7 ms·

Wendy Carlos on Bob Moog (2005)

123 points by fipar 6y ago

throwawaycuriou 6y ago
the excellent writing style feels anachronistic. like a form that wouldn't be done quite so if it were done today.
bjelkeman-again 6y ago
> From the beginning it was a balanced yin/yang relationship between a maker of musical tools and the artists who used those tools. It doesn't seem to work that way much anymore, and more's the pity. A place where I think this still happens is Darkglass and Neural DSP where Doug Castro leads teams that create great musical products in collaboration with artists. They just released the Quad Cortex digital guitar effects pedal/platform which is getting high praise. (Anxiously awaited I just got mine as part of a the first batch of a preorder). https://neuraldsp.com/ https://neuraldsp.com/
- 52-6F-62 6y ago
  It definitely still happens in the acoustic world, but much like the audio software world there's more noise to signal than there was in the past. Advanced instrument makers tend to work closely with artists, while there's a much larger market for cheaper, utility builds than ever. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. To me it says the impact of music has only grown and I don't think we've began to scratch the surface of understanding of what it really communicates and does for people, and how it does it (stop me before I get metaphysical). The increasingly wide reach and accessibility of the craft with a select of standout talents to me says renaissance.
  - jolux 6y ago
    >Advanced instrument makers tend to work closely with artists, while there's a much larger market for cheaper, utility builds than ever. It's just a function of many instruments becoming commoditized, which is overall a good thing. I bought a new electric guitar for under $200 last year and it played great out of the box. That didn't used to be possible.
    - 52-6F-62 6y ago
      For sure! I learned on something my parents ordered from Sears for $100. I think they still have it. Some of the parts look like they were composed of boxwood or balsa, and even cardboard. It was horrible and I would play until my fingers would bleed, then quit for the day. I learned to play on that for years. It made learning a battle, not just a challenge. It's another league entirely these days. I would argue to the bitter end about instrument construction and argue that "good" instruments are indeed better than the commoditized versions of the same, but for people starting out and coming up and even recording they're fine tools! Memorable is Mike Campbell absolutely tearing it up on an Epiphone Florida Gators LP special AKA a cheap novelty guitar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25p0Y3Vd38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25p0Y3Vd38). But I to explain my original point further: It's not as simple as just being a function of the commoditization. That is undeniably what's happening, but the why is, at the root, a demand that didn't previously exist, and not just for novelty or aesthetic but playability. The need for playability and a pleasing sound follows adoption, and widespread adoption is what I think signifies renaissance. There are more capable musicians than ever, and even through the noise there are more capable productions than ever, in all manner of genres and tuned to all manner of tastes. Similar to how printing brought music to the wider public and a generally supportive environment for the arts during the period of the (capital R) Renaissance.
- terramex 6y ago
  It still happens even in 'classic' synthesiser industry. Aphex Twin did a collaboration with Korg few years ago, he was providing feedback to them and created some excellent product demos like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUT01p-C2xo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUT01p-C2xo He also had input into Novation Bass Station II: https://novationmusic.com/en/news/bass-station-firmware-v414 https://novationmusic.com/en/news/bass-station-firmware-v414 AFX Mode Electronic music legend Richard James, aka Aphex Twin, has already played an instrumental part in the Bass Station II story, having provided guidance for the implementation of the micro-tuning added with Firmware v2.5. His conceptual contribution to v4.14 is even more profound, however. Letting his imagination run riot, Richard envisioned the decidedly radical notion of having a discrete set of synthesis parameters assigned to each note of Bass Station II, either variations on a ‘seed’ patch, or disparate sounds designed to constitute a chimeric whole. Although this sort of thing could already be kludged using very fast program change messages, having multiple sounds active at the same time would clearly be a far more creative and efficient system. AFX Mode is the realisation of James’ out-there concept. Put simply, it lets you modify your Bass Station II patch on a key-by-key basis. Use it to introduce subtle changes to a sound as you play up and down the keyboard; divide the keyboard into multiple zones (one per key if you like!), each playing its own sound; or create entire drum kits in a single preset for triggering manually or via the Arpeggiator. It’s a truly inspiring feature that really does open up a whole new world of sound design and performance possibilities.
  - weatherlight 6y ago
    They even rereleased the bass station 2: https://novationmusic.com/en/synths/afx-station https://novationmusic.com/en/synths/afx-station the thing to remember is that this was written before 2005, that might have been the state of teh world then.
