"The Annual Electronicafest benefit show is back again for its 15th year! If you are in the Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC area, come out for a day full of experimental and electronic music from local and national artists. The date is Saturday, November 2, from 12-9pm. Admission is just $10.00 and all proceeds benefit the relocated National Electronics Museum in Hunt Valley Maryland (see flyer for more info).
Experience a day of engaging electronic music performances while supporting a worthy cause. Save the date and hope to see you there!"
"Oli Freke from Synth Evolution takes us on a guided tour of some of the most iconic drum machines that shaped music in our time.
He'll be joined on stage by Michael Eden who will demonstrate some of the drum machines in his collection.
Chapter times:
00:00 - Introducing the hosts 00:50 - What is a drum machine? 03:30 - The Wurlitzer Sideman from 1959, the first drum machine? 04:35 - Wurlitzer Sideman demonstration 08:15 - The Sideman's valve mechanism in action 09:52 - Legal problems and use by home organists 11:21 - Transistor-based Keio Donca Matic DE-11 from 1966 13:34 - Donca Matic DE-11 demonstration 15:15 - Keio becomes Korg 16:17 - Ace Tone Drum machines from 1967 17:15 - Keio Mini Pops 7 from 1967 20:47 - Famed use by Jean-Michel Jarre on Oxygene (Note: YouTube has muted the music clip) 23:12 - Inclusion of Quijada/ Jawbone sound 24:24 - Robin Gibb, Sly & The Family Stone drum machine firsts 26:29 - Paia Programmable Drumset from 1975 28:06 - Paia Drumset programming demonstration 32:16 - Use by Peter Gabriel 34:01 - Roland TR-808 from 1980 37:29 - Roland TR-808 features and demonstration 41:00 - Programming a beat on the TR-808 43:48 - Pioneering new genres of electronic music 47:13 - How does the TR-808 make its sounds? 48:14 - Recreating the 808 bass drum 50:39 - Recreating the 808 snare drum 52:22 - Recreating the 808 clap sound 53:48 - Recreating the 808 hi-hat sound 56:17 - Recreating the 808 cowbell sound 57:38 - Comparing the digital model with the original TR-808 58:29 - Outro
ContinuuCon Electronic Music Conference Scheduled for Paris, IRCAM
ContinuuCon 2025, the seventh international Haken Continuum Conference, is returning to France in March 26–28. This year’s event will take place in Paris, and will be hosted by the IRCAM Forum. It will be fully integrated in the IRCAM event with a room dedicated to ContinuuCon every morning.
Musicians, sound designers, software developers, and music enthusiasts are invited to explore the world’s most uniquely expressive electronic musical instruments through presentations, performances, and hands-on experiences. As always, ContinuuCon will focus on every instrument that features the Haken Continuum’s internal sound engine the EaganMatrix, including the Continuum Fingerboard, ContinuuMini, EaganMatrix Module for Eurorack, and Expressive E Osmose synthesizer.
ContinuuCon 2025 will also include a ContinuuCon Dinner (date still to be defined). Over these 3 days, Continuum inventor and EaganMatrix developers Lippold Haken, Edmund Eagan and Christophe Duquesne will join other authorities and some of the world’s most skilful Continuum players to share their expertise and technical knowledge. The integration in the IRCAM Forum will allow attendees to also benefit all the other conferences of the Forum to discover or go into IRCAM ‘s sonic research world in depth.
Haken Continuum players include film composer A.R. Rahman (who participated in last year’s ContinuuCon), Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor, and The Who’s Pete Townshend, who said, “I absolutely adore it. The Continuum is already inspiring me to new ideas.” You may also hear the Continuum featured in the scores to Game of Thrones, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, and the recent Dune: Part Two.
"A very short and not so wonderfully edited hand held video of me whilst I was gazing at Synths - one of my smaller obsessions.
At Kosmische Nacht 3, The Rose Hill, Brighton, 10th October 2024.
This evening was the third homage to the German Berlin School of Synthesis.
Soundtrack from that School featuring an excerpt from 'Rubycon' by Tangerine Dream."
"In this workshop, Ed from Circuit Happy introduces his powerful tools The Missing Link and ML:2. We dive into the world of wireless sync with Circuit Happy and their innovative products. Ed introduces his products that effortlessly sync Ableton with modular gear via WiFi. Watch as we explore their features where analog, MIDI, and wireless devices get in perfect sync. Seamless synchronization at its best!"
