Synth History: Ela Minus

video upload by Synth History

"The first episode of Synth History on musician and producer, ‪@ElaMinus‬! Synth History's web docuseries brings the Synth History interviews to life.

A Synth History production in association with Video Horse Films.

All music by Ela Minus.

Director: ‪@danz_cm‬
Producer: Danz CM & Matthew James Reilly.
Cinematographer: Max Flick.
Production Designer: Ambar Navarro.
Gaffer: Danner Gardner.
Grip: Rashad Stribling.
First Assistant Camera 16mm: Todd Kappelt.
Film Editor: Johann Flash.
Production Sound Mixer: Paul Cornett.
Makeup Artist: Alexa Cantarini.
Production Assistant: Doug Delacruz.
Sound Design: Carlotta McKittrick.
Mini DV Camera Operators: Max Flick & Ambar Navarro.
Visual Effects: Ariyan Hashemi.
Colorist: Hal Bowman.

Special Thanks: John Kopec, Willie Nedrow, Michael Stein, Pushkar Ojha, Domino, Gil & Roy, The Last Bookstore, Vidiots, CypherBlu, Moog."

Yamaha Vintage Synths at NAMM 2015 & Free Synth Book App with Built in Synthesizer

Published on Jan 24, 2015 keyboardmag1

"Avery Burdette gives us a tour of some of Yamaha's most iconic vintage synthesizers, including the mighty CS-80 and DX-1."

GS1 & FM history here.

And Yamaha's Free Synth Book App celebrating 40 years of Yamaha synth history with a built in VA synthesizer based on the AN1x:

iTunes: Yamaha Synth Book - US - Yamaha Corporation of America

Yamaha Synth Book PV1

Published on Jan 21, 2015 ヤマハ株式会社

Yamaha Synth Book PV2

iTunes: Yamaha Synth Book - US - Yamaha Corporation of America

"Yamaha celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Yamaha Synthesizers with the Yamaha Synth Book!!!!!!!!!

This app features a complete history of Yamaha Synthesizers, an integrated virtual analog soft synth, and serves as a portal to Yamaha’s online synth communities.

5 FEATURES:

-HISTORY features detailed, “behind the scenes” information about the 40-year design and development history of Yamaha synthesizers. This fascinating historical accounting of the technological breakthroughs behind some of the most innovative, musical and successful Yamaha synthesizers is a must-read for all synth fans.

-AN2015 features virtual analog modeling like the AN1x. It also features a drum part that can keep the beat going while you perform and control the main synth part.

●Use case 1: Enjoy it as a standalone iOS app!
There are 2 modes available, SYNTH mode and Drum mode that work at the same time, e.g. when drum phrase is playing, Analog sound can be selectable and playable with the drum phrase, and vice versa without stopping ongoing music.

●Use case 2：Use it with a MOXF as an external tone generator!
When connected to the Yamaha MOXF Music Production Synthesizer (OS version 1.10) using the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter by Apple, the MOXF becomes the MIDI/Audio interface for the iOS app creating a very powerful music production system.

●Specs
Analogue Synth
-Tone Generator: Virtual Analogue Modelling
-Polyphony: 8
-Preset voice: 64
-Arpeggiator: 1
-Scale: 1
-Polyphonic Pad

Drum Part
-Tone Generator: Audio (Drum loop and time stretch function included)
-Part: 1
-Polyphony: 1
-Drum Pad: 16
-Drum Pad Set: 5

-PORTALS features links to Yamaha’s online communities. Connect with other Yamaha Synth fans around the world on Facebook or Yamaha’s own online synth community: yamahasynth.com.

-PRODUCT LINE-UP is showing video of current product line-up:
MOTIF XF Series
MOXF Series
MX Series
CP4 STAGE
CP40 STAGE

-YAMAHA APP CATALOG introduces other Yamaha Synth iOS Apps."

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Moogfest Workshops

"MOOGFEST 2010 ANNOUNCES RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY MOOG WORKSHOPS AND PANELS AT THE MOOGAPLEX

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND – 10/29-10/31 IN ASHEVILLE, NC
MoogFest 2010, the extraordinary three-day festival which celebrates the innovative spirit of sonic pioneer Robert Moog, during Halloween weekend, October 29-31, in Asheville, NC, has already announced most of its outstanding lineup. Now, in addition to MoogFest’s excellent musical offerings, the festival will also give attendees the opportunity to dig deeper into the world of Moog with a wide range of panel discussions and workshops.

The Red Bull Music Academy has teamed up with AC Entertainment, Moog Music and the Bob Moog Foundation to bring together top minds in history, technology and education of Moog. Experts, ranging from Bob's colleagues in the seminal days of synthesis to the more contemporary sound sculptors of today, are coming from around the country to share their ideas and vast experiences. The Bob Moog Foundation will be responsible for the historical content at MoogFest, including items from Bob Moog's archives such as rarely seen vintage photographs and historic audio clips from recently restored reel-to-reel tapes.

News on the other activities will be announced in the coming weeks. With all of these exciting elements solidifying, MoogFest is proving itself more and more to be an essential experience for music fans and sonic adventurers from all over the world.

MoogFest 2010 Red Bull Music Academy Moog Workshops, Demonstrations & Panels:

SYNTH HISTORY PANEL – THE BIRTH OF THE MINIMOOG
Featuring:
Herb Deutsch (co-collaborator on first Modular in 1963)
Dave Van Koevering (first salesman for Minimoog and VP of Marketing at Moog Music in the 70s)
Tom Rhea (Former clinician, design consultant, and director of marketing at Moog Music; wrote Minimoog manual)

Moderated By:
Brain Kehew (Bob Moog Foundation Historian and keyboardist (Moog Cookbook)
TARA BUSCH – ARTIST PERFORMANCE & DISCUSSION ABOUT REMIXING WITH MOOGERFOOGERS
Tara is a synth siren well known as a prominent analog synth-blogger for AnalogSuicide.com. Her performances are ethereal explorations of analog sound.

TECH. PANEL - ADVANCED APPLICATION & SYNTHESIS
Featuring Cyril Lance, Head Engineer at Moog Music, and other Moog engineers.

SYNTH HISTORY PANEL – EXPLORATION OF THE BOB MOOG ARCHIVES

Featuring:
Brian Kehew (Bob Moog Foundation Historian, Keyboardist)
Michelle Moog-Koussa (Executive Director, Bob Moog Foundation)
Seva David Ball (Archive Preservationist, currently restoring Bob Moog's reel-to-reel tapes with a grant from the Grammy Foundation)

TECH. PANEL - MODERN DAY SOUNDSCULPTING

Featuring:
Richard Devine (acclaimed sound designer)
Tara Busch (prominent analog synth-blogger and synth-performer)
RICHARD DEVINE – ABOMINATRON II PERFORMANCE

Richard is one of the world's most acclaimed, young sound designers. His clients include top names in film and advertising. Richard will be performing on Moog Music's Abominatron II, a homage to Bob Moog’s original synthesizer prototype, created with current Moog synthesizers and effects processors.

