Dean Friedman of New York School of Synthesis back in the day. This is a great intro to sound synthesis. Currently Dean is an indie recording artist with a slew of international chart hits and critically acclaimed albums to his credit. You can see what he's currently up to on his website www.deanfriedman.com and his YouTube channel www.youtube.com/deanfriedman.
I want to thank Dean Friedman for giving me the permission to put these up and swissdoc for sending them.
Dean Friedman on Wikipedia - be sure to see his full bio for his musical accomplishments. The following is just a portion pertaining to his book on synthesis, the "New York School of Synthesis", and this video:
"In 1985, Friedman produced a seminal work on the newly emerging synthesizer industry called Complete Guide to Synthesizers, Sequencers, and Drum Machines. Whilst dated, this tome is still of use in evaluating devices that crop up on the second-hand market. Friedman also set up the "New York School of Synthesis" and provided a series of videos entitled Intro to Synthesis'. Friedman presents the rudiments of this topic in an audio-visual format, whilst incorporating a unique sense of humor." Note the videos must be from 1988 or later as they reference the Korg M1. Thanks goes to Caixa in the comments for catching this.
Synth Trivia: At the end of the video the credits mention the synths were provided by The Music Connection in Happinger Falls, N.Y. I did a quick search on them and nothing came up.
Note: I added a link to this post in both the Synth Books and Synth Movies sections. There's actually two copies of Complete Guide to Synthesizers, Sequencers, and Drum Machines on Amazon [link] at the time of this post.
Intro to Synthesis Part 2 - Types of Synthesis & Programming Examples
Intro to Synthesis Part 3 - Additional Synth Features, Performance Controls & Wrap Up
YouTube Published on Aug 20, 2012 by ASKVideoTutorials
Playlist (note these are previews, see the macProVideo link below to purchase full episodes):
Foundations Of Synthesis 101: The Synthesis Of Synthesis - "In this 1st course in the 6-part series on the Foundation Of Synthesis: The Synthesis Of Synthesis, Bob Moog Foundation lead educator, Marc Doty, introduces you to the basic concepts of the physics of sound. Here you'll learn all about the two foundational ingredients of sound and synthesis, frequency and amplitude, and how they interact in myriads of ways to create every aspect of what makes sound... SOUND!!"
Foundations of Synthesis 102: The Oscillator - "This 2nd course in the 6-part series on the Foundation Of Synthesis is all about Oscillators. Bob Moog Foundation lead educator, Marc Doty, introduces you to the basic concepts of sound generation and waveforms.You'll see and hear these waveforms in action as master synthesist, Marc Doty, brings out his arsenal of "collector" synths and explains the details of what made these famous analog and digital instruments tick!"
The Foundation Of Synthesis 103: The Filter - "If Oscillators generate sound, then do Filters degenerate sound? Find out in this 3rd course in the 6-part series on the Foundation Of Synthesis that is all about Filters and Subtractive Synthesis. Bob Moog Foundation lead educator, Marc Doty, introduces you to the basic concepts of sound filtering. You'll learn about cut-off frequencies, resonance modulation and more as you watch every filtered waveform displayed on an Oscilloscope."
Foundation Of Synthesis 104: Control Voltage - "Control Voltages are the workers behind the faceplate in modular and semi-modular synthesizers. Learn how to generate and employ these invisible knob turners in this 4th course in our Foundation Of Synthesis series by Marc Doty and the Bob Moog Foundation."
Foundation Of Synthesis 105: VCAs, Envelopes, Ring Modulation and More! - "Now that you understand the basics, expert synthesist Marc Doty shows you everything you need to know about Envelopes, LFO's, Ring Modulation, Sample and Hold, Noise and much more. Watch how these principles of synthesis take shape on Marc's collection of vintage synths in this 5th course on The Foundation of Synthesis by The Bob Moog Foundation."
Foundation Of Synthesis 106: Sound Design - "In this course Marc Doty "synthesizes" all the knowledge in the previous 5 courses and applies it to sound design. See how all the classic synths and sonic concepts come together in this final course in the Foundation Of Synthesis series by the Bob Moog Foundation ...exclusively at macProVideo.com."
"Hey Folks, Dean Friedman here with a friendly suggestion: if you're finding it a challenge to stay up for those all-night synth sessions, our New York School of Synthesis Coffee Mugs (filled with your favorite java, tea or other stimulating beverage) is the ideal solution for modulating those waveforms, oscillators and envelopes and tweaking those filters into shape.
And, of course, we've got plenty of New York School of Synthesis T-Shirts in stock, in both classic white and night-owl black. These classic T's are the epitome of synth fashion. Wearing your NYSS T-shirt out in public will show that you have your finger on the popular pulse wave of the bleeding edge of synth culture. (note: I have no idea what that actually means). Plus they're cool!
Update: I wanted to add some additional info on Dean. The video above and Intro to Synthesis are obviously from back in the day. Currently Dean is an indie recording artist with a slew of international chart hits and critically acclaimed albums to his credit. You can see what he's currently up to on his website www.deanfriedman.com and his YouTube channel www.youtube.com/deanfriedman. Be sure to check them out and subscribe!
Playlist:
1. How To Learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer – Tutorial: Fundamentals of FM Synthesis, Algorithm
"This is a foundation level tutorial and it’s the first Yamaha DX7 & FM synthesis tutorial from the FM synthesis tutorial series. This how to learn tutorial gives you an overview of the most important aspect of the Yamaha DX7 and FM synthesis, Algorithm.
Algorithm plays a critical role in the FM synthesis sound design. It determines how all Operators (oscillator with envelop generator) interact with one another. The DX7 algorithm offers both frequency modulation synthesis as well as additive synthesis. Having 32 options of different algorithm, the DX7 FM synthesis offers greater versatility of sonic creation."
2. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer - Tutorial: FM Synthesis Sound Design Tub Bells Part 1
"I will use the famous Tub Bells patch as an example for the FM sound design process. I will take you through the DX7 FM parameters, including Algorithm, Feedback and Oscillator. The reason why I picked the famous Tub Bells patch is that it is one of my favourite (and I'm sure a lot of people like the iconic DX7 sound), and it is one of the easiest patch to explain how the FM synthesis works to beginners and new comers to the DX7 and FM synthesis. Initially I will focus on analysing the famous Tub Bells patch, then I will going into improving the famous sound using Priority Parameters."
3. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer - Tutorial: FM Synthesis Sound Design Tub Bells Part 2
"This is a third tutorial of the FM synthesis tutorial series that I’m planning. As I need to cater for a wider audience, I decided to create this ‘how to’ tutorial series from the very beginning, starting from the very basics of the FM synthesis and Yamaha DX7 synthesizer."
4. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer - Tutorial: FM synthesis Sound Design Tub Bells Part 3
"This is a fourth tutorial of the FM synthesis tutorial series that I’m planning. As I need to cater for a wider audience, I decided to create this ‘how to’ tutorial series from the very beginning, starting from the very basics of the FM synthesis and Yamaha DX7 synthesizer.
Continuing on from the Part 2, I will revise the DX7 envelop generator as it can be complex and confusing for people new to the FM synthesis. In a nutshell, the DX7 has basically 6 advanced ADSR type envelops. After the revision, I will introduce more Priority Parameters such as Keyboard Rate Scaling, Output Level and Key Velocity Sensitivity. You will learn how the famous Tub Bells patch was created using the FM sound design process."
5. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer - Tutorial: FM synthesis Tub Bells Improvement Part 1
6. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer - Tutorial: FM Synthesis Algorithm Interchangeability
7. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer: FM synthesis – Sound Design Tub Bells Improvement Part 2
8. How to learn Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer: FM synthesis – Sound Design Tub Bells Improvement Part 3
Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope 2012 treated you well and I wish you the best in 2013!
As I do each year, I thought I'd reflect a little on the past year. These posts are always difficult to write, and I always wing them, so bear with me. It's impossible to justify a whole year's worth of synth coverage in a single post. The following is just a small bit of what comes to mind when looking back. You'll find a top ten list of posts with the most page views followed by my picks for the year further below. Apologies if I miss anything, and of course, if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below. I'm curious what you, the readers of the site, felt stood out in the world of synths this past year.
First, I want to begin this post with a HUGE THANK YOU!!! If you are reading this it obviously means you have come to this site and some of you have been coming here for years! Thank you for sticking with me. This site is a journey I hope to continue for years to come. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to showcase their synths, and thank you to those that share what they find! Thank you to those that link to the site and help spread the word on MATRIXSYNTH via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and your own websites! And of course, THANK YOU to all the sponsors on the right who believe in the site enough to support it!
A nod to previous New Years posts, pictured to the left is the MATRIXSYNTH world domination map. :) I always think it's worth taking a look at who's watching the site. Synths are global and you are looking at a map of the readers of MATRIXSYNTH. Everything you see in green represents a visit from that country. The darker the green, the higher the number of visits. This is just for the year, but for the life of the site, we still haven't gotten a single hit from North Korea! I don't know what they have against synths! ;) You'll find the top 10 visits by country further below.
This is the eighth New Year the site has gone through! The focus for the site this year has been the same as previous years, and I plan to keep it that way. This site is about showcasing specific synths, not just synths in general, and not just news and press releases. The focus is on the individual synths that have existed throughout history, the technology behind them, and the lives they lead with their odd owners, myself included. :) Yes it is about the gear, their makers, and their players. It has always been my opinion that synths in general have a tendency to be undervalued. Compared to say collectible guitars, they are often discarded and devalued in favor of next year's model, next year's technology. It has always been my opinion that every synth has something of value to offer, something specific and something unique that gives it its character. I built this site to showcase that. This site is about the history of synths as their history unfolds - videos and images of synths being played and used, by both those that make them and those that play them. Vintage synths being offered in the second hand market, being exchanged from one sonic explorer to the next. It really is a wondrous thing. Think of the magic synthesizers bring into your world. That is what this site is ultimately about. Some posts may not seem to make sense now, but they will in time, because they will be a look back in time. A day in the life of a particular synthesizer. I love analog and I love digital. I love all synths and this site celebrates that.
And now for a little reflection on the year. This year we had a total of 16678 posts including this one. That comes out to roughly 45.69 posts a day. Not a single day of the year went without a post. So what dominated the synth year? Mobile, modulars and a few dedicated hardware synths.
This one in via Alan, spotted on Creative Review. James Houston who created the video brought us a number of other brilliant pieces using vintage computer gear. You'll find links to them at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check them out. And of course, be sure to see the holiday channel below for more holiday posts! Some great ones have come in so far.
"Season's Greetings and best wishes from The Glasgow School of Art for 2014.
This year's seasonal e-card comes from alumnus James Houston. James graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 2008 with a first class degree in Visual Communication. He works in Glasgow as a moving image maker. http://www.1030.co.uk
The ensemble: A collection of vintage Mac computers, a Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum + 1 and a SEGA Mega Drive perform a rendition of 'Carol of the Bells' with lyrics re-written by Robert Florence & Philip Larkin in the Mackintosh Library at The Glasgow School of Art. Jacket by Ten30.co.uk (Alan Moore, GSA Textiles alumnus 2008).
James aimed to create a piece of Christmas music by appropriating past Christmas gifts. "I discovered that a few had the capability for speech synthesis so the obvious next step was to figure out how to assemble a choir." he said. "This is a process which is based on the last piece of work I did as a student at GSA." (See James' Degree Show film - Big Ideas (Don't Get Any).
Lyrics: Carol of the Bells
HAIL THE MACHINES
SWEET OLD MACHINES
BLOW OFF THE DUST
WIPE OFF THE RUST
CHRISTMAS HAS COME
JOY IS FORETOLD
FOR THOSE OF US
YOU NEVER SOLD
Sound designers to converge on St Cloud Minnesota for over 24 hours of lecture/demonstrations, 9 hours of hands-on workshops, and 3 nights of live music, cinema and improvisation
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, June 26 - The fourth annual Kyma International Sound Symposium (KISS2012) - to take place September 13-16 at St Cloud State University School of the Arts in St Cloud, Minnesota - will include over 24 hours of technical sessions presented by Kyma experts, 9 hours of hands-on labs, and evenings filled with live music and live cinema showcasing some of the most outstanding work created in Kyma this year.
Since the inaugural symposium in Barcelona in 2009, KISS attendees around the world have benefited from the extensive technical training, aesthetic inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration that KISS is known to deliver. This year, more than 100 sound designers, composers, performers, filmmakers, game designers, authors, audio engineers, educators, and students are expected to participate in KISS2012.
"The dual nature of this year's theme - reel time || real time - has attracted an incredibly diverse group of people! It's just a great learning opportunity for everyone involved." - Scott Miller, professor of music composition at St Cloud State University School of the Arts and host of this year's KISS.
Throughout the four-day event, sound designers will be able to explore the latest innovations, features, and capabilities of the Kyma Sound Design Language and learn how to optimize their work flow so they can create amazing new sounds for film, games, music and more. Kyma practitioners are invited to bring their own Sounds to the labs where they can work with Kyma developers and fellow Kyma practitioners to enhance their results.
"One of our passions is to partner with Kyma users to help bring their creations to life. There is no better way to maximize your Kyma skills and discover new collaborative opportunities than by participating in the Kyma International Sound Symposium." - Carla Scaletti, president of Symbolic Sound Corporation, co-host of KISS2012.
If you are obsessed with sound - whether a novice seeking to kickstart your career, an expert looking to take your mastery to the next level, or someone who's simply curious about sound design and Kyma - KISS2012 is your chance to immerse yourself in sound and ideas for four intense and inspiring days and nights. The deadline for discounted registration is August 10, 2012: http://bit.ly/J7URvC
NEW YORK, NY, USA: having sold out of its initial production run, unique products-producing hardware startup Physical Synthesis is proud to announce that it is working with San Clemente, CA, USA-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers (https://www.electro-distro.com/dealers) to bring its game-changing Cicada — an ‘acoustic synthesizer’ that transforms electronic signals into physical vibrations that can be fully manipulated before being reconverted back into a new, never-heard-before electronic sound — to a wider audience in advance of Nymph, its upcoming Eurorack module…
It is fair to say that every once in a while, a moment comes along whereby human interaction with sound changes completely. Cicada is effectively one of those moments — one of those new instruments that moves the needle in music technology. Indeed, it is pioneered by unique products-producing hardware startup Physical Synthesis as an ‘acoustic synthesizer’ that transforms electronic signals into physical vibrations that can be fully manipulated before being reconverted back into a new, never-heard-before electronic sound. Says company founder Spencer Topel: “Cicada was the first step in introducing physical synthesis methods to the synth community; it is an award-winning interface that really lets musicians explore microscopic sounds with precise control.” Clearly, Cicada made musical waves when winning the Judge’s Special Award at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2022, hosted by Georgia Tech School of Music — one of the few schools in North America that offers Music Technology as a major in undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D levels of study — as an annual event dedicated to identifying the newest and greatest ideas in music.
Musical waves notwithstanding, ‘noise' is a subjective term; while electromechanical devices like speakers or headphones try to minimise the distortion inevitably introduced in physical systems, Cicada is designed to precisely exploit these distortion products as the basis of a new kind of synthesis. Cicada converts voltages to vibrations in a mechanical oscillator to create intermodulation — the addition of frequency content in a nonlinear system — in place of typical analogue or digital oscillators. By bringing the signal chain into a physical space, Cicada allows users to shape such content with natural, tactile gestures that truly transcend twiddling with a knob or pushing a slider. “As a violinist and composer, my experience of creating sound is highly physical,” proclaims Spencer Topel, adding: “With Cicada, I wanted to make an instrument that connects these elements, allowing musicians to produce complex, compelling sounds, but through tactile interaction.”
Insofar as actually doing what it does, Cicada receives two Eurorack-level signals that drive oscillation in a cantilevered Bridge positioned atop a Soundboard at an adjustable height. Digging deeper, distortion caused by the Bridge-Soundboard interaction adds frequency content to the input, determined by the specific qualities of the system. Self-explanatory Polycarbonate Soundboard, Foam Soundboard — made of EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) foam, and Wood Soundboard — made of Birdseye maple — options each provide a range of resonating/filtering properties that combine uniquely with the likes of the Coral Wing Bridge — tip made of solid oak (resulting in a bright, clear tone), Coral Dual Tip Wing Bridge — tip made of premium rubber (allowing for a hard, precise attack with a balanced low-end), and Grey Wing Bridge — tip made of soft neoprene foam (resulting in a mellow, balanced acoustic effect); each pairing opens up a portal to a distinct sonic universe.
Users can dynamically change the system (and, therefore, how it is transforming signals) by adjusting the Bridge height, changing the region and degree of contact between Bridge and Soundboard, or applying pressure to either — effecting real-time, tactile timbral control, in other words.
With that being said, premium vibration damping materials, such as Delrin, and custom circuitry minimise unwanted noise, allowing the intermodulation products to shine, while the output, captured by a pickup microphone positioned beneath the Soundboard, can be monitored directly, processed modularly, or recorded into a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
With behaviours akin to those exhibited by a traditional acoustic instrument, Cicada is highly responsive to differences in the excitation mechanism — the input signal, in other words. As an example, striking a snare drum with a stick or using it with brushes produce vastly different-sounding results; driving Cicada with quiet or loud, spectrally simple or complex, or bass- or treble-heavy signals similarly yield very different timbres.
Though Cicada is designed to work with a Eurorack setup out of the box, one of its strengths lies in its inherent flexibility. Indeed, it can just as easily receive signals from a DAW, boosted to the appropriate 5-10Vpp level via an outboard mixer. Moreover, the choice of input is completely left open to the user: an Ableton Live loop run through Cicada acting as a physical filter to provide timbral variety over time, for example; an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) from a Eurorack module, generating rich percussive tones on the maple Soundboard as the foundation of a beat; or a harmonically dense signal — similar to the output of a Max/MSP FM patch (which many would, without doubt, prefer to navigate physically rather than digitally) — made by moving the Bridge around the Soundboard to amplify certain harmonics and suppress others, finding a grittier sound with the Bridge barely touching or coaxing a more ethereal tone with it centred and depressed.
Endless exploration possibilities are a given, guaranteeing that any sonically-ambitious Cicada user is likely to while away the hours playing with input signals, system configurations, gestures, modulation combinations, and more.
It is hardly surprising, then, that Physical Synthesis sold out of its initial Cicada production run, really hitting a home run by counting luminaries like renowned electronic music composer and performer Hainbach — citing Cicada as being “The Tesla of electro-acoustic workstations, miles ahead of standard piezo and solenoid boxes...” — and Ableton CEO Gerhard Behles amongst its fan base, and has now turned to working with US-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers to bring its game-changing ‘acoustic synthesizer’ to a wider audience. “I want to bring acoustic synthesis to a wider range of musicians,” maintains Spencer Topel, before ending on a high note: “We are building some really exciting expansions of Cicada to different formats, including a Eurorack module called Nymph, which is coming soon.”
Physical Synthesis’ ‘acoustic synthesizer’ is now available as Cicada Founders Edition Extended — encompassing two dual AMPs, one PRE, one Actuator, five Bridges, three Soundboards, three Meanwell power supplies, three custom SATA Cables, and one custom Nanuk 935 Flight Case — for $2,700.00 USD or as Cicada Pro Series individual modules — starting at $79.00 USD — via San Clemente, CA, USA-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers (https://www.electro-distro.com/dealers) or directly from Physical Synthesis’ online Shop (https://shop.physical-synthesis.com).
"Just in time for the upcoming holidays, I'm pleased to announce the official New York School of Synthesis Coffee Mug!
That's right! Ponder the elements of sound with a warm cup of java sipped from an official New York School of Synthesis - Coffee Mug, guaranteed to keep you wired all day and all night in the studio!"
A number of people have been asking for the "New York School of Synthesis" T-Shirt featured in the Intro to Synthesis tutorials featured here and directly on YouTube. I'm happy to let you know that Dean wrote in and they are now available!
"Hey Folks, You can now order your very own New York School of Synthesis T-Shirt in the ORDER section of www.DeanFriedman.com Syntherely, Dean Friedman NYSS"
Be sure to see the notes from Barry on the synths used further below.
"Barry Schrader’s Monkey King CD has been released by Innova Recordings on Innova 703. The CD contains music inspired by the five elements of ancient Chinese tradition in Wu Xing – Cycle of Destruction, and by stories from the great Chinese classic Journey to the West.
Wu Xing - Cycle of Destruction deals with the Chinese concept of Wu Xing, the five elements in ancient Chinese tradition: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These are important in Chinese astrology, medicine, and BaGua, a system of trigrams used in Fengshui and other areas of Chinese life and culture. The five elements are often arranged in one of two cycles: the cycle of birth, ending with earth, or, as in this work, the cycle of destruction: metal, wood, earth, water, fire. Wu Xing - Cycle of Destruction explores these elements in transcendent ways. The Metal and Wood sections are aural depictions of the elemental density of the mediums, while Earth considers the metaphysics of planetary rotation and revolution. Water reflects on the conceptual aspects of the world's oceans at various depths, voyaging from the darkest abyss to the light of distant shores. Finally, in Fire, there are the physical and spiritual effects of all-engulfing flames.
Monkey King is based on scenes from the classic Chinese book Journey to the West, written around 1550 by Wu Cheng-en. Considered one of the great classics of Chinese literature, the book chronicles the adventures of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, one of the most fascinating fictional characters ever created. Barry Schrader has taken some of the most famous scenes from this book and created Monkey King, a new electronic music journey into the imagined past of Chinese legend. In the tradition of Schrader's Lost Atlantis, Monkey King explores an immense imaginary aural landscape.
"Monkey King is a colorful combination of Schrader's recognizably arousing orchestral maneuvers with an immediate melodic appeal, gentle harmonic textures, and electronic echoes of traditional Chinese instruments. While individual elements sound strangely familiar, the resulting entity is without direct reference, a style which is as timeless as it is futuristic and which revels an ancient mythology with the tools of today. Without a single doubt, this piece is the most accessible in Schrader's oeuvre."
Some of the scenes depicted in Schrader's Monkey King are the birth of Monkey, his underwater journey to visit the palace of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea where Monkey takes possession of the Staff of the Milky Way, Monkey's attempt to jump over Buddha's palm, and Monkey's apotheosis in becoming the Buddha Victorious in Strife.
Barry Schrader has been acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as "a composer born to the electronic medium," named "a seminal composer of electro-acoustic music" by Journal SEAMUS, and described by Gramophone as a composer of "approachable electronic music with a distinctive individual voice to reward the adventurous." "There's a great sweep to Schrader's work that puts it more in line with ambitious large-scale electronic works by the likes of Stockhausen (Hymnen), Eloy (Shanti) and Henry (take your pick), a line that can be traced backwards to Mahler, Bruckner and Beethoven." writes Dan Warburton of the Paris Transatlantic Magazine. Computer Music Journal states that Schrader’s "music withstands the test of time and stands uniquely in the American electronic music genre." Schrader's compositions for electronics, dance, film, video, mixed media, live/electro-acoustic music combinations, and real-time computer performance have been presented throughout the world. He has been a member of the Composition Faculty of the California Institute of the Arts School of Music since 1971, and has also taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the California State University at Los Angeles. His music is recorded on the Innova label. His web site is barryschrader.com."
I asked Barry what he used on the CD:
"As to what I used to compose 'Monkey King' and 'Wu Xing - Cycle of Destruction,' the only hardware I used (other than my Mac) was a Yamaha TX816. Here's a list of the software: Digital Performer, Unisyn, Peak, Rocket Science, and Cycling 74 Pluggo. The last two, of course, are bundles, and have multiple plugins, too many to name. DP also has a lot of plugins.
"As for synthesis techniques, I used additive synthesis, subtractive synthesis (including granular), amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and transfer functions, which, of course, involve the use of wavetable synthesis. So everything, including all of the sound sources, is digital. I know most of the people who visit your site love analog. I composed with analog equipment for many years, and I still enjoy hearing music created on analog systems. But I'm so used to working with computers now, that I don't think I could go back to analog, and I also don't think I could get the degree of control I need to compose the way I want.
"I work mainly in event lists so that I can specify data. All of the timbres for 'Monkey King' and 'Wu Xing - Cycle of Destruction' were designed specifically for these works. This is a general practice of mine and relates to my compositional point of view. (There's some information on this on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Schrader.) As a result of these practices, I compose very slowly, and I average about 20 hours of work for 1 minute of music. There were times with 'Monkey King,' particularly Part 2, where the work was so strenuous that I had to quit composing for several weeks in order to maintain my equilibrium. The composition of that movement alone stretched out over 6 months.
"I think these may be the last works that I compose with the TX816. I've bought Native Instruments Complete 5 package and have been porting my timbral designs into FM8, which allows for more possibilities than the Yamaha 6-operator design. I'm also learning other programs in the NI package, mainly those that allow me to create electronic material directly. I remain rather uninterested in dealing with concrete (acoustic) sound files. Everything on the 'Monkey King' CD, by the way, as is true of almost all of my music, is electronic. The only computer concrete piece that I did was 'Beyond,' and that was done on the old WaveFrame workstation at UCSB. I'm also going to get additional software for my next big work, which I'll probably begin in January, as I have a sabbatical from CalArts next year. I have a need to keep pushing myself to create new things in new ways. It may be difficult to top some aspects of the music on the 'Monkey King' CD, which, I think is some of my best, but I'm not going to worry about it. For me, each new work is its own universe."
Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in. New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process. If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com. This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!
"Everyone should check out this link for info about Boston School Of Electronic Music, founded by Jim Michmerhuizen, who also wrote the original Manual for the ARP 2600. Somewhere at the site is a pdf with a graet patch for the 2600 by Jim in 1972. A SAMPLE/HOLD PATCH THAT SWINGS. http://2little2late.org/BSEM/"
via the website:
"The Boston School of Electronic Music was "founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in May of 1972 by Jim Michmerhuizen, BSEM was the first independent school of electronic music in the United States.
Closing in 1978 as the result of a catastrophic fire, BSEM was a focal point for those interested in electronic music synthesis. This site is an attempt to preserve some of the history and culture, and to document that unique moment in the late 20th century..."
An interesting side note according to this post, "a former ARP engineer told me that this was a side project of a ARP/Aries engineer for the Boston School of Electronic Music."
I'm curious if this was Jim Michmerhuizen's or Dennis Colin's, the engineer behind the ARP 2600 and Aries modular. If anyone knows, feel free to leave a comment below. A search for Jim Michmerhuizen on the site brings up a couple of previous posts but no mention of Aries.
Updates via the comments:
Fletcher Ingram:
"The person in question is Ron Rivera. I can't find where I saw that he was evolved in the ARP techy stuff department, but the following link: "http://www.gentleelectric.com/AriesMusic.html" indicates his having done work for Aries Music and that he did fix, clean, restore all things synthesizers. In his dining room was either a Moog 55 or 35 continuously being worked on, or it was the dining room table. You also had to be aware of the rabbit droppings throughout his apartment. He help with the Aries analog Sequencer & Sequential Switch. He offered modified ARP2600 & Minimoogs, adding Sync and other enhancements. I work with him several times doing menial work. I attended & resided at BSEM for several years before it closed as a student, house keeper, office boy, and Lab assistant. I may have embellished a few things here, but I was indeed involved with most things going on at BSEM in the middle to late 1970s. BSEM was a hell of an experience that I will remember till I go to be with Lord. If further info and corrections are needed:
Fletcher Ingram
626.768.8784
fletcher_ingram@yahoo.com
YesTalesRSOG74@yahoo.com"
Michael Wm. Gilbert
"According to Jim M. this synth predated Aries. Per Jim:
'This is a picture of the big synthesizer BSEM built for Wesleyan University around 1974. This was basically Bob Snowdale's initiative; he came to us from W.U. having studied with Alvin Lucier there. Later, of course, Snowdale went on to found Aries.'
Somewhere there was also a big customized Moog synthesizer that we (BSEM) installed at UMass Boston in the mid 70's. Bob Moog himself came, and after it was set I enjoyed driving him back to the airport and hanging out with him while waiting for his flight.
For Fletcher - Ron Rivera's bunny was named Pummel :)"
"New York School of Synthesis T-Shirts in both black and white (sizes: S, M, L, XL) ready to ship all over the planet in plenty of time for the upcoming Holidays. And if you're looking for something different to get for your favorite synthesist (including yourself) we've got a hearty stock of New York School of Synthesis Coffee Mugs. They're the perfect solution for recovering from those late-night synth sessions, wrestling with wayward waveforms and fickle filters, with a steaming cuppa liquid caffein (or hot-chocolate or tea, if that's how your roll). You'll be the envy of all your friends, when out and about, sporting one of these fine NYSS T-Shirts (in black or white). Place your order's now and they'll ship in plenty of time for the upcoming holidays."
"Watch Tristan from School of Synthesis make a track using only the incredible Nina Synth in morph mode!
It’s exciting to see some truly compelling synthesis innovation coming out of School of Synthesis' home town Melbourne Australia. In this video, Tristan explores the expressive sounds of the Melbourne Instruments NINA synth with its morphing functionality and hybrid analog/digital oscillator section. It’s also extremely helpful from an educational / sound design perspective to see exactly how each parameter is changing as a sound morphs from one layer to another thanks to NINA’s trademark motorised knobs.
"The TimewARP 2600 Manual is free and full of information about our product and how to use it.
Even better, the TimewARP 2600 Manual contains an entire chapter on audio synthesis basics written by Jim Michmerhuizen, the author of the original ARP 2600 Manual and Founder and Director of the Boston School of Electronic Music.
Essential reading for anyone interested in the vocabulary and methods of classical analog synthesis."
Update: Originally this post pointed to a pdf download of the manual I found on the web. It was brought to my attention that the author Jim Michmerhuizen was still selling the manual in hard copy. I updated the link to his site instead. I did a search for the manual and found a copy of the pdf immediately. I'm curious what others think of scanning manuals and making them available for download in general. Good mojo or bad mojo?
Update 2: via Sam Ecoff on AH: "I thought I'd weigh in on this as I own two different versions of the ARP 2600 manual. I own the original Tonus version, which I believe was authored mostly by David Friend (somebody please correct me if I'm mistaken) and the later ARP version written by Jim. While both are interesting reads from a historical point of view, they both share the same general weakness in my point of view: unless you already have a solid understanding of modular synthesis, they are a tough nut to crack for a newbie. For those that are interested, I put up a scan of my copy of the Tonus version (which is out of print, btw) here: link."
Update 3 via loren in the comments of this post: "The ethics of copywrite aside, I thought it should be pointed out that you can download a legit free pdf version of the Arp 2600 manual at the Way Out Ware's website, which you can find here. From my understanding after talking to Jim and the guys at WOW a couple NAMMs back that he gave them permission to use the original manual for their software version."
Update 4: You can find the Boston School of Electronic Music website here. Based on the copyright date of 2015 - 2016, I'm guessing it launched in 2015. If anyone knows otherwise, feel free to leave a comment.
"Summer is full of all kinds of wonderful treats, and the subject of our raffle is no exception.
We are excited to be launching our summer raffle for a vintage Memorymoog Plus synthesizer in excellent technical and physical condition. As you know by now, our raffles provide both a very lucky winner with an extraordinary synthesizer as well as providing the Bob Moog Foundation with important funding for our hallmark education project, Dr. Bob's SoundSchool, and for the preservation of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives.
In addition to the long list of the unique functionality of the Memorymoog, the Memorymoog Plus differs from the original model by its added features of a MIDI interface, sequencer, and enhanced oscillator stability. Its lauded sonic power comes from the three oscillators per each of the six voices, resulting in a staggering total of 18 oscillators! It also boasts six amps, six filters, 12 ADSR envelopes, and has an estimated value of $10,000.
As if all of that wasn't enough, the karma factor on this instrument is extremely high. Many thanks to Lee Keeley who donated the Memorymoog Plus to us, and to synth tech extraordinaire Wes Taggart, who donated his careful restoration of the instrument. Your support has made this raffle possible!
The Bob Moog Foundation has spent the past six years educating almost 10,000 elementary school children about the science of sound through our hallmark educational project Dr. Bob's SoundSchool. This summer we expanded on that effort and by providing two weeks of summer camp to middle school students who spent every day learning about the science of synthesis at the Asheville Museum of Science's STEM Lab.
The interactive camp, taught by former Moog Music engineer August Worley, introduced the basic principles of synthesis through synthesizers, oscilloscopes, custom educational materials, and through small synthesizer components developed by littleBits.
The curriculum that we created for the camps is our first step in developing a Dr. Bob's SoundSchool program for grades 6-8. Thank you for your continued support as we grow this important educational initiative!
Hope your summer has been full of sound, exploration, and discovery, too!"
What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.
This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic, My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.
All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.
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New Manufacturers & Makers
Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year. This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year. It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them. One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us. Think about that for a moment. These are makers and designs that did not exist before. They are part of our synth history. So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.
Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):
