New SYNTH EVOLUTION Poster for Xmas 2018

A new poster from SYNTH EVOLUTION, who also hosts www.synthsounds.net, a new online database of samples for various synths that anyone can contribute to. Currently there are 50 samples, including some real rarities like the Buchla 100.

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The following is the announcement on the new poster:

"SYNTH EVOLUTION is proud to announce a brand new poster for Xmas 2018:

Synth’s Greatest Hits: 1939 - 1999

An A1 poster featuring the world’s most important synths, drum machines and samplers.

Each of the 99 featured instruments is lovingly hand illustrated and is accompanied by fascinating facts - notable tracks, performers, or historical information.

Alongside this the mode of synthesis is indicated, its polyphony and number of oscillators per voice.

Featured are such well known instruments as: Minimoog, TB-303, Arp 2600, TR-808, TR-909, DX-7, D-50, S1000, TONTO...
...and others such as:


- Eminent 310 - the sound of Equinoxe I
- Waldorf Microwave - made by some of the ex- employees of PPG Wave - Ensoniq Mirage - early, affordable 8-bit sampler -Korg M1 - the ROMpler that changed everything!
The poster is available in black or white from synthevolution.net and will make a for a
fascinating talking point in any home or studio. Or home studio!
 £30 + postage (global delivery)

© 2018 SynthEvolution. All rights reserved

Details of ‘Greatest Hits of Synth’ A1 poster:


SYNTH EVOLUTION is the brainchild of Oli Freke, a composer, musician and designer who’s had a lifelong passion for the synthesizer. He has previously supported the Human League on tour, run a dance music label, performed live house and techno in clubs and festivals, performed Brazilian drumming at the Glastonbury festival and composed music for television. www.olifreke.co.uk"

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Greatest Hits of Synth Poster Now in Electric Blue and Racing Green

"Synth Evolution’s ever-popular poster of the history of the synthesizer is now available in special edition colours of racing green and electric blue. The poster features 100 beautifully drawn vintage synths, samplers and drum machines in chronological order with family tree connections. Black and white options are also still available, and all are high quality silkscreen prints on 270gsm artists paper. See the attached images.

Delivering globally, they can be ordered from www.synthevolution.net (now with lower shipping costs to the US compared with recent times)

Stay tuned, as well, for an exciting joint project with the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation announcing soon. Other new products will be launching at SynthFestUK on October 8th in Sheffield, UK. In the meantime check out our sister site www.synthtrax.net - an ever-growing wiki-directory of 'all the songs ever to feature a synth’ - yes, really!

Vive le synth!

Oli"

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LSPXPO 2025: Synth Evolution's Vintage Synthesizer Illustrations

video upload by sonicstate

"At the LSPXPO 2025, we met Oli Freke from *Synth Evolution*, who shares his passion for synthesizers through his unique illustrated books and posters. They're great. (We have a poster on the wall at the Sonic office ;-)

More Info:
https://www.synthevolution.net/"

SYNTH EVOLUTION - Illustrations of Classic Synthesizers

"SYNTH EVOLUTION is a new business specialising in illustrations of classic synthesizers, from the earliest Moog and Buchla systems of the early 1960s, right up to the introduction of the first analogue modelling synths of the early 1990s.

Every synth manufactured during that time has been covered - from the big names of Moog, Roland and Yamaha to the more esoteric products from RMI, Wersi and Powertran. Between them, all these synthesizers - and more importantly, the musicians who use them, have transformed music of the last 50 years bringing previously undreamt of sounds and styles to musical culture.

The first range of products from SYNTH EVOLUTION are stylish white ceramic mugs emblazoned with illustrations of these mighty instruments. There is a selection to browse from on the website, but any synth from a list of over 270 can be requested!

Note that currently only synthesizers are available - drum machines, samplers and more recent instruments are in the pipeline, as are other products.

Delivery worldwide.

www.synthevolution.net

Pictured:

Moog Modular 3C (1967)

Buy now

The Moog Modular Synthesizer 3C (1967) was one of Robert Moog's earliest instruments and formed the basis of what was to become the world's largest modular synthesizer 'TONTO'. Created by Malcolm Cecil, 'The Original New Timbral Orchestra’ eventually comprised two Moog Modular 3C's as well as many other modules from other manufacturers.




