The Foundation Announces the First Publicly-Accessible ARP 2500 in the USA
STONE RIDGE, NY, November 28, 2023: Thanks to a generous donation by former ARP employee Bruce McLendon, the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is welcoming a 2508 Wing Cabinet into its collection of legendary ARP synthesizers.
This 2508 cabinet was assembled as a complete self-contained 2500 synthesizer featuring original oscillator, filter, sequencer, envelope and mix-sequencer modules, all linked by the flexible 2500 patch matrix system. It also contains a new oscillator module designed and built for the Foundation by Phil Cirocco of CMS (Discrete Music Systems).
The ARP Foundation is launching an IndieGogo campaign to raise funds to complete the restoration of what will become the only publicly-accessible ARP 2500 synthesizer in the USA, and to bolster its ARPs For All Program in preparation for the 2500’s arrival.
The ARP Archives & The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Its mission is to celebrate the legacy of inventor, musician, entrepreneur and engineer Alan R. Pearlman, by making his innovative inventions publicly accessible, and by inspiring future generations to imagine and create.
Alan R. Pearlman was a pioneer in the electronic music world, and the founder of ARP Synthesizers, a leading synthesizer manufacturer in the 1970s. The Foundation is dedicated to preserving his legacy, and is committed to creating opportunities for emerging artists, sound designers and electronic music entrepreneurs.
Among their missions is enabling artists and designers to use rare, vintage ARP synthesizers, as well as recording and production equipment - which they’ve successfully accomplished with the ARPs For All Program in cooperation with their partners at The Record Co. in Boston, MA
Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in. New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process. If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com. This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!
"Dave Wilson, of the New England Synthesizer Museum has just passed away.
Dave was our inspiration for starting the Synthmuseum.com web site some 15 years ago.
So many of us in the electronic music field have made a trip up to see him in Nashua and his amazing collection. He is one of us and will be fondly remembered and missed.
"David Hillel Wilson, 49, passed away Friday, August 27th, 2010, in his Nashua home. Dave was born in Bronx, NY, on December 12, 1960, and grew up in Fairfield, CT. He was curator and founder of the New England Synthesizer Museum in Nashua. Dave is survived by his parents, Jay & Vivian Wilson, and his 3 siblings, Rebecca, Ruth and Daniel. A graveside service is planned for August 30th at 1 p.m. at the Agudas Achim cemetery on Reid Street in Fairfield, CT."
I was fortunate enough to visit Dave at the museum and communicated with him off and on via email. You can see all posts featuring Dave and the museum here [update: Blogger search appears to be broken; use the Google search box on the right]. He was extremely kind and gracious. Some might consider him a bit eccentric, but how could he not be. He lived literally surrounded by synths. For what it's worth I consider myself a bit eccentric and most of the people I appreciate in life are as well. The one thing that stood out for me overall though, was that he was just plain nice. It's something I value more than anything else in people I meet. The ability to just be nice to others. He was just one of those guys you liked knowing was out there doing his thing.
He loved synths as much if not more than anyone I've met and he loved ALL synths, not just the rare and the analog. I'll never forget him wailing the Star Wars theme and Emmerson's Lucky Man for me on the Yamaha DX7 with the Rhodes Chroma Polaris by it's side. I remember wondering why he chose those two out of everything else he had in the museum to play for me. I knew many of the pieces needed work, but he genuinely appreciated the DX7 and the Polaris for what they were. He told me a little about the two and the significance of the DX7. Of course he showed me all of the other synths in the museum including the very first ARP 2500 featured here.
He'd often pop up on the AH list with interesting bits of info. He always promptly replied to my inquiries via email. He was just a very kind, giving, and gentle soul. I remember asking him if he ever worried about people stealing from the museum. He told me a story about some kid trying to walk out with an SEM under his jacket. Dave didn't seem angry in telling me the story. It was just something to be aware of. I remember leaving the museum, dropping somewhere for a quick bite to eat and then popping back on the freeway back to Connecticut with my wife. Right as I was heading off a ramp to another freeway, I see a purple PT Cruiser with a SYNTHE license plate driving by. It was Dave! I remember thinking how cool is that! He didn't see me and he continued on while I went on the other freeway. I was hoping to visit him again some day. That unfortunately will never happen. 49 is way too young. Although I did not know him well, I will miss him very, very much. Dave, wherever you are, may the synths be with you. Today's posts are for you.