- Mizza 6y ago
  Steve Duda worked with Deadmau5 to come up with Serum, which is probably the most popular synth VST (and I think previously he was a sound designer for Trent Reznor).
  - mhh__ 6y ago
    Steve Duda is also really sharp in his own right. He doesn't seem to properly publish a lot of his work but some of it is eerily crisp considering it's decade old. He also wrote one of the first samplers people use ableton for IIRC
- oilbagz 6y ago
  Look no further than Zynthian for another example of a balanced relationship: http://zynthian.com http://zynthian.com Seems like FOSS is more resilient to the effect that Wendy noted has, almost, made a farce of the synth market.
  - mxmilkb 6y ago
    Also https://moddevices.com https://moddevices.com
    - wdfx 6y ago
      Or build your own around an RPi 4 https://bitbucket.org/doughammond/guitarix-foot-remote/src/master/ https://bitbucket.org/doughammond/guitarix-foot-remote/src/m...
      - mxmilkiib 6y ago
        For sure, though the topic ITT is the "relationship between a maker of musical tools and the artists who used those tools". I give the example of MOD particularly in this case because falkTX* not only works for MOD but helps develop JACK (and DPF, Carla, KX.Studio, etc.). For another DIY solution that uses mod-host, what the MOD and Zynthian devices use for LV2; https://github.com/auto3000/pedalpii https://github.com/auto3000/pedalpii / https://github.com/auto3000/meta-pedalpi https://github.com/auto3000/meta-pedalpi / https://github.com/Rezzonics/pedalC2-dev-platform https://github.com/Rezzonics/pedalC2-dev-platform * https://github.com/falkTX https://github.com/falkTX
        oilbagz 6y ago
        I think its quite appropriate to be discussing these projects, given that: a) they are AMAZING (Zynthian is truly an extraordinary project - as is MOD, which is included in the zynthian distro incidentally) and, b) these projects are available for you to put on your own hardware .. which is an ideology which runs counter to almost every other hardware manufacturer today, operating in the synth business .. It should be noted, also, that this open attitude and sharing/caring is what good musicians do. Music is one of those realms where the maxim 'information wants to be free' is true, with every single note.
- numlocked 6y ago
  Perhaps with Teenage Engineering as well? https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/magazine/electronic-music-synthesizers.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/magazine/electronic-music...
- Mediterraneo10 6y ago
  It has happened at IRCAM, too, where composers and technicians work together. The technician helps explain to the composer what electronics are available off the shelf, the composer drives the technician to invent new technologies to create what the composer can hear in his or her head.
- IAmPym 6y ago
  And it absolutely still happens at Sequential (where I work), speaking as an engineer who is also a musician and works very closely with artists to hear what they want and build tools that they get super inspired by. I couldn't imagine building what we build without the close artist engagements that we focus on. Every single person at our company is a musician, which I've found out is not commonplace in our industry.
  - colanderman 6y ago
    Hey! It absolutely shows in your products. Very happy Pro 3 owner; it is a joy to play, the sound and controls are always inspiring. A true musical instrument.
motohagiography 6y ago
The impact of synthesizers is only just starting, imo. I'd argue that a generation of kids are using their musical ear to develop physical intuition for what sine, triangle, saw, pulse and other waves are and how they interact. The principles apply to light as much as they do to sound. When you take the combinatorics and symmetries of music and the physics of waves, you've got the makings of a pretty good intuitive curiosity for analog and quantum computing. If you've got a modular synth rig and kids in your house, I'd posit that you are very much our future.
- jcpst 6y ago
  Glad to hear this sentiment. I have a 5U modular system I built long before I had kids. I’ll start a patch, then have my 8-year old start messing with it, enjoy the sound, then talk through what is being changed.
- TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
  The impact of synthesizers is already over. They were used far more imaginatively in the 70s than they are today. The real future is software, especially composition integrated with DSP. Not aimless generative nonsense based on randomly reshuffling arrays and maybe snapping them to a harmonic grid, but complex, composed architectures of sound. Some of them may not even have a bass drum on every quarter beat - a bit radical, but who knows what the future holds?
  - the_local_host 6y ago
    > The impact of synthesizers is already over. They were used far more imaginatively in the 70s than they are today 1970s-style modular synthesis has been making a comeback over the last... 20 years. (It was a slow comeback at first). I agree that the impact of synthesizers was diminished during the "preset era" of the 1980s until almost the present, but interest in re-taking control of synths is growing (just look up "modular synthesis" on Youtube to see many examples) and I expect that we're on the cusp of having synthesis become interesting again as artists sort out what to do with all the new stuff.
gwbas1c 6y ago
It's great to see Wendy Carlos on the front page of Hacker News. I have an original pressing of her "Switched on Bach" framed in my living room.
- jcpst 6y ago
