Optigan discs and songbooks / nearly complete collection

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via this auction


"The mother lode of Optigan discs, songbooks and ephemera. 30 discs (4 in picture sleeves, the rest in Optigan-branded folios); 14 songbooks; 2 cardboard folio carriers with “highlight” sheets and extra stickers.

I am not parting out this collection; at the current price I’m listing at, each disc comes out to about $18 per; that includes rare titles like Movin’, Singing Rhythm and Sleigh Ride. See below for complete list.

I also have an Optigan organ (model 35002) with the usual sticky chord keys available for pick-up only in St. Louis, MO. Message me for more info.

Discs:
1. Polynesian Village
2. Easy Does it with Vibes
3. Rollin' Easy
4. Big Band Beat
5. Guitar in 3/4 Time
6. Banjo Sing-Along
7. Bossa Nova Style
8. Big Top Marching Band
9. Organ Sing Along
10. The Blues Sweet and Low
11. Singing Rhythm
12. Nashville Country
13. Hear and Now
14. Waltz Time
15. Big Organ and Drums
16. Pop Piano Plus Guitar
17. Dixieland Strut
18. Cha-Cha-Cha
19. Folk & Other Moods - Guitar
20. Movin'
21. Gay 90's
22. Bluegrass Banjo
23. Romantic Strings (in 3/4 time)
24. Gospel Rock
25. Sleigh Ride
26. Latin Fever
27. New Orleans Blues (w. sleeve)
28. Champagne Music (w. sleeve)
29. Swing It! (w. sleeve)
30. Rock & Rhythm (w. sleeve)

Songbooks:
1. Champagne Melodies
2. Swingin' Standards
3. Big Ballads
4. Latin Love
5. Everything is Beautiful
6. Contemporary Standards/Top Popular Hits
7. Sentimental Blues
8. Heart of Dixie
9. Folk Classics
10. Shades of Gold
11. Bluegrass and Sagebrush
12. Country Hits
13. Broadway Melodies (Rodgers & Kern)
14. Singalong Favorites"

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Baldwin Syntha Sound Improv

Published on Dec 27, 2019 Joseph McGinty

A short improv "In C" on the Baldwin Syntha Sound, stepping through some of the presets. It's an unusual synth that actually sounds pretty cool! And fun to play!
Rhythm loop by the "Rollin' Easy" Optigan disk played by the Panoptigan disk player.
Baldwin synth looping by the incredibly versatile Enso looping software by Audio Damage.
Video effects by Signal Culture's "Frame Buffer".
Panoptigon: https://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php...
Enso by Audio Damage: https://www.audiodamage.com/products/...
Frame Buffer by Signal Culture: http://signalculture.org/frame-buffer...

You can find additional posts featuring the Bladwin Syntha Sound here. I believe this is only one of two video demos.

New Panoptigon Format Disc – GRAND PIANO

Panoptigon plays SILENT NIGHT Published on Dec 1, 2019 optigandotcom

"SILENT NIGHT recorded on Quilter Labs' PANOPTIGON, featuring the new Panoptigon format disc GRAND PIANO (available now!) as well as the Optigan format DARKSOPHONE and Orchestron format VOCAL CHOIR and SOLO FEMALE VOICE discs. Please see http://www.optigan.com for more information."

PANOPTIGON Format Disc Demo - GRAND PIANO

Published on Dec 10, 2019 optigandotcom

"Announcing a new disc for PANOPTIGON from Quilter Labs! This is the third disc in the new Panoptigon format, only playable on Panoptigon (https://optigan.com/product/panoptigon/).

https://optigan.com/product/panoptigo...

GRAND PIANO expands on the concept of our original Orchestron format Piano disc, in that it takes advantage of the full 60-note keyboard of the Panoptigon format, and also we've arranged more complex rhythmic figures for the individual notes, in 6/8 time. As with all of our discs featuring rhythmically articulated scale tones, GRAND PIANO is best used for playing sustained chords to produce rippling, arpeggiated patterns and textures. It's also great for playing in reverse for even more ambient effects.

GRAND PIANO can only be played on PANOPTIGON, and is NOT compatible with Optigan or Orchestron.

The raw piano recordings used on this disc are open-source samples available here: http://theremin.music.uiowa.edu/MIS.html"

Chilton TALENTMAKER Demo - All 20 Vintage Discs Played on Panoptigon

Published on Dec 4, 2019 optigandotcom

"Recently I had a custom modified spindle made for my Panoptigon (https://optigan.com/product/panoptigon/) that allows me to play Chilton Talentmaker discs. The spindle size on the Talentmaker is slightly smaller than the Optigan and Orchestron, making this modification necessary to play these discs. Please note that this is NOT a supported "feature" of the Panoptigon, and modifying your unit in this way will void its warranty. Neverhteless, it's a good way to get clean recordings of Talentmaker discs!

