Darwin Grosse of Cycling 74, 20 Objects and the Art + Music + Technology Podcast Has Passed Away

Some sad news sent my way via Joshua Shroyer, also feauted on Synthopia, where you'll find additional info on the impact Darwin Grosse has had in the synth community.

You should be familiar with his 20Objects Art + Music + Technology podcasts posted here on MATRIXSYNTH, as well as numerous other posts. His website is hosted at 20objects.com. He also worked with Cycling 74 and participated in LEAF (Lafayette Electronic Arts Festival). The image to the left is from the LEAF website which has the following bio on him:

"Darwin Grosse works in a modular world, combining modular synthesizers, video tools and compositing software to combine minimalist visuals with generative soundscapes. Based out of Northfield, Minnesota, Darwin uses natural movement as source material for geometric visual pieces, and writes custom audio-reactive software for his multimedia work."


His final podcast from May 15, 2022:
video upload by 20Objects

"Unfortunately, today is the last day of podcasting for the Art + Music + Technology podcast. Health issues have gotten in the way, and it would be impossible to continue.

You can read the transcription of this article, as well as finding some interesting writing on my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66445163

Thank you for being such a great group of friends and supporters during this long series of music"

And the full run of Art + Music + Technology Podcast


And a playlist of tutorial videos hosted on his YouTube channel:

Podcast 366: Paula Maddox

video upload by 20Objects

"Paula Maddox is a wonder. She’s got an amazing history of synth design, and the work continues; her current company (Dove Audio - https://dove-audio.com/) produces modules in Euro and 5U format, featuring her unique take on wavetables-as-oscillators. We share a passion for wavetables and single-cycle waveshapes, so it was a natural that we talk.

In our discussion, we cover everything from her history in electronics, the path to synth design, and a review of many of the synths that she has had her hand into. From the infamous Monowave, through the Modal 008, 002 and 001, and into the work developing the Dove Audio products (including some exciting new designs), we get a chance to hear how it comes together and where it is going in the future.

Enjoy!

Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/trans...

Exclusive extra content on the Patron page: https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse"

Podcast 352: Anthony Rolando (Make Noise Music)

video by 20Objects

"For my audience, Anthony Rolando probably needs no introduction. As the product designer at Make Noise Music, his work is found in almost every modular system you’ll run across. From his earliest designs (such as the Maths) to his latest (like the Morphagene), he’s helping to define the future of modular systems.

Recently, Make Noise has come out with a new standalone device – the Strega. This is a remarkable system-in-a-box that includes integrated effects and tone generation, and is particularly focused on live play. As a collaboration with Alessandro Cortini, the Strega is a deep, opinionated view on noise/sound manipulation, and launches a new perspective on what an ‘instrument’ is all about.

In our discussion, we dive into depth on the development of the Strega, Tony’s personal musical adventures, and a bunch of follow-up from our previous podcast (https://artmusictech.libsyn.com/podca...​). As with any discussion with Tony, it was revealing, challenging and inspiring.

Enjoy!

Transcription available at http://www.darwingrosse.com/AMT/trans...​"

Podcast 330: Stephan Schmitt

20Objects

"Talk about a career! Stephan Schmitt started his journey into audio development by making noisy object as a kid, then got into electrical engineering to work on large format consoles (which is where he took on software...), then co-founded Native Instruments, creating Generator/Reaktor. After years with NI (including the development of Spark, Skanner and Kontour), he set off to work on his ultimate project: a keyboard player's dream synth, called the Nonlinear Labs C15.

In our chat, we talk about his history through the creation of NI, how he finds the synth voicings that are his signature development, and how the C15 fits into the world of modern music playing and production. Along the way, we also learn a lot about the things that (according to Stephan) make a synth 'expressive', and how this can benefit the live synth player.

Super fascinating, and a chance to learn the history behind the earliest days of virtual synth development, and the on-going work creating a niche hardware device. Check out Nonlinear Labs at https://www.nonlinear-labs.de/index.html."

Opus II - Full Album by Omri Cohen & Interview

Omri Cohen

"In the last couple of months, I've recorded every week a piece of music, practicing and learning my setup, and I thought that maybe it's a good idea to collect a few of those pieces and release them as a sort of a collection album. I remixed and remastered all the tracks especially for this album.

If you like what I do and want to support my work, consider joining my crew on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/omricohen

00:00 - LuLaAh
06:42 - Twines
13:14 - Mallets
19:43 - Voices
28:02 - Meshulash
32:29 - Tears in the Rain
38:02 - A new Beginning
57:29 - Arbhar

Here it is on Spotify, iTunes, and more - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/omr...
Here it is on Bandcamp - https://omricohencomposer.bandcamp.co..."