  I picked it up at a thrift store, and that’s why I started a deep dive into modular synths. I almost forgot I was reading the article from a hacker news link, and not just from my own searching!
- dahart 6y ago
  I’m pretty sure I wore my dad’s original vinyl copy of Switched on Bach into near unplayability, as a child more than thirty years ago. Absolutely my favorite record of all time. The followups later with “better” synths never came close in my mind to the sounds and performance of the first one.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  Props!
- amysox 6y ago
  She's one of my role models, so I'm pleased to see this as well. I have two of her albums: the hard-to-find CD of Peter and the Wolf she did with "Weird Al" Yankovic (the whole thing is a delightful spoof), and Switched-On Bach 2000, where she revisited her original electronic music album with modern synthesizers and authentic Bach tunings. (The liner notes are an education in themselves!)
- dang 6y ago
  Related: How Wendy Carlos Changed Music - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16077589 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16077589 - Jan 2018 (43 comments)
- racl101 6y ago
  I still listen to original TRON soundtrack a lot while working. That and Blade Runner OST really hold up.
Karawebnetwork 6y ago
This website is a trip back in time! I love coming across old style sites out in the wild. It reminds me of a bygone era. Her site makes me want to change the style of mine and go back to old school design paradigms. http://www.wendycarlos.com/ http://www.wendycarlos.com/ (Another great site when you need a little nostalgia boost is Space Jam: https://www.spacejam.com/ https://www.spacejam.com/)
brylie 6y ago
If you are interested in experimenting with modular synthesis, check out VCV Rack. It's an Eurorack simulator with a huge number of modules, many of which are open source. https://vcvrack.com/ https://vcvrack.com/ Omri Cohen recently hosted the Mycelium Symposium where many creators showed some interesting possibilities using VCV Rack. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnipBoTOQ2g https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnipBoTOQ2g
- lacavao 6y ago
  +1 for VCV Rack. It's an amazing piece of software, and entirely mitigates the up-front cost issues that come along with diving into modular synthesis.
- mxmilkiib 6y ago
  There's also the lesser known JACK and LV2 CV functionality; https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=20701 https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=20701
konjin 6y ago
For something similar from the same time: https://archive.org/details/MusicOnThePDP1X/02+Little+Fugue+In+G.mp3 https://archive.org/details/MusicOnThePDP1X/02+Little+Fugue+... Adding a few sine oscillators to the MIT PDP-1 (yes 1) and then togging them really fast to build up notes and scores. A video about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Led4jL-DnPk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Led4jL-DnPk
barney54 6y ago
Thank you for posting this! I had not listened to Switched on Bach before and after just a few minutes of listening I definitely need to listen to more!
- lentil_soup 6y ago
  I wanted to listen to it but couldn't find it on Spotify or Youtube. Where did you listen to it?
- xrd 6y ago
  Is this available online somewhere? I can only find snippets. I'm happy to pay for it, I am not finding a link on her site at all.
  - Freak_NL 6y ago
    Only (thankfully) through torrents, but needless to say that is not legal in most jurisdictions. Most of her works are now not available for sale except for second hand vinyl or CD. This includes the four Switched-on albums, as well as such rarities as her collaboration with "Weird Al" Yankovic: Peter & the Wolf/Carnival of the Animals – Part II. I think the excellent and dystopic sounding Clockwork Orange soundtrack is available digitally though.
  - dewert 6y ago
    Also somewhere on archive.org. Not sure about linking to it from here, but should be easy to find using their search. Quite surprised that it's not on streaming services!
S_A_P 6y ago
Gotta shout out Isla Instruments here. Their S2400(SP-1200 inspired drum sampler) had pretty much a whos who of producers as beta testers.
jacquesm 6y ago
I've been re-discovering organs (and specifically, pipe organs) and I think they are an early pre-cursor so electronic synthesizers. Wendy Carlos got me hooked on electronic music back when that was still brand new (ok, Theremin), and her Switched On Bach record is one of very few vinyl records that I still own.
aklemm 6y ago
Until recently there was a music+engineering+social issues festival called Moogfest. I got to go twice, and it had been one of my greatest pleasures as an adult. Lots of synth music, technical classes during the day about synthesizers and other electronic and music topics, and then a bunch of social issue events hosted as well such as discussions of Afro-futurism. Anyway, it died due to mismanagement, but talk about geek heaven. Would love to see such a broad event again sometime.
CliffStoll 6y ago
It was my honor to work with Bob Moog in the early 1970's; as technician for the SUNY/Buffalo electronic music studio, I kept the synthesizers running. He was one of those wonderful people who was happy to show you how to do something, without showing off or making a big deal of it. Figuring out what was wrong in a voltage controlled oscillator - cool stuff for this undergrad. Reminds me of how, in those days of analog electronics, an oscilloscope was the debugging tool of choice...