I thought I'd make a short demo of each disc. Obviously this is just some simple one-take noodling and doesn't represent any real musical effort. The idea is just to get a taste of what each disc sounds like. If you'd like to hear the Talentmaker in action on some actual songs, check out our album "Optiganally Yours Presents: Exclusively Talentmaker."

You can also buy a sample library of all of the vintage Talentmaker discs here: https://optigan.com/product-category/..."

Panoptigon plays SILENT NIGHT

Published on Dec 1, 2019 optigandotcom

"SILENT NIGHT recorded on Quilter Labs' PANOPTIGON, featuring the new Panoptigon format disc GRAND PIANO (available soon!) as well as the Optigan format DARKSOPHONE and Orchestron format VOCAL CHOIR and SOLO FEMALE VOICE discs. Please see http://www.optigan.com for more information.

The film is from 1926 and is titled "The Story Of Santa Claus." Pea has an original 16mm print of this film and scanned it himself."

Vintage Optigan Light Organ LOT - Many Original Discs SEALED + Song Books RARE

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via this auction

Gay 90s Songs in there!

"This is an amazing opportunity to own a fantastic lot of rare, original Optigan discs & song books - all from the early 1970's.

This lot is 25 pieces in total -

12 discs & 13 books.

9 of the discs are in mint condition, STILL SEALED in the original factory shrinkwrap.

(The shrinkwrap of one of the sealed discs has been torn, but the side where the sleeve opens remains intact)

2 of the discs ("Bossa Nova" & "Easy Does it wth Vibes") are opened & appear to be in fantastic condition. The only flaw I could see is a tiny indentation on one of the discs.

There's also another disc (not pictured) that I found in my vinyl collection & am including in this lot. It's in a clear sleeve & appears to be in excellent condition.

The songbooks vary from good to excellent used condition, some yellowing, shelf wear, & a few have minor pen/pencil marks."

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Opitigan.com Site Makeover & Free Sheet Music Book Library Download Now Available

via Optigan.com

"Well, it took awhile, but the new look & feel of Optigan.com is here! There’s still some things that need to be finished, and I’m sure there will be a few kinks & bugs to be worked out, but much of the basic functionality is live. Please let us know if you find something screwy (I mean, other than the basic fact that this site is all about Optigans). Many thanks to RoseRed Creative for bringing the site into the 21st Century!

Now you can finally order Panoptigon directly from our Shoptigan store! If you’re outside the USA, we are currently the only way to get one, though the ordering process is slightly more complicated- please send us a request if you’d like to have one shipped outside the USA! Also, our entire library of discs for Optigan, Orchestron, & Panoptigon is now available on a continual basis, so no more waiting around to snag the titles you need to complete your collection!

To celebrate the launch of the new site, we have a freebie! After many years of requests for the entire library of Optigan Sheet Music Book available digitally, we finally got around to it! Here you can grab a zip file of PDF versions of all the original books, including variations! You can use these books in conjunction with your vintage Optigan, iOptigan, Panoptigon, or our Soundware. Have fun, and be sure to send us your renditions!"

Optiganally Yours - THE OUTER SPACE - Apollo 11 Mix for 07/20/19

Published on Jul 20, 2019 optigandotcom

Here's a quickie mini remix we made of "The Outer Space" for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on 07/20/2019. The images are from Pea's vast archive of found photos, in this case some shots taken of a video monitor that day. The original version of "The Outer Space" is on our album "Exclusively Talentmaker." http://optigan.com/shoptigan/music-cd...

QUILTER PANOPTIGON Now Available

Some pics and details via Noisebug, who also as it listed on Rerverb here. Be sure to check out the pics with the cool transparent brown dust cover.

"The Panoptigon represents the culmination of years of research and development that carries an awesome vintage instrument into the modern era. Redesigned from the ground up, the Panoptigon empowers the artist with MIDI, modern effects, and a deeper and more thorough feature set than ever dreamed of before.
The original Optigan program discs came in many popular styles, and our new disc mastering system has enabled us to create and release never-issued discs from the master tapes rescued and preserved by Pea Hicks. In addition, we have mastered original discs, some of which go much further in exploiting the cyclical nature of the playback loop, resulting in loop libraries with endlessly entertaining combinations.

