1970's ARP Demo featuring Tom Piggott & Conversations with Tom Piggott & Greg Phillinganes

video upload by Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

"PLEASE NOTE: The beginning of the video is glitchy... both the sound and video will resolve at between 1:30 and 2:07.

Originally aired on WOVB-TV, in association with The Ohio University Telecommunications Center, this is one of several UMATIC demo tapes found in a box when d'ARP (Dina Pearlman-Ifil, Alan Pearlman's daughter) was going through her father's effects.

Tom Piggott was one of several educators that worked at ARP Instruments in the 1970s. He worked closely with Al, helping write the classic: 'Learning Music with Synthesizers' David Friend, Alan R. Pearlman, Thomas D. Piggott)."

A Conversation with Tom Piggott


"d'ARP had several conversations with Tom over the past few years. This interview highlights some recent footage.

Tom Piggott has been a product specialist and clinician for numerous companies, including ARP, CRUMAR, SYNERGY and more, and worked with Peter Nero, Stevie Wonder, Nyle Steiner, Linda McCartney, Vangellis, John Entwhistle, Klaus Schulze,T Lavitz, Wendy Carlos, Dr. Richard Boulanger, Mike Bergeman, Donald Fagan, Edgar Winter, Tom Coster, Jimmy Page, Roger Powell, Jerry Kovarski, and many others.

Tom Piggott was one of several educators that worked at ARP Instruments in the 1970s. He worked closely with Al, helping write the classic: 'Learning Music with Synthesizers' David Friend, Alan R. Pearlman, Thomas D. Piggott)."

A Conversation with Greg Phillinganes


"D'ARP has a conversation about ARP Synthesizers with Greg Phillinganes, who has recorded or toured with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Anita Baker, George Benson, Karen Carpenter, Eric Clapton, Donald Fagen, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Nicks (whew!)!"

Synthesizers and Computers Volume III in the Keyboard Synthesizer Library (1985)

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

via this auction

Piece by Bob Moog pictured below.

"Back cover is missing. Book and pages are water damaged. Otherwise, the spine is fine and it is perfectly readable"

"Featuring Bob Moog, Roger Powell, Craig Anderton, and other experts present a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of using computers to control synthesizers.

Volume III in the Keyboard Synthesizer Library

Compiled by the editors of Keyboard Magazine"

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ARPs For ALL ARPchives Live Full Edit

video by Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

"On the day that would have been Alan R. Pearlman's 96th birthday, ARPchives Live! the broadcast program of The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation announces the inception of ARPs for ALL: a new program to bring the magic and inspiration of rare vintage ARP synthesizers to EVERYONE in the music-making public.

https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/a...
https://www.therecordco.org/
MUSIC from Synthesizer Family Demo Disc
'Hermetic Enigma: the Fixed Volatile" by Roger Powell'"

1970s ARP Synthesizer Analog Synth Demo 7" Flexidisc Record w/ THE WHO's Roger Powell

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

via this auction

Demo at the auction, mirrored here.

ARP 2600 Synthesizer Family demo flexi disc (1973) and ARP Pro Soloist

Published on Jan 21, 2020

(c)2007-20 by RetroSound
supported by UVI: http://bit.ly/retrosound-uvi

A rare piece what I have found in my big synthesizer history archive.

The #ARP #Synthesizer demo vinyl from the year 1973 featuring the #ARP2600 and ARP Pro-Soloist.

Created by (c)Roger Powell / Dave Fredericks
"

Roger Powell "Cosmic Furnace" (1973 synthesizer album)

Published on Apr 23, 2017 Cosmic Pickle

ROGER POWELL "Cosmic Furnace" (1973)
This is synthesist Roger Powell's first solo album, originally on LP in 1973, here taken from the 2005 CD re-issue, which is currently out of print.

Roger Powell worked during this period for the ARP synthesizer company and after as a programmer for the Apple computer company for a number of years (1997 to 2009) . More recently he works at Electronic Arts as a Senior Producer on emerging music technologies.

In between he played with Todd Rundgren's Utopia group, from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's.