123 points by fipar 6y ago

the excellent writing style feels anachronistic. like a form that wouldn't be done quite so if it were done today.

> From the beginning it was a balanced yin/yang relationship between a maker of musical tools and the artists who used those tools. It doesn't seem to work that way much anymore, and more's the pity. A place where I think this still happens is Darkglass and Neural DSP where Doug Castro leads teams that create great musical products in collaboration with artists. They just released the Quad Cortex digital guitar effects pedal/platform which is getting high praise. (Anxiously awaited I just got mine as part of a the first batch of a preorder). https://neuraldsp.com/ https://neuraldsp.com/

52-6F-62 6y ago
It definitely still happens in the acoustic world, but much like the audio software world there's more noise to signal than there was in the past. Advanced instrument makers tend to work closely with artists, while there's a much larger market for cheaper, utility builds than ever. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. To me it says the impact of music has only grown and I don't think we've began to scratch the surface of understanding of what it really communicates and does for people, and how it does it (stop me before I get metaphysical). The increasingly wide reach and accessibility of the craft with a select of standout talents to me says renaissance.
- jolux 6y ago
  >Advanced instrument makers tend to work closely with artists, while there's a much larger market for cheaper, utility builds than ever. It's just a function of many instruments becoming commoditized, which is overall a good thing. I bought a new electric guitar for under $200 last year and it played great out of the box. That didn't used to be possible.
  - 52-6F-62 6y ago
    For sure! I learned on something my parents ordered from Sears for $100. I think they still have it. Some of the parts look like they were composed of boxwood or balsa, and even cardboard. It was horrible and I would play until my fingers would bleed, then quit for the day. I learned to play on that for years. It made learning a battle, not just a challenge. It's another league entirely these days. I would argue to the bitter end about instrument construction and argue that "good" instruments are indeed better than the commoditized versions of the same, but for people starting out and coming up and even recording they're fine tools! Memorable is Mike Campbell absolutely tearing it up on an Epiphone Florida Gators LP special AKA a cheap novelty guitar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25p0Y3Vd38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25p0Y3Vd38). But I to explain my original point further: It's not as simple as just being a function of the commoditization. That is undeniably what's happening, but the why is, at the root, a demand that didn't previously exist, and not just for novelty or aesthetic but playability. The need for playability and a pleasing sound follows adoption, and widespread adoption is what I think signifies renaissance. There are more capable musicians than ever, and even through the noise there are more capable productions than ever, in all manner of genres and tuned to all manner of tastes. Similar to how printing brought music to the wider public and a generally supportive environment for the arts during the period of the (capital R) Renaissance.
terramex 6y ago
It still happens even in 'classic' synthesiser industry. Aphex Twin did a collaboration with Korg few years ago, he was providing feedback to them and created some excellent product demos like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUT01p-C2xo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUT01p-C2xo He also had input into Novation Bass Station II: https://novationmusic.com/en/news/bass-station-firmware-v414 https://novationmusic.com/en/news/bass-station-firmware-v414 AFX Mode Electronic music legend Richard James, aka Aphex Twin, has already played an instrumental part in the Bass Station II story, having provided guidance for the implementation of the micro-tuning added with Firmware v2.5. His conceptual contribution to v4.14 is even more profound, however. Letting his imagination run riot, Richard envisioned the decidedly radical notion of having a discrete set of synthesis parameters assigned to each note of Bass Station II, either variations on a ‘seed’ patch, or disparate sounds