Maximum Polyphony: 60 Voices (Tracks)
Current Draw: 650 mA , 24V
Dimensions (W x D x H): 17.6" (447 mm) x 16.75" (425 mm) x 5.25 (133 mm) without cover
17.6" (447 mm) x 16.75" (425 mm) x 5.50 (140 mm) with cover
Weight: 13.4 lbs. (6.08 kg) without cover
15.1 lbs. (6.85 kg) with cover
Accessories: Dust cover, PS24 Power Supply, AC Cord, Disc Starter Pack, Owner's Manual
Connectors: MIDI (IN, THRU)
Headphones (3.5mm)
Audio Output x 2 (1/4" phone): LEFT-MONO SUM, RIGHT-TRS STEREO
Output Impedance: 1 kOhm
24 VDC Power (5.5mm barrel, 2.5mm pin, tip positive)
SYNC IN (3.5mm), SYNC OUT (3.5mm)
Power Supply PS-24 (24 VDC, 3A)"

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Synthplex 2019 - Introducing the Panoptigon

Published on Apr 22, 2019 KeyboardMagazine

"Stephen Fortner checks out the new Optigan/Orchestron disc-playing hardware at Synthplex 2019."

Panoptigon plays Optigan Surf Rock Disc

Published on Mar 21, 2019 optigandotcom

"Here's another demo improvisation on the Panoptigon, this time featuring the Optigan Surf Rock disc. Be sure to listen in stereo, as this one features the typical Optigan hard-panning between the chords/drums on the left and the keyboard on the right. Apart from the Panoptigon's onboard hall reverb, no other effects or EQ were applied."

Panoptigon Plays Optigan Symphonic Strings Disc

Published on Mar 20, 2019 optigandotcom

"Another Panoptigon demo, this time featuring the Optigan Symphonic Strings Disc. This demo features the onboard hall reverb, with no additional processing."

Panoptigon Plays Orchestron Vibraphone Disc

Published on Mar 19, 2019 optigandotcom

"Another Panoptigon demo, this time featuring the Orchestron Vibraphone disc played back at various manual pitch settings. The playback speed of the Panoptigon has a much wider range than a vintage Optigan or Orchestron. This demo features the onboard hall reverb and delay effects, with no additional processing. Also heard is the reverse mode."

Panoptigon OSCILLATIONS Disc Demo

Published on Mar 12, 2019 optigandotcom

"Here's a demo of the very first disc in the new PANOPTIGON disc format! Oscillations will be included in the basic 'starter set' of discs that comes with each Panoptigon. Panoptigon format discs will only be playable on Panoptigon- not on vintage Optigans or Orchestrons! We wanted to make a very basic, broadly-applicable sound akin to the Optigan "Big Organ & Drums" disc. This seemed a good opportunity to present a simple analog synthesizer type sound, since the Panoptigon disc format features 60 tracks, and is mapped to allow for a full 60 keys of chromatic tones. Think of it as a 'Super Orchestron' disc with essentially 5 octaves instead of 3. Various typical raw analog waveforms are mapped across the keys, with the notes slowly pulsing in and out in different phases, producing a breathing, organic effect that's particularly well-suited to all of the Panoptigon's onboard effects. Apart from the Panoptigon's hall reverb, no other effects or EQ were applied in this demo."

Mattel Optigan with 12 Discs - Model 35012 Mediterranean

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via this auction

"The Optigan has a unique sound which is attributed to the optical discs containing pre-recorded backing tracks and unique lead tone for the keyboard portion. Each disc has five accompaniment tracks which can be triggered. Usually a beat, various instrumental accompaniment & often more percussion. Each disc is loaded with unique and very musical content.

Includes Twelve Discs! Original discs are rare and very sought after- so this is a rare opportunity to pick up a stack of them along with a sweet Optigan!

Pop Piano Plus Guitar
Guitar in 3/4 time
Dixieland Strut
Latin Fever
Gay 90s Waltz
Bluegrass Banjo
Sleigh Ride
Majestic Pipe Organ
Movin
Hear and Now
Big Band Beat
Classic Guitar

Playing condition:
Working - the keyboard works great, all but two keys play (the highest and lowest) are not making sound. A couple of the 'chord organ' buttons on the left side are intermittent but this is something that can be repaired with contact cleaner.

More about the Optigan:
If you are not familiar with the Optigan, the sound is not 'hi-fidelity' but is very unique and is loved by many admirers familiar with what it does!"

