"Born August 4th 1947 in Berlin, died April 26th 2022, was a german electronic pioneer, composer and musician. Schulze initially made his mark as a drummer, first with the group Psy Free, later with Tangerine Dream (he played on their first album "Electronic Meditation" before he quit) and Ash Ra Tempel (with Manuel Göttsching). In 1971 Schulze started a solo career as an electronic musician and released a couple of heavily experimental albums, 'Irrlicht' and 'Cyborg'. 1973's 'Cyborg' was the first release where he used a 'real' synthesizer, the legendary VCS 3 and later in the 70's he would record albums such as 'Moondawn', 'Mirage' and 'X' and embark on several tours, documented across a number of live albums.
In 1978 he set up the label Innovative Communication and the following year he also launched the pseudonym/project Richard Wahnfried. In the 1980's Schulze continued his hectic release schedule as well as recording several soundtracks and rebuilding his studio (he "went digital" in 1986). In summer 1983 Klaus Schulze 'sold' Innovative Communication.
In the 1990's Schulze recorded several electronic interpretations of works by classical composers (most notably Wagner) as well as collaborating with opera singers and other classical music performers on his own albums. He also started collaborating with German ambient/techno artist Pete Namlook in the series 'The Dark Side Of The Moog' on the latter's Fax label, and steered the Wahnfried project into a more modern techno- and trance-inspired direction.
Schulze '...passed away on April 26, 2022 at the age of 74 after a long disease but all of a sudden'. - statement from his social media pages."
You can find numerous posts mentioning Klaus Schulze over the years here. Below are a few better known performances featuring his work from early on to a more recent performance with Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard.
"A pioneer of electronic sound, Klaus Schulze and his contributions to the synthesizer community and modern music as we know it will continue to inspire for generations.
Thank you, Klaus, for showing the world how truly human electronic music can be.
This image was taken in Berlin in 1976 according to Till Kopper @realqwave. That would have made him 28 or 29 at the time depending on the month taken.
"MIDIbox SEQ V4 has reached beta state, let's celebrate this with a new demo!
[0:00] The electronic harp is played by Sculpture (part of Logic Audio) - a Physical Modelling Synth which I really like!
[0:00] MBSEQV4 plays the 16-step sequence with a new "step progression" feature: on each 4 step interval, the step is triggered twice. In addition, a customized groove template is applied on the velocity to accent the notes based on the master measure. This results into a more complex sequence which varies on each beat, but still sounds nice and not too random!
[0:01] to understand the "step progression" feature watch the GP LEDs - they are stopping each 4th step
[0:11] an Echo Fx is added with 64T delay. Note value is increased by +3 and forced to scale
[0:17] an additional VST synth is added which gets use of the new "step progression" feature as well
[0:21] Echo Fx: temporary increased to 6 repeats with +3 Note Value and +150% delay on each echo - let's scrub the harp!
[0:31] adding drums
[0:41] adding more synth lines, again with "step progression" to vary the sequence
[1:04] adding a chord sequence played by MIDIbox SID V2 (a typical arpeggio patch is used)
[1:48] probably you haven't noticed it due to the bad video quality, but I switched to another pattern which plays the electronic harp at C-3 on each step - the groove template is still enabled (boring?)
[2:05] now something completely different: a LFO is applied on the harp sequence with sine waveform and an interval of 4 steps. Force-to-Scale is enabled
[2:07] the LFO also sends a CC to Sculpture to vary the timbre.
[2:13] adding Echo Fx (1 repeat, 64ppqn delay, +150% tick) to this "modulated sequence"
[2:19] changing LFO waveform to Triangle
[2:31] changing LFO waveform to Sawtooth
[2:36] changing Echo Fx to 6 repeats
[2:46] slowly changing LFO the period to 16 steps (enjoy the change-over effects!)
[2:52] slowly changing LFO reset to 16 steps (enjoy the change-over effects!)
[3:00] changing LFO waveform to Sine, play drums again
[3:14] changing LFO waveform to Triangle
[3:21] changing CC offset of LFO
[3:33] unmuting the other instruments
[3:56] switching back to original sequence (my favourite moment ;-)
[4:16] muting/unmuting the toms...
[4:30] slowly muting the tracks
[4:40] thanks for listening! :-)
This track is the result of a rainy saturday afternoon."
"Moog Sub37 Prophet Rev Volca Drum Stretchweaver beats vocals live ambient electronic burial style beats and drums.
The mix you hear is as it was performed. No overdubs. The Sub37 and the Prophet Rev2 are going through the Strymon BigSky, and then into my computer via my GoldMike Pre-Amp. I applied a little multi-band compression and a limiter to the final stereo mix in post.
The track is titled 'Grey Lies' and is a work in progress.
The white noise you hear was sampled from the Sub37 and looped in the DAW. The bass tones are coming from the Moog Sub37 and into channel 1 of the stretch weaver - the melody loop sequence is coming from the Prophet Rev2 and into channel 2 of the stretchweaver. The stretchweaver is set to the tape setting, and as the bass opens up it controls the side-chain to the melody on the Prophet Rev2. The volca drum is playing the simple mid-kick pattern from the start, with some hi-hats coming in at the peak of the track. I created the burial style drum pattern in Cubase 11 Pro using various samples of rocks and stones, along with various kick drum layers. I took the vocal sample from an acapella on Youtube and re-arranged the pitch and the words to make my own melody and meaning.
