Showing posts sorted by date for query Cornell University. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Cornell University. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Friday, December 15, 2023
Long-lost Moog synthesizer finally makes it to the stage
video upload by Cornell University
"A piece of synthesizer history has been given an unexpected second life and is now a part of Cornell’s instrument collection, after eight months of meticulous and often confounding work by a group of synthesizer builders.
The rebuilt and rewired instrument, designed by theorist David Rothenberg and built by renowned synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog, Ph.D. ’65, is housed in Lincoln Hall and graduate student composers will begin experimenting with its unique tonal range next semester."
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
Vol. 1(a): Campfire Orb by Witch on Horseback Vintage Vinyl Featuring Trumansburg, NY Moog Employees
According to this post on Boing Boing, this is a narration featuring early Moog employees from Trumansburg, NY.
"John discusses a particularly bizarre vinyl recording he happened upon during the local library sale, created by a man named Dr. Noving Jumand in collaboration with some early Moog employees from nearby Trumansburg, NY:
Jumand was something of an Ithaca legend back when I first moved here in the nineties, though he's mostly forgotten now. He'd come to town for a Cornell PhD in psychology, and was teaching as a lecturer, when he got approval for a controversial study involving the effect of narrative on human behavior. A few of his subjects—students, getting paid five dollars an hour—ended up hospitalized, and one was (and perhaps still is) committed to a mental institution. This created all kinds of paranoid rumors about Jumand's narratives—that they were in some way magical, or had been funded by the defense department—but it turned out that he'd given half of these students an experimental drug cocktail, derived from Phencyclidine, and this is what sent them on their dangerously dissociative journeys.
An investigation followed, during which it was revealed the the subjects knew they might be drugged and had signed release forms saying so; and the ones who were hospitalized already had histories of mental illness and drug addiction that could explain their reaction. As a result, no criminal charges were brought against Jumand—but the University cancelled his research and kicked him off campus.
[…]
One extant artifact of his brief period of notoriety is a series of rare recordings of his narratives, made in collaboration with some former Moog employees he met at a swap meet in Trumansburg."
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Cornell celebrates the Moog synthesizer and its creator Robert Moog
Published on Feb 26, 2020 Cornell University
"See more at https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/moog/
To honor inventor Robert Moog, Ph.D. ’65, and to celebrate the opening of his archives at Cornell University Library, Cornell looks back at the beginnings of the Moog synthesizer, which sparked a revolution in modern music. Moog’s papers, comprised of more than 100 boxes of documents, photographs, design schematics, and sound and moving image recordings are now open for public research in Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections."
When Machines Rock: A Celebration of Robert Moog and Electronic Music Event at Cornell
Thursday, February 20, 2020
When Machines Rock: A Celebration of Robert Moog and Electronic Music Event at Cornell
via @Cornell_Library
"Mar 5-7, the hills of Ithaca, NY, will come alive with the sound of #Moog music. Guests at @Cornell include Gary Numan, Suzanne Ciani, ADULT, and Suzi Analogue. Learn more: rmc.library.cornell.edu/moog/ @numanofficial @sevwave @suziAnalog @MoogFoundation @moogmusicinc"Additional details:
"Electrifying Music: The Life and Legacy of Robert Moog
March 6 to October 16, 2020
Hirshland Exhibition Gallery, Level 2B, Carl A. Kroch Library
Drawing from Cornell’s rich archive of materials that traces Moog’s lifelong fascination with electricity and its musical possibilities, this exhibition features instrument prototypes, design schematics, photographs, correspondence, and audio recordings. It also provides viewers with an opportunity to play a theremin and Minimoog supplied by Moog Music Inc.
[left: Wendy Carlos's studio, ca. 1968.]
Highlights include documents from Moog’s years studying at Cornell University, running his first synthesizer factory in Trumansburg, New York, and collaborating with composers and recording artists for whom he created personalized systems, including Wendy Carlos, who popularized the Moog synthesizer with the album Switched-On Bach; Keith Emerson of the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake, and Palmer; and jazz musician Eddie Harris.
Electrifying Music is a collaboration among Cornell University’s Department of Music, Department of Science and Technology Studies, and Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
Exhibition curators: Judith Peraino (Music), Trevor Pinch (Science and Technology Studies), Roger Moseley (Music).
This exhibition is funded through the generous support of the Stephen E. ’58, MBA ’59 and Evalyn Edwards ’60 Milman Exhibition Fund, with additional contributions from Moog Music Inc.
Online exhibition coming in March.
PERFORMANCES AND TALKS
When Machines Rock: A Celebration of Robert Moog and Electronic Music
March 5 to 7, 2020
Various locations on and off campus
Join us for a three-day celebration of Robert Moog PhD ’65 and his pioneering invention of the Moog synthesizer, which electrified music and sparked a revolution in sound. When Machines Rock: A Celebration of Robert Moog and Electronic Music features panels and performances by a wide array of electronic music artists, including renowned synthpop and electro-industrial artist Gary Numan; singer-songwriter, beat-maker, and producer Suzi Analogue; and electronic music composers David Borden, Herb Deutsch, and Suzanne Ciani.
Other events include an opening reception for the Cornell University Library exhibition Electrifying Music: The Life and Legacy of Robert Moog, a DIY synth-building workshop, a concert by Cornell’s Electroacoustic Music Center, and shows at the Haunt by the punk-inspired electronic group ADULT and Suzi Analogue."
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer
Ithaca, NY - April 2014... The History Center in Tompkins County, in partnership with the Bob Moog Foundation, has announced the opening of the exhibition Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer.
Illustrating the story of Dr. Robert Moog and the creation and evolution of the groundbreaking electronic instruments bearing his name, Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer provides museum visitors with a wide-ranging, interactive insight into Dr. Moog's inventions and the creative process behind their design and development.
Based on interviews with family members, colleagues, and contemporaries, including Herbert Deutsch, Bernie Worrell, Shirleigh Moog, David Borden, and many more, the exhibition provides a unique view into the creative genius of Bob Moog, one of the founding fathers of modern electronic music. With rare Moog instruments such as a vacuum tube theremin, a Trumansburg-era Minimoog, and one of only three R. A. Moog Company PMS-15 amplifiers ever sold, Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer will be the first major exhibition on Bob Moog and Moog Synthesizers to occur in the region, and will run through May 31st, 2015.
Robert Moog came to Ithaca, NY in 1957 to begin his PhD work at Cornell University. He founded the R.A. Moog, Co. in the late 1950s, selling theremins and theremin kits throughout Ithaca. In 1963, Moog opened a storefront for his small factory in nearby Trumansburg, NY. It was there that the Moog modular synthesizer and the iconic Minimoog were born. The factory grew to become a mainstay in the region until Moog sold the company in 1971, and the new owners moved it to Williamsville, NY.
Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer tells the story of Moog's Trumansburg years, through the oral histories of those who knew him, worked with him, and shared his path in shaping a revolution in sound, technology, and music.
More information on the exhibition can be found at www.thehistorycenter.net"
Below: the 201 R.A. Moog,Co. (Flushing) theremin and the pre-production Minimoog that will be on display.
Photos by Roger Luther.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Bob Moog Foundation Retrospective on Archival & Bob's Lament
Above: "Several months after Bob’s passing, The Bob Moog Foundation (BMF) staff rescued Bob’s priceless archives from its home on pallets in his former vacant workshop space in the country, where it was exposed to heat and humidity. It was Bob’s intention to take care of the archives himself after his retirement. Unfortunately, he passed away prior to his retirement."
The Bob Moog Foundation has posted an article focusing on their work with Bob Moog's archives. If for some reason you are new to the story, the archives are set to move to Cornell against the BMF's wishes. See this post for details. The following was sent out today via the BMF:
"For seven years, the Bob Moog Foundation has dedicated itself to the preservation of Bob Moog's Archives.
We have just posted a retrospective blog celebrating our efforts and tracing our progress.
Through photos taken over the years, see where this one-of-a-kind collection of documents and hardware was stored prior to our rescue and where we are today. Also, take a glimpse at the numerous events and museums where we have exhibited the archives.
Read the full retrospective here.
We'd like to say a special thank you to all of the volunteers who have donated thousands of hours of time to assist the BMF with preserving and protecting Bob Moog's archives. You are an important part of our work, and your efforts will live on through Bob's legacy!
Call to Action
One of our supporters started a petition protesting the transfer of Bob's archives to Cornell University. (If you don't know about this story, please read about it here.)
Please consider joining almost 1,000 people by signing the petition here. Please share this petition with your friends and family and help give the Bob Moog Foundation a voice regarding this disappointing decision.