SYNTH HISTORY PANEL - EXAMINING THE LEGACY OF MINI SYNTHS
Featuring:
Craig Anderton (Founder EM Magazine, signal processing guru, editor EQ Magazine)
Geary Yelton (Associate Editor of Electronic Musician, freelance journalist)
Steven Fortner (Editor, Keyboard Magazine)

Moderated By:
Brian Kehew

THEREMIN PERFORMANCE & LESSON WITH DORIT CHRYSLER
Dorit is an accomplished musician and composer best known for her ethereal Theremin style. After Dorit's performance, Moog Music will distribute 20 Theremins to the audience and participants will receive an interactive lesson from Dorit.


TECH. PANEL – THE POWER OF MODULAR SYNTHESIS
Featuring:
Erik Norlander (Synth rock legend, Moog aficionado, accomplish synth designer)
Amos Gaynes (Moog Music engineer)
The Wall of Doom (Erik's massive custom Moog Modular synthesizer)

MOOG GUITAR SOUND SCULPTING WITH SAUL ZONANA
Saul is a killer guitarist who has worked with Adrian Belew, Ace Frehley, Crash Test Dummies. He will integrate the Moog Guitar, Moogerfoogers, Multi-Pedal, and Little Phatty into an exploration of the guitars amazing capabilities.

All panels, demonstrations, and workshops will take place between Noon and 6:30 PM EST at the Moogaplex, located at the Haywood Park complex. They are first come, first served for those who bought either weekend passes or have a pass for that particular day. The dates, and times will be announced in the coming weeks.

MoogFest 2010 tickets are on sale now. To purchase weekend passes or single day tickets and for more information about the festival visit moogfest.com. To see the weekend schedule visit http://moogfest.com/2010/moogfest-2010/schedule/friday/.

MoogFest 2010 Lineup:

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Maximize Your Moogfest Experience

"GET THE MAXIMUM MOOG AT MOOGFEST 2010 HALLOWEEN WEEKEND – 10/29-10/31 IN ASHEVILLE, NC

Going to Moogfest 2010? Be sure to get the most out of your festival experience. You’ll enjoy the music even more if you take advantage of these unique opportunities to immerse yourself in the world of Moog:

PROJEK MOOG
Saturday, 6:00pm – 6:50pm at The Orange Peel

A stellar lineup of some of today’s most proficient multi-instrumentalists (including Moog Chief Engineer, Cyril Lance), Projek Moog has composed a specific piece of music for Moogfest, one that highlights the various instruments for which Moog Music is renowned. Joining the group will be Brian Kehew, a close friend of Bob Moog’s and best known for his work in the Moog Cookbook as well as being the historian for the Moog Foundation. If you want to see the many facets of Moog Music at work, this has to be on your must-see list.

The inspiration in creating this show was to feature new instruments and the artists whose valuable input helped perfect them. Both Brian Kehew and fellow Projek Moog musician Billy Cardine have been involved in helping create instruments that are truly inspirational. Brian has been associated with Moog for years and Billy recently helped with a brand new stringed instrument which will make its debut at Moogfest.

Having these great musicians involved in product development is emblematic of what Bob was all about and the legacy of Moog Music. Instruments are collaborative - they need to be intuitive and soulful. Brian and Billy's involvement have kept this spirit alive and Projek Moog is about celebrating that legacy.

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Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

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.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

------

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):

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The Packrat Sampler Arrives

My copy of The Packrat Sampler  has arrived!  I thought I'd post some pics up along with a note on why this book is extremely special to me.  I started MATRIXSYNTH in blog format back on July 20th of 2005. The first post on The Packrat went up on Halloween of that year  (with two prior references here and here).   The Packrat was with me on year one and has been a staple on the site ever since.  The MATRIXSYNTH Packrat image pictured on the right of the site went up on August 2, 2006, and to my surprise and complete honor it graces the cover of the book!

The Packrat pretty much symbolizes the true inner synth obsessed in all of us.  He took a little hiatus in 2006 and came back in 2007 and has been going strong since.  He brought us synth dreams and Buchla Christmas wishes.  He has a significant place in synth history as the longest running, if not the only running, true synthesizer based comic strip.  Because of that, and because of the awesome coolness of the man behind the strip, Mr. Dave C. Lovelace, who brought us much of the artwork behind Metasonix products as well as his other comic strips, and plays ripping keys in his band Parallax, I highly recommend this book.  Check out that Tron keytar (more here)!

In all seriousness, The Packrat, also featured in Keyboard Magazine, is part of synth history.  Not only does the book feature each episode of the comic, you get the history behind each including interesting tidbits you might miss in the comic otherwise, and you get a 12-page adventure never seen anywhere else (which includes another MATRIXSYNTH appearance).

Seriously, get this book now!  It's dirt cheap, it's synth history, and it is AWESOME!

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Roland Jupiter-80 Compared to The Classics - JUPITER Synth Legends Soundset

Published on Nov 28, 2012 by rolandmedia

Remember you can flip through each via the player controls.

Download JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1 for free:
http://www.JUPITER-80.com

Update: Also check out the Roland AR blog for a post and comments.

Playlist/Comparisons:
JUPITER Synth Legends - Introduction
JUPITER Synth Legends - JUPITER-8 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - TB-303 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - SH-101 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - JUNO-60 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - JUPITER-6 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - JUNO-106 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - D-50 Comparison
JUPITER Synth Legends - Performance
JUPITER Synth Legends - Tutorial
JUPITER Synth Legends - Sound Preview

Roland Jupiter-80s on eBay

Update:  The official Press Release:

"Los Angeles, CA, November 28, 2012 — Roland is proud to announce JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1, the first in a series of free sound libraries for the JUPITER-80 and JUPITER-50 synthesizers featuring a wealth of authentic vintage sounds from some of the most legendary and iconic instruments in Roland’s history.

The collection uses Roland’s powerful and flexible SuperNATURAL® synthesizer sound engine to capture the essence of historical Roland synths and showcases all-new Tones, Live Sets, Registrations, and arpeggio patterns. The Live Set architecture and multi-effects of the JUPITERs are fully maximized, giving players a huge selection of “dream” synth combinations comprised of the most legendary synths ever created.

JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1, the initial release in the series, honors these seven legendary Roland instruments from the 1980s:

• JUPITER-8 (1981) • JUNO-60 (1982) • D-50 (1987)
• TB-303 (1982) • JUPITER-6 (1983)
• SH-101 (1982) • JUNO-106 (1984)

These classic synths each have between 10 and 20 iconic factory preset sounds that distinguish their character, and they’re all represented among 123 newly created single Tones for the JUPITER-80/-50. There are 512 new Live Sets also included that combine the historic synths together using layers and multi-effects processing. Many Live Sets feature single legacy Tones, enhanced with effects unavailable in the original instruments, and nearly 300 new arpeggio patterns are included that are perfect for a wide range of contemporary electronic music genres.

The inspiring sounds made by these classic instruments have helped shape modern music, and now players can access them all inside the JUPITER-80/-50. Future JUPITER Synth Legends volumes will feature the sounds from other sought-after analog classics and spotlight the three vintage LPF types available in the JUPITER-80/-50.

Download the free sound libraries here:
www.JUPITER-80.com

In honor of the release, Roland is hosting the Roland JUPITER #SynthLegends Giveaway. Synth fans in the U.S. can enter the contest for a chance to win a JUPITER-50 fully pre-loaded with all the sounds from the JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1 sound collection. Synth fans are also being encouraged to join the conversation with @Roland_US on Twitter using the hashtag #synthlegends to share all-time favorite synthesizers and synth sounds."

KORG Introduces Little Bits - Magnetically Snappable Modular Synth

Litttlebits * korg

Published on Nov 3, 2013 Sota TOSHIYOSHI·2 videos
Update: module list & more added below.

Update2: I thought the following was an interesting note from PatchPierre of PatchPierre.Net on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge: "Assuming all LittleBits can interact, the connections with the already existing bits look the most interesting to me. For example: theremin-like creations with http://littlebits.cc/bits/light-sensor. and projects with http://littlebits.cc/bits/bend-sensor and http://littlebits.cc/bits/pressure-sensor"

This was supposed to embargoed until November 8th, but it looks like the little bits are out of the box. Below are some shots via lhuga on Flickr and some initial details.   Some of you might remember Little Bits from previous posts (see the LittleBits channel for more). LittleBits was created by Ayah Bdeir. You can see her in this video. The first post went up back on August 12, 2008. I always wondered if more synth bits would be coming. Thanks to KORG it looks like they have.

The price for the kit appears to be 16,000 Yen which translates to roughly $162 US.

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EDP Stinger

Click here for shots pulled from this auction.

via Tom of MusicThing.

Details pulled from the auction:
"Up for auction is a very rare synthesizer, the Groove Electronics Stinger, it is also sometimes refered to as an EDP Stinger. It is basically two EDP Wasps under one hood, but with midi control. It comes with a fixed 220v power cable, and 3 pages of user manual. When I bought it originally, it did not have any user instructions at all, I got lucky and met someone who sent me copies of the 3 pages of user instructions that he had for the Stinger.

History:
-Only 4 of these synths are known to be in existence.
-This synth has the most amount of buttons on it than the other units.
-Groove Electronics was a samll company, each unit was custom built for the client.
-It was originally owned by The Shamen. On the underside of the synth is a service sticker that shows their name, this was also confirmed by the person I bought it from.

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Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2015

Happy New Year everyone!  I want to thank you all for a great 2015 and I wish you all the best in 2016!

The following is my yearly round up for the year.  Feel free to dig into this post as much you like, or skip it and leave a comment at the bottom of the post. I'd be curious to hear what stood out for you in 2015. Do you like the direction the synthesizer world is headed in, or would you rather see more or less of any type of product?

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Roland Jupiter-8a

This one in via Rod. Title link takes you to a 17M super sized strip of several shots via this auction. The link goes to the directory (pun intended) hosting the file, so you don't lock up your browser by clicking on the title link. The pun? The name of the directory. The starting bid on this one is $5k with a Buy It Now at $6500 and you'll be hard pressed to find one in this condition. It's a long shot.

Details:
"History: I bought this synth from a Russian ballet dancer who bought the synth in Japan in the 80's. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 90's and brought the synth with him. In the early 90's he had JL at Musictek in LA convert it to US power and install an Encore Electronics MIDI kit in it. When he decided to move back to Russia in 1996, I bought it from him and have owned it ever since. It has been used on pretty much every song I've ever done and has never needed repair or tuning the entire time I've owned it. I would have to say that out of my entire collection of synths, this one synth has been the most reliable, and sounds the prettiest of them all. I've owned 4 Jupiter-8's over the years, and this is my last and best one. You'd be hard pressed to find one in better condition at any price.

Version: This is actually a Roland Jupiter-8a, the later, more desirable model with a more reliable 14-bit processor for improved tuning. By the time this version was produced, all of the updates and bugs were addressed, the tuning was very stable, and the LED screen was brighter with no flicker. It has the DCB port as standard but the Encore MIDI kit installation disabled the DCB functionality.

Condition: Based on 15 years of owning literally dozens of vintage synths, I would rate it a 9.9/10. It is in near mint electronic and cosmetic condition. I know the word mint is overused on eBay, but take a look at the photos and judge for yourself. As you can see, the cosmetic condition of this synth is pristine. There is no wear whatsoever on the graphics, knobs, silver switches, or lettering. The colored orange paint reflects like a mirror and the Jupiter-8 logo is clean and clear. There is no sun damage and all of the parts retain their original coloring, including the white buttons and switches. The stainless steel end panels are in pristine condition. The stainless screws on the sides show no pitting or warping from screwdriver bits as found on most JP-8's. Most Roland synths from this era have pitted screws and the paint is worn off. Not on this synth. The painted screws have retained their glistening finish and look as new. The red LED screen is bright and clear, and the plastic lens has only extremely light scratches from dusting it...but they would not show up in the photos. A little plastic polish and the lens will shine as new. The vinyl-clad exterior is in pristine condition, and the matte finish is not rubbed as most are. The only obvious cosmetic issue on the synth is some minor scratches on the underbelly of the synth from being on an A-Frame stand in my non-smoking studio. There is some dust on the felt inside the air vents at the top of the synth which appeared to be a painstaking task to clean, so I'm leaving it up to the new owner to take care of this (you can see that I started to clean out the dust inside the two slots on the far right). There is one small mark in the vinyl clad metal on the back of the synth above the XLR jacks on the back of the synth. It's less than 1/8" long and nearly impossible to capture in a photo (but I tried). The keys are highly reflective with only the occasional mark here and there.The internal components are all present and accounted for, and the internals are clean and free of rust and debris. The synth is complete in every way, and even includes the small red plastic DCB plug on the back of the synth. This is the mintest example of a Jupiter-8 that I have ever owned or seen for sale anywhere on the net, eBay, or otherwise over the past 15 years of collecting synths. If you're picky about the condition of your gear, and you want the very best synth ever made, this is the synth for you. I realize I'm asking a lot for this synth and it may not be the synth for your price range. If so, please don't send me threatening e-mails. If you can find another in this shape at any price, then buy it at any price. It would be worth it. I'm the type of person that will pay additional $ for something that is the best of its kind, with no rust, and no issues. And this is the best example I have seen of a Jupiter-8 anywhere, at any price.