Arp 2600 (1971)

Buy now

The Arp 2600 was created in 1971 by Alan R. Pearlman and has been a classic ever since. Notable users are too numerous to list in full, but include Stevie Wonder, Jean-Michel Jarre, Orbital, Rick Wakeman and Nine Inch Nails. It was also used to create R2D2's bleeps and bloops in Star Wars.


Yamaha CS-80 (1977)

Buy now

The polyphonic Yamaha CS-80 is synonymous with the lush chord sound of Vangelos - such as the opening sequence of Bladerunner.

Released in 1977, it's eight note polyphony was a revelation, but it's 90kg weight meant some serious weight training was required to own one.


Con Brio ADS 200 (1980)

Buy now

The Con Brio Advanced Digital Synthesizer (ADS) 200 was an extraordinary synthesizer released in 1980 costing over $20,000. Based on additive synthesis, FM, phase modulation and some other esoteric sound generation methods it had 64 note polyphony and 16 oscillators per note.

Quite a beast, and a splendid looking one too - perfect for a retro-futuristic mug of tea!

—————
SYNTH EVOLUTION is the brainchild of Oli Freke, a composer and musician who’s had a lifelong passion for the synthesizer. He has previously supported the Human League on tour, run a dance music label, performed live house and techno in clubs and festivals, performed Brazilian drumming at the world famous Glastonbury festival and composed music for television. Find out more at www.olifreke.co.uk"

SynthFest UK 2024 - Iconic Drum Machines

video upload by Sound On Sound magazine

"Oli Freke from Synth Evolution takes us on a guided tour of some of the most iconic drum machines that shaped music in our time.

He'll be joined on stage by Michael Eden who will demonstrate some of the drum machines in his collection.

Chapter times:

00:00 - Introducing the hosts
00:50 - What is a drum machine?
03:30 - The Wurlitzer Sideman from 1959, the first drum machine?
04:35 - Wurlitzer Sideman demonstration
08:15 - The Sideman's valve mechanism in action
09:52 - Legal problems and use by home organists
11:21 - Transistor-based Keio Donca Matic DE-11 from 1966
13:34 - Donca Matic DE-11 demonstration
15:15 - Keio becomes Korg
16:17 - Ace Tone Drum machines from 1967
17:15 - Keio Mini Pops 7 from 1967
20:47 - Famed use by Jean-Michel Jarre on Oxygene (Note: YouTube has muted the music clip)
23:12 - Inclusion of Quijada/ Jawbone sound
24:24 - Robin Gibb, Sly & The Family Stone drum machine firsts
26:29 - Paia Programmable Drumset from 1975
28:06 - Paia Drumset programming demonstration
32:16 - Use by Peter Gabriel
34:01 - Roland TR-808 from 1980
37:29 - Roland TR-808 features and demonstration
41:00 - Programming a beat on the TR-808
43:48 - Pioneering new genres of electronic music
47:13 - How does the TR-808 make its sounds?
48:14 - Recreating the 808 bass drum
50:39 - Recreating the 808 snare drum
52:22 - Recreating the 808 clap sound
53:48 - Recreating the 808 hi-hat sound
56:17 - Recreating the 808 cowbell sound
57:38 - Comparing the digital model with the original TR-808
58:29 - Outro

Oli Freke may be contacted via his website.
https://www.synthevolution.net"

New Limited Edition BLUEPRINT Poster from SYNTH EVOLUTION

You might remember the original poster from SYNTH EVOLUTION posted back in 2018.

Oli of SYNTH EVOLUTION, wrote in to let us know he has a new edition of the poster. Details:

"It’s a silk-screened print on high grade paper in the brand new colour of blueprint blue. I’ve only made 30 hand-numbered prints and they really are gorgeous and a joy to look at! All the facts about 99 of the best synths of 20th century, designed to be a talking point for any studio or home.

At a limited price for £30 ($36) till Sun 19th, now’s the time to grab one!"

More details and buy online at www.synthevolution.net"

"Synth Evolution are proud to announce the launch of this gorgeous, updated, ‘blueprint blue’ edition of Synths Greatest Hits.