20Objects Podcast 321: Omri Cohen

Published on Apr 12, 2020 20Objects

An interview with supporting member, Omri Cohen.

"When one of the listeners suggested Omri Cohen for an interview, I had to do a little research. And 'a little' is key - one quick search on YouTube made it clear that this was someone I'd want to talk to. And once we started chatting, we got on a roll - Omri is a great cat, and is so open to sharing, that we got on like brothers.

Whether it's talking about his background or his approach to hybrid modular systems, he combines a deep understanding about what he's doing with a relaxed way of explaining that causes everything to immediately make sense. That's an amazing gift - and makes him one of the most effective tutorial-makers out there.

If you want to check out his videos, the easiest way is to check out his channel. He also releases music on Bandcamp - some of which he features as 'Making Of..." options on his video channel - at https://omricohencomposer.bandcamp.com/. I love his work, and this has really inspired me to make some interesting work in our now-isolated meta-world.

Enjoy!"

Podcast 307: Eric Schlappi

Published on Dec 22, 2019 20Objects

"There are a few modules that have been quietly creeping into discussions - and modular rigs - over the last few months. One manufacturer that keeps coming up is Schlappi Engineering - and especially the Angle Grinder module. I'm not sure how you make a quadrature oscillator sexy - but Eric Schlappi seems to have done it!

In this chat, we go over Eric's background, how he came up with some of his modules, some of the technologies that he's exploring for the future, and his own music-making (and performing) process. His modules are opinionated (in that they have design decisions that can drive you in certain directions), but in a way that can still allow you to maintain your own voice. He also talks about his own obsession with analog monosynths, and how this has influenced his own electronics development.

In addition to his modules, you can check out some of his recorded work on his Bandcamp site (https://ericschlappi.bandcamp.com/). Also, for Tier 2 (and above) Patreon supporters (https://www.patreon.com/darwingrosse), we have an extended interview about the performative aspects of the 100 Grit that is particularly interesting.

Enjoy!"

1979 SMP Overview

Published on Nov 19, 2019 Todd Barton

"My initial encounter and overview with 1979's Stereo Microsound Processor (SMP) based on Mutable Instruments Clouds but styled with added features for the Buchla format. A later episode will have some sound demos.

Purchase information: https://1979.ws

A good Clouds tutorial for the curious: [posted here]

Consider joining my Patreon page to support continuing tutorials for Buchla, Serge, Hordijk and some Eurorack:
https://www.patreon.com/synthtodd"


Update: Note 1979 is the brand, not the year. I created a new site label for them. I believe 1979 is Wes Milholen of Grayscale's brand. You can find a 20Objects interview with him here.

The SMP / STEREO MICROSOUND PROCESSOR is currently priced at $850.

"Granular synthesis for 4U systems. Based on Clouds by Mutable Instruments, the SMP is a realtime granular synthesis processor that expands significantly on the original. Dedicated controls for previously hidden functions, additional CV inputs with inverting attenuators, easier access to preset recall and sampling settings, and increased control over output gain make this one of the most full-featured hardware granular processors available. It's a powerful addition to any Buchla-format system, offering a form of digital signal processing not previously available in this format."

Geometric Patterns Made Of Love And Understanding

Mix of unreleased Cray tracks featuring: Buchla 200e, Serge, Roland MC202, Mescaline, Eurorack, Lorre Mille Double Knot, Electron Analog 4, and Octatrack.

Cray, aka Ross Healy of Vicmod, was recently interviewed in 20Objects Podcast292 posted here. You can also find the interview on https://artmusictech.libsyn.com.

Introverted - Morphagene, VCV Rack, MicroFreak, Midilar

Published on Sep 8, 2019 20Objects Omri Cohen

"In this one, I'm using the envelope follower on the Morphagene to generate notes in VCV so the higher the amplitude of the sample, the higher the notes. I'm also recording a loop with the MicroFreak and a looper in VCV. With the Midilar I'm bringing the voices in and out, and also adding distortion to the opening sequence.

If you like what I do and want to support my work, consider joining my crew on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/omricohen"

Podcast 292: Ross Healy (VICMOD)

Published on Sep 8, 2019 20Objects

"I think I've seen the handle VICMOD bouncing around the internet forever. I've also been listening to the music of Cray for a while, too. But only recently did I actually put 2 and 2 together to realize that this was the same person!

I've always like the Cray music for its breadth and honesty - it really sounded like a person's inner voice, rather than whatever a synth might naturally produce. And in talking with him, it is clear that this is his primary objective: heartfelt improvisation and sound design.

