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via this auction
via the listing: "Access Microwave Programmer! Owned & signed by the Trent Reznor! Here is your chance to own a one of a kind Access Microwave Programmer!!! It was owned by Trent Reznor! It is also signed by Trent Reznor!
The perfect collectors item for any NIN, Waldorf Electronis, Access Music Electronics GmbH, and or GEAR junkie!"
"I DREAM OF WIRES is an independent documentary exploring the history, demise and resurgence of the ultimate electronic music machine, the MODULAR SYNTHESIZER. A special edition, 4-hour extended cut is available to order now on DVD and BluRay from http://idreamofwires.org. The feature-length, theatrical cut is set to premiere spring 2014.
-- IDOW Extended Interview #10: Trent Reznor & Alessandro Cortini, Nine Inch Nails --
In January 2012, the I Dream of Wires team visited the Hollywood studio of Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, for a joint interview with fellow NIN member, Alessandro Cortini. Through his continued interest and adoption of cutting-edge electronic instrumentation, Reznor's been witness to the evolution of the synthesizer, from the giant unobtainium of '70s modulars, to the digital "how's the piano sound?" ROMplers of the '80s, right through to the current dominance of computer-based plug-in synthesizers. In our interview, Reznor expresses his enthusiasm for the recent wave of boutique modular synthesizer manufacturers, for having "brought a lot of that magic back into the synth world, that got lost in the Korgs and the Yamahas and the Rolands…." Additionally, Reznor and Cortini offer insight into the influence of an instrument's physical presence, and how for both of them, the process of interacting with hardware plays a crucial role in the resulting sound.
It's hard to believe it's true, but the Moog Voyager, Bob Moog's first synthesizer after getting the Moog Music name back, is being discontinued after 13 years.
I was fortunate enough to pick up a Signature Series Voyager, brand new in the box, on clearance years ago when the last ones were being blown out. It never left the studio and I never sent it out for updates. I wanted to preserve Bob Moog's Voyager exactly as it left the factory, as he signed off on it.
I also have a Minimoog Model D, a Minitaur and the Sub Phatty. What set the Voyager and Model D apart of course was that third oscillator. It makes a difference. I'm curious if Moog will replace the Voyager with another three osc synth. Perhaps a re-issue of the original Model D? Owning both, I have to say each stands on it's own and is different enough to warrant both. The Voyager is refined, yet exudes power. The Model D is wild, aggressive, rough around the edges, but can be tamed.
Whatever Moog comes up with next, I'm sure it will be great. All of their synths to date have something special to offer.
An interesting side note is Bob Moog's Moogerfooger and theremins, released before the Voyager under the Big Briar name, will live on.
The official press release from Moog Music with a tribute video from Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor follows below.
"After 13 years & 14,000 instruments, production of the Minimoog Voyager is coming to an end. Moog will lovingly handcraft 600 final units of the Minimoog Voyager at their factory in downtown Asheville, NC before saying goodbye.
The Minimoog Voyager is the foundation of the modern Moog synthesizer. When it went into production in 2002, it signaled the rebirth of Moog Music, and the re-emergence of the analog synthesizer as a viable creative tool in our increasingly digital world. The design philosophy behind the Minimoog Voyager set the pattern for all of Moog’s subsequent work: where beauty, high mechanical quality, and sonic excellence are equally paramount in the service of musical ideas. The Minimoog Voyager is an embodiment of this ideology, and a wellspring of inspiration for Moog’s instrument design now and into the future.
Most importantly, the Minimoog Voyager is the last synthesizer that Bob Moog designed from start to finish. His DNA is in the circuits of this machine, and it is the culmination of Dr. Moog’s life’s work, which was dedicated to electronic musical instrument design.
Recently, Moog had the honor of sitting down with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, the genre-defining music innovator, master synthesist and Academy Award winning composer. In the interview, Reznor recounts his intimate relationship with the Minimoog Voyager, which he feels “is the archetype of what a synthesizer is and should be.” Through personal stories, Reznor reveals his decades long history with the instrument and how it has shaped the way he views and creates music. The video is set to an original score by British electronic music producer, The Haxan Cloak, co-producer of Bjork’s Vulnicura. Befitting the occasion, the artist used a Minimoog Voyager and a prototype Mother-32, Moog’s newest synthesizer, to create the score.
Over the course of its 13-year production run, the Minimoog Voyager has become one of the most iconic analog synthesizers in history. Its impact on modern music can be heard on countless records and seen on stages around the world with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre, Radiohead, Herbie Hancock, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Bjork and many more.
As a thank you to existing Minimoog Voyager owners, Moog is offering 20% off on all Minimoog Voyager upgrades, modifications and calibrations to domestic customers until the end of the year. Contact techsupport@moogmusic.com for more information.