designed to constitute a chimeric whole. Although this sort of thing could already be kludged using very fast program change messages, having multiple sounds active at the same time would clearly be a far more creative and efficient system. AFX Mode is the realisation of James’ out-there concept. Put simply, it lets you modify your Bass Station II patch on a key-by-key basis. Use it to introduce subtle changes to a sound as you play up and down the keyboard; divide the keyboard into multiple zones (one per key if you like!), each playing its own sound; or create entire drum kits in a single preset for triggering manually or via the Arpeggiator. It’s a truly inspiring feature that really does open up a whole new world of sound design and performance possibilities.
- weatherlight 6y ago
  They even rereleased the bass station 2: https://novationmusic.com/en/synths/afx-station https://novationmusic.com/en/synths/afx-station the thing to remember is that this was written before 2005, that might have been the state of teh world then.
Mizza 6y ago
Steve Duda worked with Deadmau5 to come up with Serum, which is probably the most popular synth VST (and I think previously he was a sound designer for Trent Reznor).
- mhh__ 6y ago
  Steve Duda is also really sharp in his own right. He doesn't seem to properly publish a lot of his work but some of it is eerily crisp considering it's decade old. He also wrote one of the first samplers people use ableton for IIRC
oilbagz 6y ago
Look no further than Zynthian for another example of a balanced relationship: http://zynthian.com http://zynthian.com Seems like FOSS is more resilient to the effect that Wendy noted has, almost, made a farce of the synth market.
- mxmilkb 6y ago
  Also https://moddevices.com https://moddevices.com
  - wdfx 6y ago
    Or build your own around an RPi 4 https://bitbucket.org/doughammond/guitarix-foot-remote/src/master/ https://bitbucket.org/doughammond/guitarix-foot-remote/src/m...
    - mxmilkiib 6y ago
      For sure, though the topic ITT is the "relationship between a maker of musical tools and the artists who used those tools". I give the example of MOD particularly in this case because falkTX* not only works for MOD but helps develop JACK (and DPF, Carla, KX.Studio, etc.). For another DIY solution that uses mod-host, what the MOD and Zynthian devices use for LV2; https://github.com/auto3000/pedalpii https://github.com/auto3000/pedalpii / https://github.com/auto3000/meta-pedalpi https://github.com/auto3000/meta-pedalpi / https://github.com/Rezzonics/pedalC2-dev-platform https://github.com/Rezzonics/pedalC2-dev-platform * https://github.com/falkTX https://github.com/falkTX
      - oilbagz 6y ago
        I think its quite appropriate to be discussing these projects, given that: a) they are AMAZING (Zynthian is truly an extraordinary project - as is MOD, which is included in the zynthian distro incidentally) and, b) these projects are available for you to put on your own hardware .. which is an ideology which runs counter to almost every other hardware manufacturer today, operating in the synth business .. It should be noted, also, that this open attitude and sharing/caring is what good musicians do. Music is one of those realms where the maxim 'information wants to be free' is true, with every single note.
numlocked 6y ago
Perhaps with Teenage Engineering as well? https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/magazine/electronic-music-synthesizers.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/magazine/electronic-music...
Mediterraneo10 6y ago
It has happened at IRCAM, too, where composers and technicians work together. The technician helps explain to the composer what electronics are available off the shelf, the composer drives the technician to invent new technologies to create what the composer can hear in his or her head.
IAmPym 6y ago
And it absolutely still happens at Sequential (where I work), speaking as an engineer who is also a musician and works very closely with artists to hear what they want and build tools that they get super inspired by. I couldn't imagine building what we build without the close artist engagements that we focus on. Every single person at our company is a musician, which I've found out is not commonplace in our industry.
- colanderman 6y ago
  Hey! It absolutely shows in your products. Very happy Pro 3 owner; it is a joy to play, the sound and controls are always inspiring. A true musical instrument.

