Mega Man X CHILL PENGUIN (Synth Cover)

video upload by Jeff Black

"Hi, my name is Jeff Black and I'm the keyboardist for the Intergalactic Power Metal band GLYPH. The Mega Man X series has some of my favorite music ever written--pure nostalgic bliss. Enjoy this modern take on CHILL PENGUIN using some analog synths in my home studio.

GEAR:
Oberheim TEO-5 (leads, arpeggios)
Sequential Prophet 6 (brass/strings pads)
Dreadbox Erebus monosynth (bass)
Alesis SR-16 drum machine
Arturia Keystep Pro (Sequencing)
GFI System Specular Tempus reverb/delay
RME Fireface UFX1 Interface

Mixed using Baby Audio, SSL, Brainworx and Isotope plugins."

Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold [Synth Version] (The Hobbit 1977)

video upload by Jeff Black

"'To wear a sword instead of a walking stick.' 'just once.'

Oberheim TEO-5 and Sequential Prophet 6. Additional reverb from Specular Tempus by GFI systems.

Dungeon Synth, Dark Ambient, Fantasy Synth, Fantasy Ambient"

Lisa Bella Donna's hidden sonic sanctuary

video upload by EarthQuakerDevices

"Join us as we take a detailed tour of Lisa Bella Donna's legendary home studio, Appalachian Recordings, deep in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States. Lisa is a longtime friend of Jamie Stillman’s since before the inception of EarthQuaker Devices in the early 90s, when they would play punk house shows together. Lisa is a renowned recording artist, composer, sound designer, modular synthesist and educator.

In this incredible episode of Show Us Your Junk, Lisa talks about her early inspirations that led her to start playing music, and eventually using electronic synthesis to craft the unique voice that she envisioned. After hearing Black Sabbath's “Paranoid” and Wendy Carlos's “Switched on Bach” and “Sonic Seasons,” it became clear that music was her destiny. Her stories include recording and editing commercial jingles in the 80s, selling her car to put a down payment on an Arp 2600 synthesizer, and discovering the rich characteristics of recording to 8-track tape.

While this studio packs in a ton of rare gear, Lisa claims she doesn’t consider herself a collector. “My choices are very utilitarian; pretty much everything in here is here for a purpose, and it’s part of the big picture - the great stream of what my albums become,” she says. Some of her staple instruments include the ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, ARP Omni, Mini Moog, and Fender Rhodes. EQD pedals she frequently uses include the Rainbow Machine, Arpanoid, and Grand Orbiter, but her favorite EQD pedal is the Avalanche Run. She loves it so much that she had a custom rack mount version built, which is patched directly to her main console. “It's one of my favorite reverbs still - one of my most used for sure.”

Lisa has an interesting perspective when it comes to connecting music to visual concepts in nature and her environment. “When I compose music, I see it just as much as I hear it. I look at my arrangements as landscapes or deep woods mountain paths with all the textures and colors of the elements that surround it,” she says. This all makes sense when you see the picturesque plot of land in which she chose to settle down to build her studio and raise her daughter.

Shot by Chris Tran, Jeff France, David Whited, Dannesh Moosa
Edited by David Whited
Additional footage shot by Tristan Whitney Weary
Music by Lisa Bella Donna, EYE, Deadsea

Music Provided by Lisa Bella Donna
'Turning Points'
'Twi Spirit, One Life'
'Kohoutek'
'Emerald's Run'
'Ascension'
'Pure Stereo Time Machine'
'Falling Leaves'

Special thanks to:
Moog Music Inc.
Waves Audio
Antonus Synthesizers
Hologram Electronics
Lower West Side Studio / Canada
Behind The Sky Records
SFI Records

Check out more of Lisa Bella Donna's work:
https://lisabelladonna.bandcamp.com/
https://lisabelladonna.com/"

CustomSynth Black Access Virus Snow

A custom black Access Virus Snow from Jeff Toman of CustomSynth. Scroll down for more pics.

The Access Virus Coal! Coal is black, get it? Sorry, I do try.

It does look nice!

You can find a ton of custom synth design work (and custom synth Ts) by CustomSynth in the archives here.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

CLICK FOR MORE »

New Esoteric Friend Triadex Muse VS Bahntier Random

Published on Apr 12, 2012 Creatures From the Black

"The Triadex Muse is a sequencer based synthesizer. It was produced in 1972. It was a deterministic event generator that used early digital integrated circuits to generate an audio output that could sound very musical. It was designed by Edward Fredkin and Marvin Minsky at MIT. It is an algorithmic music generator: it uses logic circuits to produce a sequence of notes based on the settings of various parameters. It has four small sliders that control Volume, Tempo, Pitch, and Fine Pitch. It is not known how many were made, but they are considered very collectable.
It was known to be used by the first wave of electronic musicians in the Philadelphia area in the late 70s. Users included: Charles Cohen, Lenny Seidman, Jeff Caine, George Keutemeyer, Rex X Ray and Stephan Spera, Paul Wozniki and the groups: Heavenside Layer, Ghostwriters, Watersports and The Orchestra of Philadelphia Electronic Musicians.
Muse was also used during the WXPN radio show Stars End by host Gino Wong in the fall of 1977.
The Muse is the subject of U. S. Patent 3610801.
For years, the Muse was a featured exhibit at the Museum of Science, Boston. The signage explained the device's algorithmic (and deterministic) approach to the creation of its seemingly random music. Far from being random, its preset "song" played continuously—and was even given a name, "Museum Musings," by the staff.
During her time as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies, Maryanne Amacher famously composed much of her 'eartone' music using the device given to her by Marvin Minsky."