Functionality: Everything functions perfectly. It tunes up literally on start up, and never drifts. It's the most ultrastable synth with VCO's that I've owned! All sliders have that high-quality feel that the Jupiter-8 synths were famous for. All of the knobs and buttons function perfectly, with no scratchy pots. I have never had to clean the sliders or pots, and they all work as new. All keys trigger perfectly with no double-triggering. All inputs and outputs, MIDI, velocity (from MIDI), aftertouch (from MIDI), modulation, pitchbend, keys, buttons, and pitchbender - everything works perfectly. There is nothing functionally wrong with this synth. The Encore MIDI kit provides MIDI in and out (for exporting sysex data) and is considered to be the best MIDI kit available for the JP-8. It also doubles the memory of the Jupiter-8. For more info on everything that the Encore MIDI kit can do, please check out the Encore site at encoreelectronics.com"

MATRIXSYNTH Turns 7!!!

Today marks the seven year anniversary of MATRIXSYNTH! The original matrixsynth.com actually launched way back in October of 1997 as MATRIX SYNTH. I never took it down, BTW. Click here to see it in all it's old school glory. If you thought there was too much green on this site, just check that baby out. BTW, check out the manufacturers list under MFG. I stopped updating it about the time I started this site in 2005. You can see what modular manufactures, and of course others were around back then. It's an interesting look back in time... Kind of why I started this version of the site actually. I'll get to that further below.

Last year I skipped the site stats and kept the anniversary post relatively short. I used to post stats for the site and a general blurb on what makes the site tick, but it began to feel redundant so I skipped it last year. Well, I kind of missed it, and I know some of you enjoy the stats thing, so I'm bringing it back. And CatSynth did it for their six year anniversary post yesterday, so there you have it. Actually I was planning on including stats before I read that post, but I do like CatSynth. The site has grown quite a bit and we have a ton of new readers who don't really know the background of MATRIXSYNTH so I thought I would share some of that as well. I've also had a few people ask me to do personal interviews. I always turn them down as I do my best to keep myself out of the site so I don't ruin it for anyone. It's kind of like the whole Wizard of Oz thing. Enjoy the Oz in MATRIXYSNTH, and don't let the wizard ruin it for you is my only advice. That said, I decided this year to reveal a little more about my synth history than I normally do. Don't worry though after this post that's it. This site is about the gear only. I see it as my job to bring it to you unbiased and get the heck out of the way. Seriously though, I really do my best to present what is out there free of bias for you to consume and form your own opinion. I do this for three reasons; one, out of respect for the person that created the content, two, so I don't accidentally prevent you from getting your own experience out of the post, and three, because of how much goes up on a daily basis - it saves you and me time.

But, in the anniversary and New Years posts I do tend to make up for my lack of words big time, so bear with me or just skip to what you like.

Before I begin with the stats I do want to give a big thanks to everyone that visits, supports and contributes to the site. THANK YOU!!! It really is a tremendous amount of work, so all the kind words and support make a huge difference. Every single post you see here is hand posted. There is no automation. The site takes roughly four to eight hours on average a day (closer to eight) and sometimes up to ten hours. This is every single day, including weekends. Out of the seven years running the site I have only missed one day (by accident - more on that below), and the only day I take off is Christmas day when I put up only one post, which surprisingly can be torture in not posting. The posts you see here are a combination of stuff I find out there on my own and stuff people send in, which is quite a bit. The site started as a hobby and has fortunately grown into a small business with the help of sponsors. Note sponsors are always on the right. In the history of the site there has never been a paid post on the main site, and if there ever is, I will be sure to call it out in the post. That said, THANK YOU SPONSORS! It's one thing if the work only consumed my time, but it in turn consumes my family's time, so every little bit helps. THANK YOU! You make the site possible!


First the stats!

We still haven't reached world domination. Everything you see with a shade of green is a visit to the site. Check out Africa! The few in white mean no visit came in. The top map is for the seven year history of the site and the bottom is for this last year. Click on each for the full size shots. As you can see they are pretty much the same. Still no hits from North Korea.

On the other hand we had 122 visits from Syria within the last year along with traffic from other war torn countries. Incredible! Please keep safe out there! You are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

The top 10 visits by country:

1. United States 982,943
2. United Kingdom 258,070
3. Germany 183,138
4. France 168,649
5. Canada 142,553
6. Italy 109,605
7. Japan 84,202
8. Sweden 76,948
9. Australia 73,881
10. Netherlands 72,680

And the overall stats:

Source: Google Analytics for the year (July 20, 2011 - July 20, 2012):

6,364,538 pageviews
2,838,084 visits
972,065 unique visitors.

Source: Site Meter for the life of the site:

32,734,610 pageviews (18,557 average per day)
15,658,114 visits (7,822 average per day)

Google Analytics (started April 5, 2006):
30,795,628 pageviews
14,313,210 visits
4,258,879 unique visitors.

Note unique visitors can be a bit misleading as I believe it's based on the individual browser and cookies vs. IP Address or individual, so for people checking in on multiple devices and even multiple browsers on the same machine, each one counts as a unique visitor. The numbers are likely lower.

Unfortunately I do not see a top posts for the last year in Blogger so we will have to go with the top posts for all time:

New Schmidt Analog Synth Debuts at the Musikmesse
Apr 5, 2011, 22 comments 13,412 Pageviews

RIP Mr. Tsutomu Katoh - Founder of KORG
Mar 15, 2011, 6 comments 12,542 Pageviews

New Tom Oberheim SON OF 4 VOICE
Jan 25, 2011, 10 comments 7,811 Pageviews

M-Audio Venom Review and Interview with Product Manager Taiho Yamada
Mar 23, 2011, 6 comments 7,186 Pageviews

New KORG Monotribe In the Flesh
Apr 4, 2011, 26 comments 7,149 Pageviews

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Happy New Year!

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.

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Sequential Joins The Focusrite Group — A Message From Dave Smith

video by Sequential

"It’s with great excitement that I announce that Sequential is joining the Focusrite Group of music and audio brands.

We're now part of a family made up of some of the best and brightest companies in the music instruments and pro audio industries: Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, ADAM Audio, Novation and Ampify Music. We’re in good company!

But don't worry — we’re not going anywhere. It’s business as usual for us and we'll be a separate entity from the other brands in the group. I’ll continue to lead our engineering and product development and work with the Sequential design team into the future. If anything, I'll have more time to make amazing synths!