Roger Powell: ARP Synthesizers, Electric Clavichord, Electric & Acoustic Pianos

All tracks composed by R. Powell-

1)"Ictus: Primordial Pulse"(0:00)
2)"Lumia: Dance Of The Nebulae"(4:55)
3)"Fourneau Cosmique: The Alchemical Furnace Of Cleopatra"(10:01)
4)"Hermetic Enigma: The Fixed Volatile"(17:38)
5)"Queene Enfineska: Serenity Of The Lion In Summer"(23:23)
6)"Tensegrity: A Dymaxion Triptych"(26:44)

Synthesizer Basics Synth Book by Bob Moog, Roger Powell, Tom Rhea, Steve Porcaro and Others

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

via this auction

"111 page paperback book by Bob Moog, Roger Powell, Tom Rhea, Steve Porcaro and others!

Pictures and text about Moog, Buchla, Polyfusion, Oberheim and more.

One corner is bent, and there's damage from a sticker removed on the spine (this was not a library book)"

Note there was another Synthesizer Basics book in 1985 by Dean Friedman who brought us the excellent New York School of Synthesis tutorial videos.

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Ultra Rare 1974 MOOG SYNTHESIZER "MOOG SORCERY WITH ROGER POWELL" NEWSLETTER

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

via this auction

"IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND forty-two year old Moog Synthesizer artifact. This mentions Roger Powell's work with Weather Report, the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble and Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals but makes no mention of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, a band Roger joined in late 1973, dating this document to early 1974. One two-sided page approximately 8 and 1/2 inches by 12 inches. Has been carefully stored in a smoke-free and pet-free environment for over forty years. Two minor slight horizontal creases, one at the top, the other in the middle, but has been stored flat for many years. See pictures. Text has been intentionally blurred in the photographs. VERY RARE. PRICED TO SELL."

If someone pics this up and scans it, send it in! I did a quick search here on MATRIXSYNTH as well as Retro Synth Ads, and could not find it.

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ARP Odyssey & OMNI Demo Flexi Disks

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

ARP Odyssey Demo Flexi Disk 33 1/3 by Roger Powell. Never played, via this auction.

ARP Omni Demo Flexi Disk 33 1/3 Demo Record Original Vintage 1970's. Never played, via this auction.

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Original ARP 2500 & 2600 Synthesizer DEMO Record by Roger Powell

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

via this auction

"From a local record / vinyl collector, who looks out for "MOOG" records ... "switched on" and the like for me.

Imagine my surprise when he handed me this RARE EP!

ARP 2500 & 2600 Synthesizer DEMO record

"Narration and Music by Roger Powell" ... who we know from Rundgren's Utopia etc

Side-1: ARP 2600 How It Works

Side-2: ARP 2500 How It Sounds

Bonus Ads on side-2 Harry Coon of Ectrophonics ... "Manglewurlz"

Record Condition, per the expert: VG+ ... a few light S+S (scratches / scuffs ). Plays Well."

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An Interview with Barry Schrader

Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in.  New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process.  If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com.  This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!

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The Arp Family of Synthesizers Flexi-Disc Demos

Published on Mar 3, 2014 Adrian Täckman

Playlist:
1. The Arp Family of Synthesizers. Demonstration Record. - "Music and narration by Roger Powell (Utopia). Starting with a clip with the Who, demonstrating how Pete Townsend used the Arp on Who's Next. Eva-Tone Sound Sheet."

2. THE ARP 2500 & THE ARP 2600. Demonstration record. Side 1. - "Narration and music by Roger Powell."

3. THE ARP 2500 & THE ARP 2600. Demonstration record. Side 2 - "By Harry Coon & Roger Powell."

4. ARP Soloist. Demonstration record. Side 1 - ""Dave Fredericks plays the amazing ARP Soloist. It's a one man band!"

5. ARP Soloist. Demonstration record. Side 2

Vintage Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer 1977 Demo Video by Creator Hal Alles

Vintage Digital Synthisizer 1977 Published on Jun 15, 2015 urcich

Roger Powell at 5:22. Further below is a video of Laurie Spiegel playing the synth. See the Bell Labs channel label at the bottom of this post for more.

It's fascinating to hear what the initial intent of this synthesizer was.

via Hal Alles on the Synergy list:

"Since a few people have expressed interest, I posted a video on youtube of a demo using the synthesizer I developed at Bell Labs.

This demo was made as a backup for a live demo for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Talking Motion Pictures.

Hence the references to the movie industry.

The live demo was done on the stage at the Palladium in Hollywood in 1977, so the backup was never shown.
It started life as studio video tape made a few days before the show, converted to 16 mm film, then later to VHS tape, then to DVD, and finally the digital version posted.