From his earliest work with a janky 486 computer to his current obsession with Omnisphere (with Buchla, Serge and Eurorack in-between), Ross has exercised almost any machine you can imagine. The result is a person that is looking to be surprised by his environment - and is constantly searching for those surprises.

After our chat, Ross was apparently spurred into digging into the archives, and has release the following for the listeners:

https://vicmodcray.bandcamp.com/album...

You can also check out the whole VICMOD label catalog here:

http://www.vicmod.net/

And, as Ross himself says, check out his work on discogs.com to dig into more of his past:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/621720...

Enjoy!"

Podcast 291: Scanner Darkly

Published on Sep 1, 2019 20Objects

"Named after the famous Philip K. Dick novel, Scanner Darkly is one of the most dedicated coders in the monome community. He got his start creating the Orca firmware for the monome modular devices, but really caught his stride working on updates to the Teletype - a coding module that features an exposed scripting environment. By adding a lot of new scripting functions (including a complete set of grid support tools), Scanner has made the Teletype a much more exciting for a lot of users.

In our chat, Scanner Darkly talks about his background learning coding, his interaction with electronic music and computer, and the variety of opportunities that he is currently pursuing. One of the 'soon-to-release' things includes some VCV rack work, so a lot more people will get to engage with his work. I think we all have something to look forward to enjoying!

You can find Scanner's work all over the internet - if you search for Scanner Darkly, you'll see that he must have been one of the early people to get access to the name on the net; if a link isn't about Philip K. Dick, it's probably about him. Enjoy our talk, and if you get a chance, check out his work, or keep a close eye out for his upcoming releases on VCV rack and other platforms.

Cheers!"

Podcast 280: Leonardo Laguna Ruiz

Published on Jun 16, 2019 20Objects

"Fans of VCV Rack and Voltage Modular will be all over the name VULT, but it's also making its name known for both hardware modular gear as well as nifty DSP trickery. Created by Leonardo Laguna Ruiz, Vult produces some of the best virtual modules I've tried, and is branching out into hardware modules and even DSP programming languages. And, of course, this amazing body of work is coming from an equally amazing guy.

Leonardo is one of those pan-continental, pan-discipline people that will make you love the modern world. Leveraging a love of recording technology with an education in electrical engineering, he is one of those guys that thinks in differential equations. His passion is in modeling, and his work shows it: the filters, oscillators and other devices that he's created are fabulous examples of math-in-audio at its best.

In our chat, we talk about the modules, the language, hardware developments and Leonardo's beginning story. The whole thing is inspiring, and it'll make you want to crack those books again. Enjoy!

In the introduction of the podcast, I mention the opportunity to support Paul Birken's upcoming 'zine release. If you are interested, you can check out the first edition here, find out more on Facebook, or touch base with him at tonewrecker@gmail.com. Support the 'zine cause!"

Podcast 279: Doug Lynner

Published on Jun 2, 2019 20Objects

"I first knew Doug Lynner's work as the editor/publisher of Synapse Magazine, an electronic music magazine before most people even knew that was a thing. Doug laid the groundwork for magazine-as-history in our cultural world, and took the opportunity to leverage his position and location (L.A.) to get a lot of great interviews over the magazines short-ish lifetime.

I have a couple of listener requests to have a chat with Doug, which caused me to do a little background work. My God - what a career. Between his CalArts education, the magazine work, his bands and his long history with Serge systems (including being an artist/demo dude for Serge himself), he was clearly a touchpoint for the things that interest all of us.

He continues full-force, doing one-on-one teaching, producing a weekly live performance radio show on KZSU (https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/bl...) and releasing new work based on his Modular Tonalism system. All of it is intriguing, and after listening to this chat, I'm sure you are going to want to learn more.

Check out all of Doug's work at https://www.neatnetnoise.com/, or at his bandcamp site (https://douglynner.bandcamp.com/). Enjoy!"

You can find additional info on Synapse Magazine on the Cyndustries website here.

Podcast 277: Wes Milholen (Grayscale)

Published on May 19, 2019 20Objects

"I've known Wes Milholen for a while - I first met him as he was working on some of his first replacement faceplates. He was part of the Denver/Boulder modular scene, and we spent time at meetups and performances. I always found his crisp and clean designs to my liking, and found him to be a thoughtful developer and talented performer.

He's gone on to do a lot more stuff: module development, more panel designs, and even design work for VCV rack. As you'll hear in this interview, he views design work to be his calling, and it shows in everything that he touches.

We had a great talk - some reminiscing, some product history talk, and a lot of discussion about the world of modular synthesis. Wes has his finger on the pulse of that world, and has some good insight on where things came from and where they are going.

