sam Inglis about his early years as an engineer and his accidental route into creating electronic musical instruments. As he celebrates his 50th year since the launch of the SEM, Tom talks about the rise of digital, the resurgence of analogue and the launch of the new TEO-5.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:26 - An Accidental Engineer
02:46 - Building For Musicians
06:34 - Becoming a Distributor For The ARP 2600
11:05 - Designing The SEM
12:43 - The Filter Design
15:03 - The OB-1 And Patch Memories
16:36 - OB-X - Polyphony And Programmable Presets
19:35 - The Oberheim Sound
22:37 - The Digital Takeover
24:40 - The Resurgence Of Analogue
28:01 - Launching The OB-X8 With Focusrite
29:23 - The Oberheim TEO-5
30:37 - Utilising New Technology

First published 25th June 2024

https://www.soundonsound.com/people/o...

Oberheim Biog
Oberheim is the 21st century return of the legendary company that helped fuel the original electronic music revolution in the 1970s. Now, just as then, Oberheim is guided by the vision of engineer and inventor, Tom Oberheim. Tom’s genius for innovation introduced the world to the first commercially available poly synth and other groundbreaking electronic instruments that literally changed the sound of music.

Today, Oberheim reawakens this extraordinary legacy by bringing the famed Oberheim sound to a new generation of instruments and artists. The company’s passion remains unchanged by time or technology — to once again provide the world with the finest-sounding analog synthesizers ever made.

https://oberheim.com/

Sam Inglis Biog
Editor In Chief Sam Inglis has been with Sound On Sound for more than 20 years. He is a recording engineer, producer, songwriter and folk musician who studies the traditional songs of England and Scotland, and the author of Neil Young's Harvest (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Teach Yourself Songwriting (Hodder, 2006).

About The SOS Electronic Music Podcast Channel
On this channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians and talk about retro and current gear."

Making Nuclear Music with Hainbach

video upload by Anthony Marinelli Music

"Join me for a rare opportunity to step into the incredible world of Hainbach at his studio in Berlin—filled with vintage nuclear test equipment he’s brilliantly turned into musical instruments… and plenty of other wild synthesizers!

Hainbach is known for making haunting, immersive soundscapes using everything from lab gear to tape loops to modular synths. His music feels like it's from another dimension—organic, rich, hypnotic and totally captivating. In this video, I explore his unique setup and we dive into a completely new palette of sounds together. It was inspiring to see how he breathes life into machines that were never meant to make music… and to try my hand at making "nuclear music" myself.

If you're into experimental sound design, synths, or just curious how scientific gear from the Cold War can become part of modern composition—this is something you’ve got to see (and hear)."

https://anthonymarinellimusic.com

the making of “sounds like home” a collaboration with bentgablenits

video upload by teenage engineering

"meet the trio behind bentgablenits: brenda bent, karen gable, and angelo nitsopoulos and see how the project came together.

read the full story here: https://teenage.engineering/now#bentg..."

Daniela Pes | The Voice of Gallura with the Freaks

video upload by Arturia

"Join us in Sardinia with Daniela Pes as she reveals her creative process, live setup and sources of inspiration. We also got to experience a live performance using the MiniFreak Vocoder alongside MicroFreak, where vocal transformation seamlessly blends with deep, evolving textures. Daniela has a unique artistic voice that interweaves local tradition, sound and intuition in real time.

We gratefully acknowledge Tanca Records / tancarecords and Trovarobato / trovarobato for their generous support.

We also thank LandWorks / landworks.official and Miniera Argentiera"

Mark Isham's Favorite Synths

What's my favorite synthesizer??? Oh boy... That's a tough one...
video upload by Mark Isham

About Mark via Wikipedia:

"Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a prolific and acclaimed composer of film scores,[1][2] and has scored over 200 film and television productions since his debut in 1983.

Isham is a nine-time Grammy Award nominee, winning Best New Age Album for his 1990 self-titled album. He was nominated for an Academy Award for A River Runs Through It (1992), and a Golden Globe Award for Nell (1994). He has also been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for EZ Streets."

https://isham.com

Instruō - Sound Design with Seashell (with Jason H. J. Lim)

video upload by Instruō

"We launched the Instruō Seashell this year at Superbooth.

This video is a behind the scenes look at a sound design session during which I scored one of the pre-release teaser trailers.

The video footage was shot and edited by Mathew. I used the Seashell as the exclusive sound source and scored the trailer.

No post processing or effects were used other than compression/dynamics.

