KORG Introduces the KR-11 Compact Rhythm Box

video upload by Korg

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GForce Intros RE STRINGS for Reason w/ Billy Currie Interview & Freeman String Symphonizer Overview

Published on Apr 11, 2017 GForce Software

"RE-STRINGS is our Rack Extension version of the award winning VSM and contains a selection of its most popular and iconic String Ensembles including: ARP Quadra, Crumar Multiman, Elka Rhapsody, Eminent 310, Freeman String Symphonizer, Godwin String Orchestra, Hohner K4, Junost 21, Korg Lambda, Korg PE2000, Logan String Melody II, Mellotron Violins, Moog Opus III, Roland VP330, ARP Solina, Technics KN200, Yamaha CE-25 & Yamaha SS-30.

With it's dual layer capability, it's possible to load the classic string ensemble sounds from years gone by or create your own hybrid ensembles.

Legal Notice
All musical instrument manufacturer and product names are trademarks of their respective owners and in no way associated or affiliated with GForce Software Ltd. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose sounds and technical data were studied for this instrument. All names of instrument inventors have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement of GForce Software Ltd."

Billy Currie talks String Synths, VSM & RE-STRINGS

Published on Apr 11, 2017 GForce Software

"During the process of creating patches for RE-STRINGS Rack Extension, we talked with Billy Currie about his use of String Ensemble keyboards over the years and how the Elka Rhapsody and Yamaha SS-30 contributed to some of Ultravox's classic tracks.

Billy also talks about how valuable the VSM and RE-STRINGS libraries are to him and how they've been used in his latest album, Doppel."

Freeman String Symphonizer

Published on Apr 11, 2017 GForce Software

"A brief walkthrough of the Freeman String Symphonizer, invented by Ken Freeman, sounds from which are in both VSM and RE-STRINGS.

The Further Adventures of K.FREEMAN and his Incredible Machine of a Thousand Strings courtesy of I Monster - BRIGHT SPARKS album. www.imonstermusic.com

Ken Freeman footage courtesy of BRIGHT SPARKS Documentary
http://brightsparks.movie"

via Propellerhead

"50% OFF Release Offer! 2 weeks.

The modern, polyphonic string synthesiser was invented in 1970 by Ken Freeman, a British keyboard player and engineer who discovered that if you layered two notes then detuned and slightly modulated one a pleasant ‘chorused’ sound resulted. Over the next 10+ years Ken’s initial discovery spawned an industry that saw the manufacture of more than one hundred ‘string machines’ and multi-keyboards.

Although viewed by some as a one-trick-pony or a poor man’s polysynth, string machines had so much character they’ve graced tracks by artists as diverse as; Lonnie Liston Smith, Air, Pink Floyd, The Cure, Parliament, Herbie Hancock, Camel, Joy Division, Jean-Michel Jarre, Thomas Dolby, Tonto’s Expanding Head Band, Genesis, Toni Tone Tony and countless others.

Product details
Based on our award winning Virtual String Machine (VSM), RE-STRINGS comprises 67 individual sample sets from a plethora of classic analogue string ensembles including the ultra rare (and first) Freeman String Symphonizer, the highly coveted Solina, the eminently desirable Eminent 310, the highly-lauded Logan String Ensemble, plus several other classic (and not so classic) string machines.

Each sample set spans 49 notes (4 octaves), each individually sampled and looped, plus RE-STRINGS contains a 700+ patch library created by respected patch designers including legendary string machine user and keyboard maestro, Billy Currie.

With Dual Layer capabilities - each layer comprising of a Lowpass, Bandpass & Highpass Resonant Filter Section, Two Envelope Generators, Pitch or Filter LFO, Dynamic control including filter aftertouch - if you want to create your own hitherto unrealised hybrid combinations of classic and evocative string ensembles, it’s a cinch. Finally, global vintage style Ensemble & Phaser effects are provided, allowing you to hone your sound to evocative, retro, string ensemble perfection.

RE-STRINGS includes string tones from the following classic instruments ARP Quadra (1978) Crumar Multiman (1975) Elka Rhapsody (1975) Eminent 310 (1972) Freeman String Symphonizer (1973) Godwin Model 749 String Concert (1980) Hohner K4 (1977) Junost 21 (c 1986) Korg Lambda (1979) Korg PE2000 (1976) Logan String Melody II (1977) Mellotron (1963) Moog Opus III (1980) Roland VP330 (1979) Solina String Ensemble (1974) Technics KN200 (1982) Yamaha CE-25 (1983) Yamaha SS30 (1977)"

Bell Labs Speech Synthesis

Click here for additional pics via this auction

Details:

"This complete and unused kit contains everything you need to understand speech synthesis and build your own synthesiser. Produced by Bell Systems Laboratories in 1963, the kit contains all the original equipment and parts which includes the book with complete instructions. The kit is complete and has never been used. It was intended for high school and college students and not for young children. This is an excellent source for hands on learning. When Bell Labs made something, they made it extremely well."

Update via Pete in the comments:
Bell Labs Speech Synthesis site
Kits still available here

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Charade (Experimental Music & Film Remix)

video upload by CatSynth TV

"Experimental music video featuring scenes from the film Charade starring Audrey Hepburn.