CustomSynth Black Roland TR-909

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Professional custom paint and screen finish by Jeff at www.customsynth.co.uk.

Serviced by James Walker at Synth Repair Services in January 2014.

New power regulators, rubber feet and V4 operating system EPROM."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Sleepwalk Cinema - Apparition (Dance With Me)

Published on Aug 10, 2013 sleepwalkcinema·1 video

"A tribute to the year 1983.
Sleepwalk Cinema performs this song written by St!v Bators and Br!an James.

Actors: Jennifer Van Keuren and Bill McConnell
Wardrobe supervisor: Mono Lucero
Arrangement and audio production by Michael Lauter and Jeff Danos.
Video production and post: Michael Lauter and Griffith Morgan.

Note: All drums and the synth bass line were created with the DSI Tempest."

Sequential Circuits Prophet-VS at 2:13

----------

And the original:

The Lords Of The New Church - Dance With Me (1983) [HQ]
Published on Nov 16, 2012 Paralisis Nyc·192 videos

"Formed in 1982, the band comprised the punk pioneers Stiv Bators (The Dead Boys), Brian James (The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and Nick Turner (The Barracudas).

The band recorded three studio albums and one live album together before Bators ended the band onstage after a concert on 2 May 1989, at the London Astoria.

They had one surprise Top 40 hit in Canada in 1982 with the single "Open Your Eyes". A more contrived attempt to have a global hit with a parody cover version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" in 1985 proved less successful, but ironically remains one of the band's best known singles to date.

The band played a small, but important role in the film Tapeheads in 1988, with Bators playing a character called Garry "Dick Slammer" Fink.

The band's image blurred the lines of batcave rockers and glam punks such as Hanoi Rocks (vocalist Michael Monroe actually guested on one of the Lords' albums using the saxophone). For their album Is Nothing Sacred, Todd Rundgren collaborated on "Live for Today", a cover of a 1960s song by the Anglo-Italian band The Rokes (covered in English by The Grass Roots), producing and playing synthesizer. Their music was darker and more melodic than traditional punk.

Bators died after being struck by a car in Paris in 1990.

Founding members Brian James and Dave Tregunna reformed The Lords of the New Church in 2003 with the vocalist Adam Becvare of The LustKillers.

The lineup recorded the ten-song CD Hang On and toured Europe in spring that year. Becvare then resurrected Vancouver's The Black Halos in 2004, writing and recording two albums, Alive Without Control and We Are Not Alone, and touring internationally.

The Lords of the New Church fronted by Becvare continue to perform live and to write new material when Becvare is not touring with The LustKillers."

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"

DIY ELECTRONICS SYMPOSIUM: Workshops, Silver Apples with Malcolm Cecil on TONTO, Electric Golem with Trevor Pinch on DIY Modular

via Trevor Pinch: "This Saturday March 30 at Cornell Schwartz Center for The Performing Arts we are putting on a cool event which we are calling a 'DIY Electronics Music Symposium'. It will feature panel discussion on DIY electronics (starts 2pm), workshops where you can build your own gear, and a concert (starts 8pm) featuring, Silver Apples, Malcolm Cecil with TONTO, Electric Golem (with Trevor Pinch on DIY Modular [see this post]) plus more.

I know it's short notice but any synth heads in the area might want to check it out. As far as we can tell TONTO and Silver Apples have never been on the same bill together."

Details:

"DIY ELECTRONICS SYMPOSIUM:

SATURDAY MARCH 30
An afternoon and evening celebrating innovation in electronic media,
///TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER:
the legendary Simeon Coxe of Silver Apples and Malcolm Cecil of Tonto's Expanding Head Band,

The afternoon symposium will commence with a panel discussion led by Science and Technology Studies professor Trevor Pinch followed by demonstrations of various home made electronic instruments including the largest synthesizer in the world, The Original New Timbral Orchestra. Doctoral candidates Taylan Cihan (Music), Laewoo Kang (Information Science) and Owen Marshall (Science and Technology Studies) will then lead a DIY Electronics workshop allowing participants to create and keep their own small electronic instruments.

~challenge the politics of expertise~
~explore motivations for innovation~

In the evening from 8-11 a musical and visual 'happening' will be put on with Tonto's Expanding Headband, Silver Apples, The Electric Golem, First Atomic Lunar and more to perform.


