MATRIXSYNTH: Search results for Bright Sparks


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Showing posts sorted by date for query Bright Sparks. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Ableton Live Presets: Atmospheric Vintage Pads, Keys, Arps


video upload by Anton Anru

"Ableton Live - Memories On Tape is a collection of 50 presets that includes: 8 Arps, 7 Keys, 9 Pads, 5 Rhythmical, 7 Strings, 7 Synths, 7 Textures.
The bank of presets is dedicated to romantic, melancholic, nostalgic, retro/vintage, lo-fi sound. It features various colors: warm and cold, noisy and detuned, soft and punchy, dark and bright, clean and distorted, deep and airy.

🧿 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/able...

🎹 The presets are presented in the Instrument Rack format, which combines synths and effects in a single device. Each Instrument Rack has 8 Macros that make it easy to develop timbre and adjust key parameters.

🎛 The macros are a significant part of the soundset. They can change tone, stereo width, modulation depth and rate, noise level, distortion, detuning, space/echo/reverb, effects mix, envelope parameters, and others.
You may control them via MIDI controller like Push, use them for automation, or map the macros to Ableton modulators like LFO, Shaper, and others.

For the soundset, I utilized only Ableton Suite's built-in instruments and effects. No external installations, such as M4L devices or samples, are required.

The soundset is suitable for many genres: ambient, electronica, IDM, trip-hop, lounge, downtempo, pop, chill out, new age, cinematic, trance, deep, progressive, techno, retrowave, synthwave, breaks, jungle, drum and bass, dub and others.

Highlights:
🔹 Wide range of timbres
🔹 Thoroughly set parameters
🔹 Velocity sensitive
🔹 ModWheel adds expression
🔹 8 macros to shape the timbre during performance
🔹 Live 12 Browser Tags for a more comfortable browsing experience

🔔 The presets are compatible with Ableton Suite 11 or higher.
Please note that they are strictly for Suite version only. Standard, Lite, and Intro versions do not include the instruments used for the presets.

📦 Installation.
Put the folder "Anton Anru - Memories On Tape" into your Ableton User Library - Presets - Instruments - Instrument Rack. Just drag and drop the folder from your OS browser into Live browser.
Contains two versions: Live 11 and Live 12 (with Browser Tags).

Tuesday, November 07, 2023

Roland Announces FANTOM EX Upgrade

video uploads by RolandChannel

"Major Upgrade Package for the Flagship FANTOM Synthesizers Adds ACB Modeling, New V-Piano and ZEN-Core Model Expansions, and More"
Full press release further below.

Playlist:
Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade Josh Blair Interview
Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade Sound Demos
Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade Install Guide

User demo video from Gattobus:

FANTOM EX - ACB JUPITER-8 Tone Programming Experience

video upload by gattobus

"In this video I wanted to make you feel the Analog Circuit Behavior of the JP-8 on the new FANTOM-EX update. A hands on programming experience starting from scratch!

WARNING:
Mind your volume levels, there are some serious filter sweeping frequencies that may caught you unprepared!!! :D

Enjoy!"

Press release follows:



"Major Upgrade Package for the Flagship FANTOM Synthesizers Adds ACB Modeling, New V-Piano and ZEN-Core Model Expansions, and More

Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 7, 2023 — Roland announces the FANTOM EX Upgrade, a powerful new system expansion for the company’s FANTOM 6, 7, and 8 synthesizer models. Bounding with exciting new features and workflow enhancements, the user-installable FANTOM EX Upgrade supercharges Roland’s premier synthesizer series with even more creative firepower. The most significant update in FANTOM’s history expands and enriches the core platform with powerful Analog Circuit Behavior technology, two new grand pianos, JD-800 and n/zyme Model Expansions, studio-grade reverb effects, and more. Available for purchase on Roland Cloud, this value-packed upgrade is a must-have for current and future FANTOM owners.

Introduced in 2019, FANTOM was designed as an evolving creative hub that continually grows through sound expansion, software integration, and user-requested features. The FANTOM EX Upgrade integrates a host of sound engine and system enhancements, launching the FANTOM platform far beyond the impressive capabilities of previous versions. In development for many months, this important upgrade embodies Roland’s ongoing dedication to its flagship synth and the worldwide FANTOM community.

