Erik Norlander Announces Keyboard Sale to Benefit the Bob Moog Foundation

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


Reverb's press release follows. Pics are via The Bob Moog Foundation. I'll be capturing some of the listings here on MATRIXSYNTH daily for posterty. See the Erik Norlander Listings label.

October 20, 2025 (Asheville, NC) – Musician, composer, and music technologist, Erik Norlander, is selling a collection of 40+ vintage and current synthesizers and keyboards on Reverb.com starting on October 6th. Thirty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Bob Moog Foundation to support its work in education, archive preservation, and the operations of the Moogseum. Erik Norlander’s Bob Moog Foundation Benefit Sale can be accessed here.

Some of the notable synthesizers and keyboards for sale include: Oberheim Matrix-12, OB-Xa and OB-8 analog synthesizers, Rhodes (ARP) Chroma analog synthesizer, Rhodes Mark V and Mark II electric pianos, Farfisa Compact Duo CD/30 combo organ, Farfisa Syntorchestra, Korg Maxikorg DV800, Logan String Melody string synthesizer, Roland VP-330 MK-1 Vocoder, and the Waldorf Q wavetable synth keyboard, among many others.

“I am excited to offer part of my rather sprawling keyboard collection for sale to benefit the Bob Moog Foundation,” noted Norlander.

“I have been a supporter of the Foundation since 2007, and I strongly believe in generating funding to empower its work in education, archive preservation, and the operations of the Moogseum.”

Erik Norlander is an accomplished keyboardist, composer and producer with over 40 album credits including nine solo albums, seven with his Rocket Scientists project, and 11 albums with vocalist wife, Lana Lane. He serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of the Bob Moog Foundation. Erik toured and recorded with Asia Featuring John Payne from 2007 to 2014 and recorded two albums with the Asia spinoff project, Dukes of the Orient, in the years following. He toured extensively in the US and Europe in 2016-2018 with Last in Line featuring original Dio members Vinny Appice and Vivian Campbell. Before Last in Line, Erik toured with Big Noize, a supergroup featuring hard rock all stars, Joe Lynn Turner, Simon Wright and Carlos Cavazo. Erik also wrote the music and produced the album, Roswell Six - Beyond the Horizon, in 2009 for science fiction author, Kevin J. Anderson, in support of the first of his Terra Incognita fantasy novels.

Outside of the music world, Erik co-designed the UNO Synth analog synthesizers for IK Multimedia, carrying on the legacy of his design work on the legendary Alesis Andromeda analog synthesizer in the late 1990s. Erik also created IK Multimedia’s Syntronik virtual instrument libraries based solely on samples of his synth collection along with scores of sample libraries for SampleTank 4. Prior to that, Erik was the first synthesizer product manager for Alesis Studio Electronics and presided over the creation of the QS series of synthesizers, DM5 and DM Pro drum modules and several other products. He is currently the Director of Keyboard Product Development for Moog Music and the inMusic Family of Brands."

Oberheim Matrix 12 Analog 12-Voice Synthesizer, with deluxe custom ATA flight case

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by moogfoundation

via this Reverb listing

See if you can spot the Matrix-6 screen. I think that was accident. Capturing it for posterity. :)

"A towering icon of analog synthesis! Nicely restored, beautifully preserved, and built to tour or record for another lifetime.

This Oberheim Matrix-12 is in very good condition, has been restored by Rosensound, with some recent restorations performed by synth legend and former Oberheim engineer Marcus Ryle. It comes in a new, custom-built, heavy-duty flight case. It’s a US version, upgraded with a new control panel overlay from Sweet Discrete (UK) for a clean, sharp aesthetic. Everything functions beautifully; a truly top-shelf example of one of the most powerful analog polysynths ever built.

Cosmetic notes: the Sweet Discrete panel overlay LED registration is a bit off in a few places, so some LEDs look slightly off center (as shown in an included close-up image). Performance is not affected. The new overlay generally looks beautiful, but not strictly 10/10. There is also some stubborn tape residue on a few of the keys which can also be seen in the photos.

Details:

12 voices, each with 2 analog oscillators, multimode filter, and extensive routing
Legendary 96-point modulation matrix; no menus, just raw power
Velocity and pressure sensitivity, 5-stage envelopes, and complex LFOs
Massive analog presence with surgical control
US voltage model (no step-down needed)
New road-ready flight case included, $600+ value
Restored by Rosensound and Marcus Ryle, two of the most trusted names in analog synth servicing
New Sweet Discrete panel overlay from the UK; clean, legible, and sharp
Used by Hans Zimmer, Keith Emerson, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and countless electronic pioneers, the Matrix-12 is the pinnacle of analog polyphonic design; often called “the last great analog monster.”

30% of this sale supports the Bob Moog Foundation, preserving the history of synthesis and inspiring future creators."

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Pro Synth Network LIVE! - Episode 256 with Special Guest, Marcus Ryle!

video upload by Pro Synth Network

"Music Technology Discussion with Rob Puricelli, Kent Spong, Andrew Longhurst and our very special guest, Marcus Ryle!

The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce its lead raffle for 2025, featuring a fully restored Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer signed by Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle, and Michel Doidic. Ryle and Doidic were the principal designers of the Matrix-12. This Matrix-12, valued at $20,000, has a unique provenance having been owned by Doug Curtis, inventor of the legendary Curtis chips. It was donated to the Bob Moog Foundation by Curtis’s widow, Mary Curtis.