__S_C_H__E__D__U__L__E_

2PM-3PM

Panel Discussion Chaired by Trevor Pinch
featuring: Malcolm Cecil, Simeon Coxe, Jeff Perkins, Park Doing.


3:30pm-5:30pm

DIY Electronics Workshop and Demonstrations
-Circuit hacking, bending and creating your own instruments from parts. All materials provided for limited number of participants
provided by Cornell Electroacoustic Center, led by Taylan Cihan, Owen Marshall, and Leo Kang

____________________________________

8PM-11PM
MULTIMEDIA PSYCHADELIC PERFORMANCE

*Silver Apples
*Tonto's Expanding Head Band
*Electric Golem
*First Atomic Lunar
*100% Black

feat DJ Andris Balins

Visual media provided by Jeff Perkins, Park Doing, Leo Kang

The events are free and open to the entire Cornell Community.
Contributions are encouraged to support opening acts.


Made possible by The Cornell Council for the Arts, The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center, The Society for the Humanities, The Science and Technology Studies Department, and the SAFC."

See the TONTO & Trevor Pinch labels below for more including videos and pics.

Black Jeans 'No Safety'

Black Jeans 'No Safety' from AMDISCS: Futures Reserve Label on Vimeo.

"from upcoming 'Black Tourmaline' LP (AMD010) coming 22nd February on exclusive marble-like texture vinyl.

Listen to Black Jeans 'Librarian' on ∜♡MDISCS 2K13 compilation here: http://bit.ly/UzcRbR
Listen to Black Jeans 'Lover' on ∜♡MDISCS: Futures Reserve Label soundcloud here: http://bit.ly/UM5v25

We are very happy to announce debut LP release by San Francisco based futuristic-synth-goth-bass producer Black Jeans (Russell Butler). The 'Black Tourmaline' LP has been in thorough preparation for over a year and now it va be spread above and beyond through shining light cast in the darkest corners of the shadows, raised within within elusive beat & bass tempos of a pulsating rapturous existence, beckoning its analogue desires. Rado Z. (∜♡MDISCS: Futures Reserve Label)

"Messenger from another world" - Dummy Mag

CLICK FOR MORE »

LYRICON II WIND SYNTHESIZER

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"This is a one owner 1970's Computone Lyricon II synthesizer. This is the full synth as opposed to the hand controller. the early model with black knobs and nickel keys. Dual oscillators, and in extremely good condition. Tested with both amp and headphones and everything works properly. It has never had a major repair and all maintenance over the years was done by Jeff Blankensop in Brooklyn. I bought it directly from Computone by mail in 1976 or '77. They only made a couple of hundred of these..."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Professor William Hoskins and His Mystery Moog

Pictured to the left is Professor William Hoskins (via). What you see there is not the mystery Moog, but his Moog modular system. This post is about another Moog synth, one most likely based on the Sonic VI. If you have any information on what this synth might be after reading this, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly. My contact info is on the bottom right of the site. I have already contacted Michelle Moog-Koussa and Brian Kehew author of Kaleidoscope Eyes A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper, as well as Trevor Pinch, author of Analog Days [Amazon hardcover & paperback, preview on Google books], and featured in this exclusive post. I also contacted James Husted of Synthwerks, George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular, Steven Jones of Synthwood, and Carbon111, all of whom know their synth history. None were familiar with what the synth might be.

The story: I was recently contacted by a Paul Rego with the following:

"I've been searching the Internet for over a year now and have not been able find a specific synth. Since you seem to know and work with every type of synth known, I thought I'd ask you...

Around 1973 - 1974, I took private synthesizer lessons at Jacksonville University (Florida). The instructor was Professor William Hoskins and the synth was a custom Studio Moog assembled by Professor Hoskins.

One day, Professor Hoskins showed me his personal, portable synthesizer. He brought out what looked like a brown suitcase. When he opened it, I saw a Moog Sonic VI.

This is nothing new. I've seen lots of images of this synth on the Internet. The one aspect of this particular synth, that I cannot find anywhere, is that it had a touch-sensitive keyboard. The keyboard was made of plastic and had a gray / brown color. Outlining the keys (showing the location of the 'white' and 'black' keys) was an almost medium blue color (about an eighth-inch thick). (He and I tinkered with this synth for about a half-hour to an hour.)

Professor Hoskins passed away several years ago, so I can't ask him about it. I did contact his family but they don't remember anything about this synth.

I do remember Professor Hoskins telling me that he and Bob Moog had 'gone to school together'. I think he was referring to electronics school but I never asked him more about it. I thought I had read somewhere that Professor Hoskins and Bob Moog had briefly worked together on a Sonic VI prototype but I don't know if that's true. (Even if what I saw was a prototype, someone has to own it now and should be proud enough of it to post some photos somewhere.)

I thought the background story might help in your own research on this.