Published on Dec 19, 2012 Tone2Audiosoftware·31 videos
Playlist (descriptions for the first 5 below - click through a video for the description on YouTube):
1. The Futuron expansion for RayBlaster
2. Analog for Saurus
3. Vocalic for ElectraX
4. Ambisphere for Rayblaster
5. Wavetables expansion for ElectraX
6. Top of the Clubs for Saurus
7. Dark Toxic for Saurus
8. Chiptunes for ElectraX
9. Dance & Trance for ElectraX
10. Morphing for ElectraX
11. Voltage! for ElectraX
12. Drums! for ElectraX
13. Vintage for ElectraX
14. Dance & Trance expansion for Gladiator2 (pt.2)
15. Dance & Trance expansion for Gladiator2 (pt.1)
16. The Electronic expansion for Gladiator2
17. State of Art expansion for Gladiator2
18. Progression for Gladiator2
19. Workstation for Gladiator2 (pt.1)
20. Workstation for Gladiator2 (pt.2)
21. Workstation for Gladiator2 (pt.3)
22. Abstracts for Firebird+ (pt.1)
23. Abstracts for Firebird+ (pt.2)
24. Electricity for Firebird+
25. Spectrals for Firebird+
26. Uniquity for Firebird+
1. The Futuron expansion for Rayblaster - http://tone2.com/html/futuron.html
"A little sketch of a song! Really just jamming on a progression I've had rolling around in my head the past few days. Thanks for listening! Feel free to post any questions or comments.
The Prophet 08 patch is pretty simple. Triangle waves in a stacked two-layer patch with the arpeggiator clock divide set to eighth notes on one layer and sixteenth notes on the other. I was playing with the Boomerang III looper's "reverse"' feature near the end.
Gear: DSI Prophet 08, Casio SK-1, Korg ER-1 MKII, Boomerang III Phrase Sampler, Boss RE-20 Space Echo, Mackie LM3204"
1. The Synthesis of Synthesis - "This is the introductory video for the Bob Moog Foundation/macProVideo series "The Foundation of Synthesis." In it, Marc Doty sets the stage for the intent of these videos, which is an integrative instruction which not only describes synthesizer function and operation, but also gives a historical foundation for the functionalities and their implementation."
2. The Synthesis of Synthesis- Sound - "No instruction in synthesis would be complete without some explanation of the physics of sound! This video is one of several videos which outline the physical principles upon which synthesis is based."
3. The Synthesis of Synthesis- The Hammond Novachord - "The progression of devices which led to the modern synthesizer is diverse and interesting. The Foundation of Synthesis covers a number of them which portray a progressive development. One of these synthesizer precursors was the Hammond Novachord, a tube- based keyboard device whose groundbreaking technology is still present in some synthesizers today. More than most, this proto-synthesizer resembled what we came to think of as the modern synthesizer."
4. Foundation of Synthesis- Oscillator Introduction - "The Foundation of Synthesis dives into synthesizer technology with the Oscillator— the origin of sound in synthesis! Marc leads us through the history of this device from its beginning— as a lightbulb!— to its implementation in electronic musical instruments."
5. Oscillators- Pulse Width Modulation - "Pulse Width Modulation is a pleasing aural effect generated by the voltage-controlled adjustment of the width of a square wave. In this Foundation of Synthesis video, Marc demonstrates this function on several classic synthesizers. The video includes an oscilloscope, which shows you exactly what is happening when the width of the square wave output of the oscillator is changed!"
6. Filter- Introduction - "In this part of the 3rd Tutorial of the Foundation of Synthesis, Marc outlines the history of the filter from its origin in the telephone to its application in electronic devices in order to give a firm understanding of how the filter came to be an important part of modern synthesizers. The filter is a function which removes harmonics from a sound. Since harmonics define the timbre of the sound, this is a fast and easy way to create new timbres."
7. Filter- Cutoff Control - "Adjustment of the cutoff point of the filter is such a popular process that it has spawned whole genres of music. In this video, Marc shows the sound and functionality of this particular aspect of the most popular module in the modern synthesizer."
8. Filter-Voyager Serial Resonance - "The Moog Voyager design of Bob Moog includes some unique and useful functionalities. In this video, Marc explores the dual-filter nature of the Moog Voyager by demonstrating some unique ways to apply its filter arrangement."
9. Control Voltage Explanation Part 1 - "For the average musician, control voltage is an abstract concept. Of all the aspects of synthesis, it seems to be the most confusing. In this video, Marc gives a straight-forward and easy-to-understand description of the functionality using concrete examples. With a firm grasp of control voltage, synthesis becomes considerably easier and fun!"
10. Control Voltage Explanation Part 2 - "Here is part two of a video where Marc gives a straight-forward and easy-to-understand description of the process and application of control voltage. With a firm grasp of control voltage, synthesis becomes considerably easier and fun!"
11. The Amp Introduction - "In this video, Marc gives us a basic history of what can be the least-exciting module in the modern synthesizer, but then goes on to show what can be done when this module includes a fair amount of functionality. The Amp is the last step in the synthesis process, and can give you a variety of power over the timbre you create!"
12. The ARP Envelope Follower - "The Envelope Follower is one of the most fun control functions to exist. It takes the amplitude of a given signal and converts it to a voltage. As the amplitude rises, the control voltage rises. This can be used to control any function in the synthesizer which can be controlled via control voltage... which, in an analog synth, is most of them! In this video, Marc gives a demonstration of this under-implemented synthesizer function using the ARP 2600."
13. Designing Timbres- Introduction - "This video introduces the "Designing Timbres" tutorial by explaining exactly what is going to happen within it. It features some of the music and synthesizers used in the rest of the tutorial."
14. Designing Timbres: Major/Minor Chord - "'It doesn't play chords!' -This is the complaint most heard in regard to monophonic analog synthesizers... but wait... if you have three oscillators and some awesome functionality like the Moog Voyager, there is an answer to this complaint. In this video, Marc shows you how you can generate a sort of controllable polyphony using the monophonic Moog Voyager!"
15. Designing Timbres: Duality - "In this video, Marc demonstrates the the functional benefit of a synthesizer like the Yamaha CS-15, which is essentially two different synthesizers stacked together. By altering settings in each division, interesting timbres can be created."
Performed live from Tool's studio Hollywood, CA by Jill Fraser, Shiro Fujioka, Peter Grenader, Thomas Klepper
Filming/Editing: K. David
Recording Engineer: Tim Dawson
Title Graphics: Hyejin Sunwoo
Produced, arranged and mixed by Peter Grenader
Morton Subotnick's seminal 1971 electronic work Sidewinder performed live at Tool's studio in Hollywood CA on March 26th, 2023 by Jill Fraser, Shiro Fujioka, Peter Grenader and Thomas Klepper, at the invitation of Joan LaBarbara, in celebration of his 90th birthday.
The idea of an adaptation of Sidewinder has been on the radar of zZyzx Society's Jill Fraser and Peter Grenader - both CalArts alumni who worked with Subotnick, for years. The process began with an abridged orchestration drafted by Peter Grenader, where the quartet was encouraged to both replicate his soundscapes and develop more interpretative timbres for the individual parts. With that, two general rules applied:
"Schtang & Aengus return for another live studio hardware jam. Changed direction and worked this introspective ambient jam with some rainforest flavours. This is part 1 of 2 installments, with the second taking on a more percussive and driving feel.
This is a slightly developed studio jam and shows us experimenting with soundscapes before progressing it into a solid piece in the second installment. Still discovering our synergy together and working at using instruments and effects that complement our playing style and taste.
Studio Talk:
The Microkorg offers the central melodic pad and some intermittent bass sounds gluing the composition together. It is being processed by the TC Electronic M300 multi effects unit to give it some more space and eloquence in the mix.
The Elektron Octatrack MKII sets the mood with some rainforest soundscapes and acts as an effects unit for the Moog Sub37
The Moog Sub37 provides a surreal arp which intermingles with the other sounds and creates the rhythmic driving element.
The Electribe 2 is the central hub and acts as the midi clock while also sequencing and processing the Korg Volca Keys.
Everything runs back into the Mackie VLZ4 2404 and all mixing was done via the console"
Schtang & Aengus - Alluvium Part 2 (Percussive Jam) ft. Octatrack mkii, E2, TR08, Sub37, Microkorg)
Published on Jan 18, 2018 Schtang
"The second installment of Alluvium by Schtang and Aengus. Picking things up from the ambience of Part 1 and developing it into a more refined and rhythmic performance.
Very excited at our progress and we will continue to post our music whether it's well crafted or not. Keen to hear how you think of our progress!
Studio yarn:
The TR-08 is the driving percussive element of the tune with its signature kicks and hats driving the progression and mood.
The Korg Microkorg adds some warmth with wide, luscious pads.
The Electribe 2 provides some backup percussive elements and sequences and processes the dark tones from the Volca Keys.
The Octatrack sets the mood for the piece with some atmospheric percussion and forest ambience.
The Sub37 provides the panning growling bass patch which shuffles in and out of the piece."
"A new Encore Electronics Frequency Shifter prompted me to patch the modular synthsizer for this piece. This consists of a single vco (Synthetic Soundlabs 1200) with PWM from a Segwencer and CGS dual LFO. The pulse wave goes direct to the Encore FS and the Up and Down outs are routed to the Modcan 73B Dual Delay. The Frequency Shifter has a cv input from a Yusynth voltage controlled Quadrature LFO to make the bowed or pulsing sound.
The pitch voltage is from a synthesizers.com Q960 and Q119 sequencer pair. The Q960 is run into the Q119's ADD INPUT and the Q119 is shifted every 16th division of the Q960 by way of an SSL TTLFO and Moon Modular 554 Octal Divider. The divider also sends sync timings to the 73B delay
A final mix of the outputs of the FS are routed to the studio mixer through a panner and each channel is split off to a Strymon Blue Sky reverb. A final pair of reverbs are the Lexicon MX200 and TC Electronic D-Two.
Recorded in Cubase 6 and video processed by Apple Final Cut Pro."
"The VCS 3 is quite often referred to as having the look of a scientific instrument. I guess in some ways it makes sense as EMS were explorers of sound and high technology at the time.
I decided to do something different from drones or sound effects this week so here's the outcome.
I first created sounds I liked then arranged the audio into something that had some kind of progression/musical sense to it. It has that 60's electronic music vibe and a bit more exploratory than maybe something you would put on your stereo for a quiet evening at home!"
"A live, semi-improvised track, performed entirely on the Elektron Octatrack MkII. Still in the island cabin, I decided to load some old stems into the Octatrack and see what happened.
Before I got into this all-hardware approach, I stalled out for years making fragments of songs in DAWs; it was really only the immediacy and performability of hardware that got me finishing electronic music with any regularity. So I thought I'd find something not too dusty and transfer it from DAW to DAWless. These are the results.
All the loops are my own, and made primarily with Maschine. Sounds come from a variety of Maschine-compatible formats, including Arturia's V Collection and the Korg Gadget series, as well as the Maschine sample library (the 808, in particular). The main loop of the song adheres pretty closely to my original DAW sketch.