- Dave Smith"

And the official press release:

Focusrite PLC Acquires Sequential® in Landmark Industry Development

Legendary Synth Brand Founded by Dave Smith Joins Focusrite Group

San Francisco, CA and High Wycombe, UK — April 27th 2021 — In a joint statement, Focusrite Group and Sequential LLC today announced that Focusrite plc, a leading global creator of music and audio hardware and software products, has acquired Sequential LLC, the respected American synthesizer manufacturer led by legendary electronic instrument designer and Grammy® winner Dave Smith.

Both companies stand to benefit from the synergy created by the acquisition. The Focusrite Group will add the venerable Sequential line of instruments to its already-impressive portfolio of products, which includes the acclaimed Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, ADAM Audio, Novation, and Ampify brands. Sequential will benefit from greater resources to expand its global markets and future R&D efforts.

Sequential’s Dave Smith said, “With Focusrite, we’ve found an ideal home and a perfect cultural and technological fit. Phil Dudderidge and his team have a long history of quality, vision, and focus on what musicians and audio professionals really want. We’re excited to join such an industry powerhouse and contribute to our mutual success. I expect great things.”

Sequential has been a leading force in the resurgent popularity of analog synthesizers over the last decade. Its instruments, which include the Prophet® 5 Rev4 polyphonic synth, Pro 3® hybrid monosynth, and Prophet X Samples + Synthesis keyboard, are known for their versatility, ease of use, and excellence of sound. They are a mainstay of performing and recording artists and can be seen and heard on countless stages and recordings.

Focusrite Founder Phil Dudderidge commented: “We’re excited and pleased to add Sequential’s instruments and pedigree to Focusrite Group’s portfolio of world-class audio and music production tools. Dave Smith’s history as an innovator speaks for itself. From his creation of the world’s first fully programmable polysynth, the Prophet 5, to his co-invention of MIDI, Dave has literally changed the world of music several times. We’re looking forward to continuing his history of innovation and expanding the global market for Sequential’s instruments.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Sequential has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Focusrite plc. Sequential’s day-to-day operations and product development remain unchanged and will continue to be guided by Dave Smith and his team.

Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite Group, remarked, “Sequential is a premium analogue synth brand with a big stake in music creation. The products are exceptional and the company is run extremely well, and the passion of the people at Sequential aligns perfectly with our Focusrite Group ethos. It’s tremendously exciting to be able to bring Sequential into the Focusrite family, further the incredible journey that Dave Smith started, and keep growing together.”

via Sequential

And via Novation:

Legendary synth brand Sequential joins the family

Sequential and Novation will grow together under the same parent company.

We’re over the moon to announce that our parent company, Focusrite plc, has acquired Sequential, the synth brand founded and led by legendary synth designer and Grammy winner, Dave Smith.

If you’re new to the name Sequential, you’ll definitely have heard the synths: Dave Smith is the pioneer that designed the world’s first fully programmable polysynth, the classic Prophet® 5, and he co-invented MIDI, which transformed electronic production and changed musical history. Today, countless artists still count on Sequential instruments to bring life and an undeniably rich and organic feeling to their musical creations, spanning every genre.

Before your mind goes wild conceiving the ultimate Novation x Sequential product mashup, it’s safe to say that Sequential and Novation will continue to operate independently, as separate entities under the Focusrite Group umbrella. Dave Smith will remain at the helm of Sequential, leading engineering, product development and mentorship of Sequential’s new breed of designers.

So, it’s business as usual, and we’re extremely excited to grow together, inspire each other, and together fuel the future of forward-thinking music!

KORG POLYSIX Vintage Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer with Mods

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"The Special Things:
- The keybed was refurbished by Sound Doctorin in 2011. It's been flawless since.
- The MIDI input was installed and configured by Greg Klosmon in 2011, and been flawless as well. (see photo)
- I created/installed what i consider my favorite upgrade of this synth, which is it's INPUT/OUTPUT insert point for patching either A) the synth PRE effects board OUT, B) the effects section independent of synth IN, or BOTH. More about this later..
- I built a V-Trig / S-Trig converter to allow the Polysix to be able to receive all types of triggers for the arpeggiator trigger input. This is included and is a simple patch when hooking up a respective signal. (not photo'd due to max photo limit here. it's just a simple small box)
- The battery was replaced several years ago so this synth avoided all of that battery/board leak stuff.
- I changed out R98 (resistor 98) to make the LFO circuit act perfectly smooth and at factory spec. There was a minor timing issue that had developed from age but it's perfect now and will be from here on.

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The PPG 1003 "Sonic Carrier" - World's First Programmable Synth?

via Wolfgang Palm on Facebook
Be sure to see the video below.

"This was the first programmable synthesizer (1977)."

Programmable as in patch memory. The 1003 was a programmable monophonic synth with two oscillators, digitally controlled keyboard, and it was duophonic.

But was it the first?

Excerpts via Part 4 of the PPG Story:

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ROSEN SOUND - Synth Studio & Repair Shop Tour | Burbank, California

Published on Aug 8, 2019 synth4ever

Check out the custom Chrome Arp Odyssey AT 12:36.

"An in-depth synth studio and repair shop tour of Rosen Sound (www.rosensound.com) in Burbank, California.

Founded and owned by Rob Rosen, Rosen Sound is a premiere synthesizer repair & restoration shop that specializes in servicing vintage analog synthesizers. They also offer synth rentals, custom synth modifications, on-site studio recording, and have various synthesizers and replacement parts for sale.

This in-depth synth studio and repair shop tour covers the history of Rosen Sound, synth restoration processes, various synths being restored in the shop, the "Cabin" recording studio and woodworking rooms, and Rob's favorite synths.

Rosen Sound provides both national and international synth repair and restoration services, and is well known for employing top technicians and servicing rare and difficult to repair synths. If your vintage synth is in need of repair, don't hesitate to contact them.