This year, 2025, marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Matrix-12, which continues to be one of the most respected and sought-after analog polyphonic synthesizers in the world today. The raffle begins Monday, February 17, 2025 at 7:00 am (EST) and ends Monday, March 10, 2024 at 11:59 pm (EST).

Buy your tickets here!

https://bobmoogfoundation.myshopify.c..."

You can find additional posts on the raffle including additional interviews with Tom Oberheim, Mary Curtis, and Marcus Ryle here.

Meet Michel Doidic, Co-creator of the Oberheim Matrix-12 Synthesizer

video upload by moogfoundation

"Michel Doidic and Marcus Ryle co-created the Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer in 1985. In this video, Marcus interviews Michel about how Michel came to work for Oberheim, his experience with designing the Matrix-12, and his reflections on Doug Curtis.

Michel went on to found Fast Forward Designs and Line 6, along with co-founders Susan Wolf and Marcus Ryle, and is currently retired.

The Bob Moog Foundation fundraising raffle for Doug Curtis' Matrix-12, signed by Tom Oberheim, Michel Doidic, and Marcus Ryle ends March 10, 2025. It is open internationally.

Enter to win it here: https://bit.ly/BMFMatrix12Raffle"

See additional posts here for interviews with Tom Oberheim, Mary Curtis, and Marcus Ryle.

A Deeper Dive: The Full Story of the Bob Moog Foundation 2025 Raffle for an Oberheim Matrix-12 Synth

video upload by moogfoundation

"Listen in as Tom Oberheim, Mary Curtis, and Marcus Ryle lend insight to the history behind the very special Oberheim Matrix-12 that is the subject of our winter 2025 fundraising raffle.

You can enter our fundraising raffle to win this coveted, fully restored Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer signed by Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle (co-designer), and Michel Doidic (co-designer) here: https://bit.ly/BMFMatrix12Raffle.

This Matrix-12 was formerly owned by Doug Curtis, lauded inventor of Curtis integrated circuits, and was generously donated to the Bob Moog Foundation by his widow, Mary Curtis. The synth was fully restored by Marcus Ryle, one of its original co-designers, and has a value of $20,000. The raffle is open internationally.

Many thanks to Tom and Jill Oberheim, Marcus Ryle, and Mary Curtis for their participation that made this video possible. Many thanks also to our friends at Sequential (https://sequential.com) in San Francisco, for allowing us to film at their headquarters.

Find out more about the Bob Moog Foundation at www.moogfoundation.org

Donate to the Bob Moog Foundation here: https://moogfoundation.org/do-somethi...

Become a member of the Bob Moog Foundation here: https://moogfoundation.org/membership/

Shop our online store here: https://bobmoogfoundation.myshopify.com/"

Bob Moog Foundation Winter 2025 Raffle for a Fully Restored, Signed Oberheim Matrix-12 Synthesizer!

video upload by moogfoundation

"Enter our fundraising raffle to win a coveted, pristine Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer signed by Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle (co-designer), and Michel Doidic (co-designer) here:

https://bit.ly/BMFMatrix12Raffle.

This Matrix-12 was formerly owned by Doug Curtis, lauded inventor of Curtis integrated circuits, and was donated to the Bob Moog Foundation by his widow, Mary Curtis. The synth was fully restored by Marcus Ryle, one of its original co-designers, and has a value of $20,000. The raffle is open internationally."

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Bitley Presents Omnia Fairlight-based Sound Banks

"August 8, 2013

For immediate release: Bitley presents Omnia

Omnia is the latest incarnation of Bitley's Fairlight-based sound banks, as developed from 2010 to present date. The first release in the Omnia series is Omnia Samples. This contains all of the wave files (samples), comprising 2,3 Gigabyte of data and nearly 6,000 individual samples. Omnia Samples is released in two versions: One raw wave version, which fits all samplers and sample players that can import AIFF and / or WAV files. This covers nearly all sampler instruments since many years back. The other version is made for Reason 7. Subsequent Omnia series releases for Reason will include things from Bitley's previous Fairlight II+, XXL and Platinum refills alongside with completely new patches as well as fixes and updates, new naming conventions and more focused categories. Fairlight Platinum will remain as the largest Bitley refill with its 3,600 instrument patches. There is also a Fairlight-based Kontakt library available which recently was updated (July 2013).

Bitley is a swedish maker of sound banks, programming hardware synthesizers as well as making software releases. The company started out in 2010 by releasing the sound banks Orlando JX10 and Fairlight CMI Legacy. Bitley's usage of the Fairlight samples is an agreement with Fairlight and Peter Vogel in Australia. Newer refills include The Prophet, O8, Flux, Poly Ensemble and more.

Bitley Omnia webpage: http://bitley.laconicsounds.net/omnia/
Fairlight audio/video demo:"

"The Fairlight CMI ReFills for Reason - two demo tracks" videos below.

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NAMM & NOT NAMM - New Products on the Synth Front

Well, it's that time of year again. Keep an eye out on the NAMM label (added to top right menu) for everything NAMM and more. More in that anything new will get the label whether it's shown at NAMM or not. It's about new gear. Updates in this post will be preceded in red. Some already in below. See "The NAMM List!" link under the Twitter, Facebook, and RSS labels on top of the right to get back to this post later.

(A note on the top site menus: I removed the iPhone and iPad labels as they go up in posts every day now so you can find them there. eBay links are on the right, so I removed it as well.)

That said, the following are some of the things to look out for. If you have any NAMM info feel free to comment and/or send it in. If I missed anything, let me know! If you are going to NAMM, feel free to send pics and video in.

On the list:

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