This was my first experience using the Seashell to this extent within a production context. I was effectively late stage beta testing a prerelease build of both the firmware and plugin. I couldn't be happier with the features the Seashell's integration allows. This is a workflow I've wanted for a long time with this level of flexibility. The portability and form factor we've also achieved with Seashell is something I'm incredibly proud of.

My co-developers at Instruō are a true powerhouse of creativity.
I hope you enjoy the Seashell as much as I have been :)
~Jason"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Pro Synth Network LIVE! - Episode 269, with Special Guest, Dina Pearlman-Ifil

video upload by Pro Synth Network

You can find the autographed ARP Odyssey Signed by Herbie Hancock mentioned in the video on synthCube here.

"Music Technology Discussion with Rob Puricelli, Kent Spong, Andrew Longhurst & our very special guest, Dina Pearlman-Ifil!

We welcome back Dina to the show to talk about the events planned to celebrate what would have been Alan R Pearlman's 100th birthday!

We appreciate your help! All donations via Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks go directly toward covering the cost of running the channel and making the show run smoothly.

Buy Pro Synth Network Merchandise at https://pro-synth-network-shop.fourth...

---------------------------

Dina Pearlman:
https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/
https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/d...
@AlanRPearlmanFoundation

Bootsy Collins’ Home Studio is a Funk Wonderland

video upload by Reverb

"Bootsy Collins has one of the most distinct bass sounds in all of recorded music and his home studio, the Boot Cave, is where Bootsy workshops his tones and records his records. Whether its the piles of effects pedals, Bernie Worrell's legendary synth setup, or the hordes of priceless memorabilia; Bootsy's Boot Cave is a treasure trove of unbelievably cool gear.

Check out more at https://bit.ly/43di8vS."

Synth spotting comes in at 10:17.

The following drum machines, synths, and a Hammond B3 are featured from 21:25:

KORG Rhythm 55
Kawai R-50
Yamaha RY30
Maestro Rhythm King MRK-2
Moog Minimoog
ARP Pro Soloist
ARP String Ensemble
Hammond B3
Yamaha DJX
Yamaha DX100

How Elektron design Instruments: Product Designer Interview

video upload by mylarmelodies

"I got a chance to sit down with Jean-Michel Pepin - a product designer at Elektron who worked on Syntakt, Digitakt II, Digitone II, Analog Heat+FX, Overbridge and much more - about how Elektron design & update products, his work there, and lessons learned.

This was recorded at the London Synth & Pedal Expo 2025!"

Frap Tools Magnolia, 8-voice analog thru-zero FM polyphonic synthesizer | Project update

video upload by Frap Tools

Click CC at the bottom of the player for subtitles.

"Magnolia will be an 8-voice analog through-zero FM synthesizer, which we built to create sounds from the modular world through a classic keyboard interface.

Waveshapers, wavefolders, and, most importantly, analog linear through-zero FM unlock every sound associated with the 'West Coast' synthesis world. But that's not all! Fat resonant filters and powerful analog oscillators allow more traditional subtractive synthesis sounds as well.

A vast and flexible modulation section encourages complex patches with the twist of a knob, but it is always easy to keep track of what's going on thanks to LEDs on every source and destination. An arpeggiator and a sequencer complement the machine.

We are announcing and showcasing two pre-production units. We aim to release the final version at the end of summer, and it will show some differences. It may have a more refined interface, it will feature digital effects, and some of the features currently under evaluation may disappear.

We've been working on it for the last year, and we're eager to show it to the world!"

Follow-up to this post where you'll find additonal pics.

Update: press release follows:

Frap Tools to take on high-end keyboard synthesizer market with ‘West Coast’ MAGNOLIA making its public debut at SUPERBOOTH25

MEDOLLA, ITALY: Frap Tools, hitherto known as a manufacturer of Eurorack modules and accessories alongside professional audio compressors in the 500-Series format, is proud to venture into the world of high-end keyboard synthesizers with its introduction of MAGNOLIA — announced as an 8-VOICE ANALOG THRU-ZERO FM SYNTHESIZER built to unlock every sound associated with ‘West Coast’ modular synthesis through a classic keyboard interface — anchored around showcasing two pre-production units at SUPERBOOTH25, May 8-10, FEZ-Berlin, Germany…

As an 8-VOICE ANALOG THRU-ZERO FM SYNTHESIZER, MAGNOLIA unlocks every sound associated with the so-called ‘West Coast’ modular synthesis world with waveshapers, wavefolders, and, most importantly, analog linear TZFM (Through-Zero Frequency Modulation) Indeed, its intentions are made clear from the outset by the on point wording worked tastefully into its (initial) top panel design. No need to necessarily remain there, though, for fat resonant filters and powerful analogue oscillators also allow for more traditional subtractive synthesis sounds. And although a deep and flexible modulation section encourages complex patches with the push of a button and twist of a knob, switching modulations on and off with the TOGGLE function, it is always easy to keep track of what is going on thanks to the inclusion of LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) on every source and destination.