"On July 25th, Marcel Belmans from Modor visited SchneidersLaden for an in-depth workshop exploring the NF-1 and DR-2 synthesizers. Known for their unique approach to digital synthesis, Modor's instruments are hands-on, innovative, and intuitive.
Marcel demonstrated the versatility of the NF-1's polyphonic synthesis and the DR-2's powerful drum synthesis, showing off recent firmware updates and new features. We got an inside look at how these machines interpret digital sound design, blending the familiar with the experimental. Nice!"
"The Brooklyn Synth & Pedal Expo, a free for all interactive display of synthesizers and pedals of all kinds, will return to Brooklyn on the weekend of October 5th and 6th at Greenpoint's stylish warehouse venue 100 Sutton.
Hosted in a 6k sq ft warehouse in the heart of one of Brooklyn’s most musical neighborhoods located between Williamsburg and Queens, this year's event is expected to be attended by around 2k visitors. Pictures from last year's edition can be found here.
Eurorack Classes and GSG.live workshops The schedule of the presentations will be also integrated by two Eurorack classes hosted by Ben Atchouel of the New York Modular Society and two workshops about online performances curated by the team at GSG.live.
Confirmed Vendors Visitors will find a varied mix of companies, over 80, with a nice assortment of heavyweight synth and pedal brands and smaller boutique builders, including several Eurorack companies. Full list below.
Bring your headphones to check out synths in the petting zoo.
Join in the music making in the jam rooms (choose the clocked room or the unclocked ambient room).
Lectures about the Fairlight CMI, Berlin-school techniques, a forensic analysis of the Rhythm Wolf, modular strategies, and using the Elektron Octotrak in performance.
Lecture schedule posted here.
DIY Workshop by Cram Audio: build an
Atari Punk Console!
"Here is our Eurorack demo setup for @RomaModulare. The Italian modular and synth event takes place on September 27th and 28th.
Here is a patch we made with the 2 × 104 HP modular system. We installed two of the upcoming BASS-DRUM modules as well as meloDICER for melody generation and fourMULATOR and randomRHYTHM for modulation and rhythm parts.
There’s also a uniCYCLE oscillator, a twinVCFilter and a twinVCAmp for creating bass lines.
Enjoy this little performance and if you’re in Rome, don’t hesitate to stop by at Roma Modulare and say hello. We are looking forward to beautiful soundscapes, great conversations, meeting old friends and making new ones!
Your VERMONA crew from the
Elektroakustischen Manufaktur, Erlbach
"Join me at the Yamaha Music HQ in Hamburg Germany for a secret event to celebrate the launch of the brand new YAMAHA PSR SX920 and YAMAHA PSR SX720 ARRANGER KEYBOARD. These new models for the first time feature sounds from the YAMAHA GENOS and many of the styles from GENOS2."
For those who didn't make the journey to Schaumberg, Illinois, but wanted a bit of the flavor, I shot a walkthrough video.
The show was full of energy, interesting products, great performances and lectures and, most of all, great people. If you've never been, it's truly the best synthesizer convention in the United States.
2. Bjooks - The Minimoog Book | Knobcon 2024
Bjooks, the world's finest publisher of synthesizer books, has released an in-depth book on the world's most famous synthesizer. We talk to Kim Bjorne at Knobcon 2024 to find out about it.
https://bjooks.com/
At Knobcon I came across a very special Eurorack case. Terrible and beautiful at the same time, it would have looked right at home in an H.R. Giger painting. We talk to Jason Hite, the artist who created this amazing work.
https://www.hitestudios.com/
4. Sleepy Circuits - Video Synth | Knobcon 2024
We talk to Ron Sardarian of Sleepy Circuits, about their innovative devices to aid in audiovisual performance. Ron is a visionary engineer, a performer, and a friend. His stuff is great.
https://sleepycircuits.com/
5. 1010 Music - Nanobox Tangerine | Knobcon 2024
1010 Music has done it again, releasing a sampler in their small Nanobox format. Steve Joslin tells us about it, as well as their new Nanobox storage case/charger.
"Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music.
http://www.underthebigtree.com"
SUPERBOOTH BERLIN is excited to be able to confirm the dates for the 2025 edition next year:
SUPERBOOTH 25 will be happening from 8th - 10th of May 2025 at the FEZ-Berlin! Pre-sale tickets for SUPERBOOTH 25 will be available towards the end of the year.
Additionally, SUPERBOOTH is happy to announce that this year’s SUPERBOOTH 24 was a big success overall and the biggest SuperBooth yet!
Over three days, we were able to welcome about 2500 guests and participants per day and over 280 exhibitors from all over the world — including new countries such as Armenia, Cyprus, Iceland and Mexico — that showcased their newest develop- ments and products.
The success of SB24 was also a stepping stone towards SuperBooth’s journey of becoming one of Europe’s premiere pro-audio trade fairs, with over 33 internatio- nal pro audio brands in attendance.
SB24’s performance and musical program was as big as ever, with over 15 work- shops and over 40 musical performance slots from a diverse variety of artists and performers.
About 250 members of the international press and media attended, including the most important outlets in the field of synthesizer and music production and many of its biggest YouTubers and content creators.
More detailed information about SUPERBOOTH 25 and the upcoming ticket pre- sales will follow in the fall.
Roma Modulare 2024 announced as international synthesizer and music production expo in Italian capital city namesake
ROME, ITALY: organisers of Roma Modulare 2024 — the most important Italian event dedicated to modular and desktop synthesizers plus professional audio production — are proud to announce that it will be being held as a two-day international expo at Forte Trionfale in the centre of Rome on September 27-28…
As an international expo hosted in the capital city to which it, in part, owes its appropriate appellation, Roma Modulare 2024 readily represents the most important Italian music industry diary date for all musicians and audio professionals — particularly those who are passionate about modular synthesizers, as also alluded to by name. Notable headliners amongst its 80-plus exhibitors include German electronic musical instrument manufacturer Doepfer — duly credited with creating the Eurorack small-format modular system around which its ever- expanding A-100 ANALOG MODULAR SYSTEM is based, subsequently swelling to industry-standard status with hundreds of third-party manufacturers making compatible modules; Latvian Eurorack modules and desktop instruments creator Erica Synths — showcasing the intuitive nature of its PĒRKONS HD-01 desktop drum synth and aggressive timbres of its Black series Eurorack modules; hand-built Scottish Eurorack module-maker Instruō — instigating eye-catching aesthetics with the likes of its arbhar Granular Audio Processor and Lúbadh Dual Looper modules; American musical instruments and Eurorack solutions provider TipTop Audio — advancing production of Don Buchla’s trailblazing 200 series and converting it to Eurorack standards as the 200t series project; Mark Verbos-designed, Berlin-assembled Eurorack format synthesizer module specialist Verbos Electronics — whose Harmonic Oscillator module is now available in Eurorack for the first time; and American Eurorack modular synthesizers and guitar pedals producer WMD — back in business and announcing a new drum module; and many more.
The two-day international expo will be held in Rome’s Trionfale district within Forte Trionfale, one of 15 forts surrounding the eternal city. Built between 1882 and 1886 in an area covering 21 hectares, the military complex was famed for Italian aviator, aeronautical engineer, and Arctic explorer Umberto Nobile’s airship departing for the North Pole from one of the fort’s hangers in 1926. Today the location is part of an urban regeneration program, aiming to enhance creativity and create connections between people, an admirable objective that is not lost on Roma Modulare 2024’s organisers. “Our greatest desire is that Roma Modulare provides the best opportunity possible for musicians, producers, technicians, manufacturers, and even amateurs to come into contact with each other to strengthen the Italian music market and make it international,” announces Alberto Rossetto, Founder & CEO of Rome’s Milk Audio Store — specialising in Eurorack modules and studio equipment — which has partnered with K-ARRAY Audio Solutions — founded in Italy as one of the most innovative high-technology professional speaker manufacturers in the world — and Doc Servizi — an important cooperative created by a group of musicians to help navigate the challenging entertainment sector in Italy — to organise Roma Modulare 2024.
