Modular Synths - Benge interview at MemeTune Studios

Published on Feb 25, 2013 FutureMusicMagazine·238 videos

"We interview the man of many modules about his studio and amazing synth collection. See a very special studio in North London and one of the finest collections of synths in the world. Home to producer and musician Benge, MemeTune Studios is wall-to-wall synth magic, featuring some of the rarest and most impressive synths ever made."

via It's Full of Stars

Update: MATRIXYSNTH magnet on the top left at 9:35. ;)
Thanks goes to James Husted of Synthwerks for spotting it. I was too busy looking at the synths! :)

Update 2:

Modular Synths - Benge takes Future Music on a tour of his collection

Published on Feb 28, 2013

"Benge shows us his Buchla 200e, Moog 3C, Serge Modular, ARP 2500, EMS VCS3 and Formant modular synthesizers at his amazing Memetune Studios in London, UK"

Modular Synths - Benge explains creating a sequence on a modular syntheziser

Published on Feb 28, 2013
Pause at 8:22 and see if you can find MATRIXSYNTH. :)

"Watch as Benge creates modular magic using his amazing stash of vintage and rare, modular synthesizers."

This one in via Lance P.

Harmuna by Benge - All Buchla Release

"Harmuna - Exploring the Inner Reaches

Harmuna is intended as a companion piece to the previous work by Benge entitled Abstraxa. The five compositions featured on Harmuna were similarly realised on the Buchla modular synthesiser. For more information on the specific system and modules used please refer to the notes accompanying Abstraxa which can be found here: zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/album/abstraxa [posted here]

If Abstraxa was an exploration of the distant reaches of the sound universe, Harmuna is a journey in the opposite direction, inverting the mind’s eye and exploring the infinite space within

The Synthesiser was set up in such a way that harmonious tone-waves were layered upon themselves and rhythmic patterns built up to form the various pieces. The resulting tone poems can be experienced in various ways, for example as meditative deep-listening (i.e. with headphones) or in the background to serve as an ambient aural setting

Track Listing:
1 - Pathway (4.59)
2 - Gyrus (6.20)
3 - Cortex (7.07)
4 - Globus (5.07)
5 - Nuclei (6.48)
Total Duration (30.18)
credits
released 05 May 2012
Recorded at Benge Studios, London, April 2012
All Music and Design by Benge (c)2012 Ben Edwards (Benge)
All Rights Reserved
Cover picture adapted from Cyclotron Scan of a human brain, 1976 EMI Medical www.bengestudios.com
www.expandingrecords.com
Released 29th April 2012 "

TMP-03 Vintage Synth TV Series from Benge

video upload by zack dagoba

Additional Vintage Synth TV episodes by Benge

"The Memetune Programme Episode 03

00:00 Opening Titles
00:35 Introduction
01:31 Switched On - Polysynths Part Two
19:38 Synthesiser Club - Roland SH101, VCS3, 100M and Moog Modular
22:03 Commercial Break
23:42 Patching Today - ARP2500
38:43 Video Lab - Video Feedback
41:45 Outro/Coming Up Next Time


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Third episode in the new six part series of programmes from Benge made at his Memetune Electronic Music Studio

The series explores his passion for vintage synthesiser instruments and studio gear and how he uses it on his productions and collaborations

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It is divided into the following sections:

SWITCHED ON - Featuring in-depth discussions about the history and development of the synthesiser over the years, including demonstrations and feature guides of many classic and iconic instruments

SYNTHESISER CLUB - A short musical demonstration of a synthesiser classic or three

PATCHING TODAY - A deep-dive into vintage modular systems and how to set up a patch on them, starting from scratch

VIDEO LAB - A look at old video equipment and how to create experimental visuals

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In THIS episode:

SWITCHED ON POLYSYNTHS (PART TWO) - Continuing the history of Polysynths, from paraphonic instruments (EMS Polysynthi) through hybrid Polys (Polymoog, Korg PS3100) to polyphonic classics of the 70s and into the 80s (Yamaha CS80, ARP/Rhodes Chroma, Sequential T8, Roland Jupiter 6)

SYNTHESISER CLUB - Roland Sh101 sequencing the EMS VCS3, Roland 100M and Moog Modular 3C

PATCHING TODAY - on a vintage ARP 2500

VIDEO LAB - Self-generating abstract images using simple video feedback

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Referenced in this episode:

Twenty Systems album by Benge
https://open.spotify.com/album/28u6Te...

