Synthesizer Magazin #21

via sequencer.de
"Korg Prophecy – Solo Synthesizer. Lohnt sich “Multioszillatorsynthese” noch? Was ist das eigentlich überhaupt?
Akai APC20/APC40 vs Novation Launchpad – Ableton steuern und mehr?
Modular Special: Drucksensoren, Malekko Borg Filter – Ersetzt das den MS20?, Cwejman VM1, Modularmeeting Gearporn vom Treffen 2010 HK
Historisches ua Telharmonium
Recording Special
Kleines Wavetable-Synthese Special
Menschen
Blame (DnB)
Unkle
Atari Teenage Riot
Boyz Noise
Decoded Feedback"

http://www.synthesizer-magazin.de/

Synth legends, stories and rumors

Sequence 15 has a fun post on the following synth rumors. You can find the answers there along with some videos and samples. Even if you know the answers to these, it is worth a look. I remember the first time I heard the Edgar Winter ARP 2600 as a keytar rumor. For a short period of time I actually thought it was the full on unit. :)

Story: Laurens Hammond, inventor of the Hammond organ, was tone deaf and couldn't play.

Story: No recording was ever made of the Telharmonium, the first synthesizer.

Story: The Rhodes Chroma was actually designed by ARP.

Story: Prior to the creation of MIDI, Sequential Circuits had designed a serial bus for musical instruments which was much faster than MIDI.

Story: The prototype of the Moog Voyager Old School was stolen from Moog.

Story: Edgar Winter used to play with an ARP 2600 on a guitar strap.

La Invención del Sintetizador Moog

YouTube via funkberto

"Al igual q el del Mixer de Sun Records, este video también es de "Objetos Perdidos.." del History Channel. Aquí se muestra, mediante entrevistas a sus inventores, el proceso creativo de uno de los mas revolucionarios instrumentos musicales.

Aunque dudo de la veracidad de que los Beatles hayan usado uno, y al mediocre sonido del video; es muy interesante y entretenido para los "tecnomúsicos"."

Googlish:
"As the q Mixer Sun Records, this video is from "Lost .." the History Channel.

Here is through interviews with its inventors, the creative process of one of the most revolutionary musical instruments.

Although I doubt the veracity of the Beatles have used one, and the mediocre sound of the video, it is very interesting and entertaining for "tecnomúsicos."

The Electronic Century Part I: Beginnings

This one in via brian c. EM (Electronic Musician) has a series up on the history of electronic musical instruments. You can find part 1 here. On the right of the site under the "Must Read" section you will find links to parts 1-4.

"The early years of electronic musical instruments set the tone for a century.

FIG. 1: Thaddeus Cahill's Telharmonium was installed in New York in 1906. It was transported from its home in Massachusetts in more than a dozen railway boxcars.

As we enter the 21st century, electronic music is fast approaching its 100th anniversary. This is a good time to look at our roots and get to know how we came to be where we are. This is the first in a series of four articles in which EM explores the instruments, artistic ideas, business concepts, musicians and entrepreneurs, and technical breakthroughs of the century—from the first technological achievements to the synthesizers of tomorrow.

The focus throughout the series is on the technologies that have been used by musicians to expand on the resources available in traditional, acoustic instruments. Where appropriate, each article will also document important musical compositions that have employed these technologies. There's a rich and deep tradition to uncover, so let's begin our journey!"

Magic Music From The Telharmonium Documentary

YouTube via audiolemon. via Nusonica.


"It was 1906. "Get Music on Tap Like Gas or Water" promised the headlines, and soon the public was enchanted with inventor Thaddeus Cahill's (1867-1934) electrical music by wire.

The Telharmonium was a 200-ton behemoth that created numerous musical timbres and could flood many rooms with sound.

Beginning with the first instrument, constructed in the 1890's, and continuing with the installation of the second instrument at Telharmonic Hall in New York, the rise and fall of commercial service, the attempted comeback of the third Telharmonium, and ending with efforts to find a home for the only surviving instrument in 1951, this documentary provides a definitive account of the first comprehensive music synthesizer.

You can get a full DVD of this documentary: [link to DVD on Amazon]

This clip was reposted from [link] with the permission of Reynold Weidenaar."

Telharmonium

"An early electromechanical instrument was the Telharmonium or Teleharmonium (also known as the Dynamophone), developed by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897. The Telharmonium was intended to be listened to using telephone receivers.

Like the later Hammond organ, the Telharmonium used tonewheels to generate musical sounds as electrical signals by additive synthesis. An authoritative history of the Telharmonium is 'Magical Music from the Telharmonium' by Reynold Weidenaar, Scarecrow Press, 1995."

Title link takes you to more info on wikipedia. I ran into the image here and realized I hadn't put a post up on the teleharmonium yet..