Thief (1981) complete "Igneous" scene (music by TD)

video upload by kovalmoog

"The whole scene of Thief (1981) with TD's re-edition of 'Thru Metamorphic Rocks' theme, renamed as 'Igneous' in the OST release.
The film version is by far more extensive than Thief CD version.
Enjoy that sequence !"

TD = Tangerine Dream.

Curious what they were using back then. According to this thread, they used the following on tour during that time period:

Live in East Berlin, 31st Jan 1980

Chris Franke:
Custom modular synthesizer (comprising of about 50% Moog and 50%
Projekt Electronik):
Moog Oscx2/R.M./VCF/VCAs
Projekt Elektronik VcEnvx2 & Proj. Elek. 2VCO/W.Noise/R.M./Waves (for Drums)
Digital sequencer & trigger selector
Programmer for above (SCI model 700 programmer)
Synth sound bank (for above)
Moog 960 sequential controller x2
Projekt elektronik sequence controller x2
Moog 3-band parametric
Moog 12 stage phaser
Moog 920 programmer
Moog 16-channel vocoder
Rhythm robot sequencer
Emu Oddity voice card
12 analogue drum sounds
Drum envelope unit
Drum EPROM sampled sounds
and more...

Oberheim OB-1
Prophet 5 (rev 2)
Minimoog
Korg PE-2000 polyphonic Ensemble
Elka Rhapsody 610 string machine.

Edgar Froese:
custom Moog modular synthesizer (3 box units comprising Moog modules and sequencers plus sequence controllers from Projekt Electronic)
Prophet 5 rev 2
PPG Sonic Carrier 1003 programmable duophonic DCO/DCF/DCA based synthesizer
PPG Wavecomputer 360 polyphonic digital synthesizer
PPG 350 keyboard sequencer
Arp Pro-DGX monophonic preset synthesizer
Korg PE-2000 polyphonic ensemble
Roland MC-8 microcomposer
Roland VC-10 vocoder
Arp/Solina string ensemble
Mellotron mk V

Johannes Schmoelling:
- Minimoog
- Yamaha CP-80 electric grand
- Oberheim 4-voice
- Elka Rhapsody 610
- Polymoog
- Korg PS-3100
- Synthanorma sequencer

-----------

European tours (Nov-Dec 1980 & Jan-Feb 1981):

Equipment used:

Chris Franke:
Moog/PE modular tower as above
Minimoog
Arp Odyssey mk III
Elka Rhapsody 610
Prophet 5 rev 2

Edgar Froese:
Projekt Elektronik modular synthesizer & sequencers (used by Peter Baumann during '76 and '77)
PPG 340 A Generator Unit, PPG340 B Processor Unit, PPG380 Event Generator, PPG x 2 Terminals, PPG x 2 Computer Keyboards,
Oberheim OB-X

He may have used some more keyboards during these tours but I'm not sure which ones (possibly the Arp pro-DGX, the PPG Sonic carrier or the PPG
360 wavecomputer?)

Johannes Schmoelling:
Moog modular synthesizer (usually handled by Edgar Froese on stage)
Minimoog
Polymoog
Prophet 5 rev 2
Yamaha CP-80 electric grand

-----------

British Isles tour (Oct-Nov 1981):

Equipment used:

Chris Franke:
Moog/PE modular tower as above
Minimoog
Arp Odyssey mk III
Elka Rhapsody 610
Prophet 5 rev 2

Edgar Froese:
PPG 360 wavecomputer
PPG Wave 2
Arp Pro-DGX
Korg PE-2000 poly-ensemble
PPG 5-octave keyboard controller
Custom sequencer (by Helmut Groethe)

Johannes Schmoelling:
Minimoog
Oberheim OB-X (handled by Froese on previous tours)
Custom sequencer (like Edgar's)

PPG 360 Wave Computer

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

via this auction

"rare ppg custom wave computer 360 (not a 360A) serial number. 002 double memory Bank... and others modify like the cv input for control a wavetable and others
feautures like APDSR ...Lfo, Transform ...etc... unique sounds"

You can find demos of the PPG 360 A keyboard version in previous posts here.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Rare Wolfgang Palm Vintage 1975 PPG Modular Synthesizer For Sale

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

via this auction

Check out the groovy aesthetics of the user manual font & art below. Kind of interestring. It was the 70s...

