Sunday, September 18, 2022
New England Synth Fest - Bill T Miller Synthesizer Performance @ Museum of Science Boston - 08.11.22
video upload by Bill T Miller
"Bill T Miller Synthesizer Performance @ New England Synth Fest @ Museum of Science Boston - 08.11.22. This BTM stereophonic improv performance features a CLASSIC SYNTH array... Buchla Easel Command 208-C, Korg ARP 2600, Moog Mother-32, Make Noise O-Coast and 4MS STS Sampler & Toppobrillo MiniMix.
Video Produced/Directed/Edited by Bill T Miller
Cameras: BTM & Sheri Hausey & Beth Moguel
BILL T MILLER, a chameleon of sonic exploration, is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, recording engineer, producer, filmmaker, photographer, artist, instrument builder and cat lover. From toy piano at two years old to starting a "band" with tennis racket guitar and trash can drums in the 60s to becoming a professional recording engineer / producer / live sound tech after graduating from College for the Recording Arts in San Francisco in 1976, his paths are always unfolding and looping. At recording college he took synthesizer courses with ARP 2600 and Emu synths and then worked (as live sound and recording engineer) in California until 1980.
Eventually ending up in Boston working as a freelance recording engineer and live sound engineer and then starting his own Headroom Recording Studios. While much of his "professional career" was devoted to recording and photographing OTHER artists, he was always working on his own weirdo music bands in the shadows. Some of these adventures include Out of Band Experience (OBE), Kings Of Feedback, Drum Army, Kings Of Slack, Zonkulator, and Orgy Of Noise with over 25 full album releases on his own DIY labels as an artist.
BTM's quest has looped back around to a nostalgic look forward incorporating ALL of the past adventures while moving sideways in time in to an unknown future think void. Living in Boston for 37 years and giving every moment to this insatiable desire to CREATE and SHARE is focus of his true path.
SEE: http://btmtv.com (this youtube channel)
HEAR: http://billtmiller.bandcamp.com
MORE: http://billtmiller.com/
On the Second Thursday of every month of summer 2022, the Museum of Science teamed up with New England Synth Fest for an incredible fusion of live synthesizer performances that took over the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Experience some of the best synth musicians and visualizers from New England like never before in the immersive full dome environment of the Planetarium.
LOBBY MUSIC 7pm
BILL T MILLER = outer space trip out synths
20 minute set - PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY.
LOBBY SYNTHFEST VENDORS
ARP Foundation (Alan R. Pearman's daughter DINA will be there) & SynthCube & Stompbox Sonic & coolpix and MORE
7:30pm in the DOME three were 20 minute sets back to back for first show...
introduced by the host of MOS SUMMER THURSDAY SERIES... JAMES MONROE ! - Asha Tamirisa
- LIMBC with visuals by Solid State Entity - Bob Familiar with visuals by cskonopka
+ following 1st dome show were two 20 minute LOBBY sets...
- Vizzie / Oxalis (Ed Guild & Richard Tarantio)
- Build (Nick Solarz)
The three lobby sets are hosted by Richard Tarantio in conjunction with Modular On The Spot Boston. Richard provided LIVE SOUND for all three lobby sets and played in a duo for the middle set.
+ 9:30pm in the DOME there was a repeat of the hree 20 minute sets back to back for second show. (see above.)
Boston Museum of Science Polage Art by Austine Wood Comarow !!!!!
Mega Thanx to NEW ENGLAND SYNTH FEST HOST... KENT LUNDBERT !
Super Thanx to MOS SUMMER THURSDAY SERIES HOST... JAMES MONROE !
Ultra Thanx to BUCHLA GURU TODD BARTON for KRELL WISDOM & FLUTE APPEARANCE via morphagene sampler.
Super THANX to BETH MOGUEL for footage.
Eternal THANX as always to SHERI HAUSEY & Tippi Cat & Ziggy Cat & Mel the Cat !!!!"
Monday, October 29, 2007
New England Synth Museum
David Camlin
"The late David Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum, discusses his collection of analogue synthesizers."
