MOTM / Synthesis Technology's Paul Schreiber Has Passed Away

Paul Schreiber at CONTROL in 2018


It has come to my attention that Paul Schreiber has passed away.

Pictured: Paul Schreiber at the 2006 NAMM show. Top from this previous post (pic by fr1zz), and bottom from this post (pic by Synthtopia) - this is the first image of Paul on the site. There is one comment in that post: "He's a good guy." Indeed.

Readers of the site should be familiar with his work. He was the man behind MOTM and Synthesis Technology.

To say Paul was one of the greats to influence the synth community would be an understatement. He was pivital to the rebirth of modular synthesizers. He started when modular as we know it today was in its infancy, as one of a very small group of large format DIY modular manufacturers along with Blacet, Modcan, Cynthia, Wiard, Oakley, STG, Catgirl/CGS, Tellun/Lower West Side Studio YuSynth, Jurgen Haible, and of course DIY staples like Thomas Henry/ MFOS, Ray Wilson and PAiA (see this post for some modular formats back in 2007). I focused mainly on those offering DIY. There were other manufacturers including Synthesizers.com, Club of the Knobs, MOS-LAB, Moon Modular, MacBeth, CMS, and more. Feel free to mention others in the comments. This post is about Paul, but I think it's important to reflect on some of the large format modular manufactures he was amongst at the time.

Paul created the MOTM format of 5U modules in 1998. MOTM stood for Module of the Month offering monthly DIY kits. From Wikipedia: "MOTM was created by Paul Schreiber in 1998. The system was created in part due to the renewed interest in large-format analog modular systems that occurred in the late 1990s. Between 1998 and 2021, over 8000 modules were sold. The company, Synthesis Technology, also offered a limited number of modules in Eurorack[2] and Frac[3] format."

He was also helped design the Moog/Realistic MG-1. From Wikipedia: "In 1980, Moog Music was seeking to contract manufacture a mass-marketable synthesizer which could be sold via a large retailer. Moog representatives secured an appointment at the Radio Shack corporate offices for a 5-minute demonstration. Radio Shack approved the concept, and Paul Schreiber (then employed by Tandy Systems Development) worked together with Moog on the synthesizer's design to achieve Radio Shack's price requirements.[2][3]"

He later joined the eurorack scene with Synthesis Technology branded modules. FYI, his site for MOTM was always http://www.synthtech.com/, short for Synthesis Technology. The first post to mention Paul and MOTM was posted just under twenty years ago here on MATRIXSYNTH back on August 26, 2005. If you click through you will see it was a post announcing the MOTM/synthtech.com site was going down for the weekend. He announced he was retiring from the synthesizer business in August of 2023.

I beleive the first synthtech eurorack module was the MOTM E340 Cloud Generator. The first demos were posted on July 14, 2009, followed by a mockup of the front panel on July 20. The first post to mention Synthesis Technology was an Epic Son track by John L Rice in August of 2011. Since then there has been approximately 845 posts to feature MOTM, and at least 398 Synthtech.

You can find a number of interviews with Paul in previous posts here.

It's worth repeating, Paul Schreiber was one of the key figures that brought modular back to the masses. He was both respected and loved by the synth community. It's impossible to overstate his influence. He will be missed.

The following are the first the last video interviews with Paul to be featured on the site:

The SynthSummitShow Episode 2: Paul Schreiber (Synthesis Technology) and A.Dapt (music producer) ...

Streamed live on Oct 2, 2015 Flux302 of Fluxwithit.com. Details previously posted here.

SysEx Dumpster - Episode 44 - a conversation with Paul Schreiber
video upload by Sysex Dumpster on Jul 30, 2023. Details previously posted here.

The first videos to feature Paul presenting a module was back on January 3, 2010, and the first interview on SoundCloud in 2013, and he was of course featured in the modular documentary film I Dream of Wires.