JUPITER-8 and SH-101 ACB Expansions
Roland’s acclaimed Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) is the core technology behind AIRA products such as the TR-8S and SYSTEM-8, as well as the extensive Legendary series of software instruments on Roland Cloud. ACB brings an authentic analog sound experience to life in the digital realm, faithfully recreating analog circuitry and all their interactive behaviors at a deep component level.

Realized through new engineering breakthroughs, the processor-intensive ACB architecture is now available to FANTOM owners with the JUPITER-8 ACB and SH-101 ACB Expansions in the FANTOM EX Upgrade. These circuit-level recreations of influential Roland synths offer all the latest ACB advancements, including Circuit Mod and Condition functions for dialing in varying degrees of vintage character.

Two Concert-Class Acoustic Pianos
The FANTOM EX Upgrade features two deeply expressive grands primed to elevate stage and studio endeavors with Roland’s renowned piano performance. Additionally, FANTOM’s V-Piano interface has been refreshed with an attractive new graphical design.

Originally developed for the flagship RD-2000 stage piano, the German Concert V-Piano Expansion 01 is a versatile and inspiring instrument with a rich, powerful, and detailed voice. The SuperNATURAL Acoustic Piano 3 Expansion offers 15 distinctive sounds, from bright, dynamic tones for stage playing to dark, moody variations for ambient explorations.

JD-800 and n/zyme Model Expansions
The FANTOM EX Upgrade also includes two of Roland’s most recent Model Expansion titles, driven by the ZEN-Core engine for advanced sonic range and performance versatility.
Combining the original JD-800 waveforms with advanced modeling techniques, the JD-800 Model Expansion puts the gleaming tone and monster sound-shaping potential of this vintage digital icon inside FANTOM.

The n/zyme Model Expansion is a thoroughly modern instrument with an all-new synth engine developed for the FANTOM environment. Combining wavetable oscillator layers, phase and shape modulation, resonant filters, and two powerful Step LFOs, n/zyme is a highly interactive music tool that sparks endless creative explorations.

Effect and Workflow Enhancements
The FANTOM EX Upgrade further enhances the synthesizer’s smooth workflow and deep feature set. New Shimmer Reverb and Modulation Reverb algorithms instantly infuse any sound with spaciousness and intense harmonic color. FANTOM’s DAW control has been expanded with profiles for Steinberg Cubase and PreSonus Studio One. Additionally, the Master FX processor includes new preset templates for faster workflow and refreshed graphical interfaces for the Mastering Comp and Mastering EQ sections.

Availability & Pricing
The Roland FANTOM series, including the FANTOM 6, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 8, are available in the U.S. for: $3,499, $3,899, and $4,199, respectively. The Roland FANTOM EX Upgrade is now available for $199."

Thursday, October 20, 2022

The Oberheim Xpander from 1984


video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the Oberheim Xpander from 1984.

This hybrid synthesizer was designed by Marcus Ryle and Michel Doidic with input from Doug Curtis and it boasts some surprising features for the time. In this video we take a closer look.

The information for this video was garnered from the following interviews:

GForce Bright Sparks: [below]

Ken Flux Pierce Interview: [below]

GEOSynths Interview: [below]

0:00 Intro Jam
0:58 Talk 1
1:31 Demo 1: Beach Comb
2:16 Talk 2
3:09 Demo 2: Faux Seq
3:52 Talk 3
4:30 Demo 3: Eff Em
5:04 Talk 4
5:59 Demo 4: Wobble 5
6:23 Talk 5
6:51 Demo 5: Judder
7:16 Talk 6
8:34 Demo 6: ALX
9:09 Talk 7
10:34 Multi Demo 1: Zone Call
11:55 Multi Demo 2 : Fond
13:54 Talk 8
15:56 Outro Jam"

Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim

video upload by GForce Software

"After the 2015 release of our Bright Sparks Documentary & Album collaboration with I Monster, while we were elated at the critical acclaim the project received, we always felt it would have been enriched by the inclusion of one person in particular, Tom Oberheim."

See this previous post for the full description.

The SynthSummitShow ep 31 Marcus Ryle (line 6, Oberheim, Alesis)

video upload by Ken Flux Pierce Fluxwithit

Not seeing the date on this one, but clearly before Marcus joined the new Oberheim.