"In the quiet town of Nashua, New Hampshire lies the New England Synthesizer Museum. Curator Dave Wilson collects and repairs sythesizers and has worked various duties including proofreading and development for some of the world's most renowned synth makers. The museum is open to the public, contact him at www.synthmuseum.com/nesm for appointments. Synth donations are accepted."
Brainwashed.com: The Eye - New England Synth Museum
Note the first ARP 2500 previously posted here.
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Next New England Synth Fest Set for November 9 at the Museum of Science Boston
Details on the next New England Synth Fest slated for November 9 follow.
"New England Synth Fest on Thursday, November 9, 7pm at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Planetarium performances by
Snowbeasts
with visuals by Vidumami,
Aether Chroma
with visuals by Adam Savje,
and Hexx Head
with visuals by Content Brakes.
Lobby stage performances by Wizard Peter, soak, and Dox Malice.
Plus fantastic interactive exhibitors in the Museum Lobby!
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium show at 7:30pm. Get tickets at the Museum of Science website. $15. Act fast. All of our previous shows have SOLD OUT. Follow on Instagram and Linkedin for updates."
Sunday, August 29, 2010
RIP David Hillel Wilson - Curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum
via Jay Williston of Synthmuseum.com
"Dave Wilson, of the New England Synthesizer Museum has just passed away.
Dave was our inspiration for starting the Synthmuseum.com web site some 15 years ago.
So many of us in the electronic music field have made a trip up to see him in Nashua and his amazing collection. He is one of us and will be fondly remembered and missed.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/obituaries/836148-225/david-hillel-wilson.html
-Jay (of Synthmuseum.com)"
He was only 49:
"David Hillel Wilson, 49, passed away Friday, August 27th, 2010, in his Nashua home. Dave was born in Bronx, NY, on December 12, 1960, and grew up in Fairfield, CT. He was curator and founder of the New England Synthesizer Museum in Nashua. Dave is survived by his parents, Jay & Vivian Wilson, and his 3 siblings, Rebecca, Ruth and Daniel. A graveside service is planned for August 30th at 1 p.m. at the Agudas Achim cemetery on Reid Street in Fairfield, CT."
I was fortunate enough to visit Dave at the museum and communicated with him off and on via email. You can see all posts featuring Dave and the museum here [update: Blogger search appears to be broken; use the Google search box on the right]. He was extremely kind and gracious. Some might consider him a bit eccentric, but how could he not be. He lived literally surrounded by synths. For what it's worth I consider myself a bit eccentric and most of the people I appreciate in life are as well. The one thing that stood out for me overall though, was that he was just plain nice. It's something I value more than anything else in people I meet. The ability to just be nice to others. He was just one of those guys you liked knowing was out there doing his thing.
He loved synths as much if not more than anyone I've met and he loved ALL synths, not just the rare and the analog. I'll never forget him wailing the Star Wars theme and Emmerson's Lucky Man for me on the Yamaha DX7 with the Rhodes Chroma Polaris by it's side. I remember wondering why he chose those two out of everything else he had in the museum to play for me. I knew many of the pieces needed work, but he genuinely appreciated the DX7 and the Polaris for what they were. He told me a little about the two and the significance of the DX7. Of course he showed me all of the other synths in the museum including the very first ARP 2500 featured here.
He'd often pop up on the AH list with interesting bits of info. He always promptly replied to my inquiries via email. He was just a very kind, giving, and gentle soul. I remember asking him if he ever worried about people stealing from the museum. He told me a story about some kid trying to walk out with an SEM under his jacket. Dave didn't seem angry in telling me the story. It was just something to be aware of. I remember leaving the museum, dropping somewhere for a quick bite to eat and then popping back on the freeway back to Connecticut with my wife. Right as I was heading off a ramp to another freeway, I see a purple PT Cruiser with a SYNTHE license plate driving by. It was Dave! I remember thinking how cool is that! He didn't see me and he continued on while I went on the other freeway. I was hoping to visit him again some day. That unfortunately will never happen. 49 is way too young. Although I did not know him well, I will miss him very, very much. Dave, wherever you are, may the synths be with you. Today's posts are for you.
