"The Moog modular was one of the first commercially available synthesizers. Sold in different configurations, the Moog IIIP consisted of 3 portable cabinets. Containing ten (!) 901 series oscillators, the best lowpass and highpass filters in the biz, and a magical spring reverb that makes things sound more organic, we can't think of any other synth that matches the warmth and fatness of this genuine 1969 vintage Moog modular. Wendy Carlos’s classic album Switched on Bach and I Feel Love by Donna Summer were recorded on similar Moog modular systems. We just finished refurbishing this gorgeous example (assuming we don’t find any problems as we continue to test it). Restoration was done in stages and took many months to complete. Total tech time spent was around 85 hours. We hit a snag when some parts we ordered turned out to be fakes - a sadly common occurrence these days - but we eventually managed to track down some legit replacements. We originally planned to sell this system, but after spending some time patching it, we don’t know if we can let this one go! If this system was set up in a commercial studio here in New York City where it was available for use, would you be interested? If so, please email us. Or, make us a serious offer and if it's tempting enough, maybe we'll sell it. We'd also consider trades for similar vintage modular systems (Roland System 700, Buchla 200, Polyfusion, Emu Modular, ARP 2500, etc). We have a smaller (single cabinet) real vintage Moog Model 15 that's ready for sale.
We buy sell trade refurbish vintage synths and electronic musical instruments.
"A 3-cabinet authentic, period correct all RA Moog modules system that dates from 1968.
This instrument forms a part of the RL Music Vintage Synthesizer Collection. We have managed to keep some of the very best examples of Vintage Synthesizers that have come through our business over the last 22 years which we kept for our pleasure and interest. Whilst having a privileged position as a specialist dealer in this genre of equipment, we managed to hang on to particular instruments that were interesting and inspiring. The RA Moog Modular IIIC is one of 40 instruments we have, but is the oldest and most historically important.
"Time to upset some nerds. Programmed the famous clockwork orange, wendy carlos/ purcell piece. A Funeral For Queen Mary. Now with robotic lars ulrich and angry bass behind! Download the wav and mp3 here :-
/ 127565163"
"'The word "pioneer' gets thrown around too liberally these days. But in the case of Wendy Carlos, the glove fits. The face of electronic music would look immeasurably different in 2025 without the American trans composer's groundbreaking achievements. Before she came along, electronic music was barely considered music at all—just "funny sounds," as Bob Moog once said.
That all changed in 1968. Produced in collaboration with Rachel Elkind, Carlos's debut album, Switched-On Bach wielded machines to produce sounds that could compete with the symphonic pop and rock of the era. The landmark LP won multiple GRAMMYs, played a key role in popularising the use of synths and became only the second classical music record to sell a million copies.
In our latest video essay, written by Sasha Geffen, we trace Carlos's story from her early experiments with Moog through to her impact on key electronic acts of the past 50 years, including Brian Eno, DJ Sprinkles and Octo Octa.
00:00 - Intro 00:54 - Switched-on Bach 01:57 - Carlos and Bob Moog 03:07 Contribution to synth development 04:36 - A Clockwork Orange Score & The Vocoder 07:20 - Personal Life 08:20 - Musical Development
Producer - Sophie Misrahi Writer - Sasha Geffen Editors - Sergey Poltorakov, Guy Clarke Motion Graphics - Sergey Poltorakov, Dan Derham
Music in order of appearance:
1. Wendy Carlos - Toccata Fugue In D Minor - Switched-On Bach 2000 2. Wendy Carlos - Air On A G String - Switched-On Bach 3. Delia Derbyshire - Quest - Electrosonic 4. Wendy Carlos - Moog 900 series Demonstration 5. The RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer - The Well-Tempered Clavier Fugue No. 2 6. Wendy Carlos - Prelude And Fugue #2 In C Minor - Switched-On Bach 7. Wendy Carlos - Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (From Purcell's Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary - A Clockwork Orange Complete Original Score 8. Wendy Carlos - Country Lane - A Clockwork Orange Complete Original Score 9. Cybotron - Clear 10. Wendy Carlos - Genesis - Digital Moonscapes
"This synthesizer is the world's first programmable music synthesizer. The first piece of electronic music to win the Pulitzer Prize was made on it.
basically a two voice synthesizer with tone generation and composing in the left hand side and processing on the right hand side, including manual binary for the, uh, ordering of the effects processes. Um, which for its time, uh, essentially like a uh, touring computer. Um, uh, was it You know, one and a half tons, seven feet tall, 14 feet wide, it's quite a behemoth, but now it's a very large paperweight.