"Live Stream interview with Marcus Ryle co founder of Line 6 , who has worked with a wide assortment of legendary companies starting with Oberheim synthesizers, Alesis, and more."

GEOSynths Synth Show - Ep157 - Special Guest - Marcus Ryle

video upload by

"Having originally worked for Oberheim in the early 80’s and being Instrumental in the design and development of some classic Oberheim Synths, Marcus Ryle is no stranger to the world of Synthesizers and Electronic Music Equipment. He later went on to co-found “Fast-Forward Designs” who were responsible for some really ground-breaking technology with Alexis, such as ADAT Multi-Track Recorder, Quadra Synth and Effects. Marcus also co-founded Line 6, which developed a whole range of DSP Products for Guitarists, especially the POD range, which were extremely successful and graced many Stages and Studies alike.

Of course, Marcus is very accomplished Synth Player, Sound Designer and Session Musician with a Studio complete with some of the very best Classic Oberheim Synthesizers. Now, we have the honor of chatting to him about the latest Oberheim Product, taking the very best of the OB range into the fantastic OB-X8. We’ll be finding out about his history with Oberheim and others, his Music and of course the OB-X8 Project and beyond…"

Thursday, July 07, 2022

GForce Software Releases New Oberheim SEM Software Synthesizer


video uploads by GForce Software

Playlist:
1.
A short video on the Oberheim SEM history, illustrating how there is beauty in simplicity and limitations, before delving into a brief overview of the GForce/Oberheim SEM collaboration.
2. GForce Oberheim SEM demo - SEM Mountains - Music by Graeme Rawson
3. GForce Oberheim SEM demo - SEM City - Music by Graeme Rawson
4. GForce Oberheim SEM Tutorial
0:00 Getting Started
1:25 VCO 1 & 2
4:12 Filter
7:04 Modulation: Envelopes
9:33 Modulation: LFO 1
12:34 Modulation: Velocity
13:40 Modulation: Aftertouch
15:46 VCO 3: As Oscillator
17:17 VCO 3: For Modulation
21:55 Effects: Delay
24:07 Effects: Reverb
25:50 Arpeggiator
30:12 Sequencer
33:34 Keyboard Controls
34:24 Portamento
35:28 Vibrato
36:06 Tuning Controls
36:36 Volume
36:57 Undo/Redo
37:25 CC Mapping

"Oberheim" and "SEM" are registered trademarks of Tom Oberheim.
Oberheim SEM - GForce Software - Presentation

video upload by sonicstate

#soniclab #gforcesofware #oberheimsem

00:00 Intro and chat to Tom Wolfe
19:02 Nick takes a look at a few patches

Exclusive extra content (8 SEM patches) on Patreon
https://patreon.com/sonicstate"


"Today GForce Software release the Oberheim SEM in collaboration with Tom - who's 86th birthday it is today! We spoke with sound designer Tom Wolfe and Nick takes a look at some patches for this single voice SEM software instrument. Featuring the same attention to detail as the OB-E (8 Voice release) plus a few differences. Available now priced at 29.99 +VAT (UK) Introductory offer."

http://gforcesoftware.com

See the Bright Sparks interview with Tom Oberheim here.

Wednesday, July 06, 2022

Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim - Bonus Scene. Oberheim Musicians


video upload by GForce Software

"During the filming of the Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim documentary, we discussed interactions with seminal Oberheim users such as Joe Zawinul, Oscar Peterson and Lyle Mays. In this bonus footage, Tom and Marcus impart a few great stories from those halcyon days, including the real story behind Lyle's 8-Voice ending up in Tom's possession, plus Marcus' reaction to being asked to demo the Oberheim System for Oscar Peterson.

Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim full documentary: [previously posted here]

The Bright Sparks Instrumental album is available from: imonster.bandcamp.com/album/bright-sparks-instrumental"

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Tom Oberheim on GForce OB-E


video upload by GForce Software

Also see Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim

"'I was pretty amazed by OB-E, it was pretty damn close right out of the shoot. It was “wow!'. I like listening to that." Tom Oberheim.

In 2021, during the release of OB-E®, we were contacted by Marcus Ryle on behalf of Tom Oberheim. Marcus is a co-founder of Line 6® but also a former Oberheim Developer who contributed to the OB-Xa, DSX, DMX, OB-8, Xpander and Matrix 12. Via Marcus, OB-E had found its way to the ears of Tom Oberheim and they were both impressed enough to suggest a collaboration to refine the instrument and release an update carrying their full endorsement.