For a limited time, you could own one of thirty limited edition, hand numbered, prints. Silkscreened onto high quality 270gsm paper, this is a treat for the eyes as well as the synth-obsessed brain!

The poster is an intricately researched and painstakingly designed A1 poster featuring exactly 99 of the most iconic, important and interesting synths of the 20th century.

Featuring the same illustration style as the original A0 Synth Evolution poster, it now includes a selection of drum machines such as the Roland TR-808, TR-909, LinnDrum and samplers such as the NED Synclavier II, Fairlight CMI, Akai S1000 and Ensoniq Mirage.

Each synth is accompanied by a short description explaining it’s importance - for example how the Arp 2600 was used for the voice of R2D2, or that the Eminent 310 was the string sound used by Jean-Michel Jarre on Equinoxe I. Not only that, but the synthesis type is indicated, along with maximum polyphony and numbers of oscillators per voice.

All-in-all, it is a cornucopia of information and connections, guaranteed to keep any synth fan occupied for hours, and will provide a fascinating talking point for the studio or home.

A1 Blue poster with white print 54.9 x 84.1cms (23.4” x 33.1”) on 270gsm paper

A Limited edition of 30 - once they’re gone, they’re gone!"

Syntheast 2025 - Impressions, Interviews and Performances

video upload by sonicstate

"Syntheast was on a couple of weeks back, now in its third year, it's become a well established synth show with exhibitors, performances, and talks - and a friendly vibe.

Regular contributor Paulee Bow (‪@magicalsynthadventure3216‬ ) had a slot playing an improvised set with the organizer Robin Vincent (‪@MoltenMusicTech‬ ) so we sent them a phone trig to capture some of the people and performances from the 3 day event.

Thanks to those who spoke to Paulee and Robin Vincent for the additional footage.

https://Syntheast.com
https://www.electronicsound.co.uk/

00:00:00 Introduction and highlights
00:03:20 Chat with Robin Vincent
00:05:38 Chat With Gaz Williams
00:07:50 ‪@ElectronicSound‬ Magazine
00:09:50 Luke from Korg
00:12:28 Oli Freke http://synthevolution.net
00:14:05 ‪@ProSynthNetwork‬ Peter James-Stephen
00:14:40 Paul from PWM https://www.1pwm.com/
00:17:49 Chris Calcutt ‪@-CALC-‬
00:19:53 http://clacktronics.co.uk
00:20:22 Live performances collection
00:27:14 Final thoughts"

Drum Machine History by Oli Freke

"The drum machine has progressed massively since the days of the home organ player. Here Oli Freke takes us through a brief history with lots of audio examples, highlighting the most iconic models to have been released during the last 60 years and the part they have played in shaping musical trends."

You might remember Oli Freke from his Synthesizer Evolution book, synth posters, and demos previously posted here.

Check out the full article on Sound on Sound here.

Timeline for the above podcast:

00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - Early Rhythm Machines
02:57 - The First Korg Rhythm Machine
04:03 - The Invention Of The Transistor
08:02 - Solid State Rhythm Machines
13:48 - Using Drum Machines In Mainstream Hits
17:05 - The First Programmable Drum Machines
21:59 - The Introduction Of Drum Pads And Brains
25:27 - The Arrival Of Digital Samples And The Linn Drum
30:59 - The Era Of Sampling Drum Machines
37:11 - The Impact Of The Roland TR-808 and TR-909
42:54 - Other Notable 80s Drum Machines
44:41 - The Introduction Of MIDI
46:51 - Standardised Layouts And Spec
50:12 - Analogue Circuit Modelling And Software
53:45 - Back To Hardware With Eurorack Modular
54:52 - Drum Pattern Generation With AI

"Oli Freke is a London-based musician, artist and author who has had a life-long passion for electronic instruments, synthesizers and electronic music. Currently working for the BBC, he has previously enjoyed success with electro band Cassette Electrik supporting the Human League on tour, written music for television and produced dance music since the 1990s.

His Synth Evolution range of posters, celebrating the synthesizer and electronic music culture, launched in 2017 and led to the definitive, hand-illustrated book, Synth Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back), featuring every commercial synth of the 20th century.

www.synthevolution.net www.linktr.ee/olifreke"

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (And Back) - Book Review + Flip Through

synth4ever

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (And Back) is also available on Amazon here.