Check out his work at https://grayscale.info/, https://1979.ws/ and https://vcvrack.com/. He's also hanging around mose social media sites and Muffwiggler's forum."

Podcast 275: Jim Coker

Published on May 5, 2019 20Objects

"Back in Podcast 38 [below], we talked to Jim Coker - the developer behind Numerology and the company Five12. Well, it's been five years, and a lot has happened since then. I met up with Jim at Synthplex, and got a quick catch-up; I also realized that we needed to have another interview, because things have gotten very real for him since we last talked!

It's all about hardware, baby. In this case, that would be the Vector Sequencer: a no-holds-barred sequencer for Eurorack systems that brings much of the sequencing power of Numerology into the Eurorack world. This device provides many of my favorite features into its 3u height, so you can expect that I wanted to know how that could happen.

As always, Jim was willing to share - and to be patient as I marveled at what he pulled off. This sequencer is significant enough to occupy the center of a decent studio (much like Numerology itself), and bring the step sequencing game to a new level of awesome.

You can learn more about both Numerology and the Vector Sequencer at five12.com

Enjoy!"

And from 2017:

Podcast 038: Jim Coker

Published on Dec 6, 2017 20Objects

"As an electronic music-head, I've been using computers, DAW's, synths and other tech crap for decades now. However, one of my favorite software packages is a program that doesn't try to do everything - in fact, its creator steadfastly refuses to take one certain tasks that he doesn't feel belong in his bit of code.


That creator is Jim Coker, and the software is Numerology (found at five12.com). I started using this at version 1, and it is now up to version 3 (with 4 right around the corner). In this podcast, I take the opportunity to corner Jim, talk to him about his background, his vision of the software/hardware combo, and his view of the future.


This is another case where I've known someone for a long time, but this is the longest conversation we've ever had. What's wrong with me? I need to spend more time with these people!!!


Enjoy!"

Podcast 273: Dan Goldstein (Cherry Audio)

Published on Apr 21, 2019 20Objects

"Dan Goldstein has been living his dream for 20 years. He started off with Sonic Foundry - back in the golden days - creating the future of audio software from scratch. He went on to be a main developer of Mixcraft, and has recently been involved in the release of Cherry Audio's Voltage Modular synth software. It's a powerhouse, and you can tell that Dan is really excited about it.

We took the opportunity to roll through some of his history, and I learned a lot about Sonic Foundry's world. But I also got a chance to see the trajectory of a guy - in Dan - that knew what he loved, and spent a lot of effort pursuing it. You hear it in his voice; despite the fact that he's been doing it for 20 years, he sounds as excited as a teen with his first car.

It was cool to talk to Dan about history, but also about his current work on Voltage Modular. If you are interested in playing around with a new kind of virtual modular, you should check it out - it's breaking some new ground, and is a blast to play with. You can check it out at https://cherryaudio.com/

Enjoy!"

Podcast 272: Aaron Higgins of 1010 Music

Published on Apr 14, 2019 20Objects

"It's pretty hard to avoid gear lust when you see 1010 Music's work in action. Originally launched as the Bitbox, the touchscreen, high-function module has spawned a number of implementations, including the Synthbox, Fxbox, Toolbox and - most recently - the standalone Blockbox. I've been in awe of this system since it was first released, and I'm glad to have the chance to talk with the creator - Aaron Higgins.

Based out of LA, Aaron and his spouse have 1010 humming. By focusing on a specific setup (a touch-based interface on a fully-digital module base), they have been creating some eye-popping modules for sample playback, digital synthesis, realtime sequencing and even laser pattern generation. You have to see some of these things to believe them, but in general you can say that 1010 is pushing the envelope of what we think a module can do.

In our talk, we discuss the development of the platform, the differences in the devices, and Aaron's inspiration and design aesthetic. We also peek at his background as a developer, and look into the future of standalone hardware creation.

I got a chance to see the 1010 Blackbox in action at Synthplex, and am so glad that he took the opportunity to have a chat. If you want to see more about their hardware offerings, check out their website: https://1010music.com/

Enjoy!"

Podcast 257: Eric Singer

Published on Dec 16, 2018 20Objects

You can find some of Eric Singer's work featured in the archives here. Be sure to see Part 2 in 20Objects interview with Eric Singer below.

"I'm pretty sure you know Eric Singer's work. Some of his most well-known work includes Pat Metheny's 'The Orchestrion Project', but he's been doing robotic musical instruments for a long time. I remember the first time I saw a video of Eric work - it was the reveal for the Guitarbot, and it was jaw-dropping at the time.