Working under the guidance of Tom and Marcus, we further enhanced OB-E, Refining the Detune feature and adding a new Vintage knob, which dials in more realistic musical inaccuracies in line with the original instrument for a truly authentic 8-Voice experience.

The 8-Voice is not simply eight identical SEMs put together. The interaction of those 8 independent, and slightly different Synthesizer Expander Modules, plays a major role in making the 8-Voice’s sound special and the injection of these authentic inaccuracies into each of the eight SEMs in OB-E takes it to another level.

But don't listen to us - listen to two of our heroes, and bonafide industry legends, talk about their opinion of OB-E.

Find Out More: https://gforcesoftware.com/products/ob-e

Legal Notice.
All trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners. Oberheim and SEM are registered trademarks of Tom Oberheim."

OB-E Version 2 Enhancements

video upload by GForce Software

"The latest version of OB-E is the first ever software instrument to be endorsed by synthesizer pioneer, Tom Oberheim. It is also PC compatible and both Mac & PC versions contain several enhancements developed in collaboration with Tom that make it even closer to the original. As if that's not cool enough, we've also added several new features including a comprehensive Reverb Effect and a Drum Mode. This video focusses on what's new.

00:08 - Introduction.
00:27 - Interface Resizing.
00:43 - Vintage Knob & Detune Knob.
02:11 - A=440 Tone.
02:26 - Shift = Fine Adjustment.
02:40 - Reverb Effect & Controls
05:46 - Sequencer Zoom & Scale Modes CC control
06:45 - Drum Mode.


Oberheim is a registered trademark of Tom Oberheim"

GForce Oberheim OB-E v2 on a Surface Pro 8

video upload by Molten Music Technology

"Here are some thoughts and sounds on the OB-E v2 running on a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 where it has multi-touch support." Additional GForce OB-E posts

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Bright Sparks - Tom Oberheim


video upload by GForce Software

"After the 2015 release of our Bright Sparks Documentary & Album collaboration with I Monster, while we were elated at the critical acclaim the project received, we always felt it would have been enriched by the inclusion of one person in particular, Tom Oberheim.

On the instrumental version of the Bright Sparks album, I Monster had created a bonus track, Beneath The Planet Of The Oberheim and while we'd reached out to Tom Oberheim and asked him to appear in the accompanying documentary, for various reasons it wasn't possible.

Then in Feb 2021, after the release of our OB-E 8-Voice emulation, we got the chance to talk with Tom whereupon our second question was 'Can we persuade you to be filmed for a new Bright Sparks Chapter?'

Tom agreed and while covid put our plans on hold temporarily, we carried on communicating, and in October 2021 we sat at the UK end of a zoom call while cameraman Sam Graydon filmed Tom in the comfort of his California home. Additionally, ex-Oberheim engineer (and industry icon), Marcus Ryle, joined us from his studio and imparted his experience of working at Oberheim in the 80s and how, over 30 years later, he was pivotal in Tom regaining the use of his name and logo.

The result is a new Bright Sparks chapter dedicated to Tom Oberheim. A fascinating journey through the life and career of one of the most revered synthesiser pioneers, whose work has graced the tracks of everyone from Joe Zawinul to Stevie Wonder, Lyle Mays, Jam and Lewis and countless others.

Camera - Sam Graydon.
Edit Producer - Jeff Boult.
Executive Producer - Dave Spiers for GForce Software.
Artwork - Jarrod Gosling
Animation - Luke Highet
Photos - Dave Spiers, Ian Legge, Robert Rosen, Marcus Ryle, Tom Oberheim & Sequential Circuits
Music - I Monster (Bright Sparks Instrumental). Jeff Boult. Dave Spiers.
Archive - Internet Archive. Prelinger Archives.