Fader album: https://townsendmusic.store/products/...

The Dreamer by BENGE"

TMP-2-06 Vintage Synth TV Series from Benge

video upload by Memetune Studio

00:00 Opening Titles
00:31 Introduction
01:20 Little Black Boxes
04:37 Switched On Cybersynths
17:46 Synthesiser Club
21:23 Commercial Break
23:05 Patching Today
37:53 Video Lab
40:26 Outro

"Episode six of the second series of the TV program from Benge, made at his Memetune Electronic Music Studio, and the final episode of the season

The series explores his passion for vintage synthesiser instruments and studio gear and how he uses it on his productions and collaborations

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It is divided into the following sections:

LITTLE BLACK BOXES - A look at some classic rack mount synths of the 80s and 90s

SWITCHED ON - This second series looks at a type of synthesis based around the ideas of Cybernetics, which Benge calls CYBERSYNTHESIS

SYNTHESISER CLUB - A short musical demonstration of a synthesiser classic or three

COMMERCIAL BREAK - Some shameless Memetune shilling

PATCHING TODAY - A deep-dive into vintage modular systems and how to set up a patch on them, starting from scratch

VIDEO LAB - A look at old video equipment and how to create experimental visuals

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In THIS episode:

LITTLE BLACK BOXES - The Kawai k1m was a small desktop version of the K1 layer synth, introduced in 1988. Today I sequence it from an Atari ST running C-Lab Notator

SWITCHED ON CYBERSYNTHS - Patching it all together: after a brief section on quantising both pitch and time, I attempt to patch together all of the Memetune modulars (12 vintage systems!) in a giant Cybersynthesis monster patch

SYNTHESISER CLUB - Today, its more Yamahas, including a QX1 sequencer, RX5 drum machine, TQ5 FM synth module, REX50 multi FX, SY85 layer synth and a MT1X 4-multi-track cassette recorder

COMMERCIAL BREAK - Some adverts for Memetune related goodies, including the new Memetune Annual 2024 (sort of😁)

PATCHING TODAY - Taking the wonky Roland System 100 for a ride

VIDEO LAB - In this episode we take the meme-mobile for a spin!


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

LINKS:

Benge's Studio Blog: http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com

Memetune Studio Instagram: @memetunestudio

Benge & Memetune Merch on Bandcamp: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com"

SOUNDMIT 2020 - LIVE STREAMING - DAY 1

SOUNDMIT

Check this post for updates throughout the day.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Chimeror by Benge on Vintage Buchla 700

Published on Jun 16, 2013 zack dagoba·231 videos
http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com

Update: some updates in grey below.

"In December 2012 I was visiting a friend in Vancouver, BC and he showed me his working example of the legendary Buchla 700 analog / digital hybrid synthesiser. This highly advanced synthesiser was developed and produced in the late 1980s by Californian electronic instrument pioneer Don Buchla, using proprietory hardware and software components. About 12 of these machines were ever produced, and there are possibly only 4 working examples left in existance. My friend showed me some of its sound producing capabilities and then left me to explore for myself. Presented here are the results of the hour or so that I had alone with this machine

Donald Buchla began makng electronic musical instruments in 1963 with his 100 series modules appearing in 1965, which introduced the concept of analog voltage control to musical instruments (bode did it in 1959 and moog in 1964 - Moog started work with Herb Deutsch  on the first Moog modular systems in 1963). He then produced the 200 series modules in the early 1970s and continued developing systems and modules of greater complexity utilising digital control and eventually microprocessor control, culminating in the 700 system in the late 1980s. More recently Buchla introduced the 200e modules which he continues to develop

The five compositions were recorded directly to computer using overdubbing in places. No additional processing was applied. See below for a full overview of the Buchla 700 system