Charade was a 1963 "romantic comedy mystery film" produced and directed by Stanley Donen; it also starred Cary Grant in addition to Hepburn. Because of an error by Universal Pictures it immediately entered the public domain in the United States, and can be found on the Internet Archive and elsewhere.

The visuals are processed using the 3TrinsRGB+1c video synthesizer with the E350 Morphing Terrarium by Synthesis Technology as a CV controller. The original synthesizer music was inspired by Henry Mancini's original soundtrack for the film, and features the following instruments:
Sequential Prophet 12
Strymon StarLab reverb module
AudioThing Wires
Arturia Bus Force"

Herbert Deutsch From Moog to Mac

Herb Deutsch's latest compilation of his work is now available on Amazon.and iTunes. You might remember a live video excerpt from the release in this interview post by Astronauta Pinguim.  Molly Sheridan wrote in to let us know she has a full review of the album on NewMusicBox here.  Be sure to check it out.

"Presented in chronological order and spanning a period from 1963 to 2007, the works included on From Moog to Mac demonstrate the process of experimentation and development that Herbert Deutsch went through as he created work for Bob Moog’s iconic synthesizers and then on into computer generated sound..."

Orbit III Monophonic Synthesizer (WurliTzer) - Demo

YouTube via Organgrinder010
"Just a quick little demo of this synth. There's really not a whole lot too it, but it does produce some interesting effects. Old age has taken its toll on it, and there are times where it will do some rather nauseous sounds. The divider circuit sometimes fails and it begins to cut octaves down, and sends the oscillator into LFO. I may just end up building a small moog-like cabinet for it and see if I can rewire the attack and decay circuits to make it a little more useful."

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DOUBLE - NEGATIVE

Synthesis before synths. via brian c:

"sfSoundSeries Presents:
DOUBLE - NEGATIVE
An evening of theatrical works from the 1960's San Francisco Tape Music Center alongside chamber works composed in the "new (and old) complexity" tradition.

Sunday, August 10, 2008 : 8p : $5
ODC Dance Commons
351 shotwell st, san francisco
http://sfSound.org/series
[ Get there early - last month SOLD OUT !! ]

PROGRAM
"Play! no. 1" (1963) Morton Subotnick
Film by Anthony Martin, Tape by Morton Subotnick
Diane Grubbe, flute; Kyle Bruckmann, oboe
Matt Ingalls, clarinet; Christopher Jones, bassoon;
Andy Strain, trombone; Hadley McCarroll, piano

"GeorgeWashington Slept Here Too" (1965) Pauline Oliveros
sfSoundGroup

"In The Garden" (1965) Ramón Sender
Matt Ingalls, clarinet; Alexa Beattie, viola
Christopher Burns, visuals
Ramón Sender, tape and visuals

"Divertissement no. 1" (1967) Robert Moran
sfSoundGroup and electric popcorn cooker

"In nomine á 3" (2001) Brian Ferneyhough
Diane Grubbe, flute
Kyle Bruckmann, oboe
Matt Ingalls, clarinet

"Intercomunicazione" (1967) Bernd Alois Zimmermann
Monica Scott, cello
Christopher Jones, piano

"Double Negative" (2007) Christopher Burns
Kyle Bruckmann, oboe; Matt Ingalls, clarinet
John Ingle, alto saxophone; Tom Dambly, trumpet
Andy Strain, trombone; Graeme Jennings, violin
Alexa Beattie, viola; Monica Scott, cello
Ann Yi, piano
Christopher Jones, conductor

The recently-released book documenting the SFTMC, "The San Francisco Tape Music Center 1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde" (UC Press - David W. Bernstein, editor) will be sold in the lobby during the concert.
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10623.php

sfSoundSeries
is a concert series in the San Francisco Bay Area featuring contemporary and experimental music. Our programs reach from the latest music of the European Avant-Garde to the grittiest sounds of the West Coast Improv-Underground, encompassing the latest trends in instrumental technique, conceptual art, music theater, and electronic sound.
http://sfSound.org"

The First Synth to....

Update: The new home for this list is now here. You can add to the list there or comment here and I will update both lists. Note that the complete list however will be there as I do not plan on updating this list with updates made there. That would be too much work and would compete with me being able to put up new posts here. Can't let that happen. : ) Related but separate from that list also see https://120years.net. That said...

If you are going to add to the list in the comments, use the same format.