"History

Wolfgang Palm is a German musician and inventor who was the founder and owner of Palm Products GmbH (PPG) and the inventor and creator of various pioneering technical designs for analog and digital synthesizers. He is widely acknowledged as the father of digital synthesis and as a trendsetter in the use of computer technology in the making of electronic music.

Palm's interest in synthesis technology began as a keyboardist in various local bands in his hometown of Hamburg, Germany. His namesake corporation began operating as early as 1975, manufacturing modular synthesizers in small numbers for electronica act Tangerine Dream and other musicians.

Palm is arguably most famous for the invention of wavetable synthesis, a concept which he developed in the late 1970s when he created his Minimoog-like synthesizer - the 1020 - featuring digitally controlled oscillators instead of the voltage-controlled oscillators that his 1002 synthesizer and all other analog synthesizers of that time were using. He also created the 360 Wavecomputer that would later become the renowned PPG Wave series. Palm's design was the impetus for the creation of the highly successful PPG Wave synthesizer, which was used by numerous bands throughout the 1980s and beyond.

THE PPG MODULAR SYSTEM

100, 200, and 300 Modules
2 Cabinets 1 Keyboard
Each Module Hand Labelled by Wolfgang Palm


Cabinet one consists of :

3x 301 Voltage Controlled Oscillator
2x 104 Low Pass Filter
1x Oscillator with 3 Oscillators and Oscillator Driver
1x Wolfgang Palm Noise Generator
1x 217 Voltage Controlled Filter
3x 103 VCA
1x 309 Signal Mixer
4 x 109 Premix Interface
1x 111 CV interface/Reverb/Output Bass Treble/Power Supply

Cabinet Two Consists of:

3x107 Envelope Generator
3x 307 Dual Envelope Generator
1x 213 Step Sequencer
322 Duophonic Digital Keyboard

Notes: The keyboard comes with all the original German Manuals 230V Power supply and various patching cables

Users: PPG Synthesisers have been favored by a number of artists most famously the German Band Tangerine Dream / Klaus Schulze with such classic albums as Rubycon, Stratofear, Sorcerers"

Listed for $83,799.20 +$1,420.33Shipping

CLICK FOR MORE »

PPG Wave 2.2

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

via this auction

"This is one of my most prized and cared for possessions. If we weren't in the middle of an unprecedented financial crisis, I would prefer have this beauty buried with me. ;) It's the absolute king of wavetable synthesizers, the first and only of its kind if you ask me (and virtually anyone else who's had the privilege to use one). I've had this particular one for the better part of 20 years, and she's never let me down (unlike multiple new synths where I find myself flustered when firmware corrupts or memory erroneously wipes out); she's just been steadfast and true for her treasured time with me. Always kept in a non-smoking studio, voltage regulated and on battery backup. When I bought this beauty some 20 years ago I was under the impression the previous owner had a good working relationship with PPG when they were still in business and this was one of the first editions in circulation. This beauty was exported to the UK and found a home with one of the curators of the early 2000 (UK) PPG Conferences. With the help and guidance of PPG connoisseur, H. Seib, she was gone through with a fine tooth comb and had been swapped out with new bushings, keys and factory formatted. Since my acquisition of this unit (3rd owner by my understanding) I had created and sculpted custom waves with the Waveterm A (When it still functioned, but sadly that is now a very distant memory) and a wide range of factory sounds which are still in place. I had considered the upgrade to V8.3 to save much of the library I had created but wouldn't attempt it without the expertise and assistance of a few friends in Toronto who had years of experience working on these, but sadly that never did come to fruition. Time is always the greatest enemy, isn't she? ;) I also have the entire factory soundset from the floppy disk of the 2.3, Waveterm A and B as well as many wavetables shared on the old PPG forum so the update would probably be worth it. It's a fairly easy upgrade and still available to purchase if you're considering using the SYSEX features of V8.3. There was discussion some years ago about a virtual waveterm being available at some point (Waveterm C), perhaps a gentle nudge in the PPG discussion forum and it will eventually materialize with those DIY monowaves. ;) Until then, I leave you with one of the worlds finest synthesizers ever imagined. This is the stuff dreams are made of, not kidding. Serious inquiries only, thanks!