Watch the full video:" [The above comes in at 22:41 - vintage Buchla, Serge & more follow. See this post for the red Buchla LSD module]
How Technology is Changing the Way We Make Music | A Conversation with Seth Cluett
"Guest: Seth Cluett, Director of Columbia University’s Computer Music Center | On LinkedIn: / seth-cluett-7631065 | Columbia University Computer Music Center Bio: https://cmc.music.columbia.edu/bios/s...
Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/
Show Notes
Music and technology have always shaped each other, and few places embody that relationship as deeply as the Computer Music Center (CMC) at Columbia University. In this episode of Music Evolves, Sean Martin sits down with Seth Cluett, Director of the Computer Music Center and Assistant Director of the Sound Art MFA program at Columbia, to explore the center’s rich history, its role in advancing music technology, and how it continues to shape the future of sound.
The Legacy and Mission of the Computer Music Center
The CMC is housed in the same 6,000-square-foot space as the original Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, which dates back to 1951 and is one of the world’s oldest university-based electronic music research facilities. This was the birthplace of early electronic music, where pioneers learned to use cutting-edge technology to create new sounds. Many of those musicians went on to establish their own studios around the world, from Egypt to Japan.
The center has played a role in major milestones in music history, including the work of Wendy Carlos, a former student known for Switched-On Bach, the score for Tron, and The Shining. The first piece of electronic music to win a Pulitzer Prize was also composed here. Today, under Cluett’s leadership, the focus remains on creativity-driven technological innovation—allowing composers and artists to explore technology freely and push the boundaries of what’s possible in sound and music.
One of the center’s guiding principles is accessibility. Cluett emphasizes the importance of lowering barriers to entry for students who may not have had prior access to music technology. The goal is to make sure that anyone, regardless of background, can walk into the studio and begin working with 80% of its capabilities within the first 20 minutes.
Exploring the Labs and Studios
The episode also includes a tour of the labs and studios, showcasing some of the center’s groundbreaking equipment. One highlight is the RCA Mark II Synthesizer, the world’s first programmable music synthesizer. Built in the late 1950s, this massive machine—seven feet tall and weighing over a ton—was instrumental in shaping the sound of early electronic music. The system worked by punching holes into paper to control sound generation, similar to a player piano. While no longer in use, the CMC has collaborated with iZotope to model some of its effects digitally.
"Alan R Pearlman was responsible for some of the greatest sounding and most intuitive synthesizers of the modern age, many of which are still highly sought after or emulated to this day. Inspired, as so many were, by hearing Wendy Carlos’s 'Switched on Bach', he founded Tonus in 1969, a company that would soon become ARP Instruments, and began producing synthesizers such as the legendary ARP 2500, 2600 and Odyssey.
Since his passing in 2019 at the age of 93, his daughter, Dina, has been building the Alan R Pearlman Foundation, an organisation that seeks to preserve her father’s legacy and enable as many people as possible to get hands-on with his inventions.
As with all not-for-profits, Dina has faced numerous challenges, but with the help of the likes of Jean Michel Jarre, Herbie Hancock and many other fans of Alan’s work, the Foundation is beginning to realise its objectives with great success.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:18 - The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation
06:52 - The Main Aims Of The Foundation
09:12 - Women In The World Of Pioneering Synthesis
12:45 - Childhood Memories During The Early Days Of ARP
14:54 - Unearthed Footage Of The ARP Factory
23:27 - About ARPS For All
30:23 - The ARP Paradigm
34:27 - Collaborating With Bjooks
38:55 - Google Arts & Culture: Music Makers & Machines
40:47 - The Future For The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation
Dina Pearlman Biog
Dina is the only child of Alan and Buena Pearlman and grew up with ARP Synthesizers as a backdrop for her childhood, travelling extensively and being exposed to innovative and cutting-edge technology. In her early years, she spent time playing in rock and roll bands, as well as dance and theatre. For the past thirty years, she has worked as a versatile visual arts and design professional, creative director, and educator. She has also worked extensively in photography, graphics and web design for several decades, and has a broad understanding of visual communications media.