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1837 - C.G. Page (Salem. Mass) - first to produce electronically generated sound (not necessarily associated with a musical instrument). After inventing the Volta in 1800 (an early battery), in 1837 Page was doing experiments with coils and realized when certain coils were attached to a batter they omitted a ringing sound. While he initially thought the ring came from the electrical current was interrupted (battery disconnected), what was actually taking place was the induction through the coils was causing them to vibrate. via Peter Grenader
1885 - Person and Ernst Lorenz -'Elektrisches Musikinstrument' - the first musical instrument designed to produce electrically generated sound. It used electronic vibrations to drive an electromagnet that were connected to resonating boards, which translated these vibrations to sound. via Peter Grenader
1897 - Taddaeus Cahills - Telharmonium - electromechanical instrument.
1936 - Oskar Sala - Mixturtrautonium - first synth using Subharmonic synthesis
1939 - Homer Dudley invents the Parallel Bandpass Vocoder (VODER) - A manually key operated speech synthesizer
1940 - Homer Dudley invents the The Voder speech synthesizer - A device which used the human voice and an artificial voice to produce a composite
Both were researched as a way to transmit speech over copper wires (id est, telephone lines)
1948 - Hugh LeCaine - Electronic Sackbut - First voltage-controlled synthesizer
1948 - Dr. Raymond Scott - Wall of Sound - First polyphonic Sequencing Worstation (electromechanical) and the Electronum - first sequencer.
1950 - CSIR - Mk 1 - The first known use of a digital computer for the purpose playing music
1956 - Louie and Bebe Barron - Produced the first all-electronic musical score for a major motion picture - MGM's 'Forbidden Planet'
1957 - Max V. Mathews at Bell Labs - MUSIC - the first digital synthesizer. Technically, it was a computer program, though it set the stage for every digital synthesizer that proceeded it. See Laurie Spiegel with one here.
1963/64 - Buchla - model 100 modular - 1st "modern" modular synth
1967 - Moog - Moog modular synthesizer I, II & III - 1st commercial modular synth.
1969 - EMS - Synthi VCS-3 - first non-modular mini-synth
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1971 - Tonus/Arp - Soloist - 1st preset mono synth
1971 - John Chowning - developed FM synthesis using the MUSIC-IV language (source), a direct descendent of Mathew's MUSIC program. FM synthesis was later licensed by Yamaha, and used in popular synths such as the DX-7.
1972 - Triadex Muse - first digital synth
""is the first digital musical instrument and was produced in 1972. It was
designed by Edward Fredkin and Marvin Minsky at MIT. It is an algorithmic
music generator: it uses digital logic circuits to produce a sequence of
notes based on the settings of various parameters. It has four small sliders
in that control Volume, Tempo, Pitch, and Fine Pitch. It is not known how
many were made, but they are considered extremely rare.
The Muse is the subject of U. S. Patent 3610801"
1973 - Coupland Digital Music Synthesizer - First Digital (Triadex beat it?) Update via Peter Grenader: "No time to read through all these posts to see if it's come up yet, but the Coupland was vaporwear...it never existed. I met Mark Vail, who's now a friend, by writing him a letter informing him that his story about the Coupland in his Vintage Synthesizers book (GREAT book) which mentioned it's only recorded showing was at the AES show in LA in 1978 was a farce. I was there - at their booth and their suite in the Hilton where the instrument was said to be. I was there on the first day, I was there on the last day. The only thing they had was a small model - about six inches across, sitting on a table. The booth was amazing - this radial orb multiple people could sit in, with a cover that came over each person which played what I remembered was a very impressive demo which swirled around four speakers inside the box. I, and everyone else, were blown away. They kept saying...'it will be here tomorrow, it'll be here tomorrow'...so I showed up the last day just to see it, figuring by the then it would have arrived...it didn't. I did see the frst Synthclavier at that show however. Their suite was across the hall from the Coupland folk. That completely kicked the crap out of everything else shown that year."
1973 - Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer - NED - Synclavier prototype - first digital synth
1974 - Roland - SH-3A - first commercial additive synth
1974 - RMI - Harmonic Synthesizer - first commercial additive synth
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 Buchla 502 or FVS was released first.
1976 - PPG - PPG 1003 sonic carrier - 1st programmable mono/duo synth with patch memory (this, along with the model 1020, might have been the 1st synths to use DCO's as well)
1977 - Yamaha - CS50/CS60/CS80 - first single enclosure polyphonic keyboard synthesizers with the CS80 to be the first synth with poly aftertouch
1977 (late) - Oberheim - OB-1 - 1st commercial programmable mono synth with patch memory
1978 (late) - PPG - Wavecomputer 360 - 1st wavetable synth
1978 - Sequential Circuits - microprocessor control the SCI prophet 10 (briefly) and the P-5 --- again based on existing E-mu tech stuff
1979 - NED - Synclavier - First FM
1979 - Fairlight CMI - First Sampler, First Workstation
1980 - Performance Music Systems - Syntar - First self contained keytar
1982 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 600 / First Midi Synthesizer (though some argue the Prophet 5 rev 3.2 is pre-MIDI MIDI)
1983 - Yamaha - DX7 - Digital takes over, FM goes mainstream
1983 - OSC - OSCar - First real-time additive with analog filters
1984 - Sequential Circuits - SixTrak - first multitimbral
1985 - Casio - CZ-101 - First battery-powered all digital mini-synth
1987 - Kawai K5 and Technos Axcel - first additive synths
1989 - E-Mu Systems - Proteus - First dedicated ROMpler
1992 - Seer Systems - first host-based software synthesizer in 1992
1994 - Yamaha - VL1 - first physical modelling synth
1995 - Clavia - Nord Lead - 1st Virtual Analog
1996 - Rubberduck - still not the first softsynth but came before Seer Systems Reality.
1996 - Steinberg - VST - Ok not a synth but enabled a lot to be written as plug-ins and used simultaneously
1997 - Seer Systems - Reality - First Modular Soft Synth
2002 - Hartmann Neuron - first neuronal synth
2912 - KalQuestoTron - the first genetically engineered synth. Each cell is an oscillator, filter, and neural sequencer. Can be delivered via injection to always play 'hold music' in your head.