Thank you all for your continued support of the Bob Moog Foundation--we wouldn't be where we are today without you!
Sonic Sadness: Bob's Lament [embed below]
The removal of Bob Moog's archives from Asheville will affect thousands of people in this area and beyond. Music technology educator, BMF volunteer, journalist for the music technology industry, and most importantly, Bob's long-time friend, Geary Yelton, gives voice to the lament of so many people with his beautifully haunting composition, posted on SoundCloud just a couple of days ago -- Bob's Lament. Listen to this haunting piece here."
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Bob Moog Foundation Objects to Archives Moving to Cornell, New York
via Mountain Xpress where you'll find the full article (you'll find my notes at the bottom of this post):
"A move to ship Bob Moog's archives from Asheville to New York is creating family discord over the best way to preserve the late inventor's legacy.
An electronic music titan, Bob Moog founded Moog Music, the world's leading manufacturer of analog synthesizers. His widow, Ileana Grams-Moog, announced July 18 that she's planning to donate his personal archive of notes, plans, drawings and recordings to the Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in Ithaca, N.Y.
'It was Bob‘s wish that his archives be preserved and made accessible to other scientists, inventors, engineers and innovators,' Asheville resident Grams-Moog said in a press release. 'The Cornell Library makes its extensive rare collections accessible to students and scholars all over the world.'
Noting that Moog earned his Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell in 1965, she added: 'It has been eight years since my husband’s death and I am happy that my gift to Cornell will finally make this rich collection available. Bob would be pleased to know his life’s work is finally being properly preserved and made available to current and future generations to advance upon his work.'
However, Grams-Moog makes no mention of the Bob Moog Foundation in her announcement, which has overseen the preservation of those archives for the last seven years in Asheville, where Moog lived from 1979 until his death in 2005. The foundation is a nonprofit organization run by Michelle Moog-Koussa, the inventor's daughter, who says that she and other family members are surprised and disappointed by the decision to ship the archives out of town..."
...
"Upon hearing of Grams-Moog's intentions to move the archives out of town, Moog-Koussa says the foundation is now 'considering our options.'
She adds: "No matter what happens, the Bob Moog Foundation will continue to carry on Bob Moog's legacy, and that his legacy is alive and well in our educational projects, which are thriving in this area.'"
----
My notes:
What is your opinion on this? Personally, the number one priority in my opinion is keeping the documents safe. I think they would be safe at either Cornell or The Bob Moog Foundation, so that imo is not an issue. The issue then is where would they be of the most value to the community and how do you define that? Exposure to the public or access to researchers? I don't see Cornell being as pro-active in spreading the works of Bob Moog as The Bob Moog Foundation. I think the archives may be safe in Cornell but my fear is that they will be all but forgotten aside from those that take the time to research them and then share that research with us. In other words, they will essentially disappear into the ether, unless someone makes the effort otherwise. The BMF was doing that. With the Bob Moog Foundation, his research would be at the forefront and present in everything they do. Your opinion? Click on the comments link below. Note although it currently reads 0, Facebook comments are there. Blogger only counts blogger comments in the count. It might take a sec for the Facebook comments to load after clicking the link.
Update: The following is the official press release on the move. I received it from Moog Music and Hummingbird Media a separate press outlet:
"Bob Moog's Archives Donated To World-Class Facility at Cornell University
Inventor’s Alma Mater to Receive Rich Collection
Yesterday Cornell University announced the archives of Dr. Robert A. Moog have found a home at their Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance, thanks to a generous donation from his widow, Dr. Ileana Grams-Moog.
Dr. Robert A. Moog is the founder of Moog Music, the world’s leading manufacturer of analog synthesizers, and the inventor of the legendary Moog synthesizer. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell in engineering physics in 1965 and was a longtime resident of Trumansburg, N.Y. His personal archive of notes, plans, drawings, recordings and more will be housed in the Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
“It was Bob‘s wish that his archives be preserved and made accessible to other scientists, inventors, engineers and innovators,” Grams-Moog said. “It has been eight years since my husband’s death and I am happy that my gift to Cornell will finally make this rich collection available. Bob would be pleased to know his life’s work is finally being properly preserved so that current and future generations may advance upon his work.”
Cornell has flourished as a center for research in music since the Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance was founded in 1929, and its extensive holdings include a special focus on historical keyboard instruments. It collects heavily in 20th- and 21st-century music of Europe and the United States, including electronic music and music by Cornell composition alumnae.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this donation to Cornell, and we look forward to welcoming researchers from all over the world who hope to learn more about Dr. Moog’s life and work, ” said Anne R. Kenney, Carl A. Kroch University Librarian. “We pride ourselves on not only preserving valuable historical knowledge, but providing access to one-of-a-kind, original materials to as many people as possible.”
Dr. Grams-Moog continued, “Cornell is a 150-year-old institution with a long history of stewardship and dissemination of rare and valuable collections for education and research. Donating Bob’s archives to the university is the best opportunity to preserve and protect them so they will finally be accessible to students and scholars worldwide. In addition, they will be available to future generations long after we’re all gone.”
About Cornell University Library
Cornell University Library’s rich collections, expert librarians, responsive services and welcoming spaces inspire and nourish scholarship and learning throughout the university. Its world-class collection — nearly 8 million print volumes, nearly a million e-books and 5 million journal article downloads per year — covers incredibly diverse fields. The Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance provides extensive holdings of printed materials and recordings to support the study of music."
--------------------
Update2: Michelle Moog-Koussa of The Bob Moog Foundation issues statement:
"Dear Friend,
The Bob Moog Foundation takes seriously its role as the only non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting my father’s work for future generations. In was in this capacity that the Foundation made significant investments over the past seven years to rescue the majority of my father’s archives, and to protect and preserve them to prevent further deterioration from occurring.
Our efforts have included re-housing the collection in archival quality storage materials, securing climate controlled storage, cataloging thousands of items, cleaning and restoring a breadth of materials including almost 100 reel-to-reel tapes in the collection, and most recently securing state-of-the-art archival storage and processing facilities where researchers from around the world could acess the archives.
We have also worked to share the archives through many exhibits from California to our local region, exposing tens of thousands of people to the unique information and insights that the archives contain.
We did this based on a verbal understanding that these documents would eventually be donated to the Foundation.
Yesterday, an annoucement was made that Cornell University will be receiving Bob's archives. The announcement was made by Bob's widow, Ileana Grams-Moog, with whom we have been working closely for the past seven years, up until as recently as February 18, 2013.
The decision to abandon a pending agreement, which ignores the Foundation’s stewardship of my father’s archives, and move them out of Western North Carolina is disappointing and, we believe, not in keeping with my father’s intent. Asheville was my father’s home for 25 years and, in the end, his spiritual home. It is important that his archives remain in Asheville and that they are administered by the Bob Moog Foundation, where they can be considered within a wide musical and technological context and where they will benefit from being interpreted by the unified network of experts that surround the Foundation’s work.
The Moog Family is saddened and surprised not to be part of the discussion to move our father’s archives away from the organization where they would receive the most well-rounded care, and away from the area where the Bob Moog Foundation, Moog Music, and Moogfest are located.
Over the years, you have been witness to all of the dedicated work we have done for the archives. Many of you have visited our exhibits and complimented our efforts. At this time, we ask that you support us on Facebook and other outlets by reposting and commenting in ways that are reflective of our work.
With or without Bob's archives, the Bob Moog Foundation Archives remains a robust collection of historic materials that we have obtained, or that have been donated to us. We remain a repsitory of materials that represent the evolution of electronic music history. We are excited to be sharing some of the incredible material that we have obtained with you over the coming months. Please keep your eyes open for that.
I may be reaching out soon with other ways that you can help. Until then, I remain
Devotedly yours,
Michelle
Michelle Moog-Koussa
Executive Director
Bob Moog Foundation
P.S. Should you have any concerns about this topic, please be in touch at info@moogfoundation.org."
Update3 (also posted here):
Online Petition to Keep Bob Moog's Archives in Asheville with the BMF
You'll find the petition here.
The petition was setup up via Michael Koehler who sent in the following:
"I am not involved with the BMF, but am friends with Michelle. She knows that I am doing this.
I am very passionate about it because I was fortunate to knew Bob for a short while and know that he would not want things to go the way that they are going right now. I am not trying discredit Cornell or say anything bad about them. They are a fine institution. I am just trying to help them see what moving the archives would mean.