In the last few years before his illness, Alan Pearlman started to re-examine the brave new world of synthesizers that exists today, many decades after his iconic and groundbreaking 12 years as the inventor and founder of ARP Synthesizers. During this time, he brought his daughter into the conversation. After his death in January 2019, Dina realised the need of keeping his legacy and passion alive, and with the help and encouragement of many of his former colleagues as well as the wonderful Michelle Moog-Koussa, she started the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation and ARP Archives.
"Digital Keyboards Inc. Synergy II+ synthesizer with MIDI and Kaypro II computer, original owner's manual and all other information about connecting and editing in PDF, all factory and Wendy Carlos sounds on board of the Kaypro, SD cartridge as an extra backup of the sound banks and to save your own sounds, sustain pedals and custom made hardcase available for sale. It's a complete system which you won't find anywhere else in the world at this moment.
Both the synthesizer and the Kaypro have been serviced. Dani Wilson (Hideaway Studios, UK) serviced the Kaypro computer and added two Gotek disk emulators pre-loaded with the SynHCS Host Editor and voice/cart library. The old power supply has been replaced by a modern SMPSU version. The synthesizer got a new psu too, has been recapped and the keyboard contacts were cleaned. The RS-232 SIA cable is also new. Both the service invoices are included as a proof of what's been done exactly. We didn't save money to bring this beauty set back to life.
The Synergy is a very much more powerful synth than many realize - having two complete sets of 16 stage loopable envelope generators per operator which morph between high and low velocity acting on 32 digital oscillators with a remarkable amount of fluid modulation control available all in 16-bit digital audio is just mind blowing for a design that came out of the mid 1970s.
If you want to go deep into the programming side of the synth you need the Kaypro II computer. The complex synth engine gives you the ability to build up sounds from the ground on. It's a joy to build rich pads and melancholic film music sounds. The new owner will receive a testing video with information how to edit sounds prior to the packing process.
Optically there are some signs of use, but the overall condition is very good. The black case of the synth has some scratches, small dents, some missing parts at the edges. The tolex has sings of use too. The upper plastic panel of the SD cartridge is missing and the cartridge itself is in used condition. The Kaypro has some small scratches on the metal case and keyboard. There is a custom made hardcase for the synth which has signs of use too. Please check all the photos and ask for more photos if something is not clear enough.
Both the units are set to 240v. The serial numbers are: 01646 (DK Synergy) and 74313 (Kaypro II)"
"Fully serviced and working great. The Synergy II+ is a digital additive/FM synthesizer that sounds like no other. Somewhat similar to the extremely popular Yamaha DX7, it's tone is mellower and warmer. A popular website states 700-800 were made and estimates less than 100 are in operation today. We don't know how they came up with this estimation, but this one's working great, as we just fully serviced it. Famous users include Jay Wires, Wendy Carlos, BT (crumar gds), Junkie XL and Steely Dan. Carlos used it on the Tron soundtrack and other recordings.
Previously, one needed an old Kaypro computer with special software to edit sounds, but someone recently developed an editor that can be run on a modern computer."
"1984 The Art of Electronic Music ~ 300+pgs w/ Foreword by Robert Moog
Scarce title. The instruments, designers, and musicians behind the artistic and popular explosion of electronic music. Compiled by Tom Darter and Edited by Greg Armbruster, with a foreword by Robert Moog. Covers many synthesizer brand names and their designers, both analog and digital: Yamaha (DX7/FM), Bob Moog, Tom Oberheim, Dave Smith, John Chowing, Don Buchla and many famous musicians like Keith Emerson, Isao Tomita, Larry Fast, Wendy Carlos, Vangelis, and many more.
Apart from a little cover wear, the book is in very good condition. Softcover, 315 pages. First edition, copyright 1984. This item ships WORLDWIDE."
"Here’s the DK Synergy II+ we just refurbished and will soon put up for sale on our website at tonetweakers.com. The Synergy is an incredibly powerful FM / additive synthesizer that sounds somewhat similar to the famous Yamaha DX7 series, but many feel it sounds much better. We love both. Famous users include Jay Wires, Wendy Carlos and Donald Fagen. In the past, one needed to hook up their Synergy to a Kaypro computer running special software to create their own Synergy sounds. However, someone recently developed a new editor that runs on modern computers. This is a game changer - we can’t wait to hook our Synergy up to it!"