The Minimoog Voyager is still available in limited quantities at stocking dealers in Performer and Electric Blue versions while supplies last. For pricing and availability, please visit www.moogmusic.com/dealers."
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Trent Reznor | Archetype of a Synthesizer
Published on Sep 30, 2015 Moog Music Inc
"Through personal stories, Trent Reznor recounts his relationship with an iconic analog synthesizer and describes how it has fit into his creative process over his storied career.
Original score by The Haxan Cloak, co-producer of Bjork’s Vulnicura. Befitting the occasion, the artist used a Minimoog Voyager and a prototype Mother-32, Moog’s newest synthesizer, to create the score."
via Adrian Belew's elephant blog. Sent my way via Mike. That would obviously be Trent as in NIN's Trent Reznor. Mike previously sent us this video of, I believe, Alessandro Cortini, also of NIN.
BTW, check out my "Matrixsynth Thanks" section on the right. It contains a list of some of the more known synth oriented artists that have contributed to this site either via the comments, submissions for posts or just kind emails showing support. BTW, if you know of someone I missed, let me know.
🎸 In this video I'm interpreting the song "Hurt" from Trent Reznor. I recorded the sequences in Ableton Live and was sending them to the Vermona Perfourmer, trying to just make rather subtle changes and maintain some overall quiet and vulnerable vibe."
As part of the annual MUTEK Festival in Montreal Canada, the I Dream of Wires team curated an evening of cutting-edge, modular synthesizer based performances. The event took place on Saturday June 2, 2012 at the Montreal Satosphere (part of the Society for Arts and Technology), a spectacular 360 degree multi-media performance space with live performances, all incorporating modular synthesizers, by Sealey/Greenspan/Lanza (Orphx/Junior Boys), Keith Fullerton Whitman (Kranky/Editions Mego), Clark (Warp Records), and Container (Spectrum Spools).
This video piece was originally posted as an exclusive feature at Wired.com. See the accompanying write-up + interview with IDOW director Robert Fantinatto, below.
New Doc I Dream of Wires Celebrates Modular Synths, Retro Gear
By Geeta Dayal
06.13.12
I Dream of Wires, an upcoming documentary about modular synthesizers, celebrates analog hardware in all its wild, messy glory. More than 100 prominent musicians, including Trent Reznor, cEvin Key, Gary Numan, Carl Craig and Morton Subotnick are in the process of being interviewed for the ambitious feature-length film, which is set to be finished in the fall.
Colorful masses of patch cables, rows of knobs and faders, and electronic sounds abound in the exclusive clip above, shot this month at the legendary MUTEK Festival in Montreal. In addition to interviews with several musicians, including Keith Fullerton Whitman, Container and Clark, the 15-minute clip shows intriguing glimpses of the synths in action, in a massive multimedia dome housing 157 speakers called the Satosphere.
The “dedicated and obsessive subculture” of modular synth fanatics across the world formed the inspiration for I Dream of Wires, said director Robert Fantinatto in an e-mail exchange with Wired. “Years ago, I made a small documentary film about the urban-exploration subculture called Echoes of Forgotten Places…. I felt that this whole world of modular synths could make an interesting little film.”
The project soon grew massively in size and ambition. Fantinatto joined forces with Jason Amm, better known as the electronic musician Solvent. With Amm as producer of the film, Fantinatto was able to reach a large number of well-known musicians.
“The trip to see Trent Reznor was probably the most nerve-wracking,” said Fantinatto. “He lives way up on the top of a mountain in Beverly Hills and it [was] quite intimidating leading up to the interview, but Trent was supercool and had us all at ease very quickly.”
But the most jaw-dropping array of modular synth gear that Fantinatto and Amm uncovered didn’t belong to Reznor or any of the other stars they profiled. The best collection, hands down, belonged to a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles.
“He had the most extensive collection of gear I’ve ever seen,” said Fantinatto. “A huge studio with every modular synth ever made, literally every single one ever!”
Fantinatto said he met many modular synth collectors who have “devoted a significant chunk of their lives [to] buying, building and collecting these machines that sometimes take over their homes and their lives.”
“The mystery behind what motivates this irrational obsession is at the heart of the film,” Fantinatto said. “In the end, it is a longing for something authentic — something that has been lost in a virtualized world.”
I Dream of Wires is coming to video on demand via iTunes and Vimeo on Demand on August 10. The DVD will be released in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America on July 31st. To celebrate, there will be a screening in Berlin with a performance and Q&A session with Morton Subotnick.
"To celebrate the August VOD/DVD release of I DREAM OF WIRES, the definitive and acclaimed electronic music documentary about the rise, fall and rebirth of the modular synthesizer, MONODUO FILMS presents a very special screening and electronic music event in Berlin.