There is so much more to this material. It is not simply 'Bob's stuff'. In Bob's work, he always included colleagues and musicians in the development of his works. If we send these notes off to some storage facility where only scholars can reference them, most of this is lost. The BMF is connected with many of the musicians that worked with Bob. They have the ability to connect the information that Bob wrote down from the engineering standpoint and re-connect it with the musicians that worked with Bob to create it. I have witnessed this first hand. I am telling you, this type of documentation and interpretation would be impossible with the items at Cornell. Think of all of the nuggets that have come out of the BMF. Stories, video clips, etc. Remember all of those insights? It is almost as if Bob were still here. Cornell will most definitely have a totally different output. It will be much more sterilized and scholastic.
I saw first hand the work that Michelle and her team have done. There were literally rooms of material laying in in total disarray. One piece of gear that was salvaged by her team was the very last minimoog made from the original factory. The synth was barely salvageable at the time. That was in 2006. Had it laid there, out in the shed, exposed to the elements, do you think it would even be salvageable today? And, even if it were, do you honestly believe that Cornell would even restore it? In the list of items, it most likely would not be on the top of the list. But the reason that this synth was so iconic to save was that back in the day, Bob had the fore-site to know that something like this should be preserved. Remember, this was at a time when you couldn't give analog synths away! Bob was like that, he knew to save things not for himself or his own legacy, but because some day, these things will be important to someone.
Another example, the BMF has restored 100 recordings. I have heard some of these. Amongst them is a recording where Bob sent a minimoog prototype to Sun Ra to play with and asked Sun Ra to let him know what he thought of the synth. Sun Ra used it in a performance the night that they received it. They did not have a user manual or any instructions, they just went with it. Sun Ra recorded this performance and sent the tape to Bob. This was the first recording of the minimoog and it was also an iconic recording of a concert as well. I can tell you that if this recording goes to Cornell, no one will be able to hear it. The licensing rights will never be able to be cleared by them for public consumption. No way a record label will give that away easily. Way too broad of a license. Where as the BMF would be allowed to play these recording during their exhibits and seminars because they would be able to keep custody of the recording preventing broad public dissemination.
I could go on, but I have probably typed your eyes out! :)"
You'll find the petition here.
Update4:
BMF Board President Bryan Bell Responds to Ileana Grams-Moog
"On July 26th, Ileana Grams-Moog issued an online statement regarding her decision to transfer Bob's archives to Cornell University. After much consideration, President of the BMF Board of Directors, Bryan Bell, has decided to issue an open letter to address the misinformation in that statement.
An Open Letter from Bryan Bell, President of the Board of Directors, The Bob Moog Foundation
The past three weeks have been hard ones for the children of Bob Moog and the staff, board, and friends of the Bob Moog Foundation (BMF). As President of the BMF Board of Directors, I am profoundly disappointed in Dr. Ileana Grams-Moog’s decision to withdraw her support for the BMF, a not-for-profit organization devoted to perpetuating Bob’s love of music and innovation, the manner in which she chose to do it, and her exclusion of key facts.
I knew Bob well. We were colleagues and friends for more than 30 years. During that time, we collaborated on projects and solved problems that changed the way music is made. I serve on the BMF board because it is the truest representation of Bob’s legacy. That is why I also know how sad it would make him to see what is happening in his name, and why we should all be asking Ileana a few questions.
What’s behind the sudden decision to take the archives away from the BMF?
On Feb. 14, 2013, after 18 months of personally and directly negotiating with Ileana, we agreed upon the BMF’s temporary custody of the archives and management of Bob’s Rights of Publicity (his name, image, signature, and voice). This was the first step towards a much larger agreement between us. In the words of the interim agreement, we were working “together in good faith to define and execute a mutually satisfactory [larger] Agreement as rapidly as possible,” or so I thought.
Suddenly, on February 25, Ileana notified me that she would not sign the interim agreement, based on information she had received from Moog Music President Mike Adams. (Note: Mr. Adams was a BMF board member at the time these discussions took place.) The BMF quickly addressed Ileana’s concerns in writing, concerns that she never voiced to me as the BMF board president and concerns that were later proven to have no basis in fact.
Why was there no consultation with Bob’s children about the future of their father’s archives and his Rights of Publicity?
What about money?
We all agree that Bob’s legacy is priceless, but his share of Moog Music and his Rights of Publicity have price tags. Because Ileana has chosen to publically disclose the BMF’s offer to purchase the archives, I challenge her to disclose the detailed terms, both financially and legally, of her sale of Bob’s share of Moog Music and her sale of Bob’s Rights of Publicity to Mike Adams.
Was there a financial contribution to Cornell from Moog Music regarding the archives? Will Moog Music, for example, have access to the Cornell Archives for their commercial purposes? Will the Bob Moog Foundation and Bob’s children have access to the archives for their own use?
Has The BMF been a good steward of Bob’s archives?
The answer is an unequivocal YES. For seven years The BMF has consistently acted in the best interest of Bob's legacy, rescuing his archives from moisture, dirt and mildew; storing the archives in secure climate controlled storage; entering into a lease with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to secure state-of-the-art archival facilities in Western N.C.; and making the difficult but prudent decision to defer a capital campaign to fund building of the Moogseum.
Ileana has said that her decision to move the archives was based, in part, on the fact that construction has not started on The Moogseum, the eventual Asheville home for Bob’s archives. At no time did she ever communicate that requirement to the BMF Board or me. Furthermore, during her tenure as president of the BMF Board, Ileana personally oversaw the decision to postpone the Moogseum’s capital campaign until the economy recovered from the nation’s worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The economy aside, great museums take a long time to build. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for example, took 16 years to plan before breaking ground.
The BMF’s leadership, board and staff have intentionally stayed above the fray, and we encourage our supporters to do the same. Ileana’s decision to move the archives, which was announced in a press release written and distributed by Moog Music’s public relations firm and posted on Moog Music’s website, has unleashed negative comments, many of which raise questions about the role Mike Adams and Moog Music played in Ileana’s sudden change of heart. The BMF has chosen to take the high road, and we will continue to do so, despite many inaccurate comments from Ileana and Mike Adams. That’s what Bob would expect of us. But Ileana’s decision and its timing, the wording of the announcement and the secrecy surrounding its release raise troubling questions about whose interests are really being served by Ileana’s actions.
As for The BMF, we will continue to do what we do best – inspiring and igniting creativity through historic preservation of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives and creating programs like Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, that introduce children to the power of music, science, and innovation. Nothing would have made Bob happier or prouder.
(Trademarks referred to in this letter are the property of their respective owners)
Sincerely,
Bryan Bell, President
Bob Moog Foundation Board of Directors
Bryan Bell is President and Founder of Synth-Bank Consulting, LLC (Synth-Bank®) a technology practice focusing on using technology to enhance business and creative processes. Bryan spent 20 years consulting and pioneering technology innovation for high-profile corporations and entertainers, including Apple, Domain Chandon, NBC, GEIS, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Neil Young, Branford Marsalis and INXS. He has served continuously for over 20 years on the board of directors of The Bridge School. Bryan holds a DIS from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business Administration and has been a speaker at conferences around the world. Bryan Bell’s latest music production project, “Duality”, by Nestler and Hawtin was recently released on iTunes."
"A move to ship Bob Moog's archives from Asheville to New York is creating family discord over the best way to preserve the late inventor's legacy.
An electronic music titan, Bob Moog founded Moog Music, the world's leading manufacturer of analog synthesizers. His widow, Ileana Grams-Moog, announced July 18 that she's planning to donate his personal archive of notes, plans, drawings and recordings to the Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in Ithaca, N.Y.
'It was Bob‘s wish that his archives be preserved and made accessible to other scientists, inventors, engineers and innovators,' Asheville resident Grams-Moog said in a press release. 'The Cornell Library makes its extensive rare collections accessible to students and scholars all over the world.'
Noting that Moog earned his Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell in 1965, she added: 'It has been eight years since my husband’s death and I am happy that my gift to Cornell will finally make this rich collection available. Bob would be pleased to know his life’s work is finally being properly preserved and made available to current and future generations to advance upon his work.'
However, Grams-Moog makes no mention of the Bob Moog Foundation in her announcement, which has overseen the preservation of those archives for the last seven years in Asheville, where Moog lived from 1979 until his death in 2005. The foundation is a nonprofit organization run by Michelle Moog-Koussa, the inventor's daughter, who says that she and other family members are surprised and disappointed by the decision to ship the archives out of town..."
...
"Upon hearing of Grams-Moog's intentions to move the archives out of town, Moog-Koussa says the foundation is now 'considering our options.'
She adds: "No matter what happens, the Bob Moog Foundation will continue to carry on Bob Moog's legacy, and that his legacy is alive and well in our educational projects, which are thriving in this area.'"