CLICK FOR MORE »

Rare PPG 360A Wave Computer

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

via this auction

CLICK FOR MORE »

Wave Computer (PPG 360 demo)

Published on Feb 10, 2017 seb17320

"all tracks PPG 360A

except :
-first bass : RSF kobol
-sequence : Mos-lab modular
-drums : TR808"



This one in via Soviet Space Child.

New PPG 360 WAVE COMPUTER Demo

New demo added to this post. It's the second in the playlist embedded there.

PPG 360 Wave Computer Demo

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Aug 22, 2016 V T

"This is a demo for the ebay auction - http://www.ebay.de/itm/ULTRA-RARE-PPG..."

via this auction

"Very rare Synthesizer - PPG WAVE 360 COMPUTER ( 8 voices) . This is the first serially produced wavetable synthesizer from 1979. But only about 40 pcs. were manufactured and saled . Today is the wonderful PPG 360 therefore a real rarity and is very - very - very hard to find.This synthesiter from nonsmoking studio is for his age in good, technical and cosmetic condition, has some scratches on the top and backside (see photos) - some keys react sometimes not immediately or not at the first pressure. The keypad contacts maybe should be cleaned - that has not be made so far."

CLICK FOR MORE »

PPG Wave Synthesizer Vorführung und Geschichte

Published on Jan 6, 2016 Torsten Abel

"Stephen Parsick und Torsten Abel führen den PPG Wavecomputer 360 und das PPG Wave System, bestehend aus Wave 2.3 mit Waveterm B, bei einer spontanen gemeinsamen Improvisation vor. Desweiteren erzählt Stephen etwas zur Geschichte von PPG und Torsten zu den Möglichkeiten des Wave Systems.

Alles natürlich ohne Gewähr auf Vollständig-, sowie Richtigkeit. (Wir hoffen nicht allzu viel Quatsch erzählt zu haben)

Aufgenommen beim Dinosaurier-Synthesizer Treffen 2015 in Bocholt/Deutschland"

Googlish:

"Stephen Parsick and Torsten Abel cause the PPG Wave Computer 360 and the PPG Wave system consisting of Wave 2.3 with Waveterm B, during a spontaneous joint improvisation. Furthermore, Stephen tells something about the history of PPG and Torsten to the possibilities of Wave Systems.
Everything, of course, no guarantee for completeness, correctness and. (We hope to have not told too much nonsense)
Recorded at Dinosaur Synthesizer meeting in 2015 in Bocholt / Germany "

Tangerine Dream in Concert Circus Krone Munich final Analog Synthesizer

Published on Jan 5, 2016 nexus7799

"Tangerine Dream 1981 in Concert, Christopher Franke, Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze, Johannes Schmoelling. AV-Remastered. Legendary Event."

Spot the synths! :) Note the PPG modular. You can see it on the left right after 18:00. PPG 360 A Wave Computer and Wave 2.0 are also featured along with some classics like an SCI Prophet-5 and Roland Jupiter-8. Feel free to call out any others you see in the comments.

PPG 360 A Wave Computer+Lexicon PCM 80

Published on Dec 13, 2014 ms20user

"Playing around and Transforming thru the Wavetable 29."

Waldorf Blofeld & XT Wavetable Deathmatch

suitandtieguy · Wavetable Deathmatch

"Microwave XTK in one channel, Blofeld in the other."

via Suit & Tie Guy:
"i had both of these instruments, the Waldorf Microwave XTk and the Blofeld, in my studio at the same time for a few days and decided to do a proper shootout of their pure wavetable sounds.

people can argue about their UIs, features, and filters until they're blue in the face for all i care. IMHO the Blofeld wins on all of these things, especially on filter quality, user samples, and actual playability of endless rotaries. however my issue was that what i want out of a PPG-derived wavetable synthesiser is the best current approximation of the raw 8-bit sound of the Wave Computer 340/360 instruments.

