Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Motherboard TV: Morton Subotnick, Father of Electronic Music
via Motherboard.TV via Scott Sharon on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge
"What kind of music would robots make? Blips and bloops, most likely, with a whole lot of abstract tones and soundwave manipulation. You know, droning stuff that sounds like auditory binary. I mean, come on. How musical could a robot be?
Such were the early days of electronic music, whose early proponents put much more emphasis on the “electronic” than the “music.” That’s not to denigrate the incredible complexity of wave generators or tiny bits of tape spliced together on splicing blocks. It’s just to point out that what we see as electronic music today was once well and truly the sound of electronics themselves.
So who’s responsible for turning the electro tide towards real music? Why, Morton Subotnick of course.
As is often the case in music, it was a bicoastal thing: Subotnick, Ramon Sender, and Don Buchla spent the 60s in San Francisco developing what may be the world’s first analog synthesizer, the ‘electronic music easel’ BUCHLA 100, while Robert Moog was putting together his incredible keyboard on the East Coast.
BUCHLA 100 was brilliant because, instead of a keyboard, it relied on pressure sensitive touch-plates. Those controlled keys that could be individually tuned, allowing for an unlimited number of sound-producing possibilities. It freed musicians from the sine, sawtooth, and square bonds of the past, and allowed electronic music to flourish.
Subotnick himself was the first to put his creation through its creative paces. Recorded over the span of a year in New York, his album Silver Apples of the Moon stands as the first all-electronic LP, and effectively declared the era of computer music dead. The album has since been inducted into the Library of Congress.
As part of our Electric Independence series, in 2011 we paid a visit to Subotnick at his Lower East Side studio to chat about the past and future of electronic music. Remember one thing the next time you’re in a club with some cyborg DJ poking away at a booth full of weird gadgets: If it wasn’t for Subotnick, you’d be stuck listening to robot chatter."
Eurorack L-1 AC/DC Mixer
via L-1: "Mixer has 4 inputs which can be mixed in pairs and all together. Inputs are AC or DC coupled in pairs by switches. Potentiometers attenuate gain, unity gain at the center their range, max gain = 2. So it is amplifying mixer. PCB made for 15mm Alpha pots with clear shaft, so funny 3mm LEDs can be mounted. Several options are for opamps. I've choose OP270 because of their great DC precision and sound quality. TL072 is cheap budget variant. OPA2604 has sound quality a bit better than OP270 but DC precision as in TL072. The device can work from 12V and 15V..."
via Aleksei Laman on
The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge
via Aleksei Laman on
The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge
pucktronix tabulaRasa test 040412
tabulaRasa test 040412 by greg davis
"first test with greg surges / pucktronix tabulaRasa DIY wavetable oscillator for eurorack. i made a wave table set of various sine tones using different combinations of the overtone series. there is some filtering by my cwejman MMF-1 & also a lot of the synthtech e580 mini-delay."
"first test with greg surges / pucktronix tabulaRasa DIY wavetable oscillator for eurorack. i made a wave table set of various sine tones using different combinations of the overtone series. there is some filtering by my cwejman MMF-1 & also a lot of the synthtech e580 mini-delay."
Whatever Will Be • Argon's Animoog
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
YouTube Published on May 30, 2012 by ArgonVancouver
"Animoog performance of "Que Sera Sera" by Argon Vancouver. Video directed by Lorax Vancouver. Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. If you like it, there's more at http://cosmicjoke.com/"
iTunes:
Moog Music Inc.
iPads on eBay
iPod Touch on eBay
YouTube Published on May 30, 2012 by ArgonVancouver
"Animoog performance of "Que Sera Sera" by Argon Vancouver. Video directed by Lorax Vancouver. Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. If you like it, there's more at http://cosmicjoke.com/"
iTunes:
Moog Music Inc.
iPads on eBay
iPod Touch on eBay
Arp 2600 + 3620 Keyboard SN 0782
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
SN 36200782
SN 36200782
KORG MS-10 SN 131227 Vintage Analog Semi-Modular Synthesizer
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
tokywax (RSS)
tokywax (RSS)
ROLAND SH-101 SN 553136
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
tokywax (RSS)
tokywax (RSS)
Bob Moog 1972 MAESTRO THEREMIN TH-1 SN E-0809
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
Pics of the inside below.