Digging deeper, MAGNOLIA features eight analogue voices with two oscillators — carrier and modulator — and 24 dB/oct resonant HIGH-PASS and LOW-PASS filters; the carrier oscillator has a through-zero core for precise, sideband-rich analogue FM (Frequency Modulation) sounds, so crystal-like pads to growling basses are available to all with the greatest of ease, while FM can be applied to the filters. Furthermore, sculpting sounds that have not been heard before on analogue polysynths are now perfectly possible, thanks to MAGNOLIA’s unique signal flow — think continuously variable waveform shapes and a wavefolder circuit per voice!

Those two oscillators are derived from Frap Tools’ BRENSO (https://frap.tools/products/brenso/), a Euroack module readily representing its creator’s primary analogue source of articulated waveforms whose degree of entanglement can be precisely set by the musician. MAGNOLIA’s Oscillator 1 is the ‘West Coast’ one with TZFM, wavefolder, and FLIP SYNC, while Oscillator 2 is the ‘East Coast’ one, with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and fine-tune. Whether wanting experimental FM sounds or punchy synth brass, they are always at anyone’s service. Speaking of Frap Tools’ unique modular soul, MAGNOLIA’s filter section is derived from CUNSA (https://frap.tools/products/cunsa/) — itself a quadruple analogue ping-able multimode resonant filter, saturator, mixer, and oscillator, no less!

Musically, MAGNOLIA sports a keyboard from fellow Italians FATAR, with polyphonic aftertouch capabilities for enhanced expressiveness, while a per-part ARPEGGIATOR and per-part 16-step SEQ (sequencer) serve to creatively complement the synthesizer still further. Features briefly worth drawing attention to here by way of ending on some more high notes include MAGNOLIA’s bi-timbral programs (with SINGLE, MORPH, DUAL, and SPLIT MODES); all-analogue signal path; three loop-able DAHDSR (DELAY, ATTACK, HOLD, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE) envelopes; three digital LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators); and 512 preset memory slots.

Anyone attending SUPERBOOTH25, May 8-10, FEZ-Berlin, Germany can get up close and personal with two MAGNOLIA pre-production units by swinging by Booth B049 there. Their creators will be showcasing them personally, eager to show the results of their hard work, while providing a passionate warm welcome. Frap Tools aim to release MAGNOLIA as a production product by the end of summer, albeit with some differences evident by then. The interface will likely be more refined, featuring digital effects, while some features currently under evaluation could conceivably be removed."

Dina Pearlman-Ifil, the ARP Foundation and life in synths and music

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We are pleased to present an in-depth conversation with Dina Pearlman-Ifil, executive director of the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation. We talk about the foundation, its mission to preserve the legacy of Alan R. Pearlman and make his instruments available to new generations of musicians, and the exciting events surrounding Pearlman's centennial this year. We also delve in Alan R. Pearlman's early interests in music technology, the musical questions that inspired the first ARP instruments, and Dina's own journey in music and creativity.

To find out more about the Alan R. Pearlman foundation, including their newsletter, upcoming events, and how to contribute, please visit their website:

https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/

00:00 Introduction
00:34 About the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation
06:40 Events planned for Alan R. Pearlman's centennial
13:24 How to learn more about the foundation and subscribe to the newsletter
14:27 Alan R. Pearlman's early and formative years with music and electronics
20:47 Op Amps and Analog Computing
25:04 Exploring electronic music and possibilities
29:55 The ARP 2500, and the "ARP" approach to musical instruments
39:18 Dina Pearlman-Ifil's journey through music, art, and technology
48:26 Conclusion

Some other individuals and organizations to check out from the discussion:
https://emeapp.org/
http://www.philbrickarchive.org/
https://www.discretesynthesizers.com/

________
Please consider supporting this channel to help us bring you more synthesizer tutorials and other cultural content.
Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Paul Haslinger | Electronic storytelling with V Collection 11

video upload by Arturia

"Paul Haslinger (‪@paulhaslinger‬) is an Austrian-born composer, producer, and former Tangerine Dream member whose scoring and composition work now underpins a range of hit film, TV and video game titles. From hauling classic analog gear while touring to hybrid-studio efficiency, his career spans the full arc of modern music technology.