Basically, I'd just like to know if this synth ever existed or am I just not remembering it correctly.

Thank you for your time and attention."

My first obvious guess considering the blue was the Buchla Music Easel or separate Buchla touchplate keyboard modded into the case of a Sonic VI. I sent Paul a couple of links to various images.

Paul replied: "the synth I saw didn't look like the Buchla Easel. Good call though.

The 'blue', which outlined the keys on the Sonic VI I saw was a bit lighter in color than the blue in your photos and maybe had a bit of green in it (closer to turquoise). There was no red or other color on the keyboard (that I can remember) and the entire keyboard seemed to be one piece of plastic with only the blue / green outlines separating the 'keys'.

I also read a story recently about the time when Musonics bought Moog and had a synth ('Sonic V'?) of their own, at that time, but I haven't research this too much yet. One thought I had was the synth I saw was something from Musonics but was never officially released (until it had the 'Moog' name placed on it). I'm pretty sure the synth I saw had the 'Moog' logo and the word 'Sonic VI'. (Not 100% sure but it seems clear in my memory.)"

I also sent Paul images of the EMS Synthi AKS. Paul replied it was the closest, but definitely not it.

I contacted Michelle Moog-Koussa and Brian Kehew to see if they knew of anything. Michelle replied: "...I can tell you that we have several of William Hoskins reel-to-reel tapes in the archives, so there was obviously a significant professional relationship between he and Bob.

I don't ever remember reading anything about the Sonic VI, but maybe Brian does. One thing I can tell you for sure is that Dad began working with John Eaton in 1970 on the Multi-Touch Sensitive keyboard [left via]. The main component of the MTS was the touch-sensitive keyboard, of course. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Dad would have used his work with John to push boundaries on another project."

Brian replied: "Bob didn't design or build the original Sonic V (from Musonics before they bought Moog) that was Gene Zumchak: The Sonic V did have a brown wood style. It's even unlikely Bob did much on the Sonic Six as it was the same thing with a new outer case.

The Sonic VI was the version Moog made in 1972 and later, in a plastic suitcase version. Many of these were made vs the very few Sonic V's. So one might think they saw a Sonic VI when it was the V (same front panel and features). But the brown suitcase and colored keys and touch sensitive thing are ALL unusual. I know a little about Prof Hoskins from the paperwork of the past, but no mention of this synth. Definitely unusual to have keys like that anywhere, anytime!" Followed by: "And there IS touch (velocity) sensitivity on Wendy Carlos' synth by 1971 for Clockwork Orange, but it's used under the normal keyboard. THIS velocity was very possible, but would not make the keys look different. Again - maybe a Sonic V was retrofitted with a cooler keyboard later in the 80s, but why not do so on a BETTER synth!?" :)

On a separate thread, Trevor Pinch got back to me with the following: "Bill Hoskins was important in that he was one of the first people David VanKouvering approached about minimoog reiail sales etc. I have a good album of his somewhere! I think he may have been Bob's favorite composer for a while.

I have no idea about the touch key board but I'm in touch with Gene Zumchak the guy who designed the Sonic Six, so I'll ask him. (I guess you know the joke that the Sonic Six was known by Moog engineers as the Chronic Sick!)

Actually its story might be kinda interesting - Zummy (as he is known) told me that it was made with 741 op amps and in many ways was more advanced than the minimoog.
Maybe it has had an unfair press. I never heard one or saw one for real."

James Husted sent me the image of Professor Hoskins at the top of this post. I sent it to Paul to see if maybe it brought back any memories that might help.

He replied: "The custom Moog modular in that photo is the same one I took lessons on. However, this is an early photo and when I saw that Moog modular, Professor Hoskins had already added a top layer to that cabinet — which included a Moog sequencer. (I have a photo of it, that I took around 1990, but the top part of the photo, showing the upper section, is cut off.)

The reason you didn't see Professor Hoskins' 'Sonic VI' is... I'm guessing that he didn't bring it to the university very often. When I saw it, I was at his home. He had invited me over one Saturday afternoon to see HIS custom Moog modular. It was in his garage, which he had made-over into a nice studio. It also had a two-manual organ, at least two reel-to-reel tape decks and LOTS of recording tape. Later, during that same session, he said 'There's something else I want to show you. Come inside.' We went into the living room and I sat on the couch. He said 'I'll be right back.' After about a minute, he came back carrying a brown 'suitcase'. He set it on the coffee table in front of me and sat down on the couch. He opened it up and... Whoa! I had never seen one of these and it was the first time I had seen a Ring Modulator!

---

I remember seeing Professor Hoskins play his Sonic VI during a live performance of his album 'Galactic Fantasy / Eastern Reflections'. The Jacksonville University orchestra played most of his composition but at one point his Sonic VI was brought out and he played it while at center stage. I could see it clearly from my seat but, of course, I could only see the back of it, which simply looked like the back of a brown suitcase.