But it's really the Octatrack that takes this from a sketch to a finished song. First, I created an entire second section with the Octatrack, a 'chorus' where the samples are chopped and pitched to a new progression. Second, and critically, I use the Octatrack's scenes to add variation to the samples, to progress through the song from a beginning to an ending, and of course to make things get wild and weird. Scenes are Octatrack magic.
Performed live and uploaded as is, with some limiting on the master (I used the Octatrack's master-level compression for most of the dynamics-shaping).
"For your consideration is a very rare Swarmatron 8 Oscillator FM Modulation Analog Ribbon Synthesizer. It is in excellent physical, and 100% operational condition. Please refer to the specs and description below. Payment via paypal to include $ 85.00 shipping in the Continental U.S. within 48 hours of auction end. Overseas or International shipping is set at $ 250.00
This is a synth like no other, eschewing conventional controls, nomenclature and even an ordinary on/off switch. Is it destined to become a cult classic?
via this auction "From the manual: The Omnichord system two by Suzuki makes it possible for you to sound like a pro, even if you've never played before. This electronic musicomputer provides you with the ultimate combination of musical instruments in a light-weight, portable and dynamic sounding package never before available.
Advanced microtechnology allows you to program all the background chords, rhythms, bass and drums to your favorite songs without knowing one note from another. And, as the background is played back automatically, you can add the melody line. The new Omnichord System Two can even be strummed like a guitar to add depth and expression to your music with the amazing SonicStings strumplate. Your pre-selected chrod is electronically matched to the 4 octave strumplate so you can actually strum any songs correct chord progression - just like a guitar! All of Omnichords functions can be used individually or in exciting combinations. There's no end to the music you can make! In just a few minutes you'll be playing guitar, organ, piano, bass and drums all at the same time! Imagine the music you'll make!"
"Experience the Electrifying Sound of Nathan Wilmarth's "Voltage Controlled Joy" – Winner of The DotCompetition 2023! 🎹🎶
Immerse yourself in the enthralling world of synthesizers as we present to you Nathan Wilmarth's award-winning performance of "Voltage Controlled Joy." This vibrant and innovative composition triumphed over all the other entries in the prestigious DotCompetition 2023, hosted by Synthesizers.com. Nathan's impressive mastery of Synthesizers.com modules manifests itself in this captivating piece, featuring an eclectic blend of electronic sounds and dynamic beats to deliver a truly mesmerizing auditory experience. 🎧🎚️
Dive deep into the intricacies of this multifaceted composition as we unravel how Nathan meticulously designed the enchanting soundscape: Driven by gates from the Q173, a drum loop breathes life into "Voltage Controlled Joy." The hi-hat, snare, and kick are jointly sculpted with a combination of Q173, Q110, Q107, Q157, Q156, Q112, Q109, Q108 and Q124 modules.
The hypnotic bass line stems from the Q169 #1 oscillator and employs the internal EG, further enhanced by the Q107A and Q158 modules. The lead/solo playing features the Q169 #2 oscillator with PWM from the internal LFO and runs through a Q150A and Q158, controlled by a Q179. An intricate arpeggio segment emanates from the Q175A module, while the Q174 Ch.2 manipulates the pitch to create a harmonious blend of polyphonic chords.
The Q960 sequence and its ratcheting effect are facilitated by a standard synth patch and a selection of modules, including the Q106, Q150A, Q109A, Q108, Q128, Q125, and Q963.
In addition, the Q119A plays a vital role in controlling the patch’s captivating progression.
Experience the magic of "Voltage Controlled Joy" and see why it emerged victorious at The DotCompetition 2023. Be sure to shop for Synthesizers.com modules to create your own show-stopping tunes!"
"After a long hiatus, it's SUPERBOOTH time again! We're excited to be in Berlin once more and present our latest developments. This time, we've got no less than 3 new Eurorack modules in the series! If you are attending the event, you can check them out for yourself at booth Z125 in the tent village, outside the FEZ Berlin venue. If not, read on below!
ENHANCE 2
Moving from mono to stereo sound: a logical progression for any synthesist looking to expand their sonic palette. Making use of two audio channels, rather than just one, quite literally adds another dimension to the capabilities of a synthesiser.
Unfortunately, controlling stereo signals can be a challenge within a modular system. This realisation led to the development of Enhance 2: a convenient yet high-fidelity tool for stereo enhancement.
The primary stereo parameters are balance (moving the sound left or right) and width (making it narrower or wider). In addition, tone control is provided by a pair of unique, wide-ranging mid/side voltage controlled tilt filters.
Apart from the internal tilt filters, mid/side outputs also enable external signal processing such as compression or reverberation. An integrated mid/side decoder returns the results back to standard stereo.
ORBIT 3
In everyday usage, 'chaos' means 'disorder, 'randomness'. In mathematics however, chaos has a very specific meaning. Chaos theory deals with systems exhibiting highly irregular behaviour, seemingly random yet completely deterministic.
Orbit 3 incorporates a modified electronic analogue of the classic double-scroll chaotic attractor. The voltages at each of the module’s outputs can be thought to describe the orbit of a particle through 3D space around two equilibrium points.
Not just limited to low frequency modulation use, Orbit 3 can operate in the audio frequency domain as well, yielding a variety of waveforms from its three complementary output pairs. These span a wide range, from near-sine waves to white noise. The addition of temperature compensation and calibrated pitch tracking makes for an unconventional and lively, yet also accurate audio oscillator.
STEP 8
Step 8 represents a new type of modular building block: a sequential tracking/sampling register, which can be configured to provide a variety of functions. These include sequencers, sequential switches, counters, analogue shift registers...