"Scarce title. The instruments, designers, and musicians behind the artistic and popular explosion of electronic music. Compiled by Tom Darter and Edited by Greg Armbruster, with a foreword by Robert Moog. Covers many synthesizer brand names and their designers, both analog and digital: Yamaha (DX7/FM), Bob Moog, Tom Oberheim, Dave Smith, John Chowing, Don Buchla and many famous musicians like Keith Emerson, Isao Tomita, Larry Fast, Wendy Carlos, Vangelis, and many more.
Apart from a little cover wear, the book is in very good condition. Softcover, 315 pages. First edition, copyright 1984."
"The long wait is finally over. The Moog Spectravox has finally been released and we couldn't be more excited!
Spectravox, the newest member of the Moog semi-modular family, is a groundbreaking tool for sculpting sound. An analog spectral processor based around a 10-band filter bank, Spectravox creates lively drones and colorful tonal sweeps on its own and adds resonant depth and psychedelic spectral movement to any external sound. Hook up a microphone and Spectravox becomes a 10-band analog vocoder with innovative integrated modulation of all of its filters. An exploration and expansion of the topology of the vocoder and filter bank, Spectravox is a highly flexible instrument and signal processor with a comprehensive patch bay for integration into studios of all sizes.
Synthesists have delighted in playing with the spectrum of sound since the Moog 907 Fixed Filter Bank appeared in the 1960s, creating lush vowel tones and multicolored timbral animation with hands-on level control of each frequency band of a sound. Unlike earlier fixed filter banks, however, the unique filters of Spectravox are no longer fixed in place and will jointly shift around the frequency space, allowing for the creation of otherworldly voltage-controlled spectral animation and vibrant phaser-like sweeps. With 10 filters whose variable resonance can morph from soft precision to shimmering choral effects, Spectravox reshapes the sounds you love into surprising new forms and brings a new world of sonic possibilities to your studio.
Spectravox is a fascinating standalone sculptable synthesizer voice thanks to its built-in carrier sound source of a thick analog Moog oscillator and white noise generator. With its combo XLR/jack program input, Spectravox becomes a fully featured 10-band vocoder with a secondary filter bank for analyzing the spectral makeup of incoming sounds. In VOCODER mode its 10 analysis filters map the timbral characteristics of any external sound onto any other sound you can imagine. Shape the warm analog oscillator of Spectravox with the dynamics of your voice, or use a drum machine to animate guitar chords in a mesmerizing broadband percussive space.
Spectravox uses the pioneering vocoding work of Bob Moog and Wendy Carlos in the late 1960s as its inspiration—work which was based on Homer Dudley's original designs from the 1930s and which was used to prominent effect in Stanley Kubrick's 1972 film A Clockwork Orange. Innovating further from these early designs, Spectravox uses 10 state-variable filters for its filter bank, all 10 of which are capable of being shifted with its internal triangle wave LFO or external control voltage. With the ability to emphasize vowel sounds via the Hiss and Buzz functionality of the Moog 16 Channel Vocoder, Spectravox is both a major step forward for analog filter banks and a loving exploration of early music technology history.
Scramble the frequency spectrum and create wonderfully unpredictable textures with patch points for each filter in the filter bank and included patch cables. Add analog warmth and subtle phasing to digital synthesizers and sound sources. Integrate Spectravox with other Moog semi-modular instruments or Eurorack modules with an extensive patch bay providing control over almost all of its parameters. Spectravox is a boundary-pushing instrument that invites you to explore creative new ways of shaping and sculpting sound."
"Experience a captivating musical performance featuring Jamie Lidell's "Awake and Alive," an original composition showcasing the Moog Spectravox. The performance features Aaron Steele on percussion and Luke Schneider on pedal steel.
The Spectravox, Moog's latest semi-modular addition, is a groundbreaking tool for shaping sound. This analog spectral processor, built around a 10-band filter bank, generates lively drones and colorful tonal sweeps, enhancing external sounds with resonant depth and psychedelic spectral movement. With a microphone connected, Spectravox transforms into a 10-band analog vocoder, featuring innovative integrated modulation across all filters. Pushing the boundaries of vocoder and filter bank technology, Spectravox offers immense flexibility as an instrument and signal processor, complete with a comprehensive patch bay for seamless integration into studios of any size."