----
My notes:
What is your opinion on this? Personally, the number one priority in my opinion is keeping the documents safe. I think they would be safe at either Cornell or The Bob Moog Foundation, so that imo is not an issue. The issue then is where would they be of the most value to the community and how do you define that? Exposure to the public or access to researchers? I don't see Cornell being as pro-active in spreading the works of Bob Moog as The Bob Moog Foundation. I think the archives may be safe in Cornell but my fear is that they will be all but forgotten aside from those that take the time to research them and then share that research with us. In other words, they will essentially disappear into the ether, unless someone makes the effort otherwise. The BMF was doing that. With the Bob Moog Foundation, his research would be at the forefront and present in everything they do. Your opinion? Click on the comments link below. Note although it currently reads 0, Facebook comments are there. Blogger only counts blogger comments in the count. It might take a sec for the Facebook comments to load after clicking the link.
Update: The following is the official press release on the move. I received it from Moog Music and Hummingbird Media a separate press outlet:
Inventor’s Alma Mater to Receive Rich Collection
Yesterday Cornell University announced the archives of Dr. Robert A. Moog have found a home at their Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance, thanks to a generous donation from his widow, Dr. Ileana Grams-Moog.
Dr. Robert A. Moog is the founder of Moog Music, the world’s leading manufacturer of analog synthesizers, and the inventor of the legendary Moog synthesizer. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell in engineering physics in 1965 and was a longtime resident of Trumansburg, N.Y. His personal archive of notes, plans, drawings, recordings and more will be housed in the Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
“It was Bob‘s wish that his archives be preserved and made accessible to other scientists, inventors, engineers and innovators,” Grams-Moog said. “It has been eight years since my husband’s death and I am happy that my gift to Cornell will finally make this rich collection available. Bob would be pleased to know his life’s work is finally being properly preserved so that current and future generations may advance upon his work.”
Cornell has flourished as a center for research in music since the Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance was founded in 1929, and its extensive holdings include a special focus on historical keyboard instruments. It collects heavily in 20th- and 21st-century music of Europe and the United States, including electronic music and music by Cornell composition alumnae.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this donation to Cornell, and we look forward to welcoming researchers from all over the world who hope to learn more about Dr. Moog’s life and work, ” said Anne R. Kenney, Carl A. Kroch University Librarian. “We pride ourselves on not only preserving valuable historical knowledge, but providing access to one-of-a-kind, original materials to as many people as possible.”
Dr. Grams-Moog continued, “Cornell is a 150-year-old institution with a long history of stewardship and dissemination of rare and valuable collections for education and research. Donating Bob’s archives to the university is the best opportunity to preserve and protect them so they will finally be accessible to students and scholars worldwide. In addition, they will be available to future generations long after we’re all gone.”
About Cornell University Library
Cornell University Library’s rich collections, expert librarians, responsive services and welcoming spaces inspire and nourish scholarship and learning throughout the university. Its world-class collection — nearly 8 million print volumes, nearly a million e-books and 5 million journal article downloads per year — covers incredibly diverse fields. The Sidney Cox Library of Music & Dance provides extensive holdings of printed materials and recordings to support the study of music."
--------------------
Update2: Michelle Moog-Koussa of The Bob Moog Foundation issues statement:
"Dear Friend,
The Bob Moog Foundation takes seriously its role as the only non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting my father’s work for future generations. In was in this capacity that the Foundation made significant investments over the past seven years to rescue the majority of my father’s archives, and to protect and preserve them to prevent further deterioration from occurring.
Our efforts have included re-housing the collection in archival quality storage materials, securing climate controlled storage, cataloging thousands of items, cleaning and restoring a breadth of materials including almost 100 reel-to-reel tapes in the collection, and most recently securing state-of-the-art archival storage and processing facilities where researchers from around the world could acess the archives.
We have also worked to share the archives through many exhibits from California to our local region, exposing tens of thousands of people to the unique information and insights that the archives contain.
We did this based on a verbal understanding that these documents would eventually be donated to the Foundation.
Yesterday, an annoucement was made that Cornell University will be receiving Bob's archives. The announcement was made by Bob's widow, Ileana Grams-Moog, with whom we have been working closely for the past seven years, up until as recently as February 18, 2013.
The decision to abandon a pending agreement, which ignores the Foundation’s stewardship of my father’s archives, and move them out of Western North Carolina is disappointing and, we believe, not in keeping with my father’s intent. Asheville was my father’s home for 25 years and, in the end, his spiritual home. It is important that his archives remain in Asheville and that they are administered by the Bob Moog Foundation, where they can be considered within a wide musical and technological context and where they will benefit from being interpreted by the unified network of experts that surround the Foundation’s work.
The Moog Family is saddened and surprised not to be part of the discussion to move our father’s archives away from the organization where they would receive the most well-rounded care, and away from the area where the Bob Moog Foundation, Moog Music, and Moogfest are located.
Over the years, you have been witness to all of the dedicated work we have done for the archives. Many of you have visited our exhibits and complimented our efforts. At this time, we ask that you support us on Facebook and other outlets by reposting and commenting in ways that are reflective of our work.
With or without Bob's archives, the Bob Moog Foundation Archives remains a robust collection of historic materials that we have obtained, or that have been donated to us. We remain a repsitory of materials that represent the evolution of electronic music history. We are excited to be sharing some of the incredible material that we have obtained with you over the coming months. Please keep your eyes open for that.
I may be reaching out soon with other ways that you can help. Until then, I remain
Devotedly yours,
Michelle
Michelle Moog-Koussa
Executive Director
Bob Moog Foundation
P.S. Should you have any concerns about this topic, please be in touch at info@moogfoundation.org."
Update3 (also posted here):
Online Petition to Keep Bob Moog's Archives in Asheville with the BMF
You'll find the petition here.
The petition was setup up via Michael Koehler who sent in the following:
"I am not involved with the BMF, but am friends with Michelle. She knows that I am doing this.
I am very passionate about it because I was fortunate to knew Bob for a short while and know that he would not want things to go the way that they are going right now. I am not trying discredit Cornell or say anything bad about them. They are a fine institution. I am just trying to help them see what moving the archives would mean.
There is so much more to this material. It is not simply 'Bob's stuff'. In Bob's work, he always included colleagues and musicians in the development of his works. If we send these notes off to some storage facility where only scholars can reference them, most of this is lost. The BMF is connected with many of the musicians that worked with Bob. They have the ability to connect the information that Bob wrote down from the engineering standpoint and re-connect it with the musicians that worked with Bob to create it. I have witnessed this first hand. I am telling you, this type of documentation and interpretation would be impossible with the items at Cornell. Think of all of the nuggets that have come out of the BMF. Stories, video clips, etc. Remember all of those insights? It is almost as if Bob were still here. Cornell will most definitely have a totally different output. It will be much more sterilized and scholastic.
I saw first hand the work that Michelle and her team have done. There were literally rooms of material laying in in total disarray. One piece of gear that was salvaged by her team was the very last minimoog made from the original factory. The synth was barely salvageable at the time. That was in 2006. Had it laid there, out in the shed, exposed to the elements, do you think it would even be salvageable today? And, even if it were, do you honestly believe that Cornell would even restore it? In the list of items, it most likely would not be on the top of the list. But the reason that this synth was so iconic to save was that back in the day, Bob had the fore-site to know that something like this should be preserved. Remember, this was at a time when you couldn't give analog synths away! Bob was like that, he knew to save things not for himself or his own legacy, but because some day, these things will be important to someone.
Another example, the BMF has restored 100 recordings. I have heard some of these. Amongst them is a recording where Bob sent a minimoog prototype to Sun Ra to play with and asked Sun Ra to let him know what he thought of the synth. Sun Ra used it in a performance the night that they received it. They did not have a user manual or any instructions, they just went with it. Sun Ra recorded this performance and sent the tape to Bob. This was the first recording of the minimoog and it was also an iconic recording of a concert as well. I can tell you that if this recording goes to Cornell, no one will be able to hear it. The licensing rights will never be able to be cleared by them for public consumption. No way a record label will give that away easily. Way too broad of a license. Where as the BMF would be allowed to play these recording during their exhibits and seminars because they would be able to keep custody of the recording preventing broad public dissemination.
I could go on, but I have probably typed your eyes out! :)"
You'll find the petition here.
Update4:
BMF Board President Bryan Bell Responds to Ileana Grams-Moog
"On July 26th, Ileana Grams-Moog issued an online statement regarding her decision to transfer Bob's archives to Cornell University. After much consideration, President of the BMF Board of Directors, Bryan Bell, has decided to issue an open letter to address the misinformation in that statement.