At its heart lies an analogue 1-to-8 signal switch feeding an octet of high-stability track/sample-and-hold stages. Each of these has its own analogue output with an attenuation slider, in addition to a gate output. LEDs visualise the status of each stage in real time. The switch can be controlled sequentially using the built-in 8-step counter, or addressed directly by an analogue control voltage (CV).
For those who are feeling adventurous, there are always more applications to try: configurable voltage mapper, hocketing controller, clock divider, graphic waveshaper, multi-output analogue downsampler...
"This is a live cinematic synthwave electronic music performance inspired by later Tangerine Dream music, where I wanted to setup a more meditative environment and create a slow musical progression by interweaving layers with the Eurorack, using the electric bass as a guitar type of instrument, providing bass from the Moog Grandmother, chords from the DSI OB-6, and texture from the ARP-2600, and more texture from the Buchla 208c Easel Command. This is an entirely live and unrehearsed improvised performance, and I included annotations to show some of what I'm thinking about and also to demonstrate the different musical themes weaving in and out of the texture Since I'm a film composer by trade, this came out relatively cinematic and would work in certain movie score settings. This is a very simple setup to make a big sound. I hope this is educational for you as well, in terms of how I put these performances together. Hopefully this camera angle also helps you learn something!
Patch Notes:
Eurorack:
Stillson Hammer running at x6 multiply but using 1:1 gate from 0-ctrl to make bass. Two envelopes, one to VCA, one to filter.
Tempi clock divider running two channels of Make Noise René. First channel is to Dixie II oscillator to Jove filter to Erberverb. Second is to Serge NTO to Serge VQVCF to Echophon. I'm using a x4 clock divider to the Y channel, which is 1:1 to the VCA gate, but I'm using the C channel gate to the filter, which creates an interesting rhythm.
"Film Composer / Synthesist Amin Bhatia announces the release of 'Virtuality', the long-awaited sequel to his synth orchestral epic 'The Interstellar Suite', on the anniversary of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog's birthday, May 23 2008.
The album is dedicated to Moog, who was a friend of the composer and is endorsed by the Bob Moog Foundation. Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director and daughter of the late Bob Moog says:
'My father's genius and passion was taking the synthesizer out of the laboratory and making synthesis accessible to musicians, and through them, to the world. Amin Bhatia’s 'Virtuality' is another fine example of that accessibility.'
True to Bhatia’s obsession with orchestral music and science fiction, the first half of the album explores the micro-universe that exists inside the computer. Titles like 'World Wide Web', 'Virus' and 'Second Life' portray aspects of our modern virtual world through music and sound design. Artwork was provided by the award winning digital artist Alexander Preuss.
The second half of the album features 'Bolero Electronica', a one-of-a-kind journey through 75 years of synthesizers through an innovative realization of Maurice Ravel’s 'Bolero'. In Bhatia’s version, instruments as early as the Ondes Martenot and Theremin begin the work, and the piece progresses through generations of synthesizers from Moog, Roland, Yamaha and others chronologically. The work builds in size and power decade by decade ending in present day virtual instruments and technologies. Guest artists include veteran keyboardists Steve Porcaro and Patrick Moraz. Many of the instruments used were from the Cantos Music Foundation. The album was recorded and mixed by award winning producers David Greene and Jeff Wolpert.
Bob Moog had been scheduled to provide a special feature narration track for “Bolero Electronica” but sadly that recording never happened. True to Bob’s mission to document, celebrate and teach innovative thinking, Amin instead employed noted synthesizer historian Mark Vail to create additional liner notes. The result is an illustrated guide which allows the listener to follow along stanza by stanza through Bhatia’s elaborate rendition, complete with a timeline chart of every synthesizer used.
'The Timeline of synthesizers in Bolero Electronica looks like the Moog Legacy to me and I only wish Dad were around to hear this project come to fruition', says Michelle. 'I think he would be delighted in the artistry Amin used to employ so many different instruments.'
Says Amin 'Electronic music to me is like animation. It’s a portrayal of reality through an innovative use of non-reality. When done right it creates beautifully animated images in the mind of the listener. And Bob was the greatest animator of them all.'
'Virtuality' will be released via CD and download on the anniversary of Bob Moog's birthday, May 23rd 2008. A portion of each sale will be donated to the Bob Moog Foundation."
My Notes:
I have been fortunate enough to listen to the CD in full. I have to say the experience of listening to "Bolero Electronica" while viewing the "Timeline of Synthesizers" is an extremely rare and satisfying treat. I literally could not stop smiling throughout the piece. I do not want to spoil this track for anyone, but let's just say there is nothing I have experienced quite like it. The intro delivers in a way that is simply beyond cool and it just keeps on giving. It is an absolutely brilliant composition for the synth enthusiast. Trust me, you will be able to appreciate this one like no one else. Be sure to click on the timeline image in this post.
If you know "Bolero," it is a piece that starts with just a few instruments and then builds with layered instruments into a triumphant finish. When you listen to "Bolero Electronica" and watch the timeline, you instantly make the connection and realize that this isn't just Bolero done with synths, but literally a redefinition of Bolero as the triumph of synthesizers over time. "Commercial synths" essentially began with MOOG, Buchla, EMS and eventually grew into the myriad of synths we have today. Click on the image in this post that looks like a track listing. That is the actual progression of the piece. When you listen to it, you can literally listen to the evolution of synthesizers over time. Utterly amazing. There are very few tracks that will go down as pivotal in the history of synths. I honestly believe this will be one of them considering what it conveys, the history it speaks. You simply have to hear it to experience it in full. You will find yourself going back to focus on different synths and sound evolution through time via synthesis. It is simply just brilliant.