Huge thanks to: I Monster's Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Chris Macleod, Marcus Ryle, Jill Oberheim, Susan Wolf, Hugo Brangwyn, Graeme Rawson, Jerome Meunier, Robert Rosen, Alex Abajian, Ian Legge, Kent Spong, Les Pressure and David Gibbons.

www.oberheim.com
www.gforcesoftware.com
www.imonstermusic.com"

Bright Sparks

Saturday, June 26, 2021

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.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Alan Pearlman - Philip Dodds & Close Encounters (Bright Sparks Outtake)


video by GForce Software

"In an outtake from the Bright Sparks Documentary, ARP founder Alan R Pearlman talks about Philip Dodds and the story behind the use of the ARP 2500 on Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

Originally released in December 2015 to critical acclaim and created to compliment the I Monster album of the same name, Bright Sparks documents the human stories of eight musical instrument pioneers, - Robert Moog (Moog), Alan R Pearlman (ARP), Don Buchla, Harry Chamberlin, The Bradley Brothers (Mellotronics), Adrian Wagner (Electronic Dream Plant), Peter Zinovieff (EMS) and Ken Freeman.

'An engrossing and fascinating documentary that pays tribute to the modest but amazing innovators who changed the face of electronic music' Vince Clarke

https://www.gforcesoftware.com/blog/b... www.imonstermusic.com
Alan Pearlman Foundation: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org"

You can find additional Bright Sparks Documentary posts here.

Update: see this post for the actual order invoice for the 2500.

Monday, May 24, 2021

ARP's Dennis Colin - Ladder Filter & Hyperphase Pedal (Bright Sparks Outtake)


video by GForce Software

"An outtake from the Bright Sparks Documentary where ex-ARP engineer (and the creator of the SEM filter) Dennis Colin talks about how the Ladder Filter was the inspiration for his lauded and obscenely rare Hyperphase pedal.

Sadly, Dennis passed away just after we filmed him at his home in New Hampshire, but his legacy lives on in the ARP 2500, ARP 2600, Aries 300 and the legendary Oberheim SEM filter.

Originally released in December 2015 to critical acclaim and created to compliment the I Monster album of the same name, Bright Sparks documents the human stories of eight musical instrument pioneers, - Robert Moog (Moog), Alan R Pearlman (ARP), Don Buchla, Harry Chamberlin, The Bradley Brothers (Mellotronics), Adrian Wagner (Electronic Dream Plant), Peter Zinovieff (EMS) and Ken Freeman.

'An engrossing and fascinating documentary that pays tribute to the modest but amazing innovators who changed the face of electronic music' Vince Clarke"

You can find additional posts featuring Bright Sparks here.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Dennis Colin - Significant Events (Bright Sparks Outtake)


video by GForce Software

"A fascinating and touching outtake from the Bright Sparks Documentary where ex-ARP engineer Dennis Colin recalls two of the most significant events of his life.

Dennis was a joy to film and listen to and even though his health was poor, his mind was super sharp. Sadly Dennis passed away shortly after we recorded this at his home in New Hampshire. However, his work lives on in the ARP2600, Aries 300 Modular and the legendary Oberheim SEM filter.

Originally released in December 2015 to critical acclaim and created to compliment the I Monster album of the same name, Bright Sparks documents the human stories of eight musical instrument pioneers, - Robert Moog (Moog), Alan R Pearlman (ARP), Don Buchla, Harry Chamberlin, The Bradley Brothers (Mellotronics), Adrian Wagner (Electronic Dream Plant), Peter Zinovieff (EMS) and Ken Freeman.

'The result is a documentary that isn’t merely well informed, it’s definitive.'
Gordon Reid (Sound On Sound Magazine)

https://www.gforcesoftware.com/blog/b...
www.imonstermusic.com
Alan Pearlman Foundation: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org"

You can find additional posts featuring the Bright Sparks documentary here.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Bright Sparks Documentary - B Side


video by GForce Software

"The B Side of the critically acclaimed Bright Sparks Documentary focuses on the British electronic music pioneers, including the original Mellotron makers, Les, Norman and Frank Bradley, EMS's Peter Zinovieff, Electronic Dream Plant's Adrian Wagner & Chris Huggett, and String Ensemble inventor, Ken Freeman.

Includes contributions from I Monster's Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Peter Zinovieff, Chris Cross, Daniel Miller, John Bradley, Karl Hyde, Ken Freeman, Fred Gardner, Will Gregory, Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling"

You can find additional GForce Bright Sparks posts here.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Bright Sparks Behind The Scenes - The Brits


video by GForce Software

"GForce's Dave Spiers talks about the making of the B-Side of Bright Sparks which focusses on the British contributions including Mellotronics, EMS, Electronic Dream Plant & Freeman.
Sadly, since this was filmed, our good friend, and a truly iconic British synth designer, Chris Huggett, died."