An Open Letter from Bryan Bell, President of the Board of Directors, The Bob Moog Foundation
The past three weeks have been hard ones for the children of Bob Moog and the staff, board, and friends of the Bob Moog Foundation (BMF). As President of the BMF Board of Directors, I am profoundly disappointed in Dr. Ileana Grams-Moog’s decision to withdraw her support for the BMF, a not-for-profit organization devoted to perpetuating Bob’s love of music and innovation, the manner in which she chose to do it, and her exclusion of key facts.
I knew Bob well. We were colleagues and friends for more than 30 years. During that time, we collaborated on projects and solved problems that changed the way music is made. I serve on the BMF board because it is the truest representation of Bob’s legacy. That is why I also know how sad it would make him to see what is happening in his name, and why we should all be asking Ileana a few questions.
What’s behind the sudden decision to take the archives away from the BMF?
On Feb. 14, 2013, after 18 months of personally and directly negotiating with Ileana, we agreed upon the BMF’s temporary custody of the archives and management of Bob’s Rights of Publicity (his name, image, signature, and voice). This was the first step towards a much larger agreement between us. In the words of the interim agreement, we were working “together in good faith to define and execute a mutually satisfactory [larger] Agreement as rapidly as possible,” or so I thought.
Suddenly, on February 25, Ileana notified me that she would not sign the interim agreement, based on information she had received from Moog Music President Mike Adams. (Note: Mr. Adams was a BMF board member at the time these discussions took place.) The BMF quickly addressed Ileana’s concerns in writing, concerns that she never voiced to me as the BMF board president and concerns that were later proven to have no basis in fact.
Why was there no consultation with Bob’s children about the future of their father’s archives and his Rights of Publicity?
What about money?
We all agree that Bob’s legacy is priceless, but his share of Moog Music and his Rights of Publicity have price tags. Because Ileana has chosen to publically disclose the BMF’s offer to purchase the archives, I challenge her to disclose the detailed terms, both financially and legally, of her sale of Bob’s share of Moog Music and her sale of Bob’s Rights of Publicity to Mike Adams.
Was there a financial contribution to Cornell from Moog Music regarding the archives? Will Moog Music, for example, have access to the Cornell Archives for their commercial purposes? Will the Bob Moog Foundation and Bob’s children have access to the archives for their own use?
Has The BMF been a good steward of Bob’s archives?
The answer is an unequivocal YES. For seven years The BMF has consistently acted in the best interest of Bob's legacy, rescuing his archives from moisture, dirt and mildew; storing the archives in secure climate controlled storage; entering into a lease with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to secure state-of-the-art archival facilities in Western N.C.; and making the difficult but prudent decision to defer a capital campaign to fund building of the Moogseum.
Ileana has said that her decision to move the archives was based, in part, on the fact that construction has not started on The Moogseum, the eventual Asheville home for Bob’s archives. At no time did she ever communicate that requirement to the BMF Board or me. Furthermore, during her tenure as president of the BMF Board, Ileana personally oversaw the decision to postpone the Moogseum’s capital campaign until the economy recovered from the nation’s worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The economy aside, great museums take a long time to build. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for example, took 16 years to plan before breaking ground.
The BMF’s leadership, board and staff have intentionally stayed above the fray, and we encourage our supporters to do the same. Ileana’s decision to move the archives, which was announced in a press release written and distributed by Moog Music’s public relations firm and posted on Moog Music’s website, has unleashed negative comments, many of which raise questions about the role Mike Adams and Moog Music played in Ileana’s sudden change of heart. The BMF has chosen to take the high road, and we will continue to do so, despite many inaccurate comments from Ileana and Mike Adams. That’s what Bob would expect of us. But Ileana’s decision and its timing, the wording of the announcement and the secrecy surrounding its release raise troubling questions about whose interests are really being served by Ileana’s actions.
As for The BMF, we will continue to do what we do best – inspiring and igniting creativity through historic preservation of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives and creating programs like Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, that introduce children to the power of music, science, and innovation. Nothing would have made Bob happier or prouder.
(Trademarks referred to in this letter are the property of their respective owners)
Sincerely,
Bryan Bell, President
Bob Moog Foundation Board of Directors
Bryan Bell is President and Founder of Synth-Bank Consulting, LLC (Synth-Bank®) a technology practice focusing on using technology to enhance business and creative processes. Bryan spent 20 years consulting and pioneering technology innovation for high-profile corporations and entertainers, including Apple, Domain Chandon, NBC, GEIS, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Neil Young, Branford Marsalis and INXS. He has served continuously for over 20 years on the board of directors of The Bridge School. Bryan holds a DIS from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business Administration and has been a speaker at conferences around the world. Bryan Bell’s latest music production project, “Duality”, by Nestler and Hawtin was recently released on iTunes."
Monday, April 01, 2013
DIY Electronic Music Symposium, Cornell University, 2013 Pics
Follow-up to this post.
flickr set by exakta
(click through for more)
Pictured here:
Top: "Malcolm Cecil [portion of TONTO in background], James Spitznagel and Trevor Pinch Jamming. Trevor is playing an analogue synth which he himself built in the early 1970s." [see this post for details & pics]
Bottom: "Simeon Coxe of Silver Apples"Description for the set:
"On March 30th, 2013, Cornell University and The Fanclub Collective sponsored a day-long electronic music workshop. It included a panel discussion with Professor Trevor Pinch, Malcolm Cecil, Simeon Coxe and Jeff Perkins (a veteran light-show producer) and a hands-on DIY synth-circuit-building workshop. The final events were performances, first by regional acts (First Atomic Lunar, members of Atomic Forces & First North American Lunar), 100% BLAKK), then by Ithaca synth ensemble Electric Golem (Trevor Pinch and James Spitznagel). Malcolm Cecil and his vintage mega-synth, TONTO (that's "The Original New Timbral Orchestra") played an incredible set, as did half of the sixties electro-rock duo Silver Apples, Simeon Coxe.
I would highly recommend any of these acts' recordings!
More info here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TONTO#The_TONTO_sy nthesizer
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_apples
www.facebook.com/electricgolem
firstnorthamericanlunar.bandcamp.com/
(Atomic Forces) www.myspace.com/107098519
(100% BLAKK) www.facebook.com/pages/100-Black/3858969 81449017"
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Herb Deutsch Featured in LI Herald
This one spotted by synchro1 in the LI Herald: "Unbeknown to many, one of the pioneers of modern music makes his living on the South Shore. Anyone who has studied music at Hofstra University would recognize him, as he has been teaching at the school for 51 years. His name is Herbert Deutsch, and he lives in Massapequa Park with his wife, Nancy. In 1964, at age 32, he co-invented the Moog synthesizer, helping to pave the way for electronic music...It wasn’t until 1968, four years after Deutsch and Moog finished the prototype of the synthesizer, that it had its first commercial breakthrough, when composer Wendy Carlos used it in a recording called 'Switched-On Bach.' 'All of a sudden, classical musical people all bought it,' Deutsch said. 'That’s when the instrument really became big...'
The two men shared an intense fascination with music. While Deutsch himself was a musician, Moog made instruments, having earned his Ph.D. in physics engineering at Cornell in the late 1950s.
But when it came to electronic music, Deutsch recalled, Moog was something of a neophyte. 'He really didn’t know much about electronic music,' Deutsch said.
During their conversations, however, the two planted the seeds for what would become the Moog synthesizer. 'We kept talking about the fact that it would be great if there was an inexpensive, small instrument that could create electronic music,' said Deutsch.
The two eventually parted ways, but reunited — and continued their conversation — at a concert in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village in January 1964. They agreed to meet again that summer and brainstorm ideas. Moog wrote a formal letter to the Hofstra administration, outlining their plan in the hope that the university might give Deutsch a research grant. It did: $200.
'So for Hofstra’s $200, we got together in the summer of ’64,' Deutsch recounted, 'and within about three weeks, we developed what was going to be the Moog synthesizer.'"
Read the full article here. If you want to read up on some of the history behind the beginnings of Moog and Buchla, check out the book Analog Days in the Synth Books section. Also check out the Moog documentary in the Synth Movies section.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
BLUE ZTVCO DRY DEMO & Surrounding Controversy
YouTube Uploaded by bluelantern320 on Jan 3, 2012
Update 10/4/2013: I heard from Ian Fritz and the controversy is over. Blue Lantern no longer offers the ZTVCO. That said, BL posts will resume.