To learn more about Rosen Sound, visit them at:

www.rosensound.com

==========
TIMECODES
==========
0:00 - Intro

0:45 - History of Rosen Sound
2:32 - Synth servicing
3:29 - Yamaha GX-1
4:18 - Difficult repairs
5:45 - Yamaha CS-80
8:01 - Rob's favorite synth
8:26 - Synths for repair (Prophet 5, Jupiter 8, Arp Quadra, Yamaha CS-60)
10:05 - Waldorf Wave
11:06 - Rob's music
11:31 - What's next for Rosen Sound
12:00 - Custom modifications (Chrome Arp Odyssey)
13:24 - Woodworking and tolex room
14:13 - Yamaha Electone organ
15:04 - Modern synth repairs
16:38 - The Cabin recording studio (under construction)
17:45 - Employees
18:28 - Synths for sale
18:47 - Prophet T8, PPG Wave, Korg Polysix
19:06 - Roland Jupiter 8, Prophet 5, Roland Juno 106
19:19 - Oberheim Four Voice, Prophet 10
20:20 - Electrocomp EML 101, Kawai K3
20:38 - Oberheim OB-X, Roland JX-3P, Behringer Deepmind 12
21:14 - Oberheim OB-Xa, Roland Jupiter 4, Roland SH-5
21: 39 - 2x Prophet 5 (REV 1)
22:50 - Junkie XL's PPG Waveterm
23:05 - Contacting Rosen Sound

23:42 - Conclusion"

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 2

Click here for shots via this auction.
Details from isatellite:
"This is the famous Sequential Prophet-5, a rare Rev. 2 version, in near mint collector's quality condition. It is considered by many to be one of the best analog polysynths ever made. This one has been babied, and maintained throughout it's life. It comes with 5 new old stock spare SSM chips (VCOx2, VCF, VCA, ENV) worth over $500 so you can be sure this synth will be running for many years to come.

History: When I bought it I had a Kenton Electronics MIDI kit installed in it. It has been used on pretty much every song I've ever done and was featured as the main lead in the song Automat. I used it live once at the Autobahn show in Ohio back in 2003 and it was a solid performer live. It has been one of my favorite synths and I really hate to see it go. This synth has guts, and nothing sounds like it. I've owned 5 Prophet-5's throughout the years and this one sounds the best. I've owned many Rev. 3's and they have generally been more unreliable than this synth. You'd be hard pressed to find one in better condition at any price.
Version: This is the later version Rev. 2, just before they switched over the CEM chips. It uses the much better sounding SSM chips throughout, and has the rare cassette upgrade. This is how a Prophet-5 was supposed to sound, before it got a complete circuit redesign by Sequential Circuits. Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads said he preferred this version to the other Prophets. OMD swore by their Rev. 2 and were upset when Sequential changed the internals. Some have called this the Rev. 2.2 model, but that numbering has been debated.

Condition: See untouched photos for details. These were taken this morning, straight out of my camera. Based on 15 years of owning literally dozens of vintage synths, I would rate it a 9.9/10. It is in near mint electronic and cosmetic condition. I know the word mint is overused on eBay, but take a look at the photos and judge for yourself. As you can see, the cosmetic condition of this synth is pristine. There is no wear whatsoever on the graphics, knobs, silver switches, or lettering. The logo plates are all original and reflect like a mirror. The large Prophet-5 logo on the back is simply stunning and in pristine shape. Looks much better than the heatsync on the Rev. 3 models. There is no sun damage and all of the parts retain their original coloring. The wood is a gorgeous walnut with only a few small marks here and there on the wood edges that are barely noticeable in the photos. There is one indentation in the wood on the righthand side that is very minor and not noticeable in the photos. Rev. 2 Prophets almost invariably have a crack in the wood at the upper right due to a design defect in the modulation section. This synth has been taken care of and has no cracks in the wood. A couple of the knobs have marks on them, but they are all original, not Wine Country reproductions. Small mark on the top of the modulation wheel...barely noticeable. Small indentation on the right of the Prophet-5 logo on the face of the synth. The underside has some marks and paint scrapes in places. There are still two pieces of velcro stuck to the bottom where I had a controller attached for turning on a bubble machine during the performance of Bubbleboy in 2003. One screw is missing from the bottom of the synth. The red LED screen is bright and clear, and the plastic lens has only extremely light scratches from dusting it...but they would not show up in the photos. A little plastic polish and the lens will shine as new. The keys are highly reflective with only the occasional mark here and there. The internal components are all present and accounted for, and the internals are clean and free of rust and debris. This is the mintest example of a Rev. 2 Prophet-5 that I have ever owned or seen ever in over15 years of collecting synths. If you're picky about the condition of your gear, and you want the very best Prophet-5 ever made in pristine condition, this is the synth for you. I realize I'm asking a lot for this synth and it may not be the synth for your price range. If so, please don't send me threatening e-mails. If you can find another in this shape at any price, then buy it. It would be worth it. I'm the type of person that will pay additional $ for something that is the best of its kind, with no rust, and no issues. And this is the best example I have seen of a Rev. 2 Prophet-5 anywhere, at any price.

Functionality: This synth has been babied and maintained in top functioning condition its entire life. I literally just brought it back this weekend from having my tech go over it in detail and make sure everything was functioning 100%. It tunes up after about 20 minutes of warm up, and then never drifts after that. A few years back Tony Clark of Great Lakes Modular modified the power supply so that it was more stable than typical Rev. 2 Prophets. All of the knobs and buttons function perfectly, with no scratchy pots. I have never had to clean the sliders or pots, and they all work as new. All keys trigger perfectly with no double-triggering. I spent a great deal of money buying and installing completely new bushings about a year ago. The keys play like butter. All inputs and outputs, MIDI, velocity (from MIDI), aftertouch (from MIDI), modulation, pitchbend, keys, buttons, and pitchbender - everything works perfectly. There is nothing functionally wrong with this synth. The Kenton MIDI kit provides MIDI in, out, and thru and is considered to be the best MIDI kit available for the this synth. For more info on everything that the Kenton MIDI kit can do, please check out the Kenton site at kenton.co.uk. In case you are worried about the reliability of this synth, I have only had one SSM chip replaced during the 11 years I've owned it."

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

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Professor William Hoskins and His Mystery Moog

Pictured to the left is Professor William Hoskins (via). What you see there is not the mystery Moog, but his Moog modular system. This post is about another Moog synth, one most likely based on the Sonic VI. If you have any information on what this synth might be after reading this, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly. My contact info is on the bottom right of the site. I have already contacted Michelle Moog-Koussa and Brian Kehew author of Kaleidoscope Eyes A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper, as well as Trevor Pinch, author of Analog Days [Amazon hardcover & paperback, preview on Google books], and featured in this exclusive post. I also contacted James Husted of Synthwerks, George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular, Steven Jones of Synthwood, and Carbon111, all of whom know their synth history. None were familiar with what the synth might be.

The story: I was recently contacted by a Paul Rego with the following:

"I've been searching the Internet for over a year now and have not been able find a specific synth. Since you seem to know and work with every type of synth known, I thought I'd ask you...

Around 1973 - 1974, I took private synthesizer lessons at Jacksonville University (Florida). The instructor was Professor William Hoskins and the synth was a custom Studio Moog assembled by Professor Hoskins.

One day, Professor Hoskins showed me his personal, portable synthesizer. He brought out what looked like a brown suitcase. When he opened it, I saw a Moog Sonic VI.