GForce Software Bright Sparks posts

All music courtesy of I Monster's Bright Sparks album: www.imonstermusic.com

Friday, February 12, 2021

ARPchivesLIVE!!! on 2021 02 03 with Dave Spiers!


video by Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

"Join us for the first ARPchivesLIVE! of the year!! Recorded on February 3, 2021 with Dave Spiers, creator of Bright Sparks, co-creator GForce Software.

Dave shows some never-before-seen footage with Alan R. Pearlman, talks about his adventures meeting him, making Bright Sparks, naughty tour pics with Debra Harry, 80's boyband costumes and more!"

You can find additonal Bright Sparks posts here.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Bright Sparks Documentary - A Side


video by GForce Software

"The A Side of the critically acclaimed Bright Sparks documentary, created in conjunction with the I Monster album of the same name, focuses on US based electronic music pioneers, including Bob Moog, Don Buchla, Alan R Pearlman and Harry Chamberlin.

Includes contributions from Herb Deutsch, Michelle Moog-Koussa, I Monster's Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Adrian Utley, Daniel Miller, Billy Currie, Karl Hyde, Alessandro Cortini, Will Gregory, Dennis P Colin, Alan Pearlman."

You can find additional GForce Bright Sparks posts here.

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

Bright Sparks Behind The Scenes - Introduction, Moog & ARP Chapters


video by GForce Software

"GForce's Dave Spiers talks about the making of Bright Sparks, specifically how the the band, I Monster suggested the idea, and the importance of the key people interviewed for the first two chapters - Moog and ARP - specifically, Herbert Deutsch and Michelle Moog-Koussa from the Bob Moog Foundation, plus the story behind the meeting of ARP Instruments founder, Alan R Pearlman and his wife Buena."

GForce Software Bright Sparks posts

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

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)"

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

BRIGHT SPARKS: New Synth Documentary Ignites Funding for Bob Moog Foundation



Follow-up to the Something's Coming teaser.

"Help Bright Sparks Synth Documentary Ignite Funding for Bob Moog Foundation Projects

'An engrossing and fascinating documentary that pays tribute to the modest but amazing innovators who changed the face of electronic music' - Vince Clarke

Last week Bright Sparks, a film project which documents the stories of a number of iconic electronic music pioneers and companies, was released in conjunction with the I Monster album of the same name.

Featuring eight of the most influential companies, Moog, Buchla, ARP, Chamberlin, Mellotron, EMS, EDP, and Freeman, the feature length documentary includes interviews with many of the legendary personnel involved in the development of the instruments including Peter Zinovieff (EMS), Ken Freeman (Freeman), Herb Deutsch (Moog), Alan Robert Pearlman (ARP), John Bradley (Mellotron).

The film is available via download only.

The creators of Bright Sparks, recognizing Bob Moog's seminal contribution to modern synthesis, are generously supporting the Bob Moog Foundation with 100 downloads of their movie as a means of raising funding for our educational project, Dr. Bob's SoundSchool, and our Archive Preservation Initiative.

Make a $25 (or more) donation to the Bob Moog Foundation by December 31, 2015 and receive a download code for Bright Sparks as a thank you for your support!

Exploring the human stories of success and adversity behind these early companies and instruments, the film captures the passion of these engineers who were driven to design something in much the same way as any artist or musician is driven to create.

You can see a trailer to the movie here. [embed above]

Join Bright Sparks in supporting our important work and get rare insights into the world of synthesizer and keyboard innovators that won't get anywhere else. Donate $25 or more here. We will send you a download code with simple instructions when you make your donation.

Many thanks to Dave Spiers, Chris McLeod, and I Monster, the team behind the Bright Sparks project, for your wonderful support of our projects and for your excellent documentation of electronic music history.

'Electronic music has been around for long enough to deserve its own historians and archaeologists. Dave Spiers is right at the top of the list: this loving and exhaustive study sets a new standard in instrument research, unravelling the tangled webs that lead to innovations' - Brian Eno"

Monday, November 16, 2015

Something's Coming

Something's Coming from Bright Sparks on Vimeo.


New synthesizer documentary? Some amazing synth spotting in this one.
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