Eric was a maker before there was such a thing, and was doing cool robots when robots weren't part of artistic practice. He was learning machining, embedded coding and electronic design when those phrases were more industrial 'work' than creative 'play'. And he ended up paving the way for all of us.

You can check out his current work at his http://www.singerbots.com/ site.

In this interview, we start the discussion with him about his background, some of his work with Pat (and others), and the process of coming up-to-speed on gear he had never considered part of the 'practice'. We ran out of time long before we ran out of topics, but we'll continue the chat next week.

Enjoy!"

Podcast 258: Eric Singer (Part 2)

Published on Dec 23, 2018 20Objects

"In last week's episode, we just scratched the surface of Eric's role in creating the maker's world we now occupy. So I called him back and we immediately did a second interview to fill in some of the gaps: what were the early days like, how did he actually get the stuff built, why the move to Pittsburgh. This continues the fascinating journey of Eric Singer, and helps us to further appreciate the way he helped shape the electronic music future.

I think it is especially important to consider what was happening during the early 2000's, when computer technology was moving forward so rapidly, and the financial marketplace was in post-internet-boom chaos. Eric kept cranking out the work, teaching dozens of people how to manage their art through the process of hardware and software production, and eventually leading to something as overwhelming as the Orchestrion Project.

Again, if you haven't yet checked out Eric's work, you should: http://www.singerbots.com/

Enjoy!"

Podcast 254: Bert Schiettecatte (Percussa)

Published on Nov 25, 2018 20Objects

"Back in episode 66, I first chatted with Bert Schiettecatte - who, along with partner Celine, has been making the Percussa brand of music interfaces purr for the last decade-and-a-half. When we talked to them back then, they were about to run with a Kickstarter for their SSP Eurorack module; now, it's a success - and has spawned a new progeny. The Micro SSP has its own kickstarter (http://kck.st/2FB69kg), and looks to be a smaller and more affordable way for anyone to get into the SSP ecosystem.

As with our earlier conversation, talking with Bert is pretty easy - he's got his hands in every part of the development of the device, and is willing to talk about it all! I enjoy talking with him because he tends to downplay the amount of work he's done, but is also realistic about the amount of work it took to accomplish the result. He's killing it with this module, but he's been killing it all along with the development of Percussa interface devices.

I hope you enjoy this 'cast - it's a revelation to hear about the SSP design process, and will hopefully inspire you to dig in a little more. Check out Percussa at https://www.percussa.com, and take a good look at the amazing designs they are producing.

Cheers!"

Podcast 250: Paul Schreiber

Published on Oct 21, 2018 20Objects

Previous 20Objects interviews with Paul Schreiber below.

"Note: This is a heavily-edited version of our discussion. If you want to hear (most of) the whole discussion, which lasts about 1:30, you can download it here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/artmusictec...)

For the 250th episode, I decided to go back to the interview that helped put this podcast on the map. Episode 13 featured Paul Schreiber, and we discussed everything from the kickoff of his business to the importance of Eurorack. The interview took of (thanks to Synthtopia's coverage and social media), and the podcast was off and running.

In this chat, we get into his latest devices, which are much more ambitious undertakings. We also learn about his experiences with Kickstarter, his upcoming book project, and get his read on the world of gaming. There's no end of fun when talking with Paul; you'll hear me howling with laughter in the background."

Podcast 013: Paul Schreiber

Published on Dec 6, 2017 20Objects

"Paul Schreiber has seen it all, from building his own Heathkit gear, to designing automotive stereo systems, to designing cell phones to creating modular synthesizer systems. I was, of course, mostly interested in the latter, but I was also interested in how modular systems were informed by his earlier experiences. In this interview, Paul shares how he learned electronics, how he designed the MOTM modular system, and also shares his advice for anyone interested in digging into it themselves.

This is the first in a series of interviews informed by the forum citizens over at muffwiggler.com. Don't let the name freak you out; I'm sure it started out as some sort of inside joke, but it really is the main meeting place for all things modular."

Podcast 072: Paul Schreiber Revisited

Published on Dec 6, 2017 20Objects

"If you would give me an hour and ask me how I'd want to spend it, talking with Paul Schreiber would be at the top of my request list. I appreciate his sense of humor, his strong feelings about thing, and his willingness to share openly about any subject that might come to mind. I also appreciate that, by having been a 'hobby' synth maker, he has always been able to stay at arm's length from the grittier side of the industry.


Some of this podcast covers similar ground to my first discussion with him (podcast 13), but as is the case with Paul, each discussion about something reveals new information. And Paul is a treasure trove of information, having been there at the crusty beginnings of the new modular revolution."