Track Listing:
1 - Chime One (5.06)
2 - Chime Two (4.56)
3 - Chime Three (3.06)
4 - Chime Four (2.26)
5 - Chime Five (11.24)
Total Duration (27.02)
credits
released 15 June 2013
Recorded in Vancouver, BC, December 2012
Special thanks to R.Smith for the use of his Buchla700
All Music and Design by Benge (c)2012 Ben Edwards (Benge)
All Rights Reserved

www.memetune.net
www.expandingrecords.com
www.buchla.com
myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com"

BENGE LOOP SERIES ONE: BUCHLA 100

"BENGE LOOP SERIES ONE: BUCHLA 100

A series of albums recorded on a single electronic music synthesiser (or group of related instruments incorporated into a system) utilising a method of composing and recording called Looping

Looping is achieved using a technique whereby sounds are recorded either digitally or to tape which is set to loop around upon itself at various fixed lengths of time, ranging from a few seconds up to several minutes depending on the compositional effect required for each individual piece of music

There are many variables within this framework which determine the nature of the composition such as: LOOP DURATION; NUMBER OF CHANNELS; STEREO POSITIONING; LOOP FEEDBACK, etc. Thus, the ‘rules’ of each musical piece can be set up in advance allowing the composition to flow naturally from any given starting point

On this first record the sound source is a Buchla 100 modular analog synthesiser dating from the 1960s. This instrument in itself allows for extremely complex multi-dimentional events to be set up, including elements relating to pitch, timbre, time, duration, rhythm, harmony, reverberation, stereo location and the like. Furthermore it can be manipulated very easily in real time, using the various potentiometers and touch plates. The looping techniques used here included multitrack digital recording (Electro Harmonix 2880), monophonic tape loops (Roland RE501) and various combinations of the two

credits
released 11 February 2014
(c) 2014 Benge / Memetune Studios, London
expandingrecords.com
memetune.net"

New Distortions - an EMS Sound Study

video upload by zack dagoba

BENGE
FORMS 14
"New Distortions"

Available NOW on Benge's Bandcamp page: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/album...

This sound study was created on electronic instruments made by British synthesiser manufacturer EMS. The specific items used were as follows:

Polysynthi
VCS3 Mk1
Dual Synthi AKS (known as The Crystal Machine)
TKS Sequencer
8-Octave Filter Bank
Pitch To Voltage Converter
Random Signal Generator
Dual High Pass Filter

Note that the Polysynthi has an analogue delay unit which can be accessed via an external input

No other instruments or sound processors were used in this composition

The video was created by Benge at the Memetune VideoLab. The following equipment was used:

Panasonic WJ-MX50 (x 2)
Grass Valley Indigo Video Switcher
Sony DSR DR1000 DVCAM HD Recorder
Sony DSR500 Video Camera
Davinci Resolve

Written and recorded by Benge (BD Edwards) at Memetune Studios, UK


(c)+(p) 2023 MemeSongs

Forms - Series One - 100% Buchla 100 Release by Benge

AN EXPLORATION OF THE BUCHLA 100 ELECTRONIC MODULAR SYNTHESISER

All Tracks created at Meme Tune Studios, London, UK utilising the Buchla 100 modular synthesiser. No additional processors were used in this recording. It should be noted that the Buchla 100 features its own sequencer module and this was used to produce the repeating rhythms in the music on this record and also the melodic and harmonic content. On the first track the voltage controlled touch plates (model 112) were used to produce some of the more performance-orientated sounds on the record. On most tracks the patches were set up and left to run by themselves, with minor human intervention other than adjusting the various potentiometers. The Buchla 100 system is very adept at producing self-perpetuating sounds and it is this aspect of it that is explored here
credits
released 04 September 2013
All music by Benge (B.D.Edwards). Recorded at Meme Tune Studios, London, U.K. (c)2013 Expaning Records. All rights reserved