This one, which seems to be a reoccurring theme with Blue Lantern, comes with a good dose of controversy. You might recall from a few years ago BL got into a bit of heat selling MIDIBox SIDs on eBay. MIDIBox explicitly forbids the commercial resale of MIDIBox SIDs. Blue Lantern stopped and went into producing affordable eurorack based modules and systems.
This latest controversy surrounds the source of design for the new BLUE ZTVCO. You might recall from the comments in this previous post, the design of that prototype module appeared to be a copy of Ian Fritz's Teezer (TZFM Saw VCO debuted Sep'08) design. Ian Fritz's modules are available via The Bride Chamber and Elby Designs.
In short:
1. Is the BLUE ZTVCO based on Ian Fritz's design?
2. If so, to what extent?
3. If so, is it legal?
4. If so, is it fair and does it matter?
The answer to 1 and 2 will not be known until someone gets a hand on the ZTVCO and reverse engineers it. I asked BL if he would be willing to provide the schematics to put the issue to rest and he replied no. He said people can reverse engineer it when it it's available and he is sure someone will. The answer to 3 is quite possibly so. There is currently a good thread on the subject on the electro-music.com forum here. The answer to 4 depends on you. My personal opinion is that it is not fair and it definitely does matter. Whether legal or not, I view it as stealing. These designs do not come out of thin air. They take time and talent and sometimes years to produce. You will see some insight on this in regards to Ian's Teezer design from him directly below. When someone makes their designs available, credit should be given.
The following is a response from Blue Lantern in regards to the claims made against him. The most important thing to read out of his points below is "3. This is not a clone, this vco is a beast in it's own cage."
LABELS/MORE:
bluelantern,
Bridechamber,
Cynthia,
DIY,
Featured,
Henry Wamsley,
Ian Fritz,
JH,
KRISP1,
MOTM,
renee schmitz,
Updates,
Video
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Electric Golem Live & New CD “Sky Snails"
The Electric Golem - STS Morrisville - 4-21-2011 - Part 1 of 2
YouTube Uploaded by KurtKarsin on May 26, 2011
"This video (Part 1 of 2) features The Electric Golem, an electronic improvisational synthesizer duo from Ithaca, NY. Here they are performing a piece titled "What Watson Doesn't Know" at Morrisville State College (NY) at the fifth annual Science, Technology and Society Symposium, titled "Technomusia: Science, Technology and Music" (more at www.morrisville.edu/sts). The program also featured Roy "Futureman" Wooten the synth drummer from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
The Electric Golem is composed of Trevor Pinch and James Spitznagel, who yield generative, modern psychedelic mindscapes thanks to Pinch's command of his Moog Prodigy and homemade modular synths, and Spitznagel's battery of similar devices like the Evolver, Mopho, Tenori-on, Nintendo DSi, iPod Touch, and Orb Sequencer. During his daylight hours, Pinch is Professor of Science and Technology Studies and Professor of Sociology at Cornell University, and the coauthor of perhaps the definitive book on synthesizer technology, Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer. Spitznagel is a true techno-polyglot, a digital computer artist, photographer, and sonic provocateur who has released all manners of twisted electronica on his Level Green imprint, and continues to raise the bar for circuit-based music as he craftily wrestles with the vagaries of tone, glitch, frequency, and pulsation."
The Electric Golem - STS Morrisville - 4-21-2011 - Part 2 of 2
via Trevor: "our new CD “Sky Snails" has just been released by Periphery records www.otperiphery.com [link]:
The CD was endorsed by our ginger cat, Mango, who loved Sky Snails – unfortunately the day after the record came out Mango vanished from this Earth!
Sky snails is also available on iTunes for downloading. It consists of three tunes: the melodic “What Watson Doesn’t Know”; the Space Noise medley, “Sky Snails Part One”; and the cosmic “Sky Snails Part Two”.
Shortly also to be released on Periphery is one track of our live collaboration with Macolm Cecil of Stevie Wonder and Tonto’s Expanding Headband fame. That CD comes out August 5
We plan a CD release party/concert on Saturday August 20 in Ithaca at The State of the Art Gallery – so mark that date in your diaries if you're in or near Ithaca
Meanwhile have a great summer. We are back in the studio working on our third album. And if you see a big ginger cat anywhere who likes electronic music please let me know! We miss him terribly!
Trevor"
YouTube Uploaded by KurtKarsin on May 26, 2011
"This video (Part 1 of 2) features The Electric Golem, an electronic improvisational synthesizer duo from Ithaca, NY. Here they are performing a piece titled "What Watson Doesn't Know" at Morrisville State College (NY) at the fifth annual Science, Technology and Society Symposium, titled "Technomusia: Science, Technology and Music" (more at www.morrisville.edu/sts). The program also featured Roy "Futureman" Wooten the synth drummer from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
The Electric Golem is composed of Trevor Pinch and James Spitznagel, who yield generative, modern psychedelic mindscapes thanks to Pinch's command of his Moog Prodigy and homemade modular synths, and Spitznagel's battery of similar devices like the Evolver, Mopho, Tenori-on, Nintendo DSi, iPod Touch, and Orb Sequencer. During his daylight hours, Pinch is Professor of Science and Technology Studies and Professor of Sociology at Cornell University, and the coauthor of perhaps the definitive book on synthesizer technology, Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer. Spitznagel is a true techno-polyglot, a digital computer artist, photographer, and sonic provocateur who has released all manners of twisted electronica on his Level Green imprint, and continues to raise the bar for circuit-based music as he craftily wrestles with the vagaries of tone, glitch, frequency, and pulsation."
The Electric Golem - STS Morrisville - 4-21-2011 - Part 2 of 2
via Trevor: "our new CD “Sky Snails" has just been released by Periphery records www.otperiphery.com [link]:The CD was endorsed by our ginger cat, Mango, who loved Sky Snails – unfortunately the day after the record came out Mango vanished from this Earth!
Sky snails is also available on iTunes for downloading. It consists of three tunes: the melodic “What Watson Doesn’t Know”; the Space Noise medley, “Sky Snails Part One”; and the cosmic “Sky Snails Part Two”.
Shortly also to be released on Periphery is one track of our live collaboration with Macolm Cecil of Stevie Wonder and Tonto’s Expanding Headband fame. That CD comes out August 5
We plan a CD release party/concert on Saturday August 20 in Ithaca at The State of the Art Gallery – so mark that date in your diaries if you're in or near Ithaca
Meanwhile have a great summer. We are back in the studio working on our third album. And if you see a big ginger cat anywhere who likes electronic music please let me know! We miss him terribly!
Trevor"
LABELS/MORE:
DIY,
DSI,
Featured,
Future Retro,
MOOG,
Nintendo,
Tenori-On,
Trevor Pinch,
Video,
Yamaha
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Trevor Pinch playing his home-built synthesizer
flickr By exakta(click for more)
"Trevor Pinch, a professor at Cornell University and the author of Analog Days, a documentation of the early days of electronic music, is shown here playing with an Ithaca, NY band on the Commons last may."
Be sure to see this post on Trevor Pinch's modular.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co. 40th Anniversary Concert
Sunday afternoon 2 PM July 26, 2009Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY [details]
"Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, makers of fine electronic music since 1969.
One of the first live synthesizer ensembles wasn't Tangerine Dream, but Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, led by composer David Borden. Mounting the stage with three massive Moog Modular synthesizers, they spun out their intricate cyclical melodies. We listen back to their now classic albums for this Ancient Echo."
On David Borden and Bog Moog"I didn’t realize Bob was using me as a test person until several months later when it was clear that I finally knew what I was doing. He explained that I helped in the research to idiot-proof the soon-to-be famous Moog Synthesizer. I had been chief idiot, which upon reflection, I enjoyed immensely."
Update via Inverse Room:
"A flickr set
They were playing David Borden's piece 'Viola Farber in Seven Movements,' which they also played at the Anniversary show a few months ago, among other things. Farber was a choreographer and dancer David knew and worked with; she was a founding member of the Merce Cunningham dance company and died in 1998. The show was accompanied by digitally altered video of her dances. The band is all playing Reason patches, running on Macbooks and an iMac and triggered by M-Audio controller keyboards; the patches are custom-made by David Borden, using various samples of other keyboards. At the last show they had a couple of analog synths in the mix as well, but this was a more stripped-down set, with the software only. They're not sequencing, it's all played live!"
Friday, January 16, 2009
Some History on the Development of the Moog Little Phatty
For whatever reason a thread cropped up on AH questioning Bob Moog's involvement with the Little Phatty and specifically whether he was involved at all. One, I remembered the project started when he became ill and two, core bits of the tech is based the Voyager! Even if he wasn't hands on, much of the technology that makes it what it is would still have come from him. I don't get it. That aside the following is an intersting insight to Bob Moog's involvment as well as the involvment of his team.