Abandoned Prairie Town

video upload by davidryle

"A Vector Sequencer project running the large format modular.
The slow pace was the experiment basis and the Vector Sequencer really handles that perfectly. I also added the Jack Expander module to the Vector so I had four sequence lines this time to send to the modular.
The drone bass is a Mos-Lab clone of the Moog 901. No need for a sequencer there as it is a single pitch.
The opening sound is the pair of Matrix modules. This sound effect is heard again at the closing passage.
The opening slow pad note sequence is the STG vco's and G294A filter through a Strymon Blue Sky pedal.
The swell pattern is two Q206's to the Q150 filter. The stereo signal is routed through a Lexicon MX200 for pitch shift and chorus.
The distant ghostly piano sounding sequence is two lines from the Vector to a pair of TZ vco's and the Yusynth Arp 4072 filter. The final effect chain is the Stasis Leak delay module and the Z-DSP signal processor.
The flutter sounding noise is the Dove WTF to a Tau Pipe phaser and an Oakly SVF in high pass mode.
The wind effects were the West Coast Noise Source to the MOTM 440 filter and the Q110 noise module to the Dove D502 filter in band pass mode."

Busy Bezaleel

video upload by davidryle

"5U modular synthesizer song. Using the LinnStrument 128 and synthesizers.com Q174 MIDI Interface to play into the modular. The main voice was a pair of Synthetic Sound Labs TZ-VC Oscillators and a Yusynth ARP 4072 Filter. Bass line was the Q960 step sequencer to DOve D100 and D110 VCO's on to the Drove G294A filter. A kick drum is from the SSL Woven Spirits.The FX fluttering sound is the Dove D900 sequencer to a pair of STG Oscillators. The noise chuff sounds are the WCRS module into a MOTM 440 filter and delay.

The mid-section is the LinnStrument in arpeggiator mode for the bass line (a pair of Q106's through the Q107 filter) and for the upper arpeggiation (the TZ-VC osc pair through an Oakley SVF. The offbeat sequence is the Dove D900 through the STG oscillators and the Dove D502 filter. The pad sound is generated by the STG Voltage Mini Store to a pair of Q206 vco's and the Q150 filter to a Canyon Delay pedal."

JLR's Stand-in Test

video upload by John L Rice

"Because I'm stubborn and silly, I made a 'stand-in' to try to get better focus when recording video of myself. It's silly because I have decent auto-focus lenses and my cameras have good face tracking BUT my most expensive lenses are manual only cinema lenses that aren't well suited for doing solo operator work in front of the camera, but because I think they are cool and I invested a lot of money in them I insist on using them, even when it's not practical! 🙄😆

The music here is from beta test I did last year for a new Synthesis Technology E430 VCF that is now in production. "

Test Patch Noodle After MOTM Modular System Change

video upload by John L Rice

"This Synthesis Technology MOTM format modular synth now consists of the following modules:

MOTM-300 VCO (x4)
MOTM-440 VCF (x2)
MOTM-800 EG (x4)
MOTM-190 Dual VCA (x2)
MOTM-320 LFO
MOTM-380 LFO
MOTM-650 MIDI to CV

(Note: some modules are custom combined into one to fit more capability into the system)"

An A.I. Adventure

video upload by John L Rice

"Trying my hand at using AI generated image/video clips for fun.

Index:
0:00 Beginning
0:20 Desktop Synthesizers
0:39 Interstellar Synthesists
1:27 Keyboard Synthesizers
2:07 Desert Synthesists
3:00 Wizard Synthesists
4:10 Synthesized JLR
5:32 End

Music Equipment Used:
Synthesis Technology MOTM Modular
Moon Modular sequencer
Mellotron M4000D
Yamaha FS1R
Strymon BigSky and Timeline
Lexicon MX400
Acoustic Percussion: Mark Tree and Orchestral Chimes

As always, thank you for watching! 🥳 If you found the content of this video helpful, interesting, or entertaining, please consider showing your support so I can stay stocked up on coffee and cookies. 😋 https://buymeacoffee.com/johnlrice"

East-Coast Modular Eastern Osmosis

video upload by John L Rice

"Something just for fun. All first takes and some minimal editing.

Solo Synth:
Expressive E Osmose

Modular Synth Sequence:
Moon Modular - 569 sequencer, 591 switcher, 517 VCFs
Synth Tech - MOTM-300 VCOs
Oakley - Dual VCAs
Krisp1 - Octo LFO
Club Of the Knobs - C911p poly EG

Modular Synth Drone:
Modcan - 58B VCDO, 66B Control
Club Of the Knobs - C998B Spectral Modulator, C1660 VC Phase Processor
Marienberg Devices - Sine Phase VCO
Synthetic Sound Labs - 1250 Quad LFO
Oakley - Flanger/Chorus