This is nothing new. I've seen lots of images of this synth on the Internet. The one aspect of this particular synth, that I cannot find anywhere, is that it had a touch-sensitive keyboard. The keyboard was made of plastic and had a gray / brown color. Outlining the keys (showing the location of the 'white' and 'black' keys) was an almost medium blue color (about an eighth-inch thick). (He and I tinkered with this synth for about a half-hour to an hour.)

Professor Hoskins passed away several years ago, so I can't ask him about it. I did contact his family but they don't remember anything about this synth.

I do remember Professor Hoskins telling me that he and Bob Moog had 'gone to school together'. I think he was referring to electronics school but I never asked him more about it. I thought I had read somewhere that Professor Hoskins and Bob Moog had briefly worked together on a Sonic VI prototype but I don't know if that's true. (Even if what I saw was a prototype, someone has to own it now and should be proud enough of it to post some photos somewhere.)

I thought the background story might help in your own research on this.

Basically, I'd just like to know if this synth ever existed or am I just not remembering it correctly.

Thank you for your time and attention."

My first obvious guess considering the blue was the Buchla Music Easel or separate Buchla touchplate keyboard modded into the case of a Sonic VI. I sent Paul a couple of links to various images.

Paul replied: "the synth I saw didn't look like the Buchla Easel. Good call though.

The 'blue', which outlined the keys on the Sonic VI I saw was a bit lighter in color than the blue in your photos and maybe had a bit of green in it (closer to turquoise). There was no red or other color on the keyboard (that I can remember) and the entire keyboard seemed to be one piece of plastic with only the blue / green outlines separating the 'keys'.

I also read a story recently about the time when Musonics bought Moog and had a synth ('Sonic V'?) of their own, at that time, but I haven't research this too much yet. One thought I had was the synth I saw was something from Musonics but was never officially released (until it had the 'Moog' name placed on it). I'm pretty sure the synth I saw had the 'Moog' logo and the word 'Sonic VI'. (Not 100% sure but it seems clear in my memory.)"

I also sent Paul images of the EMS Synthi AKS. Paul replied it was the closest, but definitely not it.

I contacted Michelle Moog-Koussa and Brian Kehew to see if they knew of anything. Michelle replied: "...I can tell you that we have several of William Hoskins reel-to-reel tapes in the archives, so there was obviously a significant professional relationship between he and Bob.

I don't ever remember reading anything about the Sonic VI, but maybe Brian does. One thing I can tell you for sure is that Dad began working with John Eaton in 1970 on the Multi-Touch Sensitive keyboard [left via]. The main component of the MTS was the touch-sensitive keyboard, of course. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Dad would have used his work with John to push boundaries on another project."

Brian replied: "Bob didn't design or build the original Sonic V (from Musonics before they bought Moog) that was Gene Zumchak: The Sonic V did have a brown wood style. It's even unlikely Bob did much on the Sonic Six as it was the same thing with a new outer case.

The Sonic VI was the version Moog made in 1972 and later, in a plastic suitcase version. Many of these were made vs the very few Sonic V's. So one might think they saw a Sonic VI when it was the V (same front panel and features). But the brown suitcase and colored keys and touch sensitive thing are ALL unusual. I know a little about Prof Hoskins from the paperwork of the past, but no mention of this synth. Definitely unusual to have keys like that anywhere, anytime!" Followed by: "And there IS touch (velocity) sensitivity on Wendy Carlos' synth by 1971 for Clockwork Orange, but it's used under the normal keyboard. THIS velocity was very possible, but would not make the keys look different. Again - maybe a Sonic V was retrofitted with a cooler keyboard later in the 80s, but why not do so on a BETTER synth!?" :)

On a separate thread, Trevor Pinch got back to me with the following: "Bill Hoskins was important in that he was one of the first people David VanKouvering approached about minimoog reiail sales etc. I have a good album of his somewhere! I think he may have been Bob's favorite composer for a while.

I have no idea about the touch key board but I'm in touch with Gene Zumchak the guy who designed the Sonic Six, so I'll ask him. (I guess you know the joke that the Sonic Six was known by Moog engineers as the Chronic Sick!)

Actually its story might be kinda interesting - Zummy (as he is known) told me that it was made with 741 op amps and in many ways was more advanced than the minimoog.
Maybe it has had an unfair press. I never heard one or saw one for real."

James Husted sent me the image of Professor Hoskins at the top of this post. I sent it to Paul to see if maybe it brought back any memories that might help.

He replied: "The custom Moog modular in that photo is the same one I took lessons on. However, this is an early photo and when I saw that Moog modular, Professor Hoskins had already added a top layer to that cabinet — which included a Moog sequencer. (I have a photo of it, that I took around 1990, but the top part of the photo, showing the upper section, is cut off.)

The reason you didn't see Professor Hoskins' 'Sonic VI' is... I'm guessing that he didn't bring it to the university very often. When I saw it, I was at his home. He had invited me over one Saturday afternoon to see HIS custom Moog modular. It was in his garage, which he had made-over into a nice studio. It also had a two-manual organ, at least two reel-to-reel tape decks and LOTS of recording tape. Later, during that same session, he said 'There's something else I want to show you. Come inside.' We went into the living room and I sat on the couch. He said 'I'll be right back.' After about a minute, he came back carrying a brown 'suitcase'. He set it on the coffee table in front of me and sat down on the couch. He opened it up and... Whoa! I had never seen one of these and it was the first time I had seen a Ring Modulator!

---

I remember seeing Professor Hoskins play his Sonic VI during a live performance of his album 'Galactic Fantasy / Eastern Reflections'. The Jacksonville University orchestra played most of his composition but at one point his Sonic VI was brought out and he played it while at center stage. I could see it clearly from my seat but, of course, I could only see the back of it, which simply looked like the back of a brown suitcase.

---

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Since I think this is important, I thought I'd try to recreate the 'Sonic VI' I think I saw. I 'Photoshopped' a production Sonic VI and attached it to this message. It's the best image of what I think I saw.

Modifying the image forced my memory to go into more detail. Here's what I'm fairly certain of:

• The outer color of the "suitcase" was almost dark brown.

• The outer shape was more square than the production Sonic VI.

• The thickness of the top and bottom sections was thicker than the production Sonic VI model.

• The keyboard was made of slightly textured plastic, otherwise completely flat, was brown / gray in color and had a vibrant blue outline between the keys. (I'm not 100% sure if the "black" keys were outlined or solid blue.)

• The background color of the back panel and the area surrounding the keyboard was almost dark brown. It looked like it was made out of either pressed cardboard or thin wood. It really reminded me more of the thin 'wood' used in old, tube televisions and radios (during the 1960s).

What I'm not 'fairly sure' of:

• I can't remember if it had a Mod Wheel.

• I think there was more space between the modules.

• I think it had two speakers (placed on the left and right side of the back panel). Each might have been the size of the center speaker-grill in my photo.