The Making of The Interstellar Suite
Directed and produced by Byron Kent Wong
Additional Interviews directed by Saul Pincus
This 18-minute featurette of Amin Bhatia's epic album The Interstellar Suite features interviews with noted artists and engineers:
Steve Porcaro, Patrick Moraz
Frank Morrone, James Porteous, David Greene and Mark Vail
Roland’s esteemed president, the late Ikutaro Kakehashi
The Carolina Crowns Drum Corps!
and many others…
This video is a bonus feature from the The Interstellar Suite Anniversary Limited Edition
Remixed by Frank Morrone from the original multi-tracks.
Under exclusive license from Capitol Records, Inc.
Publishing Bhatia Music Inc.
DVD & Blu-ray Dual Pack and Companion Guide Book available only until May 7, 2017 at http://aminbhatia.com/is25mayday/
"Champaign, Illinois — October 21, 2015 — Kyma 7 now offers plug-and-play support for Roger Linn Design’s LinnStrument and other MPE-enabled MIDI instruments.
Kyma automatically puts the LinnStrument into MPE mode when you connect it via USB-MIDI or MIDI 5-pin DIN (or via your computer, using Delora Software’s Kyma Connect). Once connected, any keyboard-controlled Sound in Kyma automatically sets the polyphony and responds to the LinnStrument — no extra controllers are needed, and you don’t have to select a special mode on the LinnStrument — it’s literally, plug it in and play.
What is MPE?
Traditional MIDI note events have two dimensions — pitch and velocity — neither of which can be altered directly with the fingers once the key has gone down. But musicians performing with live electronics are driving the demand for new electronic instruments — instruments whose touch, reliability, sensitivity, and responsiveness can begin to approach those of traditional acoustic instruments.
Over the last 10-15 years, more and more instrument makers have sought to incorporate continuous control over pitch and velocity and to add a third dimension of continuous control: timbre. One of the earliest entries in this new category was the Continuum fingerboard from Haken Audio (which has had plug-and-play support in Kyma since 2001). More recently, Madrona Labs (Soundplane), Eigenlabs (Eigenharp), ROLI (Seaboard), and Roger Linn Design (LinnStrument) have been offering “keyboard-like” instruments that provide three dimensions of expressive, continuous control per finger.
But how is it possible to send these three-dimensional continuous polyphonic MIDI notes to a sound engine? Haken Audio first used a FireWire protocol before switching over to a proprietary, optimized MIDI protocol. Symbolic Sound and Madrona Labs used Open Sound Control (OSC) for Kyma Control and Soundplane, respectively. But the growing proliferation of new instruments and proprietary protocols was threatening to become a nightmare for soft-and-hardware synthesizer makers to support.
Enter software developer Geert Bevin who, in January of this year, started working with key industry professionals on a new, more expressive MIDI specification called MPE: Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression. The new MPE standard has already been implemented on Roger Linn Design’s LinnStrument, the Madrona Labs Soundplane, the ROLI Rise Seaboard, and several other instrument makers are currently in the process of adding an MPE-mode to their instruments.
With MPE, the music industry now has a standard protocol for communicating between expressive controllers and the sound hardware and software capable of sonically expressing the subtlety, responsiveness, and live interaction offered by these controllers.
Kyma — Interactive, responsive, and live
Kyma, with its legendary audio quality, vast synthesis codebase and deep access to detailed parameter control, is the ideal sound engine to pair with these new, more responsive controller interfaces for live expressive performance, and Symbolic Sound has a long history of working with instrument makers to provide tight, seamless integration and bi-directional communication between these new instruments and Kyma.
In addition to its graphical signal flow editor, file editors, and Sound Library, Kyma 7 also provides several environments in which you can create an instrument where the synthesis, processing, parameter-mapping, and even the mode of interaction can evolve over time during a performance:
In the Multigrid (displayed on the iPad during the video), you can switch instantly between sources, effects, and combinations of the two with no interruption in the audio signal. Perform live, inspired in the moment, with infinite combinatorial possibilities.
In the Kyma 7 Timeline you can slow down or stop the progression of time to synchronize your performance with other performers, with key events, or with features extracted from an audio signal during your performance.
Using the Tool you can create a state machine where input conditions trigger the evaluation of blocks of code (for example, the game-of-life displayed on the LinnStrument during the closing credits of the video is being controlled by a Tool).
Kyma also provides a realtime parameter language called Capytalk where you can make parameters depend on one another or control subsets of parameters algorithmically.
It’s easy to add a new parameter control, simply type in the desired controller name preceded by an exclamation point — a control is automatically created for you, and it even generates its own widget in a Virtual Control Surface which can be remapped to external controllers (through MIDI, 14-bit MIDI, or OSC). This makes it easy to augment your live MPE controllers with other MIDI and OSC controllers or with tablet controller apps.
System Requirements
Kyma 7.04
Symbolic Sound Paca or Pacarana
Computer requirements
Operating Systems:
Mac OS 10.6 or newer or
Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (SP1), Vista (SP2), XP (SP3)
Storage: ~1.7 GB
Memory: 1 GB or larger is recommended
Internet access is required
Availability
Kyma 7.04 is available today as a free update for Symbolic Sound customers who have a registered copy of Kyma 7.
Jean Michel Jarre launches a Music App EōN on the Web Summit
Published on Nov 7, 2019 servicesmobiles
"Jean Michel Jarre unveils infinite music app EōN - iOS app produces infinite, ever-evolving music composed by Jarre
- https://apps.apple.com/app/e%C5%8Dn-b..."
"EōN produces infinite, ever evolutive music, abundant in variations, composed by electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, accompanied by a constant progression of organic visuals.