motohagiography 6y ago

The impact of synthesizers is only just starting, imo. I'd argue that a generation of kids are using their musical ear to develop physical intuition for what sine, triangle, saw, pulse and other waves are and how they interact. The principles apply to light as much as they do to sound. When you take the combinatorics and symmetries of music and the physics of waves, you've got the makings of a pretty good intuitive curiosity for analog and quantum computing. If you've got a modular synth rig and kids in your house, I'd posit that you are very much our future.

jcpst 6y ago
Glad to hear this sentiment. I have a 5U modular system I built long before I had kids. I’ll start a patch, then have my 8-year old start messing with it, enjoy the sound, then talk through what is being changed.
TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
The impact of synthesizers is already over. They were used far more imaginatively in the 70s than they are today. The real future is software, especially composition integrated with DSP. Not aimless generative nonsense based on randomly reshuffling arrays and maybe snapping them to a harmonic grid, but complex, composed architectures of sound. Some of them may not even have a bass drum on every quarter beat - a bit radical, but who knows what the future holds?
- the_local_host 6y ago
  > The impact of synthesizers is already over. They were used far more imaginatively in the 70s than they are today 1970s-style modular synthesis has been making a comeback over the last... 20 years. (It was a slow comeback at first). I agree that the impact of synthesizers was diminished during the "preset era" of the 1980s until almost the present, but interest in re-taking control of synths is growing (just look up "modular synthesis" on Youtube to see many examples) and I expect that we're on the cusp of having synthesis become interesting again as artists sort out what to do with all the new stuff.

gwbas1c 6y ago

It's great to see Wendy Carlos on the front page of Hacker News. I have an original pressing of her "Switched on Bach" framed in my living room.

jcpst 6y ago
I picked it up at a thrift store, and that’s why I started a deep dive into modular synths. I almost forgot I was reading the article from a hacker news link, and not just from my own searching!
dahart 6y ago
I’m pretty sure I wore my dad’s original vinyl copy of Switched on Bach into near unplayability, as a child more than thirty years ago. Absolutely my favorite record of all time. The followups later with “better” synths never came close in my mind to the sounds and performance of the first one.
jacquesm 6y ago
Props!
amysox 6y ago
She's one of my role models, so I'm pleased to see this as well. I have two of her albums: the hard-to-find CD of Peter and the Wolf she did with "Weird Al" Yankovic (the whole thing is a delightful spoof), and Switched-On Bach 2000, where she revisited her original electronic music album with modern synthesizers and authentic Bach tunings. (The liner notes are an education in themselves!)
dang 6y ago
Related: How Wendy Carlos Changed Music - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16077589 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16077589 - Jan 2018 (43 comments)
racl101 6y ago
I still listen to original TRON soundtrack a lot while working. That and Blade Runner OST really hold up.