"Bob was completely involved in the genesis and design of the Little Phatty. He was actively working on the project when he became ill. He wired up the first prototype, which was built from a modified Voyager analog board wired directly to a panel of pots. The original idea was a stripped-down all analog two-oscillator performance synth, with a minimal but effective feature set and a knob per function on the panel. No MIDI, no patch memory.
This concept did not survive any opinion surveys, which all indicated that MIDI and memory were required features. Once we added a digital board to the design, the knob-per-function interface became too expensive to keep cost within our target for an inexpensive two-oscillator performance synth.
So, the final Little Phatty interface was conceived, using a knob per synth section rather than a knob per function. I believe this layout was conceived by Axel Hartmann. The Real Analog Control [RAC] system, where pots are both scanned for digital value and physically switched into the analog circuits which they are controlling, was conceived by Steve Dunnington.
So, Bob Moog brought the Little Phatty project into being, and shaped its original feature set. Most importantly for this project, he select Cyril Lance in particular to be his assistant/successor, after a very discriminating search. Cyril stepped in at the point when the project code-named "el P" was making the transition from all-analog to midi & memory, so he designed the Little Phatty digital board as one of his first projects for Moog Music. Prior to this, of course, Cyril had been a consulting engineer, a particle physicist (graduate of Cornell; same university as Dr. Moog), and of course a touring blues guitarist of some repute. Even though the digital board design was ultimately Cyril's, it was done in close reference to the digital board of the Voyager, which was rather similar to the digital board of a Memorymoog. As for the Little Phatty analogue board, it is comprised almost entirely of circuits taken directly from the Moog Voyager. The're the exact circuits Bob designed well before his untimely passing, simply configured for a different synth concept. The circuit layouts and corresponding component values for a given little subsection are generally identical between the Voyager and LP.
A notable exception is the Little Phatty's Overload circuit, which was designed and painstakingly tweaked by ear by Steve Dunnington. I think he did a good job with that circuit.
So, the LP has Bob's Voyager oscillators and Bob's Voyager envelopes (complete with quirks and circuit errors just like on the Voyager), the same implementation of the ladder filter (only times one instead of two), the same VCA design. An instrument is a whole The digital control, the RAC system, the panel layout, overload... these things were designed by other people, all of whom desired to continue Bob's legacy and to create a real, playable instrument that stood on its own merit. I should mention that the original Little Phatty firmware was written by Chuck Carlson, a programmer who had worked with both Moog and Buchla prior to working on the LP.
I have been the alpha tester for the Little Phatty firmware as it has developed, and I've gotten to make a suggestion or two along the way.
I'm writing this instead of getting sleep here at the NAMM show, so I'd better leave it there.
Hope this helps,
Amos"
Note Axel Hartmann also designed the interface for the Voyager, and a numbe of other synths. Check out this post for the list of synths. You might be surprised. He is the face of many of our modern day knob laden synths.
"Bob was completely involved in the genesis and design of the Little Phatty. He was actively working on the project when he became ill. He wired up the first prototype, which was built from a modified Voyager analog board wired directly to a panel of pots. The original idea was a stripped-down all analog two-oscillator performance synth, with a minimal but effective feature set and a knob per function on the panel. No MIDI, no patch memory.
This concept did not survive any opinion surveys, which all indicated that MIDI and memory were required features. Once we added a digital board to the design, the knob-per-function interface became too expensive to keep cost within our target for an inexpensive two-oscillator performance synth.
So, the final Little Phatty interface was conceived, using a knob per synth section rather than a knob per function. I believe this layout was conceived by Axel Hartmann. The Real Analog Control [RAC] system, where pots are both scanned for digital value and physically switched into the analog circuits which they are controlling, was conceived by Steve Dunnington.
So, Bob Moog brought the Little Phatty project into being, and shaped its original feature set. Most importantly for this project, he select Cyril Lance in particular to be his assistant/successor, after a very discriminating search. Cyril stepped in at the point when the project code-named "el P" was making the transition from all-analog to midi & memory, so he designed the Little Phatty digital board as one of his first projects for Moog Music. Prior to this, of course, Cyril had been a consulting engineer, a particle physicist (graduate of Cornell; same university as Dr. Moog), and of course a touring blues guitarist of some repute. Even though the digital board design was ultimately Cyril's, it was done in close reference to the digital board of the Voyager, which was rather similar to the digital board of a Memorymoog. As for the Little Phatty analogue board, it is comprised almost entirely of circuits taken directly from the Moog Voyager. The're the exact circuits Bob designed well before his untimely passing, simply configured for a different synth concept. The circuit layouts and corresponding component values for a given little subsection are generally identical between the Voyager and LP.
A notable exception is the Little Phatty's Overload circuit, which was designed and painstakingly tweaked by ear by Steve Dunnington. I think he did a good job with that circuit.
So, the LP has Bob's Voyager oscillators and Bob's Voyager envelopes (complete with quirks and circuit errors just like on the Voyager), the same implementation of the ladder filter (only times one instead of two), the same VCA design. An instrument is a whole The digital control, the RAC system, the panel layout, overload... these things were designed by other people, all of whom desired to continue Bob's legacy and to create a real, playable instrument that stood on its own merit. I should mention that the original Little Phatty firmware was written by Chuck Carlson, a programmer who had worked with both Moog and Buchla prior to working on the LP.
I have been the alpha tester for the Little Phatty firmware as it has developed, and I've gotten to make a suggestion or two along the way.
I'm writing this instead of getting sleep here at the NAMM show, so I'd better leave it there.
Hope this helps,
Amos"
Note Axel Hartmann also designed the interface for the Voyager, and a numbe of other synths. Check out this post for the list of synths. You might be surprised. He is the face of many of our modern day knob laden synths.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Rhythm Ring Official Demo (Cornell ECE 476 Final Project)
YouTube via blufiresw20.
"An interactive rhythm sequencer designed and built for ECE 476 (Microcontrollers) at Cornell University. Final report: http://www.blufiresoftware.com/tempor...
Please note that inspiration for this project draws from Peter Bennett's BeatBearing. "
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Moogfest 2007 in NYC -- featuring the first annual Moogfest Symposium
"Featuring an all-star lineup from the world of Moog
Greetings from the Bob Moog Foundation!
We have been hard at work all summer as we work towards our mission to document, celebrate & teach innovative thinking. On September 22, 2007 we will be traveling to Moogfest, an annual NYC event celebrating the musical legacy that continues through the instruments that Bob created. Check out Moogfest at moogfest.com and if you live in the NYC area, please join us for this very special tribute!
The Bob Moog Foundation has partnered with Moogfest to create the first annual Moogfest Symposium. At the Symposium, which takes place at 8pm on Thursday September 20, 2007 at Columbia University, luminaries in the field of electronic music will gather to discuss Bob’s legacy as it pertains to their own work and they will be taking questions from the audience. Symposium panel members include:
Herbert Deutsch – collaborator on the development of the first Moog synthesizer; composer, musician and performer; twice Chair of the Music Department at Hofstra University and former Director of Sales and Marketing at Moog Music, Inc.
Gershon Kingsley – musician and composer who led the Moog Quartet, which performed around the country and at Carnegie Hall. Best known for his catchy melody “Popcorn”, which is part of his “Music to Moog By” album, Mr. Kinglsey has recorded many Moog Albums, including “The In Sound From Way Out” with Jean-Jaques Perry and his most recent addition “God is a Moog”.
Joel Chadabe – composer, performer and pioneer in the development of interactive music systems. Mr. Chadabe has had a lifelong career in academia and has lectured, performed and recorded extensively. He is currently Professor Emeritus at State University of New York at Albany; Director of the Computer Music Studio at Manhattan School of Music Visiting Faculty at New York University. Joel is the President of the Electronic Music Foundation and the author of “Electric Sound: The Past and Promise of Electronic Music.”
John Eaton – Avant garde opera composer and performer and Professor Emeritus of Music Composition at the University of Chicago, where he taught for 10 years. He also taught at Indiana University (Bloomington) for 20. Mr. Eaton is a McArthur Fellow who, over a 20 year collaboration with Dr. Moog, created the Eaton-Moog Multi-Touch Sensitive Keyboard. He currently serves as the Composer and Artistic Director for the Pocket Opera Players, based in New York City.