All sounds and compositions created on the Buchla 100 Modular Electronic Music System containing the following modules: 102 Dual Stereo Locator; 106 Six Channel Mixer; 110 Dual Voltage Controlled Gate; 111 Dual Ring Modulator; 112 Touch-Controlled Voltage Source; 130 Dual Envelope Detector; 140 Timing Pulse Generator; 144 Dual Square Wave Oscillator; 156 Dual Control Voltage Processor (x 3); 158 Dual Sine-Sawtooth Oscillator (x 2); 160 White Noise Generator; 165 Dual Random Voltage Source; 175 Dual EQ / Line Driver; 180 Dual Attack Generator (x 2); 185 Frequency Shifter; 190 Dual Reverberation Unit; 191 Sharp Cutoff Filter; 194 Band Pass Filter; 2 x 100 Cabinets

TRACKLISTING:

01 Milek (3.55)
02 Vilbae (3.34)
03 Leraf (2.42)
04 Budec (2.55)
05 Maher (3.28)
06 Murke (3.36)
07 Groud (4.41)
08 Solfe (3.09)
09 Loar (3.30)
10 Termer (2.47)
11 Gelin (3.23)
12 Coren (4.32)

Total Running Time: 42.32

via Benge of It's Full of Stars

CLICK FOR MORE »

Analogue #03: Benge

Published on Aug 4, 2016 The Vinyl Factory

Oberheim Four Voice System & EMS POLYSYNTHI featured.

"The third episode in our short film series Analogue, a profile of the musicians whose love affair with analogue sound has come to define the way they work.

Click here for more info: http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-...

Find out more about Benge's Meme Tune studio here: https://memetune.net/"

More Benge on MATRIXSYNTH here and as Zack Dagoba here. You can find Benge's blog at http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com.

Benge - Rebisus - All Buchla & EMS VCS3 Album Release

Rebisus - the inner pulse

"Presented here are five new pieces of music exploring the relationship between an electronic system of some complexity (details below) and simple pulse based compositions. The various instruments were set up in such a way as to be considered one large interactive system and the individual pieces were thereby 'grown' or allowed to form naturally

The system comprised the following elements:

Analog sound sources including oscillators and white noise generators; voltage controllers and processors including step sequencers, clock dividers, and potentiometers; audio processors including amplifiers, reverberation units, tape delay and keyed analog compression

The various triggers and gates were used to set off reactions that, for example, would send an audio signal to a reverberation unit being modulated by a separate but rhythmically connected pulse which would in turn be fed into an analog compressor being modulated by a different pulse thereby creating multi-layered rhythms and polyrhythms. The idea was to set up as complex a patch as possible whilst maintaining the simple ryhthmic identity of the pieces

Equipment used:
Buchla 100 / 200e hybrid modular synthesiser
EMS VCS3 modular synthesiser
Roland R880 Digital Reverberator
MXR 01 Digital Reverb
Watkins Copycat valve echo
Tascam 112R casette recorder
MXR Dual Limiter
Alesis 3060 compressor
DBX 119 compressor
Avalon VT747 Compressor / EQ
Langavin passive EQ
Yamha RM16 console
credits
released 27 December 2012
All Music and Design by Benge (c)2012 Ben Edwards (Benge)
All Rights Reserved

www.expandingrecords.com
www.memetune.net
myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.co.uk"

Field Effect Studies by Benge

"The music contained on this album was created using a Moog Modular 3C synthesiser, one of the very few original systems made in 1967. In addition some sounds were originated on a 1975 Moog Polymoog keyboard and then passed through the modular system for further treatment. No other sounds were used on this record, however on occasion a short delay of around 500 milliseconds was applied to one or other side of the stereo signal to provide a spacial dimension to the recording

Several of the pieces made use of the Sequential Controllers, which are modern clones of the Moog design, and, along with the various Sequential Switches and Sequencer Interfaces, can be set up to create some very complex melodic patterns. These can be heard to good effect on the second track “Sequoia”

The Title of the album makes reference to field effects, but I have left it deliberately ambiguous as to which kind of fields are being referred to
credits
released November 15, 2019

Written, recorded and designed by Benge (Ben Edwards)
at Memetune Studios, UK

A Forms Series recording
c+p 2019 Memesongs"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Benge Releases All EMS Polysynthi Album - Forms 3