I thought it might be fun to have a "first synth to..." post. There's been a lot of buzz over Sonic State's Top 20 Synths of All Time with good reason. What exactly is a "top synth?" Is it it's influence on the music scene? It's rarity and lust appeal? The number of synths sold? According to Sonic State their list was the result of Sonic State reader's voting for their favorite synths. Blame the voters if you don't like what you see. Based on what has come up on the list so far, the E-Mu Proteus and Roland JV-1080 for example as well as the Roland Jupiter 8 not even making the top ten, I'm guessing a bit of it has to do with the vote and... possibly the most influential/ground breaking synths for their time. The JV1080 and Proteus? Not super sexy in this day and age, but what they offered in their time? Who knows. It's obviously subjective. But there is something that isn't. The most influential synths of all time not because they were super sexy or utilitarian, but because they offered something that was not previously available.

I thought what might be interesting to create a list of the first synths to feature a particular technology or feature. For example what was the fist synth to bring FM to the table? Was it the DX7 or a predecessor? What was the first digital synth and when? The first additive synth? I have a good idea and could probably look it all up, but that wouldn't be any fun, so.... You tell me. I am going to make this an open post that will live over time. You get to participate by putting an entry in the comments. I will update the list and when I do I will change the time stamp of the post to keep it current. That said, for the archives, this post went up with a time stamp of 4/11/07 7:20 PM PST. I'll start the list (btw, do correct me on the MOOG, what model should we be talking about here? The A, B, C or D or all of them?).

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1978 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 5 - 1st Programmable Polyphonic Analog
... List continues above.

Update 3/34/12: Also see the first synthesizers to offer patch storage here.

Hofstra Honors Herb Deutsch with Moog Modular Display

"Hofstra Honors Professor Emeritus of Music Herbert Deutsch and Unveils

A Display of the Moog Synthesizer That He Co-Created with Robert Moog,

An Invention That Revolutionized Music

Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at 11:15 a.m., New Academic Building, South Campus

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … Hofstra University Professor Emeritus of Music Herbert Deutsch will be honored for his years of service to the University and his place in music history in a special ceremony on April 14, 2010, at 11:15 a.m. The ceremony will see the unveiling of a display featuring the Moog synthesizer, co-created by Dr. Robert Moog and Professor Deutsch in 1964 –an invention that changed the course of music history.

The display is situated in Hofstra’s New Academic Building, located on the South Campus. In addition to Hofstra students, alumni, faculty and administrators, the ceremony will be attended by Michael Adams, president of Moog Music, located in Asheville, North Carolina.

Professor Deutsch, who is a resident of Massapequa Park, NY, is also a Hofstra alumnus, having graduated in 1956 with a B.S. in education. He returned to the University as a professor in the early 1960s. At a 1963 New York State School Music Association Conference, Professor Deutsch met Dr. Robert Moog , who invited him to collaborate on the design and development of a music synthesizer. Professor Deutsch received a $200 research grant from Hofstra to be used toward expenses on the project. Dr. Moog and Professor Deutsch designed the first prototype synthesizer in July 1964 and completed its construction by the fall of that same year.

Professor Deutsch is also a well-known composer, who has received approximately 15 ASCAP awards and more than 20 Meet the Composer grants. In 2007 he was named Music Educator of Note by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. A composer of music in various media, Professor Deutsch’s work has been widely performed and commissioned works have been featured at national and regional conferences of The Music Educators National Conference, Small Computers and the Arts Network, the Society for Electro acoustic Music in the United States and other organizations.

In 1972 he co-founded and currently serves as president of the Long Island Composers Alliance (LICA). He has served several previous terms as president and is also the Alliance’s archivist. In 1973 he created the first "Music By and For Students" concert for LICA. During his teaching career at Hofstra, he founded the Jazz Ensemble, the Electronic Music Studios, The New Music Ensemble and developed B.S. degree programs in Composition/Theory, Jazz & Commercial Music and Music Merchandising.

The display that will be featured at the April 14 ceremony showcases not only Hofstra’s first synthesizer but also correspondence from Dr. Moog and a congratulatory letter from Hofstra confirming Professor Deutsch’s $200 research grant.

For more information on the ceremony, call Hofstra’s Department of Music at (516) 463-5490 or the Office of University Relations at (516) 463-6819.

About Moog Music: Moog Music and its customers carry on the legacy of Bob Moog, who along with Herb Deutsch invented the synthesizer. Moog designs and manufactures electronic musical instruments, including Little Phatty® and Minimoog® Voyager® synthesizers, Moogerfooger® effects modules, Etherwave® theremins and The Moog Guitar. Founded by Bob Moog, Moog Music designs and manufactures its products in Asheville, N.C."

A Pre-Synthesizer-Era Synthesizer - The Mixtur Trautonium

flickr By jochenWolters

"More than thirty years before Bob Moog conceived of the synthesizer as we know it today, Friedrich Trautwein developed his Trautonium, a highly complex, monophonic electronic musical instrument.

The pitch is "selected" via a string that is pressed against a metal bar and, in essence, works like a ribbon controller.