Playlist:
The Moog Spectravox is a Vocoder, a Spectral Processor and Much More - Reverb
Moog Spectravox is in production! // Review, tutorial and 10 patch ideas - loopop
Moog Spectravox: Overview + Explorations - Sarah Belle Reid
Spectravox x Subharmonicon - A Brief Explainer - Noir Et Blanc Vie
Moog Spectravox - Accidental Arpeggios feat. Moog Subharmonicon - Noir Et Blanc Vie
Moog Spectravox Sound Demo (Machine Talking) - Limbic Bits
Moog Spectravox Sound Demo (no human talking) - Bonedo Synthesizers
The Newest Member of the Moog Family
Spectravox, the newest member of the Moog semi-modular family, is a groundbreaking tool for sculpting sound. An analog spectral processor based around a 10-band filter bank, Spectravox creates lively drones and colorful tonal sweeps on its own and adds resonant depth and psychedelic spectral movement to any external sound. Hook up a microphone and Spectravox becomes a 10-band analog vocoder with innovative integrated modulation of all of its filters. An exploration and expansion of the topology of the vocoder and filter bank, Spectravox is a highly flexible instrument and signal processor with a comprehensive patch bay for integration into studios of all sizes.
A Groundbreaking Tool for Scultpting Sound
Synthesists have delighted in playing with the spectrum of sound since the Moog 907 Fixed Filter Bank appeared in the 1960s, creating lush vowel tones and multicolored timbral animation with hands-on level control of each frequency band of a sound. Unlike earlier fixed filter banks, however, the unique filters of Spectravox are no longer fixed in place and will jointly shift around the frequency space, allowing for the creation of otherworldly voltage-controlled spectral animation and vibrant phaser-like sweeps. With 10 filters whose variable resonance can morph from soft precision to shimmering choral effects, Spectravox reshapes the sounds you love into surprising new forms and brings a new world of sonic possibilities to your studio.
10-Band Analog Vocoder
Spectravox is a fascinating standalone sculptable synthesizer voice thanks to its built-in carrier sound source of a thick analog Moog oscillator and white noise generator. With its combo XLR/jack program input, Spectravox becomes a fully featured 10-band vocoder with a secondary filter bank for analyzing the spectral makeup of incoming sounds. In VOCODER mode its 10 analysis filters map the timbral characteristics of any external sound onto any other sound you can imagine. Shape the warm analog oscillator of Spectravox with the dynamics of your voice, or use a drum machine to animate guitar chords in a mesmerizing broadband percussive space.
Electronic Instruments for the Musician
Spectravox uses the pioneering vocoding work of Bob Moog and Wendy Carlos in the late 1960s as its inspiration—work which was based on Homer Dudley's original designs from the 1930s and which was used to prominent effect in Stanley Kubrick's 1972 film A Clockwork Orange. Innovating further from these early designs, Spectravox uses 10 state-variable filters for its filter bank, all 10 of which are capable of being shifted with its internal triangle wave LFO or external control voltage. With the ability to emphasize vowel sounds via the Hiss and Buzz functionality of the Moog 16 Channel Vocoder, Spectravox is both a major step forward for analog filter banks and a loving exploration of early music technology history.
Scramble the Frequency Spectrum
Scramble the frequency spectrum and create wonderfully unpredictable textures with patch points for each filter in the filter bank and included patch cables. Add analog warmth and subtle phasing to digital synthesizers and sound sources. Integrate Spectravox with other Moog semi-modular instruments or Eurorack modules with an extensive patch bay providing control over almost all of its parameters. Spectravox is a boundary-pushing instrument that invites you to explore creative new ways of shaping and sculpting sound.
"Vocoder built by the dutch high end synthesizer company Synton. Distributed in the USA by [Bob] Moog's Big Brair company.
This is the flagship vocoder from Synton, and is among the best vocoders of all time. It shares company with the EMS 5000 and the Sennheiser VSM-201 vocoder.
It's really rare, only 20 pieces was made.