On Tuesday July 28, I DREAM OF WIRES will celebrate it’s release premiere in Berlin, followed by a live performance by the legendary Morton Subotnick. Taking place at Babylon Kino Berlin, Morton Subotnick, accompanied by his frequent collaborator, video artist Lillevan, presents FROM SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON TO A SKY OF CLOUDLESS SULFUR REVISITED: VI, marking Subotnick’s first live appearance in Germany since 2011.
Morton Subotnick’s contributions to electronic music cannot be overstated; as a founding member of the seminal San Francisco Tape Music Center, Subotnick played a key role in the conception and development of the influential Buchla modular synthesizer. Armed with his Buchla, Subotnick composed and recorded the landmark 1967 LP, SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON, widely regarded as a modern classic, and the first all-electronic music album to connect with popular music audiences. In 2010 SILVER APPLES was selected for the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Long considered one of the essential milestones in electronic music, it continues to have great effect on later generations of artists.
Subotnick’s interview in I DREAM OF WIRES, alongside interviews with influential electronic musicians including Trent Reznor, Gary Numan, Carl Craig, James Holden and Vince Clarke, is pivotal in the film, and provides a revealing insight into this true electronic music visionary.
The film will be introduced by I DREAM OF WIRES' director Robert Fantinatto, who will also join Morton Subotnick for a post-screening Q&A. This July 28 event is more than just a celebration of the modular synthesizer; it’s a rare opportunity to learn and experience the historical roots of electronic music.
I Dream Of Wires is an independent documentary about the history, demise and resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the dreams and obsessions of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this fascinating, esoteric electronic music machine. Over 100 inventors, musicians and enthusiasts are interviewed about their relationship with the modular synthesizer - for many, it’s an all-consuming passion.
Through tracing the history of the modular synthesizer, I Dream Of Wires also outlines the history of electronic music as a whole, from its very beginnings at the dawn of the electric age. The film provides a fascinating look at how technology has shaped the electronic music landscape. Today, the modular synthesizer is no longer an esoteric curiosity or even a mere music instrument - it is an essential tool for radical new sounds and a bona fide subculture.
Interviews include:
- Legendary electronic musicians: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Morton Subotnick, Gary Numan, Vince Clarke (Erasure).
- Contemporary dance & electronica artists: Carl Craig, James Holden, Legowelt.
- Synthesizer manufacturers: Doepfer, Modcan, Make Noise.
Event Details
Babylon Kino
Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 30,
10178 Berlin
28.07.2015 | 8PM
20€ Presales
25€ At the Door
+10€ w/DVD
VOD and DVD Release of I Dream of Wires in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America will start as follows:
* DVD available July 31 through Cargo Distribution / Amazon
* VOD available August 10 through ITunes and Vimeo on Demand
"It looks like we'll be producing and releasing one more free I Dream Of Wires: Extended Interview piece in 2014. If you could choose just one person, out of all of the people we interviewed in IDOW, who would you like to see featured in a full Extended Interview? [leave your pick on Facebook here]
If you're not familiar with our Extended Interview series, we've released 9 of them so far. See the list below, and check out our Vimeo channel to watch.
The New York Times has an article on Dewanatron and the Swarmatron. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' use of the Swarmatron get a mention for their use of the Dewanatron in "The Social Network".
"It was something of a personal victory, too. 'It felt like the Swarmatron was the foundation on which they built a whole bunch of other musical stuff,' Mr. Dewan said, referring to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who together created the score."
Spoken parts chosen and selected from some Trent Reznor's interview after release of Social Network.
Hardware only setup. Live play. Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1UW, Elektron Monomachine SFX-60+, x0xb0x, Roland SP-555, Korg Radias, Microkorg XL, Korg Electribe EMX-1, Edirol M-16DX, Lexicon MX200, Lexicon MX400, Korg Kaoss Pad.
"I wasted several years playing another people bands and working at the studios, doing things... That is because I didn't know if I had anything to say. I didn't know, what I was saying, I didn't know, what I was talking about... It was me not being me, it was me writing about the things... I felt like I didn't fill in, I was lonely and I needed to do something... That was the older current version of me, that was me a few years ago. Like an older version of me. It did almost feel like a natural evolution. I wanna make a music, that feel like a music I had to make. I have tryied to give the individual records their identity, but I needed to kind of force my hand to make a change. The struggle on the beggining of any product like that is to try to find what is it, that inspires you, what feels like you own to something, that you have to pursuit, because that is all about. Then I realised, that actually it had a power, it resonated beyond, reflecting."
These became really popular after this video of Trent Reznor using a similar instrument by Folktek [posted here] I'd say you can get the same sort of results from the Resonant Garden as Trent is getting in this video.