Although you may not be familiar with this fascinating "pre-synth", chances are that you've already heard some of the sounds it is capable of producing: The bird sounds in Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 movie, "The Birds", were created by Trautonium virtuoso, Oscar Sala.

Jürgen Hiller has been building and repairing Trautoniums for more than twenty years. The one you see above is being custom-built for a customer and includes an unusual percussive module labeled "Schlagwerk" (German for "drum mechanism")."

See the Trautonium label below for more.

Update via Tomoroh Hidari on Facebook: "I had the pleasure to work on a replica of a mixtur trautonium built for the Technisches Museum Vienna, together with a friend. it's an amazing instrument! here's a (free download) album we did on it (and laptops) in '08: http://alien.mur.at/ujvary/jetztzeit.html"

EMS Founder Peter Zinovieff Has Passed Away

Update: Image of Peter Zinovieff (previously in via Brian Kehew).

"Circa 1975: A photo from the Frankfurt Music Fair

Peter Zinovieff in the EMS synthesizer booth.

They are featuring the rare SYNTHI P model, just announced on the left side and stand. Underneath the board listing EMS musical artists is a SYNTHI HI-FLI effects unit is barely seen. Another unusual/prototype model is next to the Hi-Fli."


Peter Zinovieff and Electronic Music Studios video upload by JeffreyPlaide


Peter Zinovieff: Synth Pioneer video upload by Sound On Sound magazine Jul 21, 2016


Peter Zinovieff talks about modern musical interfaces video upload by Expressive E Jan 6, 2016


Peter Zinovieff feature uploaded by Erica Synths on Nov 23, 2020. This was the latest video to feature Peter Zinovieff that I am aware of.


Peter Zinovieff interview 2015 video upload by 香港電子音樂社 Hong Kong Electronic Music Society Jun 30, 2015


Dr Peter Zinovieff intro & performance excerpt - Deliaphonic 2017 video upload by Deliaphonic Aug 29, 2018

And a few perspectives from others:

Bright Sparks Behind The Scenes - The Brits video by GForce Software published Feb 16, 2021

Cosmic Tape Music Club Podcast hosted by The Galaxy Electric - E1 Peter Zinovieff

video by The Galaxy Electric published Jan 27, 2021

Peter Zinovieff Electronic Calendar

video by Mark Jenkins published Dec 9, 2019 - Electronic Calendar available through this post.

You can find a history of posts mentioning Peter Zinovieff here.

via The Guardian

"Peter Zinovieff, a hugely influential figure in British music whose early synthesisers helped to change the sound of pop, has died aged 88. He had suffered a fall at home earlier this month.

With its marketing slogan 'think of a sound – now make it', his company Electronic Music Studios (EMS) was one of the first to bring synthesisers out of studios and to the public. With products such as the portable VCS3 and Synthi A, EMS customers – including David Bowie, Kraftwerk, the Who, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd – were often taught to use the instruments by Zinovieff.

In 1967 he collaborated with Paul McCartney on Carnival of Light, a performance of a 14-minute avant garde composition created between Beatles sessions for Penny Lane that has never been released.

He was also a respected composer of his own work, including early experiments with AI composition and sampling – he claimed to have invented the latter technique." You can read the full post here.

via Wikipedia:

"Peter Zinovieff (26 January 1933 – 23 June 2021) was a British engineer and composer, whose EMS company made the VCS3 synthesizer in the late 1960s. The synthesizer was used by many early progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd[3] and White Noise, and Krautrock groups[4] as well as more pop-oriented artists, including Todd Rundgren and David Bowie. In later life he worked primarily as a composer of electronic music.

Zinovieff was born on 26 January 1933;[5] his parents, Leo Zinovieff and Sofka, née Princess Sophia Dolgorouky, were both Russian aristocrats, who met in London after their families had emigrated to escape the Russian Revolution and soon divorced.[6] During World War II he and his brother Ian lived with their grandparents in Guildford and then with their father in Sussex. He attended Guildford Royal Grammar School, Gordonstoun School and Oxford University, where he earned a doctorate in geology.[7][8]

Zinovieff's work followed research at Bell Labs by Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Risset, and an MIT thesis (1963) by David Alan Luce.[9] In 1966–67, Zinovieff, Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson ran Unit Delta Plus, an organisation to create and promote electronic music. It was based in the studio Zinovieff had built, in a shed at his house in Putney. (The house is near the Thames, and the studio was later partially destroyed by a flood).[10][11] EMS grew out of MUSYS, which was a performance controller operating as an analogue-digital hybrid.[12] It was a synthesiser system which Zinovieff developed with the help of David Cockerell and Peter Grogono, and used two DEC PDP-8 minicomputers and a piano keyboard.[13] Unit Delta Plus ran a concert of electronic music at the Watermill Theatre in 1966, with a light show. In early 1967 they performed in concerts at The Roundhouse, at which the Carnival of Light was also played; they split up later in 1967.[11] Paul McCartney had visited the studio, but Zinovieff had little interest in popular music.[14]

In 1968, part of the studio was recreated at Connaught Hall, for a performance of pieces by Justin Connolly and David Lumsdaine.[15] At the IFIP congress that year, the composition ZASP by Zinovieff with Alan Sutcliffe took second prize in a contest, behind a piece by Iannis Xenakis.[16]