David Camlin
"The late David Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum, discusses his collection of analogue synthesizers."video from October 2007
Note: This post went up at 10:50 AM. I post stamped it at 11:59 PM so it stays on top all day. As this literally was the first thing I woke to, I will put new posts up today below this one. Update via BexElttil in the comments: "Hi, Dave's sister Beckie here.. I would like to shed some light on how Dave died. He was in and out of the hospital since May 20th, they finally diagnosed him with amyloid AL. Basically, and extra protein attaches and grows to internal organs, there was no cure. We, the family did think he was going to beat it with chemo, God had other plans. He ultimately died of a heart attack on Friday afternoon. I guess they needed a really good synth engineer in heaven, and called for the best. If not for his friend checking on him daily and more than once a day, he might have been left there for days instead of hours. The museum does have a board, and my other brother Dan will be contacting them regarding what to do with the machines. Thank you, everyone for your kind words. I am awed by how many have known, loved, and respected Dave. I too, even as his sister, never had the chance to visit the museum. Blessings to you all. Beckie (Wilson) Basehore" Update via RuthsHere in the comments: "Hi there, (the OTHER sister chimes in.)
I hope you are all well. David was a pack rat(a family trait). It was a bit "sanford and son" over there. He knew what was important to him. Lack of funding kept the place in a little bit of a shambles. It's just how it was. Things could have been different, but that's not important anymore.
I am assisting Dan with organizing his material possessions. I had been in the "trenches" before and cleaned there a few times. I had ideas for his museum, but he really just wanted to do it his way.
Nothing is new to me when it comes to David except how much of an impact he has made on the world. I doubt he can ever be replaced, but I hope someone is able to finish repairs he started on some of the machines.
Thanks for everyone for their support and admiration. It's been a very pleasant surprise for his family.
Ruth Wilson"
Thursday, May 26, 2022
New England Synth Fest set for June 9 at the Boston Museum of Science
"New England Synth Fest is collaborating with the Boston Museum of Science this summer to present three "mini festivals", featuring live electronic music in the Planetarium accompanied by video synthesizers and visualizers on the dome. Every second Thursday of the month this summer (June 9, July 14, and August 11).
The first event is Thursday, June 9th, featuring Violet Nox with DebStep, Jade Rose with Jame Coyne, and Metal TIger with Anagram, all performing (music and video) in the Planetarium Dome. In the Museum lobby, there will be exhibits and more live music, with Ryan Campos, Oxalis, and Snowbeasts. Tickets and more information here.
New England Synth Fest
nesynthfest.org
https://twitter.com/nesynthfest
https://www.linkedin.com/..."
Thursday, July 21, 2022
New England Synth Fest Set For August 11 at the Boston Museum of Science
via New England Synth Fest
"New England Synth Fest presents live music, immersive visuals, and exhibitors at the Museum of Science in Boston. Performances in the Planetarium by Bob Familiar with visuals by cskonopka, LIMBC with visuals by Solid State Entity, and Asha Tamirisa.
Plus more performances on the Lobby Stage by Bill T Miller, Vizzie & Oxalis, and Build.
Plus lobby exhibits with our friends Stompbox Sonic, coolpics.biz, synthCube, Pirx Modular, Circuit Happy, Alan R. Pearlman Foundation, The Record Co., CopperSound Pedals, and more.
Second show added at 9:30pm. June and July were SOLD OUT. The 7:30pm show on August 11 is already SOLD OUT. Get tickets for 9:30pm show on August 11."
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Next New England Synth Fest Set for July 14 at the Boston Museum of Science
The June Synth Fest was SOLD OUT. Get tickets for July now."
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Next New England Synth Fest Set for February 22 at the Museum of Science Boston
The next New England Synth Fest is on Thursday, February 22, 7pm at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Planetarium performances by
xperseai
with visuals by Black Tourmaline,
Switch Angel
with visuals by Char Stiles,
and Dox Malice with visuals by GQZ.