"One of the interesting things about creating an album using just one synthesiser is that it puts you in the 'sonic era' of the machine that you are working with. So for this reason I decided to create these tracks with this idea in mind, resulting hopefully in a sound reminiscent of the musical cues found on certain late 1970s soundtrack or library albums. Therefore when listening to this record it would not be inappropriate to try and imagine yourself immersed in a progressive Television Play such as would have been broadcast on on a sunday evening in 1978

This record was made using the EMS Polysynthi electronic polyphonic synthesiser. All sounds were created and played on this single machine, and then recorded directly to multi-track tape in overlaying passes. The only exception to this was the minor addition of monophonic spring reverberation via the EMS VCS3 and some occasional band-pass filtering courtesy of the EMS 8-octave filter bank
credits
released 16 December 2013
Music created on the EMS Polysynthi
Recorded at Memetune Studios, London, UK
© December 2013 Benge / Expanding Records
All Rights Reserved
expandingrecords.com
memetune.net"

via Benge's It's Full of Stars

SOUNDMIT 2021 - BENGE - Live - #soundmitlive #modulisme

video upload by SOUNDMIT

Benge aka zack dagoba

"Grazie alla collaborazione con #Modulisme e Philippe Petit, anche quest'anno i live del #Soundmit si sono arricchiti di nomi internazionali. È tornato a trovarci BENGE con il suo gigantesco sistema #buchla per un live esclusivo al Soundmit 2021.

--
Thanks to the collaboration with #Modulisme and Philippe Petit, also this year the #Soundmit live shows have been enriched with international names. BENGE returned to visit us with his gigantic #buchla system for an exclusive live at Soundmit 2021."

Shapes In Space - Vintage Buchla 100 Album by Benge

Published on Mar 22, 2016 zack dagoba

"A video to accompany the album "Forms 5 - Shapes In Space" by Benge

Album available here: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/album...

See http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.... for more info"

"This album was made using a Buchla 100 modular synthesiser system from the 1960s

No other sound sources were used, or any external processing. The pieces were built up by layering different tracks upon each other, a technique known as 'sound on sound' recording

I deliberately wanted to avoid using regular harmonic, melodic and rhythmic elements on this record, preferring to let the Buchla speak its own very particular language
credits
released February 15, 2016

Track 1 - Bifrustum - 10.56
Track 2 - Nonagon - 8.37
Track 3 - Anitiprism - 15.19
Total running time: 35.52

Recorded by Benge at
Memetune Studios, UK
All music, images and design
(c) 2016 BDEdwards / Memetune Recordings
www.memetune.net
www.expandingrecords.com"

Benge's Twenty Systems Re-Released

via Benge's It's Full of Stars

"My 2008 album Twenty Systems has been reissued at last! So if you have been looking for it out there in the shops or online since it sold out a few years ago - well you can get it here (if you are in USA you can pre-order it here). The release is exactly the same as the original with the exception of a few minor tweaks that niggled me about the original (but the content and audio are identical). Thanks to Steve Malins, Darren at Cargo, and Paul Agar for helping to make it happen this time round!"

This is a great release and comes with a booklet filled with synth pics as you can see from some of the shots below.  Click here for a pic of the book.  Each track features only one synth.  You'll find a link to an interview with Benge on the initial release with some additional notes here.   The release transverses synths over time starting with the 1968 Moog modular and ending with 1987's Kawai K5.  This release is HIGHLY recommended for the music, the pics and audio showcasing individual synths.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Quantised Crystals by Benge

Published on Apr 30, 2020 zack dagoba

"Check out the new Benge album QUANTISED TONES, featuring ONLY the Yamaha DX7 (and TX816) FM synthesiser. Search 'benge bandcamp' for the new album"

benge blights lrg

YouTube Published on Jul 7, 2012 by zackdagoba

"live buchla track by benge. see http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.co.uk/ for more"

Benge will be featured in the upcoming I Dream of Wires documentary.