straight up i don't think either of these things totally nail it under scrutiny.

that said, comparing them to the old PPG stuff on pure wavetable terms is a bit like comparing the x0xb0x to a TB-303 ... yeah side-by-side you might be able to tell a difference but when it comes down to brass tacks they both sound great in a mix. i would definitely say there's more of a difference between these two wavetable synths than there is between the x0xb0x and the TB-303.

so anyway here's 38 minutes of rawdog wavetable madness, midi-synced for your pleasure. the first three and a half minutes are a patch i duplicated on the Blofeld based on a MWXTk patch i had made and liked. the rest of the time is spent blowing through wavetables on a single osc patch.

on the Blofeld i was able to completely bypass the filter. on the MWXTk i was not, i had to set the Fc high enough with not just the cutoff knob but also the envelope so that the filter had no effect on the sound. i was not happy about this, and i prefer the Blofeld's option to shut it off.

one channel is the Microwave XTk and the other is the Blofeld. no i'm not saying which is which for at least a week. please be my guest and make sweeping golden-ear generalisations about how one channel is garbage and the other is so perfect. that would be great.

full-res wav downloads are enabled on this. please take advantage if you're serious: http://soundcloud.com/suitandtieguy/wavetable-deathmatch-mix"

One thing to note is the Blofeld allows you to pick a separate wavetable for each oscillator, while on the XT they share the same selected wavetable; you can of course offset each oscillator independently on each synth.

PPG

Click here for additional pics via intercorni.

There are some nice shots of the insides as well.

Pictured:
PPG PRK - blue
PPG 360 Wave Computer - black

PPG Wave Computer 360/360A, Wave 2, Wave 2.2/2.3

The following is from Stephen, aka WaveComputer360 (appropriate alias with all this knowledge)! : ) This is a great piece on the PPG Wave line of synthesizers, from the Wave Computer 360/260A, Wave 2, up to the Wave 2.2/2.3. WaveComputer360 originally sent this to AH. He gave me the ok to put it up here. Thanks Stephen! Title link goes to Stephen's website. Also check out the official [´ramp] website at www.doombient.com. Now for PPG:

Image via http://www.ppg.synth.net/360/


"Basically, the Wave 2 is the first of the PPG Waves that came with a VCF for each voice. Other than the 360/360A which had no filtering at all, the Wave 2 had CEM-based filters. Also, it had a different output stage than the 360 and no longer was as hot (still hot, but not THAT hot). In the 360, the direct output from the DAs to the output stage also resulted in an extremely brittle and sizzling sound with loads of quantization and aliasing artefacts which added greatly to its grit. Also, the resolution of many parameters was greatly improved on the Wave 2, hence scanning wavetables no longer produced glitches from value to value but you could find values in between, too. This (plus the filters) lead to some sounds on the Wave 2 the 360 wasn´t capable of producing, even though it had exactly the same wavetables. On the other hand, using the Wave 2 with filters wide open did not get near the viciousness of the Wave Computer 360/360A.

A classic example of the 360 in use would be Wolfgang Düren´s "Eyeless Dreams" album or the albums by Rolf Trostel. Thomas Dolby also used the 360 in addition to the 340/380 system he got from Edgar Froese. "Windpower" would be a prime example. Edgar Froese produced a nice showcase for early PPGs with "Stuntman".

Like the Wave Computer 360/360A, the Wave 2 had two ranks of wavetable oscillators, each capable of producing eight voices. The most interesting results were only obtainable when you layered two ranks of WTOs, thus reducing the Wave 2 to four-voice polyphony (like the Wave Computer 360, and please believe ME and not the others who want to tell you rubbish about four- and eight-voice 360s and upgrades and stuff.... this is utter bullshit). The Wave 2 also featured an internal eight-track sequencer (eight times the 350, so to speak, or the more manageable version of the 380 Event Generator), hence there was a lot more controls necessary than on the 360. PPG introduced two keypads which allowed more access to various voice allocation and wave assignment modes, for controlling the sequencer and for entering various panel modes; in order to make it easier to survey, they also introduced an LC display with which they replaced the original LED readouts (two on the Wave Computer 360 prototype, five on the Wave Computer 360A "production" model).