One of the ultimate best vocoders in the universe, if not THE best. This is what Wendy Carlos said (on the web )- 'Question #4 -- What kind of vocoder do/did you prefer? Felix Visser made the best ones, for his long-gone (alas!) Synton company, all during the 80's. Some other fine devices exist, as the EMI/Synthi big one, and Sennheiser's expensive one, those and dear Harald Bode's design that Moog's good 16-band one was similar to. The ultra-basic analog units were generally mushy-sounding. Synton's had the best intelligibility on spoken words for their original 32-band device, .......' This is Felix's own machine, serial number 010, and was actually used extensively by Wendy Carlos - there's a typed note to her on the power supply saying it had been changed to 115V for her. It has now been changed back to 220V by Felix Visser. Unlike some models, it has a complete case. It will be sold fully working, and with a signed cerificate of provenance.
Synthovox 221 is a 20-channel vocoder system which has made its way to numerous recording studios, radio stations, composers and scientific institutions for its outstanding quality and its unexcelled intelligibility.
It includes 54 dB/octave filter, a feature not found in any other vocoder on the market. It also offers the versatility of a build-in pulse generator for direct speech sythesis and several control units for pitch modulation.
It features matrix patching for format shifting and a highly precise voiced/unvoiced detector system. And it offers extreme flexibility by the multiway connector which gives access to the analyzer and synthesizer sections and the control terminals of the voiced/unvoiced detector.
The Intelligible Machine has set standards in vocoder techniques.
High end model, attenuator per channel.
Only about 20 of these were made. Users include Wendy Carlos (who owns a 221 & SPX 216), various electronic studio's in Europe. Best suited for studio use due to complex control.
The 221 has a 50-pin connector on the back which provides CV in and out for each channel, and other functions as described above."
Fascinating bit at 1:50. Paul McGowan actually created his own synthesizer, The Infinitizer. Curious if there are any images of it out there. He almost sold one to Wendy Carlos. It gets a mention in his book 99% True: Almost a National Bestseller which you can find on Amazon here (note this is an affiliate link - see the site's privacy policy for more info).
Update: I asked Paul if he had any pics of The Infinitizer. Unfortantely he didn't, and he no longer has any of the parts, but he did send over the following additional info:
"I don’t have any photos of the Infinitizer, unfortunately. I remember a very sad day back in 1995 or so when I was cleaning out my lab and had to own up to hauling it off to the dump (it was a mere skeleton of PCBs, a keyboard, and lots of wires and didn’t work)."
"The idea was to make 10 synthesizers into one unit that was easy to use. This meant it would be the world’s first polyphonic synth, since musicians only have 10 fingers.
I designed a complete analog chain of 10 modules (the usual: VC filters, oscillators, envelope generators, amplifiers, etc.). Then, I hired an engineer out of Vandenburg Air Force Base who was a whiz at this new thing called “digital”. He designed for me a multiplexed keyboard that constantly scanned all the keys looking for ones that were pressed. The keys were all internally numbered and when pressed, the multiplexer would find an available VC oscillator and assign that number to the oscillator. Because we know the number of the key, the appropriate voltage was sent to that oscillator and it produced the appropriate frequency for that key. In order to have the entire keyboard voltage move up and down (like if you wanted to bend the notes or modulate the frequency with a LF oscillator) the master voltage (that got divided by the individual keys assigned to it) could be accessed as one might normally do through the patch bay.
I also wanted to have the keys pressure sensitive so for that, I invented the use of conductive foam under each key (and that too could manipulate the master voltage to the oscillator banks) and could be assigned to modulate any of the other modifiers too. My patch bay was a switch matrix and pots kind of like ARP used to do.
It was a very cool device which I wrote about extensively in my memoirs, 99% True."
-------
As for the first non organ based poly synth, currently that honor likely goes to one of the following depending how you define it:
1975 - Buchla 502 - six voice polyphonic with minicomputer and ability to save patches to tape drive. Development on the 500 series began in 1969.
1975 - Oberheim FVS - four voice polyphonic with Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer. Not sure if the 502 or FVS was released first.