"For your consideration is this vintage 1972 Maestro Theremin "TH-1" electronic musical proximity instrument designed byBob Moog for Maestro. This particular example, serial number E-0809, is in near mint all original condition. The Maestro TH-1, unlike typical theremins, uses (2) plate antennas which creates a tonally unique sound, and while not the most musical, it is certainly one of the rarest and most unusual theremins ever built. With an aesthetic more like a space-age alien mind-reading device than that of its 1920's breadbox-like predecessor, this Moog-designed unit is by far the best looking of any produced, and presents quite impressively when mounted atop a mic stand.
The Maestro TH-1 was famously used by Bobby Bilan who's stint with The Guess Who in 1979 solidified his importance in sonic wave manipulation for the next 30 years.
This example works perfectly and includes the original mic stand adapter, which mounts to the underside of the chassis. While these infrequently pop up on eBay, it is quite rare that example in such excellent shape is offered for sale, so don't miss out, this is a prime example."
via this auction
Pics of the inside below.
"For your consideration is this vintage 1972 Maestro Theremin "TH-1" electronic musical proximity instrument designed byBob Moog for Maestro. This particular example, serial number E-0809, is in near mint all original condition. The Maestro TH-1, unlike typical theremins, uses (2) plate antennas which creates a tonally unique sound, and while not the most musical, it is certainly one of the rarest and most unusual theremins ever built. With an aesthetic more like a space-age alien mind-reading device than that of its 1920's breadbox-like predecessor, this Moog-designed unit is by far the best looking of any produced, and presents quite impressively when mounted atop a mic stand.
The Maestro TH-1 was famously used by Bobby Bilan who's stint with The Guess Who in 1979 solidified his importance in sonic wave manipulation for the next 30 years.
This example works perfectly and includes the original mic stand adapter, which mounts to the underside of the chassis. While these infrequently pop up on eBay, it is quite rare that example in such excellent shape is offered for sale, so don't miss out, this is a prime example."
1973 BALDWIN SYNTHA SOUND SN 254
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction
"For your consideration is this vintage 1973 Baldwin Syntha-Sound analog synthesizer by Gretsch & Baldwin. This particular example, serial number 254, is in excellent 100% all original condition and includes the original leatherette cover! Not much has been documented about this very low production synth, other than the fact that it is exceedingly rare, and finding one in perfect working condition seems to be near impossible. Sold along side its more famous electric harpsichord counterpart, this would make an unbelievable accessory, and would perfectly complement it in every way. Fantastic for analog synth fanatics, and studios low on real estate but high on tone, this is a great piece for most anyone who enjoys interesting musical instruments and hard-to-find synths.
This walnut-encased monosynth features a built-in amplifier with speakers. Simple in design and particularly elementary in respect to its sound options, Baldwin felt that this synth somehow competed with Moog, as suggested by their sales pitch "move over Moog." And while it certainly isn't in the same category, as it is not quite a serious synth, it is what the synth doesn't do that makes it charming and accessible. The simple sound palette is organic and usable, and perhaps more relevant today than it was at the time of its release. Think 8-bit, but better. This is definitely a fantastic choice for an introductory analog synth, or for those who prefer to literally plug-in-and-play. Several audio clips are available online."
via this auction
"For your consideration is this vintage 1973 Baldwin Syntha-Sound analog synthesizer by Gretsch & Baldwin. This particular example, serial number 254, is in excellent 100% all original condition and includes the original leatherette cover! Not much has been documented about this very low production synth, other than the fact that it is exceedingly rare, and finding one in perfect working condition seems to be near impossible. Sold along side its more famous electric harpsichord counterpart, this would make an unbelievable accessory, and would perfectly complement it in every way. Fantastic for analog synth fanatics, and studios low on real estate but high on tone, this is a great piece for most anyone who enjoys interesting musical instruments and hard-to-find synths.
This walnut-encased monosynth features a built-in amplifier with speakers. Simple in design and particularly elementary in respect to its sound options, Baldwin felt that this synth somehow competed with Moog, as suggested by their sales pitch "move over Moog." And while it certainly isn't in the same category, as it is not quite a serious synth, it is what the synth doesn't do that makes it charming and accessible. The simple sound palette is organic and usable, and perhaps more relevant today than it was at the time of its release. Think 8-bit, but better. This is definitely a fantastic choice for an introductory analog synth, or for those who prefer to literally plug-in-and-play. Several audio clips are available online."
Quick Note on Auction Posts
Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Moving forward auction posts will only feature a few select pics. If you are interested in the rest you can find them at the listing. This is actually more in line with other posts. This applies to MATRIXSYNTH-B as well.
PREVIOUS PAGE
NEXT PAGE
HOME
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH