SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim)

Published on Jun 16, 2015 THE MUSICIAN NETWORK (TMNtv)

"At Sweetwater's GearFest 2015, we were extremely lucky to have attended & filmed a one-of-a-kind seminar & panel discussion with three (3) HUGE contributors (i.e. 'The Inventors') of = The Synthesizer: Mr. Roger Linn, Mr. Dave Smith and Mr. Tom Oberheim. If you are an Electronic Musician and a synth-lover, then you NEED to watch this video, in its' entirety. Great Thanks to Sweetwater for putting this seminar & panel on during GearFest! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)"

Update:

Tom Oberheim Interviewed by Sweetwater Sound

Published on Jun 29, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synthesizer legend Tom Oberheim for a special interview at Sweetwater's GearFest 2015. A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth."

Dave Smith Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jun 22, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synth pioneer Dave Smith here at Sweetwater Sound. Dave was visiting Sweetwater for GearFest '15, featuring a special panel discussion between Dave Smith, Roger Linn, and Tom Oberheim.

Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6."

The first soft synth ever, Seer Systems Reality, gets a mention.

Roger Linn Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jul 10, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller.

The Sweetwater Minute, Vol. 298"

Pittsburgh Modular System 10.1 Semi-modular Analog Synthesizer Demo - Sweetwater Sound?!

Published on Dec 4, 2014 SweetwaterSound

"Richard Nicol from Pittsburgh Modular presents the System 10.1 semi-modular analog synthesizer."

Great demo from Richard Nicol aside, I almost titled this post "Eurorack Goes Mainstream with Sweetwater" or "Eurorack Comes to Sweetwater". That's the news actually. Eurorack is now available at one of the largest mainstream music shops. I did a quick search on Sweetwater for "modular synth" and currently only Pittsburgh is listed. I thought they might only have their all-in-one mini systems, but there are some individual modules as well. Note Sweetwater is not a sponsor of MATRIXSYNTH, so no link for them! ;) I joined their affiliate program at one point but nothing ever came of it, so I felt I was giving them free advertising at the expense of my actual sponsors you see on the right of the site. That and I prefer to support those that put up the initial effort and risk to support the boutique synthesizer market to begin with.

All that said, this is an interesting bit of synth history when you think about it. Modular has been going mainstream for a while now (which is great! The more support manufactures get, the more we likely get to play with), but this is definitely one of those interesting moments. Is it a tipping point in either direction or will things remain as is? Eurorack at Sweetwater... They beat Guitar Center and Musicians Friend and Pittsburgh was first.

Pittsburgh Modular Foundation 3 Modular Analog Synthesizer Demo - Sweetwater Sound

Sweetwater - Muse Receptor Spirit Virtual Instrument

Sweetwater - Muse Receptor Spirit Virtual Instrument from Sweetwater Sound on Vimeo.

"Sweetwater's in-house sound designer Daniel Fisher discusses the Sweetwater-exclusive Muse Receptor Spirit. It's a virtual instrument player for live performance that's packed with modern and traditional worship-specific sounds that we've created. Plus, it's also got Native Instruments' tremendous Komplete 5 collection, so you'll have all the right sounds and instrument voices for worship services — available in just one super-portable device. For more info: sweetwater.com/store/detail/ReceptorSpirit/"

Moog Little Phatty Stage II Sweetwater Exclusive Solar CV Edition

"Exclusively from Sweetwater, the custom Little Phatty Stage II combines new features and flexibility along with a new look that's sure to stand out in the crowd! The Little Phatty Stage II is an analog synth with the last sound engine designed by the late master innovator, Bob Moog. Little Phatty Stage II is the realization of Bob Moog's dream to combine his great analog sound with an instrument that is both accessible to most musicians in terms of price, and also designed for live performance. Sweetwater worked closely with Moog Music to find the perfect color for our exclusive edition of this popular analog synth. And to really take it over the top, we've had Moog pre-install the CV Output Option, giving this Sweetwater Solar CV Edition far more control and interfacing capabilities than the standard version. Moog Music Little Phatty Stage II Sweetwater Solar CV Edition at a Glance: * 37-key, true analog synthesizer with Real Analog Control * Exclusive "Solar" orange back panel extrusion * Control Voltage output modification pre-installed at the Moog factory * Multiple interfacing capabilities and universal power supply" more details at Sweetwater. via aves

Sweetwater - Korg M3 Expanded demo

Sweetwater - Korg M3 Expanded demo from Sweetwater Sound on Vimeo.

"Sweetwater - Korg M3 Expanded demo. More info at sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=s%3Am3series&go=Go%21. Korg's Rich Formidoni visited Sweetwater and demonstrated the new sounds and features of the expanded Korg M3."

Roland GAIA SH-01 Covers Pink Floyd, The Who, ELP & More

Roland GAIA SH-01 Demo with Daniel Fisher - Sweetwater Bonus Bank

YouTube via SweetwaterSound | February 08, 2011 |

"Hear a bank of 64 patches for the Roland GAIA SH-01, available only at Sweetwater. The bank comes preinstalled with GAIA SH-01s purchased at Sweetwater ( visit http://www.sweetwater.com/SH01 ) and is available separately for those who already have a GAIA (visit http://www.sweetwater.com/SH01patches ). You can also call (800) 222-4700 to learn more."

Sweetwater Minute - Vol. 193, Chick Corea Interview

Published on Apr 26, 2013 SweetwaterSound·1,413 videos

"Mitch interviews jazz master Chick Corea, who visited Sweetwater for a workshop in celebration of our company being named the Moog Dealer of the Decade.

Moog sponsored the workshop with Corea, who took the stage before a capacity crowd in our Performance Theatre. Corea played and answered questions for nearly 2-1/2 hours, then signed autographs, met and talked with fans, and posed for photos after the show. Corea's gear included a vintage Rhodes electric piano (courtesy of Sweetwater's studios), a Moog Voyager XL, and a Moog Moogerfooger MF-104M analog delay. See them at the links below:

Moog Voyager XL - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VoyagerXL/
Moog Moogerfooger MF-104M - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MF104M/"

Sweetwater - Korg M50 Workstation demo

Sweetwater - Korg M50 Workstation demo from Sweetwater Sound on Vimeo.

"Sweetwater - Korg M50 Workstation demo. More info at sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=korg+m50&go=Go%21. Korg's Rich Formidoni demonstrates some of the most powerful features of the M50 workstation."

Moog Etherwave Plus Theremin Demo - Sweetwater GearFest '09 Exclusive

Moog Etherwave Plus Theremin Demo - Sweetwater GearFest '09 Exclusive from Sweetwater Sound on Vimeo.

"More info: sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=etherwave+theremin&go=Go%21
Linda Lafferty from Moog Music explains what a theremin is and gives a demo of Moog's Etherwave Plus theremin and its control voltage capabilities at Sweetwater's GearFest '09."

Sweetwater's Exclusive Moog "Little Phatty Stage II" Demo

YouTube via SweetwaterSound
"More info: http://www.sweetwater.com/PhattySWCVor
In this demo, Sweetwater's Daniel Fisher shows you the Moog Little Phatty Stage II Sweetwater-exclusive Solar CV Edition. It has a custom "Solar" Orange back panel and the CV output mod preinstalled for modular mayhem. Hear what it can do alongside Moogerfoogers and your other gear."

Alesis iO Dock Requires Separate Adapter for iPad 2?

via Ryan:
"I've pre-ordered the Alesis Studio Dock for my ipad 2, so it's encouraging to see some retailers now shipping. One is Sweetwater.

Now, alarming to me, is the 1st review at that retail site from someone who claims to have received one of these already...and finds it is not compatible with ipad 2 out of the box:

'The box is huge, and the dock is well packed. Includes power supply, a really skimpy manual...basically a quickstart guide that briefly explains the buttons, knobs, ins and outs, and so on, the I/O dock itself, and sadly enough, for you iPad 2 owners, a slip of paper telling you how to contact Alesis to order an adapter. Luckily for me, I have the iPad 1!'

WTF. Nowhere on the Alesis site does it say there is an adaptor required...or even available!

Consider my pre-order cancelled until I know more about this adaptor and its availability."

Quick note: remember to support the shops that support this site. See the DEALERS section on the right. Sweetwater gets a free ride on this one.

The full review:
"Alesis I/O dock arrived on my doorstep today! Sweetwater shipped yesterday. Thanks Matt, you guys rock!

CLICK FOR MORE »

Dave Smith Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jun 22, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synth pioneer Dave Smith here at Sweetwater Sound. Dave was visiting Sweetwater for GearFest '15, featuring a special panel discussion between Dave Smith, Roger Linn, and Tom Oberheim.

Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6."

The first soft synth ever, Seer Systems Reality, gets a mention.

See SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) for the panel and follow-up interviews.

Moog Sub Phatty Synthesizer Demo by Daniel Fisher - Sweetwater Sound

Published on Jan 21, 2013 SweetwaterSound·1,172 videos

"Get the Moog Sub Phatty right here: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SubPhatty/
Performance demo starts at 4:25

Sweetwater's Director of Production Optimization, Daniel Fisher, demonstrates the very cool Moog Sub Phatty 25-key synthesizer. Daniel really shows off the performance potential of the Sub Phatty, thanks to its generous array of dedicated knobs.

Daniel explains the architecture of the Sub Phatty and its connections before demonstrating just some of the sounds you can create with it. First he plays a range of sounds with just the Sub Phatty, then through some the Moog Clusterflux and MF-104M Delay pedals to show even more creative potential.

Enjoy the demo, and call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for more information on the Moog Sub Phatty. And click the link above to see the Sub Phatty in hi-res detail!"

Sweetwater Minute - Vol. 40, Demo of Roland GAIA SH-01 and V-Combo VR-700

YouTube via SweetwaterSound — May 28, 2010 — "More on the GAIA: http://bit.ly/GAIASH01. More on the VR-700: http://bit.ly/VR700.
In this Sweetwater Minute, Mitch Gallagher chats with Bob Bailey from Roland about the concepts behind the new GAIA SH-01 synth and V-Combo VR-700. Then, Sweetwater's Daniel Fisher plays both of them, showing many of the exclusive sounds he's created that will come included when you get one from Sweetwater."

Korg Officially Announces minilogue; Four-Voice Polyphonic Analog Synth

Korg Minilog: PlugInGuru Quick-e Tour

Published on Jan 14, 2016 PlugInGuru

The details are in. You'll find Korg's Press release with hi-res pics and specs below, but let's start with a few videos. Click here for new posts that have gone up in order.

"Under 2 min and you’re going to want to own one of this amazing synth. The RAW POWER and the WARM analog tone is incredible. Makes every software synth jealous as well. :D"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roger Linn: The King of Drum Machines

video upload by Jack Pearson

"This is the story of Roger Linn, a guitarist from Los Angeles whose innovative sample based drum machines changed the sound of music forever.

Special thanks to Roger himself for featuring my video in the September Linnstrument newsletter (https://myemail.constantcontact.com/L...) and on his website (https://www.rogerlinndesign.com).

I first learned about Roger a few years ago while making a film called “The History of Sampling in Music” [below]. While I didn’t know anything about Roger at the time, I was astounded to learn that he had created both the LinnDrum and the MPC, which shaped the punchy robotic drums of 80s pop music and the grungy experimental grooves of 90s hip-hop respectively. I did a quick bit of research about him for my video, but didn’t really dig much deeper than that… However, a few months ago I decided to rewatch my old project, which reignited my interest in Roger’s story and gave me the idea for this video.

Like my previous project, I’d initially planned to write a script and do a voice-over, but after discovering the assortment of recorded interviews that Roger has already appeared in, I realised that I could just chop them up and have Roger tell his own story. I thought 'hey that sounds pretty cool, how hard could it be?'

Well, let’s just say I’m probably never going to do something like this again. I did enjoy making this and I am proud of it, but if I had just done a voice-over not only would it have been easier to make, but I also could’ve included a lot information without it feeling incredibly clunky. The initial cut was about 26 minutes, but I cut out loads of stuff for the sake of pacing and trying to stick to narrative beats. Roger is a fascinating guy with a lot of great anecdotes though, so if you enjoyed this video then I highly recommend you seek out some of the podcasts/interviews he’s done over the years.

I planned on making all the music for this film myself, but decided it would be better to use music that relates to Roger in some way (for example, he co-wrote 'Promises' by Eric Clapton and 'Quittin’ Time' by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and first used the LM-1 Drum Computer on the Leon Russell album 'Life & Love' which featured the track 'One More Love Song'.) I salvaged one of these demo tracks for the credits, but you can listen it and a few more scrapped tracks here:

Jack Pearson · RL:TKODM (Credits Music + Demos)

Since you’ve read this far, here’s a few bonus Roger facts that got cut out of the video:

The LM-1 was featured on the best selling album of all time - 'Thriller' by Micheal Jackson, as well as other early 80s hits like 'Maneater' by Hall & Oates, 'Valerie' by Steve Winwood, and for some reason - the original 1983 Thomas the Tank Engine theme song.

Roger hired his friend, a professional session drummer called Art Wood, to record most of the sounds on the LM-1. They set up the kit in Roger’s closet, recording each of the drums one at a time… then called it a day. Given the popularity of the songs featuring these recordings - Art Wood is technically one of most prominently featured drummers of all time.

And here's two bonus facts about this video:

The title 'The King of Drum Machines' is a quote from the father of MIDI - Dave Smith, when he spoke about Roger and the Tempest drum machine (which they built together) on a Sweetwater panel in 2015. [below]

This video was released on Roger’s 70th birthday.

I hope you enjoy it!" The History of Sampling in Music (2022)

video upload by Jack Pearson

The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) - Sweetwater Gearfest 2015

video upload by Sweetwater

"Join Mitch Gallagher as he moderates 'The Inventors of Synth' panel discussion at Gearfest '15. Featuring industry icons Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, and Roger Linn discussing their thoughts on the past, present, and future of analog synthesizers and controllers.

Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6.

A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth.

Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller."

Tom Oberheim Interviewed by Sweetwater Sound

Published on Jun 29, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synthesizer legend Tom Oberheim for a special interview at Sweetwater's GearFest 2015. A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth."

See SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) for the panel and follow-up interviews.

Roland GAIA SH-01 Demo with Daniel Fisher - Sweetwater Bonus Bank

YouTube via SweetwaterSound | November 03, 2010

"More info: http://bit.ly/SWGAIA
Check out this playing demo of the Roland GAIA SH-01 synthesizer. You'll hear Daniel Fisher showing the patches included in the 64-patch Sweetwater Bonus Bank, available exclusively with GAIA synthesizers purchased at Sweetwater."

CME Xkey Portable Keyboard Controller Demo - Sweetwater iOS Update Vol. 59

Published on Nov 4, 2013

"Mitch Gallagher checks out the compact 25-key Xkey keyboard controller from CME, with the help of Sweetwater's Daniel Fisher. Enjoy the demo, then click the link above for more on the portable Xkey!"

Available on Sweetwater eBay here.

I wish they had 37 key version. I'm looking for the perfect tablet keyboard controller for lounging on the couch. Currently I'm using my KORG Microkorg. I like the look of the keys on the CME and the poly aftertouch, but two octaves isn't enough range for me.

Roger Linn Interviewed by Sweetwater

Published on Jul 10, 2015 SweetwaterSound

"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller.

The Sweetwater Minute, Vol. 298"

See SWEETWATER - GEARFEST 2015 - The Inventors of Synth (Roger Linn, Dave Smith & Tom Oberheim) for the panel and follow-up interviews.