1977 - Yamaha - CS50/CS60/CS80 - first single enclosure polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, with the CS80 to be the first synth with poly aftertouch
1978 - Sequential Circuits - microprocessor control the SCI prophet 10 (briefly) and the P-5 --- again based on existing E-mu tech stuff
"Robert Moog gehört ein Denkmal gesetzt. Für mich hat er mit seinen Erfindungen die Musikwelt revolutioniert. Bands wie meine Liebslingsband Emerson, Lake and Palmer wären ohne Robert Moog und seinem Moog-Synthi nie möglich gewesen.
Ich kam neben ELP auch über Wendy Carlos zum Moog und träumte immer davon so ein Wunderwerk an Elektronik zu besitzen. Nun, heute habe ich die Smartphone-App vom Moog, die ähnliches leistet, aber natürlich nicht an die Faszination des Moog herankommt. Im Deutschen Museum München traf ich auf den ersten Moog, der in Deutschland gespielt wurde. Er wurde von Eberhard Schoener gestiftet."
Googlish:
"Robert Moog deserves a monument. For me, he revolutionized the music world with his inventions. Bands like my favorite band Emerson, Lake and Palmer would never have been possible without Robert Moog and his Moog synthesizer.
In addition to ELP, I also came to Moog through Wendy Carlos and always dreamed of owning such a marvel of electronics. Well, today I have the Moog smartphone app, which does something similar, but of course doesn't come close to the fascination of the Moog. In the German Museum in Munich I came across the first Moog to be played in Germany. It was donated by Eberhard Schoener."
"Derek Cooper introduces the Moog synthesiser, an instrument that can produce a variety of noises and arrangements, both mimicking real instruments and creating new sounds - all electronically.
This clip is from Tomorrow's World, originally broadcast 30 September 1969."
"Back by popular demand, another filmscore breakown. This time we look at Wendy Carlos' 1982 score to Tron.
0:00 Intro
0:49 Wendy Carlos
2:04 Tron - The Instruments
4:44 The Recording Rig
6:39 Cue Breakdown - Tron Theme
9:10 Cue Breakdown - Tron Scherzo
10:22 Cue Breakdown - We've Got Company
11:40 Use of Choir
12:49 Other Music
13:46 Summary & Thanks
"PLEASE NOTE: The beginning of the video is glitchy... both the sound and video will resolve at between 1:30 and 2:07.
Originally aired on WOVB-TV, in association with The Ohio University Telecommunications Center, this is one of several UMATIC demo tapes found in a box when d'ARP (Dina Pearlman-Ifil, Alan Pearlman's daughter) was going through her father's effects.
Tom Piggott was one of several educators that worked at ARP Instruments in the 1970s. He worked closely with Al, helping write the classic: 'Learning Music with Synthesizers' David Friend, Alan R. Pearlman, Thomas D. Piggott)."
A Conversation with Tom Piggott
"d'ARP had several conversations with Tom over the past few years. This interview highlights some recent footage.
Tom Piggott has been a product specialist and clinician for numerous companies, including ARP, CRUMAR, SYNERGY and more, and worked with Peter Nero, Stevie Wonder, Nyle Steiner, Linda McCartney, Vangellis, John Entwhistle, Klaus Schulze,T Lavitz, Wendy Carlos, Dr. Richard Boulanger, Mike Bergeman, Donald Fagan, Edgar Winter, Tom Coster, Jimmy Page, Roger Powell, Jerry Kovarski, and many others.
Tom Piggott was one of several educators that worked at ARP Instruments in the 1970s. He worked closely with Al, helping write the classic: 'Learning Music with Synthesizers' David Friend, Alan R. Pearlman, Thomas D. Piggott)."
A Conversation with Greg Phillinganes
"D'ARP has a conversation about ARP Synthesizers with Greg Phillinganes, who has recorded or toured with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Anita Baker, George Benson, Karen Carpenter, Eric Clapton, Donald Fagen, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Nicks (whew!)!"
"Messing around with some sounds on the DK Synergy. This is the MK1 version so no MIDI and no connectivity to the old Kaypro computers that work with the MK2. I have a couple cartridges for it with extra sounds one programmed by Wendy Carlos called Bells/Whistles and one called VCart2 which has some drum sounds and other things. I play a few of those sounds here along with some of the stock presets. It has a cool but weird 4 track sequencer so it's possible to sequence 4 different sounds and play a 5th over top. No way to sync it with other gear though."