Once you launch the EōN app, you can listen and watch a new infinite musical experience which has been designed to be absolutely unique for each listener, and always different each time you launch the app.
You can take this journey for as long as you want, the only limit is your device's battery!
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE ABOUT EōN:
« EON » is an ancient Greek God associated with Time & Eternity.
The « time » represented by EON is infinite and unbounded in the sense of « ages » and « forever ».
In cosmology, geology or astronomy, EON is often used in reference to a period of a billion years…
I named this project EōN, as it best defines exactly what it is – an infinite musical and visual creation, which offers each individual a unique experience on its primary support as an App: on each device, and on each launch of the EōN App, you will hear and see a unique ever-evolving orchestration of the music & the visuals. EōN is a never ending, never repetitive, organic art-piece that will live & grow forever in everyone’s own singular space-time continuum, at the tip of their finger.
Personally, I truly feel that EōN is probably one of my most exciting creative projects since Oxygene. I always wanted to create a music specific for each listener and which could constantly evolve. Here it is. EōN is conceived & composed for your own infinite journey.
I had a very clear idea of the organic, living visuals I wanted to accompany my music creation, and I was very lucky to have spent some time in Tokyo at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL) where I found Alexis André and his singular visual world. Sony CSL with Alexis have conceived and developed an algorithm generating the endless flow of ever-evolving graphics, which like the music is never ending, nor repetitive.
The algorithm and audio engine that orchestrates the music of the EōN App have been engineered by Alexis Zbik & Vianney Apreleff from BLEASS after we defined the rules of the system together.
CREDITS
Conceived & Composed by Jean-Michel Jarre
Digital graphics by Alexis André of Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL)
Music algorithms & audio engine powered by BLEASS
Produced by Aero Productions
Terms of Use: http://jeanmicheljarre.com/eon/terms-of-use"
"32-Key USB MIDI Controller Keyboard with 64 Step Polyphonic Sequencing, Chord and Arpeggiator Modes
The Behringer SWING gives you full control over any synthesizer or virtual instrument in your DAW via USB or MIDI. Featuring a 64-step sequencer with an 8-note polyphonic sequence combined with 32 compact-sized keys and pitch and modulation touch-strips provide unlimited ways to express yourself in a compact and portable package.
The SWING’s 32-compact-sized keys create a perfect balance between size and playability. The keys give you the ability to create more nuanced and colorful passages with velocity and after-touch functionality. Use the Pitch and Modulation touch-strips to add even more character to your music. Chord Play Mode allows you to play a chord with up to 16 notes with one single key for some really enchanting Trance music. The SWING also features a 64-step polyphonic sequencer so you can create any progression imaginable and even play over it. Switch to Arpeggiator mode and create an amazing string of notes that can sync to the clock of any device the SWING is connected to.
The Mode knob on the SWING can select up to 8 saved programs in Sequencer mode, while in Arpeggiator mode, you can select different playing orders such as up, down, inclusive, exclusive, random, note order, double up and double down modes. Select from 8 different time signatures with the Scale knob and adjust the tempo with the Tempo knob or the Tap button. Press the Record button to start recording a sequence. This also doubles as an Append button when holding down Shift. Use this along with the Stop/Clear Last button and you can edit your sequences and arpeggios on the fly.
Update: And a response from Arturia followed by Axel Hartman who designed the physical look of the Keystep:
Arturia:
"Hello everyone,
We have been informed on Sunday November the 22nd of the upcoming release of a new product called Swing, by Behringer.
This product is in no way the result of a partnership between Arturia and Behringer.
We have worked hard to create the _Step range. We have invested time and money to imagine, specify, develop, test and market the KeyStep. Along our distributors we have been evangelizing this product, placing it in stores, explaining it, servicing it.
Of course we accept competition, and would absolutely understand that Berhinger give their own interpretation of a small and smart controller that would also be a sequencer. Others do, we have no problem with that and see good for the customer, as well as for the industry, in fair competition.
But this is not fair competition here.
Coco Chanel once said: “If you want to be original, be ready to be copied”. So we could in a way consider the Swing as a compliment.
We could.
In any case, thank you, everyone who came out and supported us these past 36 hours! It's been very helpful, very much appreciated.
"I do feel the need to comment on the many postings I can find here @ Facebook in several places regarding my thoughts, feelings, but also the truth about the blunt Behringer copy of the Arturia key step.
Arturia and myself, aka my company design box are designing instruments, synthesizers, controllers, interfaces since many years. As industrial designer, I contribute mostly my services on the asthetical side of a product. This is true for almost all hardware products that you know from Arturia. In all cases, Arturia is buying my services - I never licensed any of the designs. Arturia always pays, and naturally owns the output of my work, that - by the way - is alway the result of an in-depth cooperation with their internal team of specialists.
Arturia and myself are working together since many years, and we share the deep desire of designing innovative products. I could never share any of the designs, that came out of that cooperation with any body else, legally not, and not from my personal high attitude in that regards. So anything, pointing in that direction is simply fake information. Neither the company Behringer, nor Uli himself have ever approached me with a request like that. And I would also never ever do something like that - I can not license anything that is not in my possession.
Personally, I feel sad, and am also upset about that sheer copy of a design, that I once created for, and together with Arturia, the team around Frederic Brun. These people have spent lots of efforts and great energy in building a brand and all that belongs to a brands assets. It is simply not right, somebody else is taking advantage of that hard work (which is not only true for Arturia, but for all great brands, that must see their most successful products being copied)
I do not understand (Uli) Behringer - with his huge company and the power of many great R&D teams - some of the best and most respected and innovative companies we know in our business, that Uli was able to simply buy in the past with his money. A product like that copy simply can not represent the core values of the people, he could convince to be part of his company. It is simply sad, and I can not understand that move (like many, it seems)."