Lobby stage performances by
Doug Bielmeier,
Moonbeam,
and Beantown Network Orchestra.
Plus fantastic interactive exhibitors in the Museum Lobby!
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium show at 7:30pm. Get tickets at the Museum of Science website. $15. Act fast. All of our previous shows have SOLD OUT. Follow on Instagram and Linkedin for updates.
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Next New England Synth Fest set forJune 29 at the Museum of Science Boston
Details follow:
"New England Synth Fest returns to the Boston Museum of Science on Thursday, June 29. Performances in the Planetarium by Mute City with visuals by Anagram, TotoRobyn with visuals by Jame Coyne, and Ryan Campos. Performances on the Lobby Stage by Anda Volley, Ralphykeys, and Odie DeSmith. Plus fantastic exhibitors in the Museum Lobby!
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium show at 7:30pm.
Get tickets at the Museum of Science website. $15.
All of our previous shows have SOLD OUT. Act fast. Follow on
Instagram,
Twitter, and
Linkedin for updates."
Friday, September 23, 2005
Noise
"OK Here is the theory. White noise has every possible sine wave all at the
same volume.
Unfortunately, since the Human ear hears frequencies logarithmically, the
pure randomness
of white noise sounds high pitched to us. Since we hear twice as many
frequencies in any
octave as we do in the octave just below it, to create a noise that "sounds"
right requires
that the amplitude of the noise drop off at 1/2x per octave, or 3dB/Oct.
This is the definition
of Pink noise. Further low-pass filtering can make red noise, while high
pass filtering would
make blue noise. There are, to the best of my knowledge, no exact
definitions for colors
of noise other than white and pink. The "Color" idea comes from optics:
Light containing
all colors in equal strengths is seen by the Human eye as "white". If we
remove the higher
frequency (shorter wave length) lights, the color literally shifts to pink,
hence the name."
David Hillel Wilson
Curator
New England Synthesizer Museum
Monday, January 23, 2023
New England Synth Fest Set for February 23 at the Boston Museum of Science
"New England Synth Fest presents live music, immersive visuals, and exhibitors at the Museum of Science in Boston. Performances in the Planetarium by ximena with visuals by Ziaire Trinidad Sherman, Mesmers with visuals by Allison Tanenhaus, and the The Square Root of Negative Two. More performances on the Lobby Stage by Black Potion, NoizCode, and Collin Russell. Plus lobby exhibits with our friends Stompbox Sonic, coolpics.biz, synthCube, Circuit Happy, Electronic Audio Experiments, Alan R. Pearlman Foundation, and more.
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium show at 7:30pm.
Get tickets at the Museum of Science website. $15.
Last summer, June, July, and August were SOLD OUT. Act fast."
Monday, February 12, 2024
New England Synth Fest, February 22 at the Museum of Science Boston Update
"New England Synth Fest on Thursday, February 22. The 7:30pm show is SOLD OUT. Tickets on sale for 9:30pm show.
Performances in the Planetarium by xperseai with visuals by Black Tourmaline, Switch Angel with visuals by Char Stiles, and Dox Malice with visuals by GQZ. Lobby stage performances by Doug Bielmeier, Moonbeam, and Beantown Network Orchestra. Plus fantastic interactive exhibitors in the Museum Lobby!
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium shows at 7:30pm (sold out) and 9:30pm (act fast). Get tickets at the Museum of Science website. $15. Follow on Instagram and Linkedin for updates."
Monday, June 12, 2023
New England Synth Fest, June 29 at the Museum of Science Boston Update
via New England Synth Fest
"The 7:30pm show is SOLD OUT. Tickets on sale for 9:30pm show.
Performances in the Planetarium by Mute City with visuals by Anagram, TotoRobyn with visuals by Jame Coyne, and Ryan Campos. Performances on the Lobby Stage by Anda Volley, Ralphykeys, and Odie DeSmith. Plus fantastic exhibitors in the Museum Lobby!
Lobby experience starts at 7:00pm. Planetarium shows at 7:30pm (sold out) and 9:30pm (act fast). Get tickets now. $15. Follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin for updates."