David Camlin
"The late David Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum, discusses his collection of analogue synthesizers."video from October 2007
Note: This post went up at 10:50 AM. I post stamped it at 11:59 PM so it stays on top all day. As this literally was the first thing I woke to, I will put new posts up today below this one.
Update via BexElttil in the comments: "Hi, Dave's sister Beckie here..
I would like to shed some light on how Dave died. He was in and out of the hospital since May 20th, they finally diagnosed him with amyloid AL. Basically, and extra protein attaches and grows to internal organs, there was no cure. We, the family did think he was going to beat it with chemo, God had other plans. He ultimately died of a heart attack on Friday afternoon. I guess they needed a really good synth engineer in heaven, and called for the best.
If not for his friend checking on him daily and more than once a day, he might have been left there for days instead of hours.
The museum does have a board, and my other brother Dan will be contacting them regarding what to do with the machines.
Thank you, everyone for your kind words. I am awed by how many have known, loved, and respected Dave. I too, even as his sister, never had the chance to visit the museum.
Blessings to you all.
Beckie (Wilson) Basehore"
Update via RuthsHere in the comments: "Hi there, (the OTHER sister chimes in.)
I hope you are all well. David was a pack rat(a family trait). It was a bit "sanford and son" over there. He knew what was important to him. Lack of funding kept the place in a little bit of a shambles. It's just how it was. Things could have been different, but that's not important anymore.
I am assisting Dan with organizing his material possessions. I had been in the "trenches" before and cleaned there a few times. I had ideas for his museum, but he really just wanted to do it his way.
Nothing is new to me when it comes to David except how much of an impact he has made on the world. I doubt he can ever be replaced, but I hope someone is able to finish repairs he started on some of the machines.
Thanks for everyone for their support and admiration. It's been a very pleasant surprise for his family.
BTW, if you know of other synth license plates, feel free to comment. Dave Wilson of the New England Synthesizer Museum has one with SYNTHE. You can see it in this post sitting on top of the ARP 2500. And then there's Mike Walters' POLYMOOG plates.
"The late David Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum, discusses his collection of analogue synthesizers."
"In the quiet town of Nashua, New Hampshire lies the New England Synthesizer Museum. Curator Dave Wilson collects and repairs sythesizers and has worked various duties including proofreading and development for some of the world's most renowned synth makers. The museum is open to the public, contact him at www.synthmuseum.com/nesm for appointments. Synth donations are accepted."
Brainwashed.com: The Eye - New England Synth Museum
Note the first ARP 2500 previously posted here.
You are looking at the first ARP 2500. It's home is at the New England Synthesizer Museum in Nashua, New Hampshire. I was fortunate enough to actually see it in person a couple of years ago. It was an amazing experience, standing in front of it, realizing what it is. I took a few shots including this one. Title link will take you to them including a much larger version of this one. Also note the SYNTHE license plate on top. : )
What is just as amazing is how Dave Hillel Wilson, the curator of the museum, acquired it. There are amazing deals and then there is this... But don't feel to bad, as you will see, somehow karma has a way of balancing things, but somehow I think Dave still came out ahead. : )
"Many years ago a man tried to sell an ARP 2500 to Daddy's Junky Music in Nashua, New Hampshire. They didn't want it, so they referred him to me. I looked at it and was afraid to offer too little; I offered $500 US. He was expecting to get $50 for it, so he was so happy he threw in his gray meanie 2600 as well. Later Alan R. Pearlman confirmed that this 2500 was the first ever made.
Best purchase I didn't make - I looked at a Buchla Music Easel (before I knew much, but after I thought I new everything) and said it wasn't as good as an ARP Axxe. The guy offered it to me for $400 US dollars and I said no. Boy have I made some stupid mistakes in my lifetime!! (Some guy bought it for 400, turned right around and sold it to a dealer for $1200, who sold it to someone in Europe for $2400, so it's long gone)."
- David Hillel Wilson Curator New England Synthesizer Museum _DWilSynth[]aol.com _www.synthmuseum.com/nesm
Update: a few more pics below. Note David Hillel Wilson passed away in 2010.
Title link takes you to an interview of Dave Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum. I was fortunate enough to visit the museum a couple of years ago. It was a jaw dropping experience seeing so many classics in one location. Dave was a great host. There is also some sample audio of Dave after the hop. And to be clear, I didn't do this interview. I just visited the museum a couple of years ago.
The first ARP 2500 (I took this shot when I was there)