• I can't remember if there were any connectors, switches or knobs on the keyboard section."

Update: via Aaron aka theglyph in the comments: "Holy shit! That's the guy from JU. There was an electronics repair/pawn shop here in Jacksonville called Active Electronics that had a bunch of synths back in 90's. The owner had a sign in the store explicitly stating that the synths were not for sale and that customers were not allowed to walk up and look at them or touch them. I walked in day and walked close enough to notice that the MiniMoogs had very low serial #'s. It wasn't until I read Analog Days that I found out that the earliest Mini were sold here in Jacksonville. There so much more to this story that I don't know where to begin but I can say that I did an obscure Moog at the store that I've never seen photographed since and I simply thought I was loosing my mind recollecting it. WOW!

Cheers,
theglyph"

Update: Above, Brian originally mentioned Bill Hemsath as the person that designed the Sonic V. He meant to say Gene Zumchak. This has been updated.

Updates: via Dorothy in the comments:
"HI, as a Hoskins kid, I watched Dad perform on the synthesizer and I know we had the Sonic but I thought it was a "V". Dad had several custom modules built for him by Bob Moog. They were friends but didn't go to school together -- Dad went to Trumansburg NY to work with Bob on the synthesizer that they got for Jacksonville University (in 1969, I think). I will have to go digging in the Will Hoskins letters that I have. Those of you who knew Dad know that he was very meticulous about writing up the components that he bought and what they were for.
Late in Dad's life, when he was basically letting go of most composing effort except for revising existing scores, Bob helped Dad find a collector (in Germany, as I recall), who bought all of Dad's big home synthesizer. I think some of the smaller units were in the hands of Steve Smith, who was Dad's right-hand man at the JU studio for some years. Whatever happened to them, I don't think Dad would have cared as long as someone was using them to create music. He wouldn't have collected synthesizers as museum pieces, he actively used everything he got from Moog until he was ready to let it go."

Followed by: "BTW, that last time I spoke to Bob Moog was after Dad died, when Bob came to Rochester NY http://www.esm.rochester.edu/news/?id=132 which is near where I live now. Bob spoke very fondly of working with Dad, because Dad cared as much about the science of music synthesis as any composer Bob knew. Dad did some work with him on modulators and other components for JU and the Hoskins home studio."

Followed by: "Hoskins synth photo --not a Sonic -- in news article 1970 [link]"

Update 6/6/2010:

Some more interesting bits of Moog history:

Trevor Pinch checked with Gene Zumchak who had the following to say:

"I am not aware of a touch sensitive keyboard on the Sonic V or 6. It did have a two-note keyboard and the highest key pressed and lowest pressed could be routed to Osc 1 and Osc 2.

They removed the keyswitch bus and superimposed a highpitch (100KHz?) tone on the voltage string. This might have been the source of a whine that some users complained about that wasn't present in the Sonic V."

via Josh Brandt: 'Okay, I did hear back from David Mash [VP of IT at Berklee and friend of Bob Moog], who says that the story he was telling me several years ago was about a keyboard Bob was building for John Eaton. I asked about the story he'd told me and if the pictures you posted could be of the instrument he'd been talking about, and he said:

"The story I was no doubt telling was definitely about the keyboard Bob built for John Eaton [middle pic above]. Bob was going to show us the completed instrument (which my friends Jeff Tripp and Paul Derocco helped complete), but we never got to see it due to the way the conversation turned over dinner. I did see the instrument several times during the design/build stages and again later after it was complete.

The keyboard was simply a controller and not a synth, so definitely not the portable synth the blog is referring to. I know Brian, and was involved briefly with him and a bit more with Michelle Moog on the NAMM Museum exhibit, and they used a couple of my photos for the exhibit. They're great people and working hard to preserve Bob's legacy.'"

Update via WmJHeart in the comments:

"Thanks Matrix, for hosting this page. I own a copy of Will's Galactic Fantasy & Eastern Reflections (my personal favorite) recording on vinyl. But I also discovered and listened to the entire album on YouTube recently! Here:"

Galactic Fantasy - Eastern Reflections (1979)[Full Album]

Published on Jul 12, 2017 TheHomecoming

"Rare electronic/synth/moog private pressing LP

TITLE 'Galactic Fantasy - Eastern Reflections'

William Hoskins, "Galactic Fantasy, Eastern Reflections" [CP-158]
TRACK 01 AUDIO TITLE "Overture : Stars Are Suns" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO TITLE "Intermezzo : Interplanetary Communique" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 06:39
TRACK 03 AUDIO TITLE "Star Nocturne" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 08:11
TRACK 04 AUDIO TITLE "Scherzo : Comets" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 16:35
TRACK 05 AUDIO TITLE "Beyond Beyond" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 18:54
TRACK 06 AUDIO TITLE "Prolog : Theme and Variation" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 23:40
TRACK 07 AUDIO TITLE "Lower Heterophonie" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 27:55
TRACK 08 AUDIO TITLE "Song : Open Skies" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 31:22
TRACK 09 AUDIO TITLE "Drum Chime" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 35:28
TRACK 10 AUDIO TITLE "Upper Heterophonie" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 39:41
TRACK 11 AUDIO TITLE "Epilog : Processional" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 41:30

A1
Overture: Stars Are Suns
A2
Intermezzo: Interplanetary Communique
A3
Star Nocturne
A4
Scherzo: Comets
A5
Beyond Beyond: An Entropy Study
A6
Eastern Reflections
Eastern Reflections
B1
Prolog: Theme and Variation
B2
Lower Heterophonie
B3
Song: Open Skies
B4
Drum Chime
B5
Upper Heterophonie
B6
Epilog: Processional

Criminally under-rated set of Early American Moog Modular Synthesizer Music - the sole release by composer William Hoskins, the 'Director of Electronic Music and Composer-in-Residence at Jacksonville University in Florida.' Issued in 1979 by the Harriman, NY-based Spectrum - a 'Division of UNI-PRO Recordings, Inc.' the LP consists of a pair of discrete pieces, with each taking up a side of its own."

Update via Kimberly S Beasley in the comments:

"Hello, everyone. I am the current chair of the Department of Music at Jacksonville University and I have the original Sonic VI manuals and one of Hoskin's Moogs....happy to share photos tomorrow."

Kimberly sent in the images with the following:

"This has been in the possession of our Professor Emeritus Dr. William Schirmer as it was given to him by Hoskins. Hoskins' granddaughter Dorothy is also aware of the instrument. We also have a large collection of manuscripts of Hoskins.

There is also a mini-Moog we just refurbished in our recording studio."

You can see WM. Hoskins written on the top right of the manual. Note "Home Copy" on the blue cover. It's kind of neat to think of him perusing through the manual in the comfort of his home.