In 1969, Zinovieff sought financing through an ad in The Times but received only one response, £50 on the mistaken premise it was the price of a synthesiser. Instead he formed EMS with Cockerell and Tristram Cary.[17] At the end of the 1960s, EMS Ltd. was one of four companies offering commercial synthesizers, the others being ARP, Buchla, and Moog.[18] In the 1970s Zinovieff became interested in the video synthesizer developed by Robert Monkhouse, and EMS produced it as the Spectron.[19]

Jon Lord of Deep Purple described Zinovieff as "a mad professor type": "I was ushered into his workshop and he was in there talking to a computer, trying to get it to answer back".[20] Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco, in their history of the synthesizer revolution, see him rather as aristocratically averse to "trade".[21]

Zinovieff wrote the libretto for Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Mask of Orpheus,[22] and also the words for Nenia: The Death of Orpheus (1970).[23] The section Tristan's Folly in Tristan (1975) by Hans Werner Henze included a tape by Zinovieff."

Update:

Peter Zinovieff: A Tribute by CatSynth TV

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We look back at the life and work of Peter Zinovieff, who passed away last week at the age of 88. His work at Electronic Music Studios (EMS) was a major influence on musicians of the 1970s and beyond. At EMS, he co-created the well-known and coveted VCS3 and Synthi series. But he was also a composer in his own right, working on pioneering electronic music in the 1960s and returning to active composition in the 2010s with several collaborations with artists in other media and exploring massive sound spatialization.

Additional background music provided via the Arturia Synthi V as a tribute."

You can find additional posts featuring Peter Zinovieff here.

Synth History: 1963 Letter From Bob Moog to Herb Deutsch

via @moogmusicinc

"...and the rest was history. #throwbackthursday #bobmoog #herbdeutsch #musichistory"

Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog Exibition Updates

"Exhibition features Keith Emerson's Legendary “Monster Moog” Modular Synthesizer through October 18th, 2009

CARSLBAD, CA/ASHEVILLE, NC – The Museum of Making Music (Carlsbad, CA), in partnership with the Bob Moog Foundation, has opened Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog exhibition, to run through April 30, 2010. The exhibit is the first of its kind, marking the first public display of the artifacts from Bob Moog’s archives and an examination of the impact of his work on the world of music.

MONSTER MOOG INSTALLATION
On August 30th, Keith Emerson's (Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The Nice) mammoth “Monster Moog” modular synthesizer was added to the exhibit after it was featured the previous evening in a musical celebration of the exhibit opening by Emerson and Erik Norlander. Emerson used this remarkable instrument on numerous recordings over the past 40 years, including his solo in “Lucky Man” (1969), possibly the most popular synth solo in history. He also used the synthesizer on countless world tours and is generally credited with pioneering the use of the Moog modular as a touring musician.

The “Monster Moog” began as a modest system, but grew over time as Emerson
requested that Moog create custom additions for his touring instrument, including extra modules, custom sample-and-hold, and several pre-sets, an innovative addition for that time. The synthesizer grew into a massive cabinet of five sections and over 75 modules. It stands more than four feet above its special base – almost 8 feet high. Its sound is noticeably clearer and stronger than any other keyboard Emerson plays – it is an instrument of significance and legend, and arguably the most famous synthesizer of all time.

Bob Moog and Keith Emerson enjoyed a special relationship of toolmaker and musician that grew in to a lifelong friendship. Moog is noted for listening to musician's needs and technical specifications which he then used to improve his instruments: This dynamic is explored throughout the Waves exhibit.

KEITH EMERSON

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Unlocking Greystoke: The Ultimate Keyboard Collection Revealed!

video upload by Andy Whitmore

"Greystoke Studio boasts an impressive collection of 48 keyboards, including a diverse array of analog synthesizers, digital synthesizers, and vintage keyboards.

Massive Analog & Digital Keyboard Collection
Greystoke Studio Tour Update - The Complete Keyboard Collection!
Mar-24
48 Keyboards Including:
30 Analog Synthesisers
13 Digital Synthesisers
5 Vintage keyboards

Greystoke Studio in London, is a high-spec London recording studio.