Karawebnetwork 6y ago

This website is a trip back in time! I love coming across old style sites out in the wild. It reminds me of a bygone era. Her site makes me want to change the style of mine and go back to old school design paradigms. http://www.wendycarlos.com/ http://www.wendycarlos.com/ (Another great site when you need a little nostalgia boost is Space Jam: https://www.spacejam.com/ https://www.spacejam.com/)

brylie 6y ago

If you are interested in experimenting with modular synthesis, check out VCV Rack. It's an Eurorack simulator with a huge number of modules, many of which are open source. https://vcvrack.com/ https://vcvrack.com/ Omri Cohen recently hosted the Mycelium Symposium where many creators showed some interesting possibilities using VCV Rack. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnipBoTOQ2g https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnipBoTOQ2g

lacavao 6y ago
+1 for VCV Rack. It's an amazing piece of software, and entirely mitigates the up-front cost issues that come along with diving into modular synthesis.
mxmilkiib 6y ago
There's also the lesser known JACK and LV2 CV functionality; https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=20701 https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=20701

konjin 6y ago

For something similar from the same time: https://archive.org/details/MusicOnThePDP1X/02+Little+Fugue+In+G.mp3 https://archive.org/details/MusicOnThePDP1X/02+Little+Fugue+... Adding a few sine oscillators to the MIT PDP-1 (yes 1) and then togging them really fast to build up notes and scores. A video about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Led4jL-DnPk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Led4jL-DnPk

barney54 6y ago

Thank you for posting this! I had not listened to Switched on Bach before and after just a few minutes of listening I definitely need to listen to more!

lentil_soup 6y ago
I wanted to listen to it but couldn't find it on Spotify or Youtube. Where did you listen to it?
xrd 6y ago
Is this available online somewhere? I can only find snippets. I'm happy to pay for it, I am not finding a link on her site at all.
- Freak_NL 6y ago
  Only (thankfully) through torrents, but needless to say that is not legal in most jurisdictions. Most of her works are now not available for sale except for second hand vinyl or CD. This includes the four Switched-on albums, as well as such rarities as her collaboration with "Weird Al" Yankovic: Peter & the Wolf/Carnival of the Animals – Part II. I think the excellent and dystopic sounding Clockwork Orange soundtrack is available digitally though.
- dewert 6y ago
  Also somewhere on archive.org. Not sure about linking to it from here, but should be easy to find using their search. Quite surprised that it's not on streaming services!

S_A_P 6y ago

Gotta shout out Isla Instruments here. Their S2400(SP-1200 inspired drum sampler) had pretty much a whos who of producers as beta testers.

jacquesm 6y ago

I've been re-discovering organs (and specifically, pipe organs) and I think they are an early pre-cursor so electronic synthesizers. Wendy Carlos got me hooked on electronic music back when that was still brand new (ok, Theremin), and her Switched On Bach record is one of very few vinyl records that I still own.

aklemm 6y ago

Until recently there was a music+engineering+social issues festival called Moogfest. I got to go twice, and it had been one of my greatest pleasures as an adult. Lots of synth music, technical classes during the day about synthesizers and other electronic and music topics, and then a bunch of social issue events hosted as well such as discussions of Afro-futurism. Anyway, it died due to mismanagement, but talk about geek heaven. Would love to see such a broad event again sometime.

CliffStoll 6y ago

It was my honor to work with Bob Moog in the early 1970's; as technician for the SUNY/Buffalo electronic music studio, I kept the synthesizers running. He was one of those wonderful people who was happy to show you how to do something, without showing off or making a big deal of it. Figuring out what was wrong in a voltage controlled oscillator - cool stuff for this undergrad. Reminds me of how, in those days of analog electronics, an oscilloscope was the debugging tool of choice...