We joined Paul in Los Angeles to learn more about his creative philosophy and find out how V Collection 11 fuels his production process."

The Master of Synthesizer Design : Axel Hartmann : From Inspiration to Iconic !

"Apr 11, 2025

The Master of Synthesizer Design : Axel Hartmann : From Inspiration to Iconic !

Hosted by Vin Curigliano of AAVIM Technology, I am joined by guest co-host Pete Brown of Microsoft, and special guest Axel Hartmann who has been the go to designer for some of the most iconic synthesizers of the last 35 years, and continues to be one of the leading designers in the field. Chances are, you have seen or played one of his designs.

We discuss Axel's history in music and technology, what lead him to follow the path to Industrial Design, and what motivated and inspired him to focus his attention and creativity, primarily in the area of musical instruments.

Starting with his early career at Waldorf that was initially in graphic design but expanded into the area of industrial design and the eventual design and development of the iconic Waldorf Wave synthesizer, as well as many other well-known and much-loved synthesizer designs for numerous other manufacturers.

We then cover a large number of his better-known designs, and get first-hand insights and behind the scenes details of what is actually involved in bringing these instruments to market.

Throughout, we dive into Axel's design philosophy and how he works in collaboration with the clients to bring the designs to life and to market. We navigate the highs, lows, hits, and misses over his career, and much, much more, with some great stories and laughs along the way."

Only 400 to 500 Hartmann Neurons built.

This one was sent my way via Soviet Space Child

Tech Talk: Vitalic (Electronic Beats TV)

video upload by Telekom Electronic Beats TV

"Electronic Beats returns with another Tech Talk, this time we took a trip to Paris to visit the studio of Pascal Arbez aka Vitalic / Dima. Pascal initially began his career on French Techno label Choice under his Dima alias, releasing a series of original works as well as remixing the likes of Daft Punk, Björk, Royksopp and Paul Kalkbrenner, a striking sign of his ability to craft greatness in the studio.

He went on to then launch his alter-ego Vitalic and released numerous albums and EP’s for Different/[PIAS] Recordings as well as material for Jennifer Cardini’s Correspondant, his ‘Poney’ EP on DJ Hell’s Gigolo Records and of course his own Citizen Records imprint.

Vitalic also forms the duo KOMPROMAT with Rebeka Warrior (ex Sexy Sushi), is currently celebrating twenty years of his career and the release of his fifth album DISSIDÆNCE. We took a trip to find out what keeps this powerhouse producer stirring after decades in the game and discover all of the machines and technologies that were used to create his impressive and extensive back catalogue and his new album 'Dissidaence'."

Live Setup & Gear Talk with Sarah Sommers (Electronic Beats TV)

video upload by Telekom Electronic Beats TV

"Join us for this Electronic Beats TV video as we dive into the world of Sarah Sommers, a Melbourne-born, now Berlin-based live hardware electronic music producer and performer! In this exclusive studio visit, Sarah talks about her unique live setup, her customized gear, and, of course, her signature pink aesthetic. If you're a fan of banging techno with depth and layers, this video is worth watching till the end! Explore Sarah's creative process and discover her multifaceted sound."

Custom pink synths. Pineaple knobs.

New Instruments Walk-Thru and Jam Live Stream w/ Cre8audio Boom Chick & Assembler

video upload by Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers

"With Richard Nicol"

See the announcement posts here:

Cre8audio Introduces Boom Chick Analog Drum Machine

Cre8audio Introduces Assembler Vintage Inspired Analog Mixer

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

Was ein Synthesizer alles kann. Sound aus der Steckdose. Swiss TV SRF 1982

video upload by SRF Archiv

Don't miss Starter - Lunapark/Minijupe with Claudine Chirac.

"Wer elektronische Musik liebt, kommt um den Synthesizer nicht herum. Was ein Synthesizer alles kann und wie elektronische Musik tönt, zeigen die Musiker und Musikerinnen von «Schaltkreis Wassermann» und «Starter». [«Jugendprogramm - Sound aus der Steckdose» vom 11. September 1982]

Der offizielle Archivkanal von Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF: Macht eine Zeitreise und entdeckt Archivperlen aus über einem halben Jahrhundert!"