And then there's the following mock-up from Atomic Shadow that pretty much sums it up:
Update via Wikipedia: "Music Tribe, formerly Music Group, is a holding company based in the City of Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.[2] It is chaired by Uli Behringer, founder of Behringer. Music Group rebranded to Music Tribe in December 2017.[3]...
In 2015, Music Group's portfolio included Midas, Klark Teknik, Behringer, Bugera, Eurocom, Turbosound, TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, Lake, Lab.gruppen, Tannoy, TC Applied Technologies and CoolAudio[6]"
"Since various magazines and Arturia have publicly called us out over the launch of our Swing MIDI Controller, we would like to respond and share some facts around the principles of competition and clear up some misconceptions.
Competition is a highly effective tool to drive innovation by empowering Customers to make their best choices and force manufacturers to constantly reinvent themselves. Innovation means progress and this happens on many levels, whether it relates to customer experience, functionality or cost efficiencies etc. There are 4 established marketing strategies: market leader, market challenger, market follower and market nichers. Here is a great article: https://aytm.com/blog/brand-positioning-for-a-competitive-edge-part-3/
The competition law was designed to avoid companies creating a market monopoly and stifle innovation, which would be detrimental to the rights of the Customers to expect better offerings. The law was specifically designed to encourage everyone to fiercely compete, even when it means over the same functionality and design, provided intellectual property such as utility (functional) and design patents as well as trademarks etc. are respected.
How many Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul clones are out there in the guitar world and how many SM58 clones are available? How many cars or mobile phones look alike? It is not surprising that Gibson recently lost a substantial legal case trying to prevent others from making V-shape guitars or Fender, who lost all trademark cases related to their Stratocaster design. The reason is simple: the law encourages competition and provides maximum freedom for companies to engage head-on, all for the benefit of the Customer.
We are spending large amounts of resources on innovation, which is reflected in products such as X32, XR18, Flow, DDM4000, etc. This made us the global market leader for analog and digital mixers and over the years we have built an extensive patent portfolio: https://community.musictribe.com/pages/intellectual-property However, we also clearly choose to follow successful brands and products, while adding more features and/or competing on price. Much of our innovation is invisible to the Customer as it relates to our highly advanced and automated design and manufacturing processes and for that we are spending hundreds of millions of US$. For this reason, we have become strategic partners with Microsoft, Siemens, Adobe and many other Tier 1 companies as we are pushing for extreme digitization and automation.
The follower marketing strategy is a very common business model in any industry, which is enabled by law to encourage competition. With our new Swing MIDI Controller, we followed an established concept, but of course wrote our own firmware with added functionality. However, these unique features will only come to life when we launch our free DAW.
The free Music Tribe DAW will form the heart of an incredible eco-system, where all our controllers, synthesizers and drum machines etc. will integrate seamlessly, thus dramatically improve connectivity and workflow. This will make it incredibly easy for our Customers to create, edit and share their music. Only our upcoming controllers will feature total integration with our synthesizers, drum machines, digital mixers and other Music Tribe equipment, while also offering standard functionality with all 3rd party products.
For anyone familiar with the industry landscape, Arturia has been cloned for years (Worlde MiniMidi, etc.), while the company has also been “borrowing” from others with their VST replicas of legendary hardware synths, open-source code from Mutable Instruments, the “Expressive Touche” controller or the registration of known “DX7” and “Synthi” marks. Equally, our own analog Xenyx mixers and many other products have been widely cloned. ¬We will absolutely continue to deliver innovative products but also follow our competitors as we expect our products to be cloned - fair play.
We are very cautious when it comes to our follower approach and employ expert intellectual property firms to ensure our products stay within the boundaries of the law; we are committed to never intentionally infringe on other companies’ intellectual property.
Many years ago, we were entangled in bitter lawsuits with Mackie and Pioneer, which we all won. But we also recently lost a case against Yamaha in China related to a simple fader knob design that involved a design patent we were unfortunately not aware of. We changed the design, we will pay the fees and move on. Notably, Yamaha themselves were sued by Dr. Dre over their headphone designs (https://www.cnet.com/news/dr-dre-sues-yamaha-over-headphones/) or entangled in other legal matters (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/musical-instrument-firms-to-pay-millions-after-breaking-competition-law), which clearly shows how competitive business is. The heated Apple versus Samsung disputes are a prime example.
It is our Purpose and Mission to empower Customers who don’t have deep pockets and provide them with the best possible equipment at fair prices. We do understand that we are a fierce competitor and at times controversial as we’re relentlessly push the envelope.
We would like to thank all our Customers who have supported us over the past 30 years. We are absolutely committed to continue to deliver the best possible products at the lowest possible cost."
"Born August 4th 1947 in Berlin, died April 26th 2022, was a german electronic pioneer, composer and musician. Schulze initially made his mark as a drummer, first with the group Psy Free, later with Tangerine Dream (he played on their first album "Electronic Meditation" before he quit) and Ash Ra Tempel (with Manuel Göttsching). In 1971 Schulze started a solo career as an electronic musician and released a couple of heavily experimental albums, 'Irrlicht' and 'Cyborg'. 1973's 'Cyborg' was the first release where he used a 'real' synthesizer, the legendary VCS 3 and later in the 70's he would record albums such as 'Moondawn', 'Mirage' and 'X' and embark on several tours, documented across a number of live albums.