Very few people have seen this – I did not have a copy until 1995.

Hal Alles"

Laurie Spiegel plays Alles synth - temporary replacement

Uploaded on Apr 27, 2009 Laurie Spiegel

"This 1977 tape is one of the earliest examples of purely digital realtime audio synthesis. It manages to achieve an analog synth sounding quality, but it is entirely digital synthesis and signal processing.

The interactive software I wrote and am playing in this video recycles my keyboard input into an accompaniment to my continued playing, which is why I called it a "concerto generator". I use part of one of the keyboards for control data entry, and the small switches upper right to access pre-entered numerical patterns. The sliders are mainly pre-Yamaha FM synthesis parameter controls, for the number of harmonics and amplitude and frequency of the FM modulator and carrier that constituted each musical voice.

Until they restore the copy suffering from data corruption please look at this copy instead.

Comments can continue to be left on the original's page where there have been many views and comments views, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4T3eT...

Thanks for watching,

- Laurie"

Update via Spiegel's Reflections in the comments: "I've posted some additional info about the synth Hal Alles built that's featured here along with a link to more technical info. See my extended comment near the bottom of this page":

"I never heard this called "Alice" till the last couple years. Don't know when that name first surfaced.
A correction: This was at the time considered the world's first ***realtime*** digital (not "additive") synthesizer. Yes, it could do additive synthesis but was quite flexible as to how the oscillator could be used. I used them as FM pairs, with both the modulator and carrier of each FM pair being additive, with the number and amplitude of their harmonics controlled by the slide pots. (This video of me playing it shows is a rare example of pre-Yamaha DX-series FM synthesis.) The breakthrough was to do digital synthesis in realtime so it could be interactive. Prior to this technology, digital computers were not fast enough to produce audio in real time and it was not possible to do digital audio interactively.
There were 72 slide pots. (72 oscillators were mentioned above instead). The number of oscillators depending on how the components were programmed to interconnect. For the specifics of its synthesis architecture, please see Hal Alles's paper describing the system in Computer Music Journal, Vol. 1 #4, which you can find on my website at http://retiary.org/ls/obsolete_systems/Alles_synth_1977.pdf
The system was not dismantled as it says here, but donated to the Oberlin College Music Dept. For all I know it is still there. I'm not sure why Gary Nelson and the group there were not able to get it running. I had heard that it was dropped during the move, but alternatively, we programmed it remotely from (if I remember right) an LSI 11/45 computer in another part of the Labs. I don't know to what extent it could be programmed independently of an external computer with a compiler etc. installed, so that might have been a major hurdle for them. This was 1977 at Bell Telephone Labs, so the purpose of the system was never to make a marketable music system but to develop and test the new designs of its components, and I was under the impression a bunch of new patents resulted, The ideas built into this instrument were not lost to music though. Crumar created various synthsizers based on its internal architecture. I think (but am not sure because I never had direct experience with them) that those included the Crumar GDS and Synergy.
From the liner notes of my 'Obsolete System' cd:
This composition was commissioned by Bell Labs and the Motion Picture Academy for the 50th anniversary of talking pictures. Working with the Alles synthesizer, with its extensive array of input and output channels for control, was a real pleasure after years of GROOVE's extreme restrictions. The interactive software I wrote for this composition recycles the player's keyboard input into an ongoing accompaniment. However, writing the software from a remote DEC PDP-11 computer [..] in the new "C" computer language still undergoing frequent change, within a still-experimental UNIX operating system, without the control inputs or sonic output, under a tight deadline, while the Alles synthesizer hardware was still under construction, turned out to be quite an adventure.

It's also not necessarily true that only 1 composition survives from this instrument. Roger Powell also composed something on it I believe, though I don't know if he finished or recorded it. And I have a couple of reel-to-reel tapes I recorded on it that I haven't listened to since then (1977). It is possible that something on one of those open reels might be worthy of being considered additional music. At some point I will work up to transferring them to digital and find out."

GForce Software Announces Oddity2

Published on Nov 4, 2014 GForce Software

"A quick run-down of the new and enhanced features in Oddity2. Music composed by DJ Dean Coleman using Oddity2"

"Oddity2 is the successor to the multi-award winning Oddity, modelled on the legendary ARP Odyssey synthesiser, manufactured between 1972 and 1981.