---

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Since I think this is important, I thought I'd try to recreate the 'Sonic VI' I think I saw. I 'Photoshopped' a production Sonic VI and attached it to this message. It's the best image of what I think I saw.

Modifying the image forced my memory to go into more detail. Here's what I'm fairly certain of:

• The outer color of the "suitcase" was almost dark brown.

• The outer shape was more square than the production Sonic VI.

• The thickness of the top and bottom sections was thicker than the production Sonic VI model.

• The keyboard was made of slightly textured plastic, otherwise completely flat, was brown / gray in color and had a vibrant blue outline between the keys. (I'm not 100% sure if the "black" keys were outlined or solid blue.)

• The background color of the back panel and the area surrounding the keyboard was almost dark brown. It looked like it was made out of either pressed cardboard or thin wood. It really reminded me more of the thin 'wood' used in old, tube televisions and radios (during the 1960s).

What I'm not 'fairly sure' of:

• I can't remember if it had a Mod Wheel.

• I think there was more space between the modules.

• I think it had two speakers (placed on the left and right side of the back panel). Each might have been the size of the center speaker-grill in my photo.

• I can't remember if there were any connectors, switches or knobs on the keyboard section."

Update: via Aaron aka theglyph in the comments: "Holy shit! That's the guy from JU. There was an electronics repair/pawn shop here in Jacksonville called Active Electronics that had a bunch of synths back in 90's. The owner had a sign in the store explicitly stating that the synths were not for sale and that customers were not allowed to walk up and look at them or touch them. I walked in day and walked close enough to notice that the MiniMoogs had very low serial #'s. It wasn't until I read Analog Days that I found out that the earliest Mini were sold here in Jacksonville. There so much more to this story that I don't know where to begin but I can say that I did an obscure Moog at the store that I've never seen photographed since and I simply thought I was loosing my mind recollecting it. WOW!

Cheers,
theglyph"

Update: Above, Brian originally mentioned Bill Hemsath as the person that designed the Sonic V. He meant to say Gene Zumchak. This has been updated.

Updates: via Dorothy in the comments:
"HI, as a Hoskins kid, I watched Dad perform on the synthesizer and I know we had the Sonic but I thought it was a "V". Dad had several custom modules built for him by Bob Moog. They were friends but didn't go to school together -- Dad went to Trumansburg NY to work with Bob on the synthesizer that they got for Jacksonville University (in 1969, I think). I will have to go digging in the Will Hoskins letters that I have. Those of you who knew Dad know that he was very meticulous about writing up the components that he bought and what they were for.
Late in Dad's life, when he was basically letting go of most composing effort except for revising existing scores, Bob helped Dad find a collector (in Germany, as I recall), who bought all of Dad's big home synthesizer. I think some of the smaller units were in the hands of Steve Smith, who was Dad's right-hand man at the JU studio for some years. Whatever happened to them, I don't think Dad would have cared as long as someone was using them to create music. He wouldn't have collected synthesizers as museum pieces, he actively used everything he got from Moog until he was ready to let it go."

Followed by: "BTW, that last time I spoke to Bob Moog was after Dad died, when Bob came to Rochester NY http://www.esm.rochester.edu/news/?id=132 which is near where I live now. Bob spoke very fondly of working with Dad, because Dad cared as much about the science of music synthesis as any composer Bob knew. Dad did some work with him on modulators and other components for JU and the Hoskins home studio."

Followed by: "Hoskins synth photo --not a Sonic -- in news article 1970 [link]"

Update 6/6/2010:

Some more interesting bits of Moog history:

Trevor Pinch checked with Gene Zumchak who had the following to say:

"I am not aware of a touch sensitive keyboard on the Sonic V or 6. It did have a two-note keyboard and the highest key pressed and lowest pressed could be routed to Osc 1 and Osc 2.

They removed the keyswitch bus and superimposed a highpitch (100KHz?) tone on the voltage string. This might have been the source of a whine that some users complained about that wasn't present in the Sonic V."

via Josh Brandt: 'Okay, I did hear back from David Mash [VP of IT at Berklee and friend of Bob Moog], who says that the story he was telling me several years ago was about a keyboard Bob was building for John Eaton. I asked about the story he'd told me and if the pictures you posted could be of the instrument he'd been talking about, and he said:

"The story I was no doubt telling was definitely about the keyboard Bob built for John Eaton [middle pic above]. Bob was going to show us the completed instrument (which my friends Jeff Tripp and Paul Derocco helped complete), but we never got to see it due to the way the conversation turned over dinner. I did see the instrument several times during the design/build stages and again later after it was complete.

The keyboard was simply a controller and not a synth, so definitely not the portable synth the blog is referring to. I know Brian, and was involved briefly with him and a bit more with Michelle Moog on the NAMM Museum exhibit, and they used a couple of my photos for the exhibit. They're great people and working hard to preserve Bob's legacy.'"