Memetune Annual Promo 2

video upload by zack dagoba

"The Memetune Annual 2023 is a new hardback A4 book based on Benge's recent six-part TV series [you can find them here]

The book includes two CDs of music taken from the programmes - disc one features all the synthesiser demos from the TV shows, disc two contains the theme tunes, idents and background music

The Annual will be released on February 3rd 2023 and will be available from Benge's Bandcamp site: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/merch

The music in this video: Vidlab CS80 by BENGE, from the album The Memetune Programme Album, digital version available to preorder here: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com/album..."

You can find all memetune posts here.

Instrument Designer: Rare Buchla 700 Synth Coming to Software on Mac, Windows & iOS

via modosc designs

"a modern interpretation of the buchla 700, coming soon for mac, windows, and ios."


If you are not familiar with the Buchla 700, check out Chimeror by Benge on Vintage Buchla 700. According to that post, only about 12 of these machines were ever produced, and there are possibly only 4 working examples left in existence.

Update: Some additional info via modosc designs:

On the developer: "Jonathan Schatz has spent his life pursuing dual passions of music and computing, occasionally simultaneously. One of these convergences led to working with Don Buchla on the 200e system for several years. The latest such convergence is Modosc Designs."

FAQ:

"What is Instrument Designer?
Instrument Designer is a software synthesizer inspired by the Buchla 700.

Ok, what is the Buchla 700?
The Buchla 700 is a 12 voice 4 operator FM synth released in 1987 and designed by Don Buchla. There are several main ways the 700 differentiates itself from the other FM synths common in the industry at that time:

Each algorithm outputs through two independant waveshapers. This allows a single instrument defintion to output two different audio signals without requiring a separate stacked voice. This also increases the sonic palette by allowing a user to easily create non-sinusoid waveforms.

The waveshapers are cousins to the ones use in the Buchla Touche, Buchla 400 and the Buchla 259e. They are quite unique and use some interesting waveshaping techniques.

Each voice has 13 complex envelopes which control almost every aspect of the sound algorithm. The envelopes have a unique exponential display, are programmable with an arbitrary number of breakpoints, and include programmable features such as looping.

Programming was simplified with the help of a graphical user interface and an external monitor.

What does it sound like?

There weren't a lot of these produced so there's not that much out there, but what is out there is quite interesting:

Charles Cohen — Generator
Benge — Chimeror
Ode To Gravity — this is from the release party for the 700 and includes interviews with Don
So what happened to it?
The instrument never became very popular and today is one of the rarer of Don Buchla's instruments (which says a lot). The software itself was never finished, and the video card which connected up the external display was unreliable and eventually end-of-lifed by Intel. Probably 15-20 of these were made - I personally know of 3, of which only 1 currently works.

Why hasn't anyone made a reissue?
Good question. The design is quite complicated and includes 4 separate computers as well as a large membrane input surface. It would certainly be possible to build but it wouldn't be a cheap endevor, and unlike other recent reissues it probably wouldn't be a big seller - it's likely the most difficult instrument of Don's to use.

So why are you bothering?
I love the sound of Don's wavetable synths (specifically the 259e) and I've spent a lot of time implementing and reimplenting various related algorithms. I had the opportunity to play around with a 700 a few years back and the idea was hatched there.

Are you using the original source code?
No. This entire project was implemented using a scan of the original 700 manual as the spec (which was the usual Don way of doing things). You can view the original source code here, which is interesting because it seemingly contains code used for a NASA project as well:

Set ON_B700 non-zero to get a Buchla 700 PROM, or zero to get a NASA 3D Helmet Display PROM.

That source dump from Lynx Crowe is unfortunately incomplete but there is a project that's managed to get it to boot. Unfortunately the source code only includes some of the controller code and none of the DSP code so currently there's no sound generation.

Where can I learn more about the Buchla 700?
The Buchla 700 Preservation Page
Notes on the Buchla 700 audio synthesizer
Buchla 700 archeology
Buchla 700
Chimeror by Benge
The Buchla 700 Emulation Project
Alessandro Cortini of Nine Inch Nails playing a Buchla 700 in Twin Peaks — I don't know if the sound is actually 700 or not but who cares?"