During its lifetime the Odyssey, due to it's versatile and distinctive tones, was used by artists as diverse as Gary Numan, John Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Chick Corea, Roger Powell, George Duke, 808 State and countless others. Ultravox's Billy Currie refers to it as the 'first punk synth' due to its snarling aggression, thanks in part to an on-board ring modulator, oscillator sync and duophonic capabilities.

Sporting a new livery based on the final revision Odyssey, Oddity2 takes the character and operational architecture of the original and via a wave of enhancements, transports the spirit of the original into a new dimension.

First up, while the duophonic and monophonic modes have been retained, Oddity2 now also offers a monophonic legato mode which wasn't evident on the Odyssey, plus a POLYPHONIC MODE. Yes, now finally it's possible to stop wondering what the Odyssey's classic tones would sound like within the context of chord based structures, and put it into practice. Everything from spiky and resonant textures to lush and warm pads sounds can either be programmed from Oddity2's intuitive controls or simply dialled up via the accompanying presets.

Furthermore, via three filter modes and an additional oscillator, Oddity2 can sound as versatile and punchy as its main rival back in the day.

Oddity2 doesn't stop there either, in order to overcome the original instrument's limitation of a single LFO, we've also added the ability to apply an additional LFO and ADSR to almost any of the main Oddity2 sliders, which gives the instrument almost unrivalled versatility and depth when it comes to sound design options.

Additional improvements over its predecessor include an on-board delay, spread or random pan modes, patch morphing via beats or seconds, program change recognition and implementation of the two octave transpose switch for dynamic real-time performances.

Put simply, Oddity2 further builds on the significance and lineage of the original hardware and software instruments, by taking its fundamental sonic character and, via a raft of carefully considered musical enhancements, transplants it into the hands of those musicians ready to take it to both familiar and new horizons.

Legal Notice
All product names used in this product are trademarks of their respective owners and are in no way associated or affiliated with GForce Software Ltd. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied and or recorded during development of this product."

Moog Prodigy SN 2972 + Moog Banner & 2 Synth Books

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

via this auction

Comes with "Vintage Synthesizers" by Mark Vail & Synthesizer Technique by Bob Moog, George Duke, Tom Coster and Roger Powell.

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Roger Powell 1977 - Keyboard Solo (Singring And The Glass Guitar)

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2011 Tmz Tmz·24 videos

Bob Moog Foundation Announces Significant Archive Additions

"Asheville, NC - February 2014... The Bob Moog Foundation (BMF) has announced significant additions to the Asheville, NC-based foundation's archives. Included in these new additions are several rare prototypes, including one of the few Moog Apollo Synthesizers in the world (the Apollo became the prototype for the Polymoog), the Moog Liberation, Moog Drum Controller, Moog Sequencer, Moog Song Producer, Moog Feedback Suppressor; as well as production models of the Minutemoog, and a Moog Vocoder. Also added to the archives are more than 1,000 schematic drawings dating from 1965 through 1985.

'These instruments and drawings join our growing collection of treasures that also includes Roger Powell's custom keyboard controller, designed by Bob; a duophonic Minimoog; and two vintage theremins,' remarked Michelle Moog-Koussa, executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation and daughter of the late inventor. 'We're thrilled with the ongoing interest our archives are generating from organizations and individuals.'

These latest additions to the Foundation's collection of historic documents and musical instruments come on the heels of the permanent loan of vintage instruments by the Music Department of University of North Carolina at Greensboro in December 2013.

According to Moog-Koussa, over 400 of the more than 1,000 documents received in this latest contribution have already been inventoried and entered into a searchable database.

'But that's just the beginning,' she continues. 'We will soon begin the most detailed and formalized part of the archiving process - cataloging. It takes time to do it right, but these materials are too significant not to do it right.' She anticipates the process will take 12 to 18 months, after which the documents will be scanned and the most significant of them shared.

'Creating a wide-ranging collection that includes not only his work, but also the work of those he influenced is the goal of the Bob Moog Foundation,' she adds. 'It is from this perspective that we can achieve the truest picture of his life's work and ultimately appreciate his contributions to science and music.'

As Moog-Koussa observes, her father was generous with his talent and knowledge. 'Inspiring others fueled his own creativity. We endeavor to carry on that tradition at BFM.'