Update via WmJHeart in the comments:

"Thanks Matrix, for hosting this page. I own a copy of Will's Galactic Fantasy & Eastern Reflections (my personal favorite) recording on vinyl. But I also discovered and listened to the entire album on YouTube recently! Here:"

Galactic Fantasy - Eastern Reflections (1979)[Full Album]

Published on Jul 12, 2017 TheHomecoming

"Rare electronic/synth/moog private pressing LP

TITLE 'Galactic Fantasy - Eastern Reflections'

William Hoskins, "Galactic Fantasy, Eastern Reflections" [CP-158]
TRACK 01 AUDIO TITLE "Overture : Stars Are Suns" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO TITLE "Intermezzo : Interplanetary Communique" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 06:39
TRACK 03 AUDIO TITLE "Star Nocturne" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 08:11
TRACK 04 AUDIO TITLE "Scherzo : Comets" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 16:35
TRACK 05 AUDIO TITLE "Beyond Beyond" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 18:54
TRACK 06 AUDIO TITLE "Prolog : Theme and Variation" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 23:40
TRACK 07 AUDIO TITLE "Lower Heterophonie" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 27:55
TRACK 08 AUDIO TITLE "Song : Open Skies" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 31:22
TRACK 09 AUDIO TITLE "Drum Chime" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 35:28
TRACK 10 AUDIO TITLE "Upper Heterophonie" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 39:41
TRACK 11 AUDIO TITLE "Epilog : Processional" PERFORMER "William Hoskins" INDEX 01 41:30

A1
Overture: Stars Are Suns
A2
Intermezzo: Interplanetary Communique
A3
Star Nocturne
A4
Scherzo: Comets
A5
Beyond Beyond: An Entropy Study
A6
Eastern Reflections
Eastern Reflections
B1
Prolog: Theme and Variation
B2
Lower Heterophonie
B3
Song: Open Skies
B4
Drum Chime
B5
Upper Heterophonie
B6
Epilog: Processional

Criminally under-rated set of Early American Moog Modular Synthesizer Music - the sole release by composer William Hoskins, the 'Director of Electronic Music and Composer-in-Residence at Jacksonville University in Florida.' Issued in 1979 by the Harriman, NY-based Spectrum - a 'Division of UNI-PRO Recordings, Inc.' the LP consists of a pair of discrete pieces, with each taking up a side of its own."

Update via Kimberly S Beasley in the comments:

"Hello, everyone. I am the current chair of the Department of Music at Jacksonville University and I have the original Sonic VI manuals and one of Hoskin's Moogs....happy to share photos tomorrow."

Kimberly sent in the images with the following:

"This has been in the possession of our Professor Emeritus Dr. William Schirmer as it was given to him by Hoskins. Hoskins' granddaughter Dorothy is also aware of the instrument. We also have a large collection of manuscripts of Hoskins.

There is also a mini-Moog we just refurbished in our recording studio."

You can see WM. Hoskins written on the top right of the manual. Note "Home Copy" on the blue cover. It's kind of neat to think of him perusing through the manual in the comfort of his home.

Solvent improv #2 - Electro Acid w/Modcan, 808, x0xb0x,...

YouTube via s0LVentCIty. part 1 here

"Hi - my name is Jason Amm and I release melodic electro(nica) music under the artist name Solvent, for labels including Ghostly International, Morr Music, and Suction Records.

You can check my music via: solventcity.com
myspace.com/solventcity

Here is video #2. This time, the video is much worse, but the audio was recorded from the mixer, so it's much higher quality. I also think this track is much better... I'm pretty happy with this track myself, and will likely edit it down and release it at some point. Mind, this is only the first 10 minutes of a 45+ minute long improv!

An explanation of the video: I was so immersed in this little jam session, that it didn't even occur to me - before pressing REC on the video camera - that I was still in my pajamas. So what I've blacked out is basically me pulling up my pajamas every 30 seconds. It may look like I've blacked out some of what I'm doing on the gear, but everything on that side of the screen was blocked by me anyways, so not really. That cheesy electricity effect is also there to distract during a section where I enter the frame.

So, sorry about the video... this one's mainly about the music.

OK so here is a melodic electro acid improv. The Doepfer Regelwerk is the master clock, and is sequencing 2 synth parts on the Modcan.

The Regelwerk does have CV/Gates built in (8 of each!), but in this case I used a Midi out into a 4-channel Midi-to-CV module (an MOTM-650, the only non-Modcan module in there). I am muting/un-muting these Modcan parts on the fly via the Regelwerk, which you can't see... But if you look closely at that black Modcan module, you can see the lights blinking to indicate when sequences are start/stopping.

The bass sound is 2 or 3 VCOs, with the Multi-Mode VCF (a killer filter IMO!). I'm doing a lot of tweaking on a dual-mixer module: 1 side is for the VCO levels, the other side is for different outputs from the Multi-Mode VCF - combining LP with BP, Notch, etc gives a lot of diversity to the sound.