Effects and Mixing For The Modular:
Strymon - BigSky and Timeline pedals
Lexicon - MX400 rack
Allen & Heath - MW3 20s mixer

Hand Percussion:
Generic - small Tabla, small doumbek, goat hooves
Zildjian - finger cymbals
PANArt - Hang Gede

Thank you for watching, rating, and commenting! :-) If you'd like to "tip your server" I would be most grateful and you can do so at the link below:
https://buymeacoffee.com/johnlrice"

Eurorack Modular - July 25 2024

video upload by John L Rice

"It’s been a month since I’ve posted any new modular synth experiments so here’s one to get me back in the saddle! 🤓

Synth Tech: E102 Quad Temporal Shifter and four E330 Multimode VCO
Modcan: Quad LFO
Happy Nerding: 3x MIA
ADDAC: VC Rotator
VPME: T43 Precision Adder
Instruo: Quad Performance Quantizer
Klavis: Quadigy EG
Xaoc Devices: Praga VCA/mixer
Strymon: Magneto delay/reverb
Erica Synths: Black VC Clock v2
2hp: Delay
Doepfer: A-182-1 Switched Multiple (modified)
Circuit Abbey: Unify mixer"

Dreamy Chords with MeloDICER, MOTM Modular, and BigSky

video upload by John L Rice

"Quick test of a three voice Eurorack + 5U patch I’ve been meaning to try:

Vermona - meloDICER and MEX3
Synth Tech - MOTM modules 190, 300, 650, and 800
Strymon - BigSky
Lexicon - MX400
Allen & Heath - MixWizard"

Remembering Gert Jalass

video upload by John L Rice

"The sad news of Gert's passing put me out of sorts and I ended up looking through old pictures and decided to make a very short and quick remembrance video out of them. Rest in peace Gert, and condolences to all of his friends and family. Feel free to share comments and stories relating to Gert in the comments section below if you like.

The simple sequence is a Moon Modular 569 Quad Sequential Voltage Source running two identical voices each consisting of a MOTM-300 VCO, 1/4 of a MOTM-380 quad LFO, 1/2 of a Moon 517 VCF, 1/2 of a Oakley dual VCA and 1/5 of a Club Of The Knobs poly EG. Also used: Expressive-E Osmose keyboard, Mellotron M4000D Rack, Roland A-88 controller, Strymon BigSky and Timeline pedals, Lexicon MX400 rack."

A Quick Wiggle With The Wave Warper

video upload by John L Rice

"Mostly Synthesis Technology modules: 510 Wave Warper, four 300 VCOs, 320 LFO, 440 VCF, and a Moon 569 sequencer."

Poly MOTM Synth Noodles With A Side Of Oscilloscope

video upload by John L Rice

"Another test after modifications.

Only Synth Tech modules used:
MOTM-650 MIDI to CV
MOTM-300 VCO x 4
MOTM-800 EG x 4 (in only two spaces)
MOTM-190 Dual VCA x 2

Actually I used a custom multiples and two Moon 526 mixers for the oscilloscope feed.

#modularsynth #5umodular #electronicmusic"

Just Some Nice Chords

video upload by John L Rice

"MOTM modular, Mellotron M4000D, Yamaha FS1R, Expressive E Osmose, Strymon and Lexicon effects."

Some Simple Seasonal Synthesis

video upload by John L Rice

"Modules used:
Synth Tech : two MOTM-300 VCOs and MOTM-650 MIDI to CV
Moon Modular: 502D VCA/ Ring Modulator
Club Of The Knobs: C911P Poly EG
STG Soundlabs: Envelope Generator

Reverb from Lexicon MX400 and Strymon BigSky."

Sequencer Therapy - October 17 2023

video upload by John L Rice

"I just felt like playing with a sequence for my peace of mind. Not as good as hugging a dog, but better than nothing! 🤓😁 Klee sequencer built by Megaohm Audio is shown. Off screen the usual modules: Synth Tech MOTM-300 VCOs, MOTM-380 LFO, Moon 517 VCF, Oakley/Krisp1 VCAs, STG Envelopes, Modcan 55B quantizer and 73B delay, Club Of The Knobs C969 clock, Strymon and Lexicon reverb. #modularsynth #sequencer #electronicmusic"

The Room Outside Of Time 2

video upload by John L Rice

"A quick one I should have spent more time on, and also should NOT have spent ANY time on, but I wanted to record a bit of it for the memories! 😅