Thursday, November 01, 2007
New England Synth Museum
Monday, October 06, 2008
New Oberheim S.E.M. Idea
"Dear Matrix,
As you know few people study the old analog synthesizers with more zeal than myself. I have been working on a "Fantasy Synth" that includes an S.E.M. that's been modernized. Attached is a PDF of my design at 1:2 scale.
The New England Synthesizer Museum "We're a Resource - Use Us! (tm)"
David Hillel Wilson, Curator
www.synthmuseum.com/nesm"
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Abandoned Synths
via Nicholas Keller on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge. Pics via http://imgur.com/a/JNNpm
"The story behind this is that a chap's parents evicted a tenant who then disappeared leaving this stuff behind. The lucky chap is a teacher who has kept this in his drama classroom for use as props not knowing its collectibility and value. Now he is trying to identify what he has and get it serviced or on to a good home that will fix up, preserve, and appreciate it..."
DIY modular on top, EML 101 & Poly-Box, Korg MiniKORG 2, Elka 490 String Synthesizer & Univox Echo Chamber EC-80A.
This made me wonder what ever happened to the gear at the New England Synth Museum when David Hillel Wilson passed away. I was fortunate enough to visit the collection once. The site is still live: http://www.synthmuseum.com.
Update via Nicholas in The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge:
"From the lucky folks that found the stack:
"Hey guys, here's the end of this crazy story.
A friend set us up with another friend at Perfect Circuit Audio.
http://www.perfectcircuitaudio.com/
They collect, restore and resell vintage synths. He came over and we sawed open the crazy custom cabinet. It was secured with lots of bolts, braces, and wood glue, the original creator of this monster never intended to swap out or upgrade anything. The patch bay on top was all custom. However this kept the insides totally clean and nice. We agreed on a good price and he took all the units as-is. They are going to be restored and may end up in the showroom, where lots of folks can enjoy them, so that makes me happy!
Here's a few more pics of the disassembling:
http://imgur.com/a/ffQRN
Thanks to everyone's info and research, I feel we got a great price and it was cool to be in touch with a little bit of music history.
Cheers!""
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
The Moog Cookbook
According to the last news (2000) posted on Moog Cookbook site (title link), the duo have been keeping busy doing some remixes for others, working with Beck and playing with AIR. Apparently they are in bits of a documentary titled, "Eating Sleeping Waiting Playing" featuring AIR. Pay attention folks, lots of nuggets worth checking out in this post and these sites.
J-chot's favorite shot of them (yep, that is one cool shot).
J-chot:
"can't BELIEVE you guys haven't done a piece on my favorite electronic band the moog cookbook! They were a two piece keyboard group band that did covers of songs in the late 90's with nothing but an array of beautiful vintage synthesizers. They made two AMAZING albums and then disappeared without a trace. Inside the cover booklet of each album was a list of all the synths they used on each song! I SUPER reccomend that you buy these albums. their live shows were supposed to be amazing as each of them were supposedly keyboard wizards. and guess what else? they were big in japan! I'm not surprised at all... It's sad that they disapeared though... they do an AMAZING cover/remix of Air's "Kelly watch the stars" if you can find it.. (oh trust me it's worth the search)
My fav pic of them: http://members.aol.com/mellot/pic2.jpg
Home page: http://hometown.aol.com/mellot/mcb.html
ALbums: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/82307/102-5163645-7448110
some of their GEAR: http://hometown.aol.com/mellot/brikeys.html
more gearand band pics: http://hometown.aol.com/mellot/photos.html
here's a little piece by the synth museum: http://www.synthmuseum.com/mc/
here's a music video: http://www.musicvideocodes.com/?artist=6559
there's other little bits and pieces floating around.... but you NEED to educate the world about The Moog Cookbook! [consider it done!] : )
J-chot"
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Early Moog Modular
via Marc Doty's Photos.
If you remember from this post and this earlier post, Marc is spending the Summer with The Bog Moog Foundation.