The other synth part is 1 VCO + 1 MinWave, into the EMS-style Diode filter.

All of the delay you hear is from the Modcan SuperDelay module, which is probably my favorite module in the whole system... Wow.

The Regelwerk also has DIN-sync out, so that's how the 808 is being synced. x0xb0x sequencer is receiving Regel's MIDI-clock. My x0xb0x is heavily modded, and what you'll notice me doing a lot is switching on/off a mod which keeps the VCA open.

Modcan's sequencer is clocked via an 808 trigger. The main thing that it's doing is sequencing that occasional white noise pattern that comes in occasionally, which was Noise into the Frequency Shifter module, and then some VCF, don't rem which one.

BTW, the Modcan isn't mine, unfortunately! I had it on loan from a guy named Jeff, who makes really nice music under the name Minisystem (myspace.com/minisystem)."

Judi Chicago - Fun City

Judi Chicago - Fun City from Judi Chicago on Vimeo.

Some synth spotting via Travis: "if you look closely in the back you'll see an mg1, and my serge modular clone."
http://www.judichicago.com
http://www.myspace.com/judichicago
http://www.recompas.com
http://voiceofsaturn.blogspot.com

Video details:
"Whynatte & Esperanza Present
Fun City with Judi Chicago
The Glenn Hotel
Saturday September 26th 2009
110 Marietta Street Atlanta GA 30303
9 PM / FREE / 21 +
Throw on your shiniest spandex suit and saddle up your sphinx! Whynatte & Esperanza have joined forces with the best in show to bring to you Judi Chicago's Fun City Single Release & Video Premier Party at The Glenn Hotel Saturday September 26th. This is a free ride to Fun City. Two floors of fun. Special live performances by Judi Chicago and Social Studies. DJ Sets by Jeff Myers, AustinIsNoRobot, Black Dominoes, and Noot d' Noot." more details and links at Vimeo.

Synth Stories

A thread by Ralph of insidemyOSCar went up on the Analogue Heaven mailing list asking people to share their funny synth stories. Here are my two entries, followed by a funny one from customsynth.co.uk. If you have any feel free to send them in and I'll update this post. I'll also add this to the More Stuff section towards the bottom right of the site.

My stories:
Several years back I went to Maui. I set my wife up with expectations that we would hit every single pawn shop while there. We never got around to it until the last day when we were partially sunburnt and just plain beat. I convince my wife to trek around the island. Over two hours of hitting pawn shops with nothing but jewelry we give up. On the way back to the hotel I see one. I ask her if we can go in and she says hell no. I then see a Taco Bell right next to it and realize its about lunch time and we are pretty hungry. I say how about Taco Bell? :) I manage to get us a quick look in the pawn shop and sitting in the back I see a beige drum machine. I think, no, it can't be. I'm thinking it's probably just a TR-707, but when I get up to it, it's the 909. I pick it up and aside from being dusty it's in prestine condition. I see a few amps and ask if I can try it out. They go searching for a cable for about 15 minutes and can't find one. I'm thinking maybe it's busted, but I look for a price and see a little sticker on it. 220, no $. I think, no way... that can't be the price. I ask someone and it happens to be the owner of the shop. I shout accross the room "is 220 the price?!" The response? Oh, I can take $30 off of it! I whip out my credit card. Cash only. I have no cash. I ask him if there is an ATM near by. He says there's one accross the street, but he's closing shop as he has a movie to catch. He suggests the next day, but my plane leaves before they open. I ask him to give me five minutes. I run accross the street (think hwy/mini freeway), get the cash and run back. I get back and I see him locking up the doors. I get that sinking feeling in my stomach. He turns around and he has the 909! I pay for it and head back to the hotel. It's in pristine condition both cosmetically and functionally.

Another story, this one short. I went to a local guitar center and they had a Pro-One sitting there. I ask them if I can try it out and the guy says yes but it's broken - one note just hangs. Their tech looked at it and couldn't figure it out. I buy it for $125, take it home, open it up and bend a j-wire so it isn't in constant contact with the bar. Worked perfectly after that. :)


customsynth.co.uk
"the sh09 and sixtrak i found in a farmers barn , covered in hay and i mouse nest in the sixtrak was an interesting find , both were just rust buckets , but looked great chromed , and the sh black and orange , both are on my home page ,
jeff : )"

Update: see the comments for more. I also added a link to the More Stuff section twoards the bottom right of the site.

EML Electrocomp 100

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.


via this auction

There's a cat in the bunch. As always, if you are going to bid on this stuff, be careful. This one is Money Order only.

Update1 via cornutt in the comments:
"Info on the EML 100 is surprisingly hard to find, compared to its better-known cousin, the 101. Here's a link to an email chain that discusses some of the differences. The 100 is actually a lot more rare than the 101."

Update2 via Laurie Spiegel in the comments; "Hi Matrix. The guy running that auction is in error. I've sent him messages saying the 200 was before the 100 but he doesn't believe me and won't change it. I want to correct the choronology before this misinfo spreads any further because once something's all over the net it's forever.