Unlike a lot of my recent complex sequencer experiments this one only uses 5 steps of a single row of one Moon 569 sequencer! The CV out is patched into a Synth Tech E102 Quad Temporal Shifter (shift register) and the 4 outputs go to 4 voices, each consisting of a MOTM-300 VCO, saw out to a Happy Nerding FM AID, to a Moon 517 VCF and finally to a Oakley Dual VCA. VCF and VCA modulation was from a Club Of The Knobs C911P poly EG and the FM AIDs and VCFs got additional modulation from a Krisp1 OCTO LFO. Effects are from the usual Strymon BigSky and Timeline pedals and Lexicon MX400 rack. I used the Roland A-88 keyboard to transpose the sequence via a MOTM-650 module and the bassy-lead was played on an Expressive E Osmose keyboard."

Paul T Schreiber of Synthtech / MOTM Retires From The Synth Business

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paul T Schreiber (@synthesistechnology)

"After 27 years, I have retired from the synthesizer business. I still have a #day_job which will last until Dec 1st. The last set of 16 modules shipped to Patchwerks in Seattle, including the last E520 Hyperions.

Is there a chance someone will buy my IP and continue the product like? I keep hoping. Thanks to everyone who were friends and customers."

---

The man behind MOTM and Synthtech/Synthesis Technology retires. Paul Schrieber was making modular synths in the MOTM 5U format before eurorack took off. He essentiall started his own format, 5U in height like Moog's MU 5U but different. See this old post for a pic of different modular formats. He made his modules available in both DIY and finished form. You all should be familiar with MOTM and Synthech if you are regulars of the site. If not, see the MOTM and Synthech labels for posts over the years.

Since the launch of this version of MATRIXSYNTH back in 2005, there have been a total of 831 MOTM posts, and roughly 367 Synthtech posts, including this one. I say roughly as there was another Synthtech that made the Chroma Cult - Rhodes Chroma MIDI Interface, that shares the Synthtech label I used to get the count. The first post to mention MOTM dates back to This EAR post on July 30, 2005, the second to MOTM Madness - Featuring Yamaha GX1 Filter clone on August 4, 2005. Sadly the mp3 linked there is gone. People let their sites go unfortunately. The first post to mention Synthtech is the Epic Son video by John L Rice from back on August 2, 2011. His designs also made it into non modular synths like this Studio Electronics Omega 8 w/ MOTM CS80 & 440 Filters.

SysEx Dumpster - Episode 44 - a conversation with Paul Schreiber

video upload by Sysex Dumpster

via SysEx Dumpster

"In episode 44 of the SysEx Dumpster podcast, Paul Schreiber of Synthesis Technology and MOTM fame reluctantly joins us in the dumpster to discuss stealing aircraft grade aluminum, jamming out to Synergy, restoring vintage audio test equipment, reverse engineering the Midiverb, and life after eurorack.

This episode was recorded in July 2023. SysEx Dumpster is hosted by Dave 8cylinder, Nick Vasculator, and Greg VanEck. Intro and outro music by Greg VanEck and Dave 8cylinder."

Video description:

"Paul Schreiber of MOTM and Synthesis Technology fame reluctantly joins us in the dumpster to discuss stealing aircraft grade aluminum, jamming out to Synergy, restoring vintage audio test equipment, reverse engineering the Midiverb, and life after Eurorack.

💗 Support our podcast and dive in the dumpster: https://www.patreon.com/sysexdumpster

👀 Peep our social media and podcast platforms: https://linktr.ee/sysexdumpster

This episode was recorded in July 2023.

SysEx Dumpster is hosted by Dave 8cylinder, Nick Vasculator, and Greg VanEck.

Intro and outro music by Greg VanEck and Dave 8cylinder."

A Eurorack Orchestra controlled by Ableton through Hermod 8 midi channels

video upload by Rudetee

"Ableton Live controls the Hermod 8 midi channels.Solo

With the Therevox"

Some Random Osmose Noodling With Simple Sequence

video upload by John L Rice

"Just messing around with my Osmose keyboard while a simple modular sequence plays. The Osmose patch was called snared and the modules for the sequence were an MOTM-300 VCO, Oakley/Krisp1 Dual VCA, and a STG Envelope. #electronicmusic #modularsynth #expressiveeosmose"