Googlish:

"Anyone who loves electronic music can't avoid the synthesizer. The musicians of "Schaltkreis Wassermann" and "Starter" demonstrate what a synthesizer can do and what electronic music sounds like. ["Youth Program - Sound from the Socket" from September 11, 1982]

The official archive channel of Swiss Radio and Television SRF: Take a journey through time and discover archival gems from over half a century"

The past, present & future of AJH Synth // Celebrating 10 years of the MiniMod Eurorack range

video upload by DivKid

"I recently learnt that AJH Synth were celebrating 10 years since the release of their first modules with the MiniMod Eurorack range. Back then I was immediately taken by the quality of sound, vintage tone and open modular architecture capable of taking things way beyond the classic Moog MiniMoog Model D sound. I've got to know Allan over this past decade and we've worked together loads on modules that utterly nail that lush vintage analogue sound and also modern forward thinking new ideas ... so I jumped at the idea of making a celebration video!"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Wendy Carlos: Electronic Music's Transformative Pioneer

video upload by Resident Advisor

"'The word "pioneer' gets thrown around too liberally these days. But in the case of Wendy Carlos, the glove fits. The face of electronic music would look immeasurably different in 2025 without the American trans composer's groundbreaking achievements. Before she came along, electronic music was barely considered music at all—just "funny sounds," as Bob Moog once said.

That all changed in 1968. Produced in collaboration with Rachel Elkind, Carlos's debut album, Switched-On Bach wielded machines to produce sounds that could compete with the symphonic pop and rock of the era. The landmark LP won multiple GRAMMYs, played a key role in popularising the use of synths and became only the second classical music record to sell a million copies.

In our latest video essay, written by Sasha Geffen, we trace Carlos's story from her early experiments with Moog through to her impact on key electronic acts of the past 50 years, including Brian Eno, DJ Sprinkles and Octo Octa.

00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Switched-on Bach
01:57 - Carlos and Bob Moog
03:07 Contribution to synth development
04:36 - A Clockwork Orange Score & The Vocoder
07:20 - Personal Life
08:20 - Musical Development

Producer - Sophie Misrahi
Writer - Sasha Geffen
Editors - Sergey Poltorakov, Guy Clarke
Motion Graphics - Sergey Poltorakov, Dan Derham

Music in order of appearance:

 1.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Toccata Fugue In D Minor - Switched-On Bach 2000
 2.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Air On A G String - Switched-On Bach
 3.⁠ ⁠Delia Derbyshire - Quest - Electrosonic
 4.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Moog 900 series Demonstration
 5.⁠ ⁠The RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer - The Well-Tempered Clavier Fugue No. 2
 6.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Prelude And Fugue #2 In C Minor - Switched-On Bach
 7.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (From Purcell's Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary - A Clockwork Orange Complete Original Score
 8.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Country Lane - A Clockwork Orange Complete Original Score
 9.⁠ ⁠Cybotron - Clear
10.⁠ ⁠Wendy Carlos - Genesis - Digital Moonscapes

CLICK FOR MORE »

ALPHALAB AUDIO: 🎛️ EMS AKS SYNTHI (1975) - Restauro completo 🎛️

video upload by SOUNDMIT

"Nel nostro laboratorio Alphalab Audio di Torino, specializzato nella riparazione e restauro di strumenti musicali elettronici, abbiamo avuto il piacere di lavorare su un EMS SYNTI AKS che proprio in questi mesi ha compiuto 50 anni!

Lo strumento presentava diverse modifiche eseguite nel tempo e non perfettamente funzionanti, il proprietario ci ha quindi commissionato un ripristino totale della macchina.

E' stata rivista la matrice, sono stati cambiati i pot con gli originali multi-giro, sono stati sostituiti alcuni componenti non più performanti ed è stata eseguita la taratura completa.

Anche la tastiera è stata restaurata e tarata.

Se hai un synth o uno strumento musicale elettronico da restaurare, affidati ai nostri tecnici!"

Googlish:

"In our Alphalab Audio laboratory in Turin, specialized in the repair and restoration of electronic musical instruments, we had the pleasure of working on an EMS SYNTI AKS that just recently turned 50!

The instrument had several modifications made over time and not working perfectly, so the owner commissioned us to completely restore the machine.

The matrix was revised, the pots were changed with the original multi-turn ones, some components that were no longer performing were replaced and the complete calibration was performed.

The keyboard was also restored and calibrated.

If you have a synth or an electronic musical instrument to restore, trust our technicians!"