"Ciat-Lonbarde

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (And Back) book review & book flip through. Synthesizer Evolution is a recently published book covering every major synth, drum machine and sampler from 1963-1995. Each instrument is hand drawn and includes vital statistics and quirky facts.

Synth Evolution is published by Velocity Press (https://velocitypress.uk) and written & illustrated by Oli Freke (https://www.synthevolution.net), a London-based musician, artist and author with a life-long passion for analogue synthesizers and electronic music.

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (And Back) provides us with an in-depth look at synthesizer history over the decades and covers a variety of vintage synthesizers including analog synths, digital synths, modular synths, wavetable synths, FM synths, additive synths and more.

Join me for a narrated book flip through highlighting various synths and concluding with a brief book review at the end. Hope you enjoy and feel free to grab a copy of Synth Evolution if you like it.

--------------------
TIMECODES
--------------------
00:00 - Intro

► SYNTHESIZERS
01:01 - 360 Systems, Access Music (Virus), Ace Tone
01:46 - Akai (AX80, AX60)
02:43 - Arp Instruments (2500, 2600)
03:44 - Behringer
04:07 - Buchla modulars
04:22 - Casio (Casiotone, CZ series, HT series)

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Synthesizer Evolution Synth Book by Oli Freke

My copy of Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back) by Oli Freke arrived the other day. I finally got a chance to take a quick look and take some pics for a post here on MATRIXSYNTH. You might remember the book from this previous post. It's available at Velocity Press, and on Amazon

I have to say, the quality of the book is excellent, it just feels nice in the hands. The book is laid out in the following sections (see the Contents image below): Preface, Introduction, Synthesizers, Drum Machines, Samplers, and Pre-Modern Instruments. Each synth/instrument has a hand drawing by Oli Freke with simple specs and some facts. You can see a page featuring Sequential Circuits below.

One nice surprise was seeing matrixsynth.com mentioned in the acknowledgements. I had no idea it would be there. So cool. :) Huge thanks to Oli Freke for the mention. This book would make a great stocking stuffer this holiday season. I'm looking forward to relaxing with the book myself over the holidays.

BTW, you can find a link to the book on top of the site for future reference.

Oli Freke also created the SYNTH EVOLUTION poster you can find on his website, https://www.synthevolution.net.

You can find additional posts featuring his work here.

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New Batch of Synthfest UK 23 Videos

video uploads by sonicstate

Playlist: (you can use the player controls to skip around)

1. Synthfest UK 23: Sequential - Trigon 6 Desktop

At SynthFest UK 2023, we had the opportunity to chat with Chris from Sequential, a part of the Focusrite group. Chris introduced us to the Trigon 6 Desktop, the latest addition to Sequential's synthesizer lineup. This compact desktop version of the Trigon 6 packs a powerful punch, offering three oscillators and a distinctive Dave Smith ladder filter. Designed for those seeking a space-saving solution without compromising on sound quality, the Trigon 6 Desktop retains all the features of its larger sibling, including patch recall, a versatile effects section with various modulation possibilities, and the distinctive feedback control that allows you to sculpt sub-harmonic richness.

Trigon 6 Desktop Price: $2,499

https://www.sequential.com/

2. Synthfest UK 2023: Calc And the Prophet X

At Synthfest UK 2023, we caught up with Calc from Sequential, and he gave us the lowdown on the Prophet X. Now, you might be thinking, Prophet X? Haven't we seen that before? Well, you're right, but this hybrid instrument has been quietly making waves in the music world. It combines digital and analog elements, with digital oscillators and a unique twist in the form of multi-sample-based instruments. Yes, you heard that right, it's not just your run-of-the-mill synth; it's a full-on sampler too, boasting an impressive 50 gigabytes of memory for your custom samples. You can treat it like a rompler, a sample player, or even use those samples as oscillators, creating a whole new realm of sonic possibilities.

Plus, it's packed with stereo goodness, allowing you to explore a wide soundstage with ease. It's not your typical synth, and that's what makes its a favourute of Calc's

Looking for some more info on the Prophet X? Check out Sequential's official page: www.sequential.com/prophet-x/

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