Noise Engineering | Buchla & Friends 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"We talk to Patrick O'Brien of Noise Engineering about three of their latest Eurorack modules. Noise Engineering is known for creating quirky, unique and wonderful digitally-based modules."

https://noiseengineering.us/

Prism Circuits - Skyler King | Buchla & Friends 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"We talk to Skyler King of Prism Circuits about his Serge-inspired panels and DIY PCB's. His Quasar system is on display, along with a new sequencer panel that fits right in. We look at custom panels and Loudest Warning-compatible modules, as well as why his PCB's make the DIY process as easy as possible."

Rain City Modular | Buchla & Friends 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"We talk to Joe Grisso of Rain City Modular about their Sequencer Construction Set, a flexible, modular Eurorack voltage and trigger sequencer."

https://raincitymodular.com/

Dina Pearlman - ARP Foundation | NAMM 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"Dina Pearlman, daughter of legendary synth designer Alan R. Pearlman, discusses the foundation created to honor his legacy, and further electronic music education and art.

https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/

Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music.

http://www.underthebigtree.com"

Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave | NAMM 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"We talk once again to Bob Coover, enthusiastic audio engineer extraordinaire, about the latest features and updates to the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave synthesizer. In addition to PPG-style wavetable synthesis and superb analog emulation, 3rd Wave now features Prophet VS-style synthesis, as well as sampling. An excellent synth just keeps on getting better.

https://www.groovesynthesis.com/

Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music."

Synthesizers.com | NAMM 2025

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"We discuss the mighty 5U modular paradigm with Mike Graham of Synthesizers.com. This company has been around for 25 years, providing affordable, expandable, beautiful modules and systems inspired by the synthesizer that started it all: The Moog Modular.

synthesizers.com

Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music.

http://www.underthebigtree.com"

Knobcon 2024 Videos by Under the Big Tree

video uploads by Under the Big Tree

Playlist:

1. Knobcon 2024 Walkthrough

For those who didn't make the journey to Schaumberg, Illinois, but wanted a bit of the flavor, I shot a walkthrough video. The show was full of energy, interesting products, great performances and lectures and, most of all, great people. If you've never been, it's truly the best synthesizer convention in the United States.

2. Bjooks - The Minimoog Book | Knobcon 2024

Bjooks, the world's finest publisher of synthesizer books, has released an in-depth book on the world's most famous synthesizer. We talk to Kim Bjorne at Knobcon 2024 to find out about it. https://bjooks.com/

3. Hite Studios - Amazing Synth Cases | Knobcon 2024

At Knobcon I came across a very special Eurorack case. Terrible and beautiful at the same time, it would have looked right at home in an H.R. Giger painting. We talk to Jason Hite, the artist who created this amazing work. https://www.hitestudios.com/

4. Sleepy Circuits - Video Synth | Knobcon 2024

We talk to Ron Sardarian of Sleepy Circuits, about their innovative devices to aid in audiovisual performance. Ron is a visionary engineer, a performer, and a friend. His stuff is great. https://sleepycircuits.com/

5. 1010 Music - Nanobox Tangerine | Knobcon 2024

1010 Music has done it again, releasing a sampler in their small Nanobox format. Steve Joslin tells us about it, as well as their new Nanobox storage case/charger.

"Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music. http://www.underthebigtree.com"

Jim Coker of Numerology - Live Rig/Compositional Process

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"Jim Coker, founder of Five12 and the inventor of the Numerology and Vector sequencers, is also a performing electronic musician. We catch up with Jim at Knobcon 22, and talk about his latest work, "Meridian Alpha From the Distant Shores of Cygnus X1". We gain insight into both his compositional process and his elaborate live rig, which uses both Numerology and Vector.

This video is best seen after seeing Jim's piece [video below]

• Meridian Alpha --...

And for more information about Jim's fine products, please go to: http://five12.net

Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's YouTube channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music.

http://www.underthebigtree.com"

Meridian Alpha -- From The Distant Shores of Cygnus X-1

video upload by Five12 Inc.

Knobcon 2022 Videos by Under the Big Tree

video uploads by Under the Big Tree
Looks like I missed these when they initially went up.

Playlist:
1. 1010 Music Fireball and Lemondrop Nanoboxes | Knobcon 2022

Steve Joslin of 1010 Music takes us on a test drive of the amazing Fireball and Lemondrop Nanobox synthesizers. Small but mighty, these synths take up very little room while delivering a lot of bang for the buck.

2. New Buchla Music Easel | Knobcon 2022

Nick Kwas of Buchla shows us the brand new and improved Music Easel, slated for release by the end of the year.

3. Knobcon 2022 Walkthrough

I'm in Chicago for Knobcon 2022, one of the finest synth conventions in North America. For those who are interested but could not attend, I did a simple walkthrough of the exhibit hall.

4. Therevox ET-5 | Knobcon 2022

We talk to Mike Beauchamp of Therevox about their new model ET-5.

Based on the Ondes Martenot, the ET-5 is an exotic and beautiful instrument, capable of vocal-sounding melody lines, as well as ambient drones and even noisy sounds. Truly fascinating.

5. Five12 QV-L Quad Variable LFO | Knobcon 2022

We talk to Five12 founder Jim Coker at Knobcon 2022 about his upcoming Eurorack quad LFO. The QV-L is an incredibly feature-rich module with four LFO's. Two OLED displays and in-depth configurability with a streamlined user interface make this module a true LFO powerhouse.