Moog-Koussa points to the work of Dr. Bob's Sound School (DBSS) as an example of BMF's ongoing outreach and education, an important part of her father's legacy. The 10-week curriculum teaches second grade students the physics of sound using acoustic and electronic musical instruments such as the theremin, as well as oscilloscopes. The information is supplemented by custom educational materials developed by the BMF educational team. 'Bob was a life-long learner,' his daughter explains. 'He never stopped asking 'what if' and wanted others to ask the same question. I can't think of a better tribute to his life and work than encouraging a new generation to ask the same question.'


***
About the Bob Moog Foundation

The Bob Moog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Asheville, North Carolina. Our mission is to ignite creativity through the intersection of music, science and innovation. The Bob Moog Foundation was founded to honor the legacy of Bob Moog by inspiring people of all ages through the genius of Bob's legendary work in providing innovative musical instruments to musicians, giving them a new voice for creativity. The Foundation provides much-needed innovative and effective educational opportunities to today's youth - tomorrow's generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers.

The Bob Moog Foundation is not affiliated with Moog Music."

http://moogfoundation.org

The Bob Moog Foundation Announces Significant Archive Additions

"Anaheim, CA (January 23, 2014) – Michelle Moog-Koussa, executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation™ (BMF) and daughter of inventor Bob Moog, today announced additions to the Asheville-based foundation’s archives including over 1,000 schematic drawings from 1965 to 1985; several rare prototypes, including a Moog Apollo synthesizer (the Apollo became the prototype for the Polymoog), the Moog Liberation, the Moog 1130 Drum Controller, Moog Sequencer, Moog Song Producer, and Moog Feedback Suppressor; as well as production models of the Minitmoog, and a Moog Vocoder. The announcement was made on the first day of NAMM, an annual gathering of the music manufacturing industry, which attracts 100,000 people over the weekend.

'These instruments and drawings join our growing collection of treasures that includes, among other items, Roger Powell’s custom dual-keyboard controller, designed by Bob; a duophonic Minimoog; and two vintage theremins. We are thrilled with the ongoing interest our archives are generating from organizations and individuals,' Moog-Koussa said. These additions to the BMF’s collection of historic documents and musical instruments come on the heels of the BMF’s receipt of a permanent loan of vintage instruments by the Music Department of University of North Carolina at Greensboro in December 2013.

Moog-Koussa said that 400 of the more than 1,000 documents received in this latest contribution have already been inventoried and entered into a searchable database.

'But that’s just the beginning,' she said. 'We will soon begin the most detailed, formalized and time-consuming part of the archiving process – cataloguing. It takes time to do it right, and these materials are too important not to do it right.'

She anticipates that the cataloguing process will take between 12 and 18 months to complete. After that, the documents will be scanned and the most significant of them shared.

'Creating a wide-ranging collection that includes not only his work, but also the work of those he influenced is the goal of the Bob Moog Foundation. It is from this perspective that we can achieve the truest picture of his life’s work and ultimately appreciate his contributions to science and music,' she said.

'Bob was generous with his talent and knowledge; inspiring others fueled his own creativity,' Moog-Koussa said. 'We are doing that every day at BMF, just a little differently.'

Moog-Koussa points to the work of Dr. Bob’s Sound School™ (DBSS) as an example of BMF’s ongoing outreach and education that is an important part of her father’s legacy. The 10- week curriculum teaches second-grade students the physics of sound using acoustic and electronic musical instruments such as the theremin, as well as oscilloscopes. The information taught through the musical instruments is supplemented by custom educational materials developed by the BMF educational team. 'Bob was a life-long learner. He never stopped asking ‘what if’ and wanted others to ask the same question. I can’t think of a better tribute to his life and work than encouraging a new generation to ask the same question.'

The Bob Moog Foundation, based in Asheville, N.C., continues Bob Moog’s legacy of innovation through education and outreach programs that promote the intersection of music, science, history, and imagination.

The Bob Moog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, and is independent from, not affiliated with and not supported by Moog Music, Inc."

Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

------

New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

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Bob Moog Foundation "Take Me to Your Modular" Exhibit Pic

via @MoogFoundation

"Take Me to Your Modular" exhibit at @Mtn_Oasis in full swing. Check it out at Diana Wortham Theater. #BMF #Moog #avl pic.twitter.com/jR1hVeDBfk"

Details on the event posted here.  The prototype looking keyboard is Roger Powell's one of a kind controller posted here.  You'll find details on the system behind in the main event post.  It was the system in the teaser posts featured here and here.