Although a 900 m2 area within Forte Trionfale will be dedicated to hosting Roma Modulare 2024’s 80-plus exhibitor booths, part of the venue will be dedicated to creating a Workshop Area, where, over two days, 20 speakers will take turns in presenting new products or exploring topics relating to the entertainment industry (with the full program listed here). But, by its very nature, Roma Modulare 2024 is also about the assemblage of and meeting with electronic music artists. As such, a Live Area will be opened up in the garden outside the venue between 1:00 pm to 11.30 pm each day, where electronic music artists will effectively play a non-stop live performance with their modular synthesizers. It is fair to say, then, that Roma Modulare 2024 promises to be an exciting event for all attendees, Italian or otherwise, and all appetites will, quite literally, be catered for with on-site food and beverages being served from opening (10:00 am) to closing (midnight).
Tickets to Roma Modulare 2024 are available to purchase as a two-day pass — priced at €22.00 EUR — or as one-day tickets for either September 27 or September 28 entry — each priced at €13.50 EUR — directly from here: https://www.romamodulare.it/tickets/ (All tickets include entry to the expo itself and an evening party, while entry is free for under 16s.)
"Dutch Modular Fest, Saturday August 31st, 2024
dB music facilties, Utrecht.
I wish DMF was every month, somewhere. But it's not. It's our Dutch annual event, celebrating the modular community and nearby manufacturers. I can't do interviews like DivKid and Mylar, and there's no 'best of show' except maybe all of them. Thanks to Allert Aalders (Sonar Traffic, Modulation) and Veerle Pennock (Acid Solder Club) for making this happen. And all the people who volunteered, participated, engineered, served and performed.
This video is sponsored by the Lab, with compliments."
"Knobcon is a one-of-a-kind synthesizer convention now in its twelfth year. Complete with performances, workshops and vendors, Knobcon allows for a fully immersive experience. Attendees can get their hands on an incredible amount of equipment, learn from industry professionals and talk directly with designers of some of today's most innovative synthesizer products.
Held just outside Chicago, Ill., at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, the entire event takes place under one roof. Enthusiasts travel from all parts of the world to attend this yearly event. Direct access to all major forms of transportation make this an easy destination for those traveling.
Who should attend?
If you are interested in electronic-based or experimental music and the tools used to create it, this is the place for you. The diversity and passion of those at knobcon make it enjoyable for all experience levels."
This one is in via Andrew Northrop of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London (UCL).
"My name is Andrew - I work as a technician in the UK and I was recently involved in the restoration of the Buchla 100 synthesizer held at the Library of Congress (this was the system used by Morton Subotnick to compose Silver Apples of the Moon and other records) alongside the MEMS Project.
Google translation from Turkish follows. Original Turkish below that.
"We will assemble all the parts from scratch and make an electronic instrument, namely a synthesizer.
We will provide all the necessary equipment as VAEMI.
Technical information on the subject will also be shared. Contact us to join the workshop.
For information and applications: vaemisynth@gmail.com
DIY Analog Drone Synthesizer Workshop
Drone Synthesizer Technical Specifications: • 4 Voice Polyphony • 4 Analog Oscillators • Touch Areas and Gate Keys • 4 Analog Envelope (Sustain, Release) • 4 Analog VCA • 4 Channel Mixer • 1 Analog RC Filter • FM Modulation • Can work with adapter or 9V battery • Mono Output (1/8mm jack output)
We are organizing a repeat of our workshop on electronic circuit, synthesizer and musical instrument production and design by Efe Çakır.
A class will be created for the workshop. Participation is limited. The workshop will focus on the construction of a 4-oscillator analog drone synthesizer. The class will start at 11:00 on Sunday, August 18th and will last for 5-6 hours.
All PCB and electronic components of the synthesizer you see in the picture will be provided to you completely within the workshop fee. It is sufficient to come to the class without bringing anything with you. We will also provide the necessary materials such as soldering pen, solder, paste, speaker, battery. If you have soldered a few times before, these classes may be just for you. At the end of the class, the synthesizers you have assembled will be yours. At the beginning of the class, all electronic components will be delivered to you and a set of schematics and notes about our synthesizer will be distributed. After introductory topics such as “What is electricity?”, “Basic information about electronic materials used”, “Reading schematics”, we will proceed step by step by understanding how each section works in order of “What is an oscillator?”, “What is a VCA?” on the synthesizer. At the end of the lesson, we will all be playing our synthesizers together.
For your questions and applications, you can contact us via Efe Çakır (@ertanefecakir) and Vaemi (@vaemisynth) accounts.
In order to apply, you must make a payment before the workshop date. If you want to cancel within the last week before the workshop, no refund will be made."