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Panoptigon plays Ghost Riders In The Sky w/ Optigan Darksophone Disc

Published on Feb 15, 2019 optigandotcom

"Veteran indie rocker Pall Jenkins provided the spooky sounds for our Optigan Darksophone disc, and we thought it'd be fun to do a quick demo of this disc playing Ghost Riders In The Sky on the Panoptigon. The keyboard is split between two different melodic sounds- Marxophone and Musical Saw. Be sure to listen in stereo, as this one features the typical Optigan hard-panning between the chords/drums on the left and the keyboard on the right. Apart from the Panoptigon's onboard hall reverb, no other effects or EQ were applied."

Panoptigon plays Philip Glass - Einstein On The Beach - Orchestron & Optigan Discs

Published on Feb 15, 2019 optigandotcom

"While Panoptigon isn't particularly suited to overdubbing entire arrangements with itself, we thought it'd be fun to do a quick excerpt from Philip Glass' Einstein On The Beach (Train 1), since all the basic sounds required already exist on Orchestron / Optigan discs. Heard here are the Orchestron Flute, Saxophone, Solo Female Voice, and Pipe Organ discs, as well as the organ sound from the Optigan Nashville Country disc. The Flute disc was pitch bent an octave up to simulate the piccolo called for in the score, and the bass line of the Pipe Organ disc was pitch bent an octave down to get the low notes needed. A bit of reverb was added to the mix, but there was no EQ or other processing applied. You can find info about pre-ordering a Panoptigon here: http://optigan.com/2019/01/panoptigon..."

Oddly enough the following just went up:

Philip Glass on His Collaboration With Aphex Twin | Red Bull Music Academy

Published on Feb 15, 2019 Red Bull Music Academy

"The celebrated composer Philip Glass recalls meeting a young Richard D. James, AKA Aphex Twin, in New York City and collaborating with the producer on a handful of tracks and combining their unique approaches. #composition #aphextwin

Watch the full lecture - [below] - to hear Philip Glass wax nostalgic on his time spent in Paris, musical tradition, collaborations with Aphex Twin, David Byrne and Ornette Coleman and the art of performance.

It’s hard to overstate the influence of New York City composer Philip Glass. Along with Steve Reich, his minimalist compositions transformed the world of classical music and, eventually, popular music in general. Glass’ early epiphanies occurred in Paris during his time in the mid-’60s studying under Nadia Boulanger and in New York when he heard Steve Reich’s “Piano Phase.” These events helped set Glass on a course toward the repetitive, dramatic, and conceptually rigorous style that has become his trademark. Throughout the ’70s Glass refined his work, resulting in career-defining compositions like Music In Twelve Parts and Einstein On The Beach. In the process, he became a popular sensation, a serious composer who wasn’t willfully obscure or too difficult to understand. Glass’ stunning soundtrack work for films like The Thin Blue Line and The Hours, and a symphony based on David Bowie’s album Heroes, has only elevated his standing as one of America’s most popular living composers.

Red Bull Music Academy is the educational pillar of the Red Bull Music program. It is a global institution that for 20 years has been committed to fostering creativity in music by collaborating with those who are shaping our musical landscape and creating spaces for music makers to learn and immerse themselves."

And the full interview from 2015:

Philip Glass on Working with Aphex Twin, David Byrne and Koyaanisqatsi | Red Bull Music Academy

Published on Jul 22, 2015 Red Bull Music Academy

Panoptigon plays Optigan Vox Humana Disc

Published on Feb 14, 2019 optigandotcom

"Another Panoptigon demo, this time featuring the rare vintage Optigan Vox Humana disc. The choir sound heard on this disc is the same as heard on the Orchestron Vocal Choir disc, famously used by Kraftwerk in the 70s. This demo features the onboard hall reverb effect, with no additional processing."

Panoptigon plays Orchestron Vibraphone & Drehorgel Discs

Published on Feb 14, 2019 optigandotcom

"Another Panoptigon demo, this time layering two of our Orchestron discs- Vibraphone & Drehorgel. This demo features the onboard hall reverb effect on the Vibraphone, with no additional processing."

Panoptigon plays Orchestron Piano Disc

Published on Feb 13, 2019 optigandotcom

"Another Panoptigon demo, for a rainy day in SoCal- this time an improvisation on our Orchestron Piano disc. This disc can't really be played like a typical piano sound you might find on most keyboards, due to the unique constant-looping playback characteristics of the Orchestron. We placed each individual note at a position on a 16th-note grid, which produces a sort of windchime effect when you hold down chords. This disc isn't very well suited to playing melodies, but you can always try! This demo features the onboard hall reverb, with no additional processing. Also heard are the reverse, vibrato, and pitch bend effects. You can find info about pre-ordering a Panoptigon (which comes with our remastered edition of this Vocal Choir disc) here: http://optigan.com/2019/01/panoptigon..."