The best-known examples of the Wave 2 in use would be ABCs "The Look of Love" where Anne Dudley played those famous funeral bells, and Depeche Mode´s "See You", plus various Tangerine Dream stuff ("Das Mädchen auf der Treppe", the edited single-hit off the "White Eagle" album).

The 2.2 had 16 voices, organized in two ranks of WTOs again; by coupling/layering them you reduced polyphony to eight voices. The output stage was slightly altered as well, hence the 2.2 sounds nowhere near as raunchy as a 360 or a Wave 2; the overall sound tends to be smoother and more polite. It already featured 8bit DAs, like the Wave 2, but it had an even more refined sound. It also featured more comprehensive panel controls for easier parameter access (not quite successfully, but there you go). I´m not sure about the filters used, but I think they redesigned the 2.2 and 2.3 to go with SSM filters rather than CEMs.

The 2.3 was introduced in 1984, featured a 12bit DA, and instead of 32 wavetables per oscillator it just had 30 plus two sampled waveforms (piano and saxophone, I think). The onboard sequencer was equipped with larger memory, and the interfacing options for the PPG System were reworked also, which lead to the inclusion of MIDI alongside the PPG communication buss (although the 2.2 could be upgraded to 2.3 standard).

Palm inofficially labelled all Waves as "360", the original prototype Wave Computer 360 with just two LED readouts being the " ", the sort-of production model of the Wave Computer became the 360"A", the Wave 2 was the "WC360B", the 2.2 the "WC 360C" and so forth. Don´t believe the talk; most people have never ever seen a 360 alive (unless they snapped up the ones for sale in the VEMIA) thanks to the 45 or 50 units ever produced. As a consequence, a lot of bad information has spread and found its way into the minds of synthesizer enthusiasts. The 360/360A and the Wave 2 had eight
voices per WTO rank, by layering you reduced polyphony to four voices. The 2.2 and 2.3 came with 16 voices per WTO, usually you´d layer to WTOs and hence reduce polyphony to eight voices.

To make things even more confusing, PPG produced Wave Computer 360As even after the introduction of the Wave 2. This lead to some 360As (two that I know of, but maybe more than that) in Wave 2 casing, but with white panel graphics with black lettering.

[image added: White PPG 360 via http://www.ppg.synth.net/360/]


These units no longer had the Dr. Böhm keyboard used in the earlier 360As but Pratt and Read keyboards which were used for all later PPGs. This may also
have lead to some models in between where Palm himself wasn´t really sure how to label them. That may have been the reason for some confusion in the past (most early PPGs had hand-written serial numbers, written with a soft-tip feltpen).

Trust me, I owned several of these rare beauties (and beauties they are indeed), and I´m very well-acquainted with 360s and Wave 2s. Never felt too keen on getting a 2.2 or 2.3 as I found them nice but not challenging. Still very, very characterful instruments, though, and maybe attractive to those who don´t need quirky instruments (especially the Wave 2 tends to be prone to failures as many of the bugs in the new software revision had not been ironed out properly yet). Even the Wave Computer 360s featured different OS revisions which makes it very hard to find proper OS replacements and transplant it from one unit to another.

All PPGs are quirky in their own way, especially the introduction of MIDI did their reputation no good; like one guinea pig... erm, musician from Hamburg, who had embarked on PPG products right from the start, once pointed out, MIDI and Wolfgang didn´t go well together. And the abbreviation "PPG" was interpreted by many German musicians as "Palms Panik-Geräte" ("Palm´s Panic Units") or "Popelige Palm-Geräte" ("cheapo Palm units").

Apologies for having wasted bandwidth,

Stephen.

"Ambition makes you look pretty ugly." (Thom Yorke/Radiohead -- "Paranoid
Android")

"Hoellenengel" -- new album by Stephen Parsick, street date October 1, 2005.

For info and audio, please check www.parsick.com

Visit the official [´ramp] website at www.doombient.com

WTB: "England´s Hidden Reverse" by David Keenan (Coil, Current93, Nurse With
Wound, David Tibet).

Update: See the comments for more info.