0:00 - Introducing Greystoke's Analog & Digital Synthesiser Collection
0:07 - Yamaha CS80 - 1976
0:11 - Roland Jupiter 8 - 1981
0:12 - Roland Jupiter 8 - 1981
0:15 - Roland SH1000 - 1973 [chrome]
0:20 - Roland SH1000 - 1973
0:26 - Yamaha CS40M - 1979
0:30 - Roland SH1000 - 1973 TTSH Two Thousand Six Hundred Mini Meanie Arp 2600 Clone 2023
0:34 - Yamaha CS50
0:38 - Mini Moog Model D – 2017
0:44 - Roland Vocoder VP330 MK I – 1979
0:48 - Oberheim OB-1 – 1978
0:52 - Prophet 5 Rev 3.2 MIDI – 1981
1:03 - Prophet 5 Rev 3.0 MIDI – 1980
1:14 - Oberheim Xpander – 1984
1:20 - Oberheim OB-8 – 1982
1:33 - Roland Jupiter 4 MIDI – 1979
1:36 - Logan String Machine – 1975
1:41 - Hammond C3 + Leslie Speaker - 1968 + 1963
1:43 - Mini Moog Model D – 1976
1:50 - Wurlitzer 200A Electric Piano - 1976 (bought from 10CC's Eric Stewart!)
1:52 - Fender Rhodes Piano Stage 73 – 1979
2:03 - Roland Juno106 – 1984
2:09 - Roland Vocoder VP330 MK II MIDI – 1980
2:16 - Korg M1 - 1990
2:18 - Nord Electro 3 - 2008
2:24 - Roland JD800 - 1991
2:35 - Korg Trinity - 1995
2:41 - Roland D50 - 1987
2:51 - Korg Poly 800 – 1983
2:52 - Roland SH101 – 1983
2:56 - Roland MC 202 – 1984
3:03 - Hohner Clavinet D6 - 1979
3:10 - Korg Z1 - 1997
3:17 - ARP Odyssey – 1979
3:21 - Prophet VS – 1986
3:31 - Roland MKS80 with MPG-80 programmer – 1986
3:41 - Yamaha TX816 - 1984
3:47 - Yamaha TX802 - 1987
3:50 - Studio Electronics SE1X – 1994
3:56 - Roland JP-8080 - 1998
4:00 - Roland JV1080 - 1994
4:07 - Nord Rack 2 - 1997
4:14 - Roland P330 - 1988
4:20 - Akai S3000XL 32 Meg - 1996
4:29 - Novation Supernova - 1998
4:43 - Novation Bass Station – 1994
4:59 - Steinway Model O – 1908
6:10 - EMS AKS Synthi VCS3 – 1972"

Hainbach - Syn-Ket Studien (Full Album)

video upload by HAINBACH

"My album "SYN-KET STUDIEN" as it was recorded at the Museo Del Synth Marchegiano. Pre-order one of the limited run vinyl now or buy the digital: https://hainbach.bandcamp.com/album/s..."

"Syn-Ket Studien (German for „study“) is as much an exploration as its a love letter. When I tried to coax music from this wonderful but not always perfectly working instrument, I was under the spell of the beautiful Marche region and the hospitality I encountered at the Museo. The album cover by Zé Burnay reflects that - the countryside and culture frames the session.

Having only a few days with the Syn-Ket, I needed to work effectively. I decided it would be the tempo that would guide my interaction with the instrument. By setting the speeds of the modulators first I learned quickly what the instrument could do and what I could do with it. Every piece is the result of a learning curve, the struggle of playing an undocumented instrument and the joy of its incredible rich and powerful sound.

At home in my Berlin studio I left the sound as raw and unedited as made sense musically, adding only a touch ambience with an old stereo spring reverb."

Hainbach, Berlin, 2022

A Short History of The Syn-Ket

"The Syn-Ket is a truly exceptional instrument: developed in Italy at the same time that Robert Moog and Don Buchla set out to write instrument history, Paolo Ketoff created what is probably the first portable synthesizer.
Born from the experience of making the huge Fonosynth and inspired by the works of Harald Bode, Ketoff worked closely with musicians and composers of the American Academy of Rome (John Eaton, Bill Smith) to create an electronic instrument that would allow live performances without tape playback.
Shunning mass production, the Syn-Ket was only produced in nine custom pieces, starting in 1963, all tailored to the musician that ordered it. And those lucky few got a lot, despite the compact size: three voices with tube oscillators, two filters and an LFO, an octave filter bank and three output modulators (a mixture of LFO/Envelope/VCA). All is controlled by a very expressive three row pressure sensitive keyboard.
It found widespread use in Italian movies of the times. Little wonder, as one Syn-Ket was famously owned by Ennio Morricone"

- Riccardo Pietroni, Museo Del Synth Marchigiano, 2022

released August 23, 2022

See the Synket label below for more.

Serge Tcherepnin Coming Back to Modular with Tiptop Audio

Serge Tcherepnin, the man behind the original Serge Modular Music Systems from the 1970s is back at the drawing board with Tiptop Audio.  This is HUGE news.  Another legend of synthesizer history has returned. Note the newer Serge Modular systems are from Rex Probe's Sound Transform Systems. Serge Tcherepnin will be working with Tiptop Audio on new designs.

Update: they will be working on bringing both the older designs to euro format as well as new designs modified to be used with Tiptop stackable cables in lieu of banana jack.  Note older designs including modifications have been available in multiple formats via other manufacturers including Ken Stone's CGS and Bananalogue.  A VCO and the noise source are in the works.  The noise source is actually the original Serge design (the copyright is for the new schematic), and can be used independently, or can used in conjunction with the SSG to create a random voltage generator. (see the comments below)

Some history on Serge Tcherepnin from Wikipedia:

"Serge Tcherepnin is the son of composer Aleksandr Nikolayevich Tcherepnin and grandson of composer Nikolai Nikolayevich Tcherepnin. His mother was Chinese pianist Lee Hsien Ming. He had his first instruction in harmony with Nadia Boulanger and studied from 1958 to 1963 at Harvard University with Leon Kirchner and Billy Jim Layton. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1960. In 1961 at the Darmstadt Vacation Courses he studied with Luigi Nono. He then studied in Europe with Pierre Boulez, Herbert Eimert, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Between 1966 and 1968 he worked at the studio for electronic music of the Cologne Hochschule für Musik. From 1968 he directed the electronic studio of New York University. Starting in 1970 he taught composition and electronic music at the School of Music-California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. He has been involved with the development of synthesizers such as the Serge Modular and founded the company Serge Modular Music Systems. After selling this company in 1986 he returned to France. He has composed works for tape and electronic instruments, multimedia works, chamber music, a Kaddish for speakers and chamber ensemble (1962, on a text of Allen Ginsberg) as well as pieces for saxophone and for piano."