According to the 1st edition of Mark Vaile's book (the edition I happen to have here) the 200 dates from 1969, and the 100 came out in 1971. Mark gives 2 dates for the 200: 1969 on p. 128 and 1972 on p. 129. The p. 129 date was a typo.

I am just about certain from my own experience that the 100, with its black and white keyboard, was released after the 200 purely modular model and its Model 300 Controller. I visited EML in CT a couple of times and their eariler products were meant to be marketed for educational use, not live performance. Also I've owned a 100, a 200 and a 300 since the early 1970s and IMHO the 200 has a just plain older feel and style and concept.

Though my memory for specific dates may be a bit fuzzy 4 decades later, my paper records show I was hired in fall 1970 to teach at a college that had an Electrocomp studio based on the 200 modular synth its 300 controller.

If anyone has any info that differs from what I've written here, please post it. It was a long time ago.

Thanks again for a great site Matrix,

- Laurie Spiegel"

Peter Forrest's A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers confirms the order as well, although he has the 100 starting in 1970 vs. 1971. According to that book, the 200 came out in 1969 (1969 - 1980) and the 100 in 1970 (1970 - 1972). Regardless, the order is 200 followed by 100. Both books are listed in the Synth Books section.

Update3 via Sasha. The verdict is still out:

"I ran across some background info on the Electrocomp 100 from Christopher Landers who was a famous newscaster back in the day. Thought you might be interested as it seems to suggest that the EML100 was the first synth in the line and that the separate modules came later (as opposed to what Laurie Spiegel is saying here: http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2006/11/eml-electrocomp-100.html ). He said it would be ok to post this info and quote him.

I got mine directly from Walter Sear when I was in high school (I worked at his studio in NYC and was in the room when Keith Emerson was being taught how to work his new Moog C3). Sear had been working with Moog in a business deal until Moog brought in Musonics and Sear split. At that point, Sear found the EML guys in nearby CT and had them create a box that could take on Mini-Moog ...but with the two note deal. The Electrocomp thus became the first "polyphonic" synth--using the top and bottom notes played on the keyboard so the oscillators knew what command to carry out--and also the first device to use IC's. I believe it was later that EML came up with a "box" without a keyboard. I should mention here that Bob Moog, while being the exceptional engineer that he was ...with the higher invention of "voltage control" that permeated many more electronics systems than simply synths (such as medical devices). It was Sear who suggested using a keyboard controller (Moog was set on a resistance strip, which also showed up sitting on top of keyboards for a while). Controllers, back in those days, were the holy grail. It was Sear who experimenting early with the guitar controller. As he related to me: "We can control an oscillator with almost any instrument because we can determine what frequency the controller is making and send that information to the oscillator; the problem with the guitar and other stringed instruments is multiple strings. A guitar has six strings and you can have six oscillators but, which oscillator plays in reponse to which string?" Is that great or what?

Best, Sasha"

Update4 via mr.scappy in the comments: "I have a 100 and a blue-face 200, and each has a different address for EML screen-printed on the control panel. Both list P.O. Box H, but the 100 has the city address as Talcottville, CT, 06080, and the blue-face 200 has the address at Vernon, CT 06066. (Today the 06080 zip is specific only to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution. Interesting.)

All of my literature for EML synths shows the Vernon address, and the EML-100 is not included among the synths shown. Perhaps the 100 was built at the Talcottville location and all others at the Vernon location? This would seem to place the 100 first in line. Just a thought."

Update5: Sasha contacted Jeff Bachiochi who worked for EML. Here is what he had to say:

"If I'm not mistaken the 100 was the first keyboard synthy that EML produced but not the first synthesizer. The first was a studio type that was just oscillators, mixers, filters, sampler, and ring modulator connected by patch cords and manually controlled with knobs. Which blue was the original color of all EML products, the line quickly went into a brush aluminum style with etch black nomenclature. These were originally made for class room use and the blue paint used would chip off, from all the patch cord plugging and unplugging by the students. Ah, those were fun times."

followed by:

"Yes, Sasha, the first was the 200. That's how I got started with EML. My wife (then girl friend) told me that her High School music class had gotten this electronic music box and the address on the front was the local town. I stopped by the factory, which was in basement of one of the three co-owner's house. We began a long time friendship and I started to work for them as their first employee. The 300 came on line soon after using a keypad as the first crude kind of keyboard."

Update (6/29/2011) via Prosper in the comments:

"I now own this synth. It was refurbished and repaired in 2007 with the following mods. A) Filter has been opened up so the Filter Octave Switch goes one higher and one lower than on the synth. Very handy. B) For the Noise pot in the filter mixer, instead of going between white and pink noise it goes from white to OSC 1 output so OSC 1 does not have to patched into the filter mixer. Very handy.

I've pointed out the differences between the 100 and 101 on the VSE page for the 100."