David Borden – musician, composer and performer; played and tested early Moog Modulars in Bob Moog’s studio in Trumansburg, NY. Founder of Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece, the first Moog synthesizer ensemble. Retired Director of the Digital Music Program at Cornell University, where he taught for 37 years.
Trevor Pinch – Author of “Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Syntheziser” and professor and Chairperson of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell Univeristy.
Moogfest and the Bob Moog Foundation are proud and honored to be
sponsoring an event that pulls together Bob’s lifelong friends and colleagues and the vast amount of experiences and knowledge that they share. This promises to be a very special evening.
Please join us at:
Center Room
3rd Floor, Prentis Hall
632 West 125th Street
Columbia University
For directions online, please see:
http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/contact/index.html
For those of you who live in the New York City area, we hope to see you at the Symposium and at Moogfest. We’ll be checking in with the rest of you to let you know how it all went.
Until then-
The Bob Moog Foundation"
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Triple EMU VCF
image removed upon request.
via an anonymous reader:
"This unit was used by Cornell University's Psychology department for perceptual studies. Also used by its previous owner to generate vector waveforms for laser light shows.
Inside are all Emu sub-modules. It has 3 Emu Universal Audio Filters, 4 VCAs, a VCO and a noise / random signal generator.
The unit wasn't built very well and arrived complete broken. A lot of work, but it's all happening again. Ugly, but lots of sizzling filters :)"
Update via dougt in the comments:
"Yes the UAF is an amazing unique filter - incredibe resonance without oscillation. I have one in a home-made standalone box - link."
via an anonymous reader:
"This unit was used by Cornell University's Psychology department for perceptual studies. Also used by its previous owner to generate vector waveforms for laser light shows.
Inside are all Emu sub-modules. It has 3 Emu Universal Audio Filters, 4 VCAs, a VCO and a noise / random signal generator.
The unit wasn't built very well and arrived complete broken. A lot of work, but it's all happening again. Ugly, but lots of sizzling filters :)"
Update via dougt in the comments:
"Yes the UAF is an amazing unique filter - incredibe resonance without oscillation. I have one in a home-made standalone box - link."
Monday, August 21, 2006
Moment of Moog: A Time for Reflection
Such a great shot. Wish I was there. More from Moog Music:
"August 21st, 2006 is a difficult date for lovers of the synthesizer. It was one year ago on August 21st that Bob Moog, inventor of the synthesizer, passed away. This year, Moog Music is rallying the media world to honor the memory of Bob Moog with a special, 20-second “Moment of Moog.” During the Moog moment, Moog requests that radio stations and the online media play a short musical piece, recorded on one of Moog’s most famous inventions, the Minimoog® Voyager®. In doing this, the world of music will be paying tribute to one of the greatest legends in electronic musical instruments.
Radio Stations, Bloggers and Online Media Outlets, please download the Moment of Moog here. Join us by sharing this with your listening audience on August 21, 2006.
“Sometimes it feels as if he is still here; other times, he is sorely missed. One year ago his fate was sealed and the finality of his death certainly gave all of us pause. The ‘Moment of Moog’ is our way of honoring the tens of thousands of musicians who carry Bob’s legacy forward,” reflected Mike Adams, President, Moog Music.
Another organization is also set to honor and continue the Bob Moog legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation for Electronic Music will launch its Web presence on August 21st, 2006. The foundation will be online at www.bobmoogfoundation.org. The objectives of the Foundation are to create: endowed scholarships at University of North Carolina-Asheville, Berklee School of Music and Cornell University; a Memorial Museum in Moog’s name; an outreach/mentoring program that brings electronic music into disadvantaged schools; and to sponsor electronic music competitions and concerts that would foster innovation in the field.
Ken Soper, composer of the 'Moment of Moog' piece, said, 'These sounds remind me that Bob, like the Minimoog Voyager, is alive.'"
Indeed.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Moment of MOOG
Moog Urges ''Moment of Moog'' Throughout the World; In Addition, Foundation Launches Web Site to Continue the Moog Legacy
"Moment of Moog" audio file ASHEVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 2006--August 21st, 2006 is a difficult date for lovers of the synthesizer. It was one year ago on August 21st that Bob Moog, inventor of the synthesizer, passed away. This year, Moog Music is rallying the media world to honor the memory of Bob Moog with a special, 20-second "Moment of Moog." During the Moog moment, Moog requests that radio stations play a short musical piece, recorded on one of Moog's most famous inventions, the Minimoog(R) Voyager(R). (See MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE links or download from www.moogmusic.com.) [Here's the mp3] In doing this, the world of music will be paying tribute to one of the greatest legends in electronic musical instruments.
"Sometimes it feels as if he is still here; other times, he is sorely missed. One year ago his fate was sealed and the finality of his death certainly gave all of us pause. The 'Moment of Moog' is our way of honoring the tens of thousands of musicians who carry Bob's legacy forward," reflected Mike Adams, President, Moog Music.
Another organization is also set to honor and continue the Bob Moog legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation for Electronic Music will launch its Web presence on August 21st, 2006. The foundation will be online at www.moogfoundation.org. The objectives of the Foundation are to create: endowed scholarships at University of North Carolina-Asheville, Berklee School of Music and Cornell University; a Memorial Museum in Moog's name; an outreach/mentoring program that brings electronic music into disadvantaged schools; and to sponsor electronic music competitions and concerts that would foster innovation in the field.
Ken Soper, composer of the "Moment of Moog" piece, said, "These sounds remind me that Bob, like the Minimoog Voyager, is alive."
Moog Music and our customers carry on the legacy of Bob Moog, the inventor of the synthesizer. We design and manufacture electronic musical instruments with unlimited sonic possibilities, including Etherwave(R) theremins, Moogerfooger(R) effects modules, Minimoog(R) Voyager(R), Little Phatty(TM) synthesizers, and the Moog PianoBar(R). Founded by Robert Moog, Moog Music is located in Asheville, NC."
We all know he didn't invent the synthsizer. It's just annoying when they state that.
Some history on the synthesizer on wikipedia.
"Moment of Moog" audio file ASHEVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 2006--August 21st, 2006 is a difficult date for lovers of the synthesizer. It was one year ago on August 21st that Bob Moog, inventor of the synthesizer, passed away. This year, Moog Music is rallying the media world to honor the memory of Bob Moog with a special, 20-second "Moment of Moog." During the Moog moment, Moog requests that radio stations play a short musical piece, recorded on one of Moog's most famous inventions, the Minimoog(R) Voyager(R). (See MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE links or download from www.moogmusic.com.) [Here's the mp3] In doing this, the world of music will be paying tribute to one of the greatest legends in electronic musical instruments.
"Sometimes it feels as if he is still here; other times, he is sorely missed. One year ago his fate was sealed and the finality of his death certainly gave all of us pause. The 'Moment of Moog' is our way of honoring the tens of thousands of musicians who carry Bob's legacy forward," reflected Mike Adams, President, Moog Music.
Another organization is also set to honor and continue the Bob Moog legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation for Electronic Music will launch its Web presence on August 21st, 2006. The foundation will be online at www.moogfoundation.org. The objectives of the Foundation are to create: endowed scholarships at University of North Carolina-Asheville, Berklee School of Music and Cornell University; a Memorial Museum in Moog's name; an outreach/mentoring program that brings electronic music into disadvantaged schools; and to sponsor electronic music competitions and concerts that would foster innovation in the field.
Ken Soper, composer of the "Moment of Moog" piece, said, "These sounds remind me that Bob, like the Minimoog Voyager, is alive."
Moog Music and our customers carry on the legacy of Bob Moog, the inventor of the synthesizer. We design and manufacture electronic musical instruments with unlimited sonic possibilities, including Etherwave(R) theremins, Moogerfooger(R) effects modules, Minimoog(R) Voyager(R), Little Phatty(TM) synthesizers, and the Moog PianoBar(R). Founded by Robert Moog, Moog Music is located in Asheville, NC."
We all know he didn't invent the synthsizer. It's just annoying when they state that.
Some history on the synthesizer on wikipedia.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Moogfest and the Bob Moog Memorial Fund For Electronic Music
"During the event, Matt Moog, Bob Moog's son, announced the introduction of The Bob Moog Memorial Fund for Electronic Music. Created by Bob's family and friends, the Fund seeks to honor Bob's legacy as an electronic music pioneer and innovator by supporting important electronic musical projects. The Fund is currently supporting need-based scholarships at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, Berklee School of Music, and Cornell University; The Bob Moog Electronic Music Museum; and Electronic Music Outreach Programs to disadvantaged children."Title link takes you to the full press release on HC. Image via http://moogmusic.com/.
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© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