Update 2 via Tiptop Audio on Muff's: "Ok fellows, I don't have any front panels to show you yet, but i can share some of the progress we've made on this project:

I have been talking to Serge for sometime now about making the Serge system in eurorack. It all started when I introduce him to our Stackcables, he loved it and said that very few people are aware of how shielded patchcords would enhance modules such as the Serge VCFs, VCAs, Ring Mod, which are already ultra low noise. He continued by saying that with shielded patchords, the modules will
attain studio quality performance. I guess that from that point it was obvious, we are going to start a new Serge system in the best format in town, eurocrack.

So this is how it's going to work, all modules will be:

1. Original Serge designs

2. Serge color coded jacks

3. Serge original fonts and graphics, work flow

Or in other words; the whole Serge experience.

Those who have/had a Serge know what i'm talking about.

For starters, we are looking at making the Smooth and Stepped Generator (SSG) with added randomization, the Dual Slope Generator (DUSG) and the Wilson Analog Delay (WAD).

The fact that we are going to design all these from scratch give us the option to add features, but it is totally up to Serge to decide that. It is going to be his system and his ideas.

On the WAD we are working directly with Dave Wilson and hopefully we could figure out how to implement it with available parts.

The whole thing takes a very long time; Serge is a busy man so please be patient. I'm sure it is going to be worth the wait. It's a great joy seeing Serge drawing schematics again, and I will do my best to make it available for all of us to use."

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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Playing around with the Synket an incredible tube synthesizer made in Italy by Paolo Ketoff in 1964.

video upload by Riccardo Pietroni

See the Synket label for more.

"This is the unit build for Bill Smith by Paolo Ketoff and is completely original.

The Syn-ket comprised of three sound modules or 'sound-combiner' as Ketoff called them – essentially three separate synthesisers built using a mix of solid state and vacuum technology. Each module was independently controllable and interconnectable and mixable into a single output.

Each 'sound-combiner' module consisted of:

1 square wave frequency-controllable oscillator.
A button controlled series of frequency dividers which allowed division of the incoming pitch by factors of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 to produce differing harmonics
3 complex filters with a frequency range of 40 Hz – 20 kHz.
1 amplitude control.
3 modulators each controlled by a low frequency oscillator: The first allowed control of the square wave oscillator’s frequency, The second controlled the frequency of the filter and the third controlled audio amplitude.

The Syn–ket was not conceived as a commercial product – Ketoff built only about a dozen variations on the Syn-ket theme between 1963 and 1977 – and notwithstanding it’s innovative and unique features remained a one-off custom made instrument. Despite this, the Syn-ket was widely used by composers other than Eaton and found itself almost ubiquitous on Cinecittà soundtracks for Spaghetti westerns (Ennio Morricone used the Syn-ket on many of his soundtrack scores ), Italian horror and science fiction films."

KORG microKAST #27 A KORG In The Oven

Published on Oct 12, 2018 KORG microKAST

"We're back with another feature packed episode including Kronology on the Doncamatic, Korg's first ever product from 1963, our new game the TV Gameshow Time Machine, #Geargoggles, Downloads, all the latest Korg News & a listen to the new electribe Wave!"

Buchla 100

Via this auction.

Details:
"SYNTH WAS PURCHASED ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO, IT WAS PURCHASED USED. IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED IN MY STUDIO ALL THE TIME, IT HAS SEEN LITTLE USE UNDER MY OWNERSHIP AND I THINK IT’S TIME SOMEBODY ELSE HAVE FUN WITH THIS ONE AND I NEED THE MONEY AS WELL. SYNTH COMES WITH A BUCHLA MANUAL, LOTS OF PATCH CORDS. SYNTH WORKS FINE BUT IT MIGHT NEED CALIBRATING BY NOW.

MACHINE WAS KEPT IN A DUST AND SMOKE FREE ENVIROMENT.

Buchla synthesizers are the classic creations of Don Buchla, a circuit designer who produced synthesizers when they truly were analog beasts. Buchla started making his first synthesizers on America's west coast for the purpose of simplifying the tedious process of creating "Musique Concrete". Musique Concrete can be thought of as the predecessor to Electronic Music. It was a form of music in which recordings of various sounds on tape were cut, spliced, distorted, and manipulated in various ways before being spliced back together into something that should sound like music...almost like super old-school sampling & sequencing! This concept was the driving force behind almost every Buchla synthesizer made - an electronic device that can create some basic sound, manipulate it, tune it freely, and sequence it into organized sound, hopefully something musical! With that in mind, Buchla synthesizers were among the first to use indivudally tuneable keys for limitless micro-tuning possibilities, analog sequencers, and complex waveforms other than basic sine, sawtooth, and square waves.

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