If you look at the large panel towards the left you'll see what looks like a filter bank. I was curious if this was one of the five only in existence, mentioned at 6:47 in the video below, by the late David Hillel Wilson, former curator of The New England Synthesizer Museum. If you look at the video you will see that it is not the same. It is also not the same as the 914 Filter Bank pictured here, or the 907A here. It looks closest to the 914. [Update 1/6/12 via Brian Kehew: "The old filter module is an original 907 Fixed Filter bank (the 907a is the same thing, but turned vertically; I assume to save panel space. The 914 is 'Extended' meaning more bands and options"]
Update: some additional info from Michelle Moog-Koussa: "Hi All, this modular was the demo unit at R.A. Moog, Co. I believe the modules are dated 1967, but I'll have to double check. In 1970, when Bill Weytana took over the company, Bob sold this synth to David Borden, a good friend and a founding member of Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece. David used the synth for years until sometime about 10 or 15 years ago, Bob called him and asked if he could have it back, at which point David sent it without hesitation. It's the only modular we have in the archives and we're very grateful to have it. The synth still bears the Mother Mallard plaque on the left side. Here's a photo of it, taken at our Pushing the Envelope Exhibit: http://www.facebook.com/l/EAQCbjJb1/on.fb.me/o17LeM. @Matrix, I don't think this is a special filter bank like David was talking about, although it would be amazing to have one of those in the archives. It looks like this system most closely resembles a "Synthesizer Ic' from the 1967 catalog. @Custom synth, it's not used.......yet. When we have the resources to restore it and share it, we will certainly use it!"
YouTube Uploaded by turbid on Oct 28, 2007
You can find all three parts in this post commemorating David Hillel Wilson, as well as this earlier post.
Couple of screen grabs (I'm pretty sure I have some better pics from my visit back in 2006):
Sunday, June 01, 2008
SYNTH
Cool red Corvette with SYNTH license plate.
via Dave
BTW, if you know of other synth license plates, feel free to comment. Dave Wilson of the New England Synthesizer Museum has one with SYNTHE. You can see it in this post sitting on top of the ARP 2500. And then there's Mike Walters' POLYMOOG plates.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
ALAN R. PEARLMAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GIVING TUESDAY INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
Press release follows.
The Foundation Announces the First Publicly-Accessible ARP 2500 in the USA
STONE RIDGE, NY, November 28, 2023: Thanks to a generous donation by former ARP employee Bruce McLendon, the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is welcoming a 2508 Wing Cabinet into its collection of legendary ARP synthesizers.
This 2508 cabinet was assembled as a complete self-contained 2500 synthesizer featuring original oscillator, filter, sequencer, envelope and mix-sequencer modules, all linked by the flexible 2500 patch matrix system. It also contains a new oscillator module designed and built for the Foundation by Phil Cirocco of CMS (Discrete Music Systems).
The ARP Foundation is launching an IndieGogo campaign to raise funds to complete the restoration of what will become the only publicly-accessible ARP 2500 synthesizer in the USA, and to bolster its ARPs For All Program in preparation for the 2500’s arrival.
View the Campaign!
About the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation:
The ARP Archives & The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Its mission is to celebrate the legacy of inventor, musician, entrepreneur and engineer Alan R. Pearlman, by making his innovative inventions publicly accessible, and by inspiring future generations to imagine and create. Alan R. Pearlman was a pioneer in the electronic music world, and the founder of ARP Synthesizers, a leading synthesizer manufacturer in the 1970s. The Foundation is dedicated to preserving his legacy, and is committed to creating opportunities for emerging artists, sound designers and electronic music entrepreneurs.
Among their missions is enabling artists and designers to use rare, vintage ARP synthesizers, as well as recording and production equipment - which they’ve successfully accomplished with the ARPs For All Program in cooperation with their partners at The Record Co. in Boston, MA
---
Side note for synth history's sake: The New England Synthesizer Museum supposedly had the first ARP 2500 on display, but it was non functional when I visited, and the museum no longer around. The owner/curator David Hillel Wilson passed away back in 2010.
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