Disclaimer: I have used this instrument and while I thought it was very cool I didn't really understand it. From what I can tell, it works as intended, but it basically makes strange and unpredictable sounds so I can't say if it is working 'right'. I doubt it's very complex internally so if there was a problem it wouldnt take much to tweak it. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, its just that since it's basically a chaos device I can't vouch for what it's supposed to do."
"Live take of "Hand Covers Bruise" By Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from The Social Network Soundtrack, cover/demo with the Soma Laboratories Lyra-8 + Hall of Fame Reverb + E-mu Proformance 1 Grand Piano (midi controlled by the Korg Monologue) to a Roland VS880 HDR to a Canon 6D +50mm 1.4 lens."
"I Dream of Wires" (IDOW) is an upcoming, independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. Written and directed by Robert Fantinatto, with Jason Amm (Ghostly International recording artist Solvent) serving as producer and co-writer, IDOW is set to receive it's festival premiere, May 2013.
Preceding IDOW's official theatrical release, we will be releasing this special, extended cut: "I Dream Of Wires (Hardcore Edition)" (IDOW-HE) will be released independently on BluRay / 2xDVD, and shipped to all IndieGoGo and pre-order customers, June 2013. IDOW-HE is for the hardcore modular synthesizer and electronic music fanatics, and will run approximately 4 hours long (!).
IDOW-HE is a strictly limited-edition item, available to order exclusively through idreamofwires.org from 2/11 - 5/31, 2013. It's bound to sell out in pre-orders, so don't sleep...
IDOW-HE BluRay / 2xDVD is available to pre-order now: http://idreamofwires.org/order
"Themogene (I Dream Of Wires theme)", from the forthcoming IDOW original soundtrack album by Solvent, is available to listen/download in its entirety via Ghostly International on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ghostly/solvent-themogene
Additional music/sounds featured in this trailer: Container, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Richard Devine, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Gert Jalass (Moon Modular), Richard Lainhart, Solvent, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Keith Fullerton Whitman.
"Who said that?" (in order of appearance): Brad Garton, Dean Batute, Maggie Payne, Bernie Krause, William Maginnis, Terry Pender, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Benge (John Foxx and the Maths), Vince Clarke (Erasure), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), David Kronemeyer, Jon Sonnenberg (Travelogue), Carl Craig, James Holden, Richard Devine, Luke Abbott, Tony Rolando (Make Noise), Flood, Trent Reznor (NiN/How To Destroy Angels), Dieter Doepfer, Dominic Butler (Factory Floor), Paul Schreiber (Synthesis Technology/MOTM), David Kronemeyer, Eric Barbour (Metasonix), George Mattson, William Mathewson (WMD), Tony Rolando, Eric Barbour, Daniel Miller, Drew Neumann, John Elliott (Spectrum Spools/ex-Emeralds), Andreas Schneider (SchneidersBuero), Eric Barbour, Scott Jaeger (The Harvestman), Andreas Schneider, Dieter Doepfer, Chris Carter (X-TG/Chris & Cosey), Charlie Clouser, Danjel Van Tijn (Intellijel), John Tejada, Drumcell, Legowelt, Alessandro Cortini (SONOIO/ex-NiN), John Foxx, Deadmau5, James Husted (Synthwerks), Paul Barker (Malekko/ex-Ministry), Container, Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy), Robert A.A. Lowe, Trent Reznor, Gur Milstein (TipTop Audio), Gary Numan.
YouTube Uploaded by ScrollingMusic on Jul 13, 2011
"Excerpt from "In Motion," featured in the 2010 film "The Social Network." Music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The soundtrack to "The Social Network" received widespread acclaim when the film was released. It has one both the 2010 Golden Globe and Academy Awards for best original soundtrack. This particular track is featured early in the film, during the scene where Mark Zuckerberg is hacking onto the Harvard house servers and downloading pictures of undergraduate girls to create his comparison site, facemash.com.
The electronic sound of this track is well-suited to our Matlab synthesizer. This rendition closely mimics the sound of the original, but we did not design any new instruments. In fact, the mix here contains some of our earliest Matlab instruments (sax, guitar, triangle wave.) We did not use a MIDI file to sequence this track. Instead, we fed the image displayed in the video to our synthesizer, and it interpreted the "piano-roll" notation to create this rendition."
via Adrian Belew's elephant blog. Sent my way via Mike. That would obviously be Trent as in NIN's Trent Reznor. Mike previously sent us this video of, I believe, Alessandro Cortini, also of NIN.
The New York Times has an article on Dewanatron and the Swarmatron. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' use of the Swarmatron get a mention for their use of the Dewanatron in "The Social Network".