3rd Wave Advanced Wavetable Synth - How Does it Sound?

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"The moment I found out that a modernized version of the famed PPG Wave was being produced, I knew I had to take the plunge and buy one.

And so I did, and have been rewarded with an extremely flexible and performative synth, festooned with knobs and buttons for on-the-fly sound manipulation.

Although the 3rd Wave is primarily thought of as a modern-day replica of the PPG Wave, it has far more capabilities under the hood. I found the analog synthesis simulations to be shockingly good, with thick 80's brass sounds right in the ballpark of the classic synths of that era. There are endless ambient pad sounds, experimental noise sounds, and a flexible, musical arpeggiator that can be used for pitched or percussive sounds.

The 3rd Wave comes loaded with 500 factory patches. I went through them all, and picked about 80 that were representative of what the machine is capable of. I've organized the sounds by type, so you can go right to the analog synths, PPG factory patches, or ambient pads as you like.

The 3rd Wave is a remarkable synthesizer, and I hope you enjoy getting a better idea of how it sounds from this video."

Restoring a Polivoks Synthesizer | Tutorial

video upload by Under the Big Tree

"I was lucky enough to find a legendary Soviet synth of the 1980's on Craigslist: A Polivoks synthesizer.

The synth was working intermittently, but needed a deep cleaning to get it back to looking and sounding its best. This video documents that process, showing how to assemble and disassemble the instrument, check the power supply for proper voltages, and so forth. It ends with footage of playing this quirky and wonderful synth."

The Future of Synthesis - Physical Modeling and Expressive Musical Instruments | NAMM 2020

Published on Feb 7, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"This panel on physical modeling at NAMM was a fascinating talk, with luminaries from the industry: Jordan Rudess, Roger Linn, and Dr. Julius Schwartz from CCRMA, among others.

Each of the five panelists delivers a presentation on their approach to physical modeling, expressive musical instruments, or the intersection of the two. Hilarious hijinks ensue.

www.audiomodeling.com
www.rogerlinndesign.com
ccrma.stanford.edu
nonlinear-labs.de

Under the Big Tree is Nick Peck's YouTube channel, focused on music and sound design equipment and techniques, composition, production and performance of music, modular synthesizers and electronic music in general, and tabletop board games.

http://www.underthebigtree.com"

Johannes Schmoelling - From Tangerine Dream to S-A-W | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 26, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Here is a panel discussion with Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream, Kurt Ader, and Robert Waters on a synth trio they have put together called S-A-W. They discuss various aspects of their new project Iconic, which was put together using a bevy of vintage synthesizers. Video footage of them in performance is included as well. An interesting discussion for fans of Tangerine Dream and/or vintage synths.

Under the Big Tree is Nick Peck's YouTube channel, focused on music and sound design equipment and techniques, composition, production and performance of music, modular synthesizers and electronic music in general, and tabletop board games."

History of the Mellotron | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 20, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Richard Chamberlin, son of Harry Chamberlin, inventor of the Mellotron, tells us stories about the early days of the Chamberlin (predecessor to the Mellotron). We discuss the impact of the instrument on rock and pop music in the 60's and 70's, and the original intended audience for the instrument.

As an added bonus, a French musician named Frederic plays the intro to the seminal Genesis song "Watcher of the Skies" on the Mellotron."

Rhythmo Beatbox - DIY Sampler Beatbox | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 20, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Ethan from Rhythmo shows us Beatbox, his DIY project currently available on Indiegogo. Both inexpensive and easy to build, Beatbox seems like a great project for tinkerers and people new to the DIY electronic music hobby."

Rhythmo Beatbox posts

Korg NTS-1 - DIY Programmable Synth Kit | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 19, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Matt from Korg shows us the latest hardware expansions to Korg's line of DIY Programmable synth hardware blocks. This line of inexpensive, Arduino-based digital synth hardware allows experimenters to start building their own custom instruments without needing to break out the soldering iron."

4ms - Ensemble Oscillator | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 19, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Dan Green of 4ms shows us their latest Eurorack module, the Ensemble Oscillator, which they debut at NAMM 2020. This polyphonic oscillator allows the user to select from a series of pre-programmed scales, or to create their own from a variety of sources."

Blackbox Sampler 1.4 Update - 1010 Music | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 17, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"Aaron Higgins of 1010 Music demos the exciting new enhancements to Blackbox at NAMM 2020. If you have a Blackbox, you are going to want to download the free firmware upgrade to get enhanced keyboard and scale modes, as well as many other improvements."

Korg Re-releases ARP 2600 Synth | NAMM 2020

Published on Jan 17, 2020 Under the Big Tree

"The most exciting and surprising news I've found here at NAMM 2020 is Korg's announcement that they are re-releasing the legendary ARP 2600, in a limited run. Nick Kwas from Korg tells us what the scoop is."

KORG ARP 2600 FS posts

1010 Music Blackbox - Cloudburst Flight | Demonstration

Published on Oct 27, 2019 Under the Big Tree

"I wanted to see what the 1010 Music Blackbox standalone sampler/sequencer/performance platform could do, so I loaded up some samples of vintage synths, plugged in a McMillen QuNexus USB micro-keyboard, and did an arrangement of one of my favorite Tangerine Dream songs, 'Cloudburst Flight' from the 1979 album Force Majeure.

This is a very capable piece of hardware. Great fun to work with when you are traveling - I did this arrangement on a plane on the way from Los Angeles to Chicago for Knobcon '19."