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Old 7th Aug 2022, 9:38 pm   #1
SiriusHardware
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Default Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

I know some of you are interested in old music synths and electronic music: Coming up next weekend on Sky Arts...

New: 'Revolution Of Sound: Tangerine Dream' Sky Arts 12 Aug 2022 7.00pm - 8.45pm
...For the first time, we see Tangerine Dream backstage, on tour in Europe and the US and more in this history of the band: a tribute to the musician Edgar Froese.

New: 'I Dream Of Wires' (2014) - Sky Arts 12 Aug 2022 8:45pm - 10:50pm
..Documentary charting the history and resurgence of the electronic modular music synthesiser. Described as 'new' but dated 2014 - presumably means new to Sky Arts.

New: 'The Rise Of The Synths' - Sky Arts 13th Aug 2022 12:45am - 2.25am
...The Rise of the Synths follows the journey of creating sounds and the Synthwave Music.

New: 'Sisters With Transistors' - Sky Arts 13 Aug 2022 10:30pm - 12:15am
...Follow the story of the female composers who embraced machines to transform how we produce and listen to music, cementing their legacies as true pioneers in the industry.

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Old 7th Aug 2022, 9:49 pm   #2
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Thank-you very much for the heads-up about these programmes.
I'm a fan of Tangerine Dream and the documentary 'I Dream of Wires' is one I've been wanting to see for many years but haven't managed it...

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Old 7th Aug 2022, 9:59 pm   #3
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

There are also some other programmes mixed in with those over the same weekend, notably about New Order and Gary Numan, but neither of those are badged as 'New' so they may have been seen before.
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Old 7th Aug 2022, 11:09 pm   #4
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

'Sisters With Transistors' was made in 2021 and has its own introductory website: It does look potentially quite good.

https://sisterswithtransistors.com/
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 9:40 am   #5
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

If anyone is interested on old voltage-controlled synths, my contribution to their downfall is at: http://www.mw0sec.co.uk/synths.html
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 11:06 am   #6
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

I might be wrong but I think pure analogue made a bit of a comeback - in the beginning synths sounded like nothing else on earth, but that was followed by a whole second / third generation of synths which were trying very hard to sound like other instruments using sounds primarily based on samples from those instruments rather than purely electronically generated.

There have since been a few reboots of, or 'tributes' to, classic analogue synths with some digital mod cons like MIDI added, some of them done entirely in software.
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 11:23 am   #7
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Thanks for the tip-off G, I'll definitely be watching those
I still have what remains of my homebrew synth up in the loft, it has Dewtron VCO and Envelope modules, two VCFs built from Practical Electronics, ideas from ETI articles, some own design like the sweep gen & VCOs, white/pink noise & sampler modules... I remember the most expensive parts were the gold-contact patchboard (actually a switch matrix) and the 'real' keyboard. The homebrew vinyl-covered-ply case was once lovely but is now wrinkled and battered, and dozens of 741s are missing from their sockets... missing pots & knobs... as a teenager it was a long running project and in 50 years I've not been able to throw it away! I'll drag it down from the loft and take some pics if anyone is interested, though most of it has been 'robbed' for subsequent projects...

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Old 8th Aug 2022, 12:31 pm   #8
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
I might be wrong but I think pure analogue made a bit of a comeback - in the beginning synths sounded like nothing else on earth, but that was followed by a whole second / third generation of synths which were trying very hard to sound like other instruments using sounds primarily based on samples from those instruments rather than purely electronically generated.

There have since been a few reboots of, or 'tributes' to, classic analogue synths with some digital mod cons like MIDI added, some of them done entirely in software.
I was at the Musik Messe in Frankfurt for EMS. A group of musicians came over and begged us not to change the design of the VCS3. "We like the distortion, we like the cross-over"!
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 12:47 pm   #9
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Quote:
I'll drag it down from the loft and take some pics if anyone is interested
I'm afraid nothing less than a restoration thread will do. 741s are still relatively easy to find...

The great thing about synths like that being largely modular is that you can fix them one module at a time.
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 2:20 pm   #10
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Quote:
Originally Posted by lesmw0sec View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
I might be wrong but I think pure analogue made a bit of a comeback - in the beginning synths sounded like nothing else on earth, but that was followed by a whole second / third generation of synths which were trying very hard to sound like other instruments using sounds primarily based on samples from those instruments rather than purely electronically generated.

There have since been a few reboots of, or 'tributes' to, classic analogue synths with some digital mod cons like MIDI added, some of them done entirely in software.
I was at the Musik Messe in Frankfurt for EMS. A group of musicians came over and begged us not to change the design of the VCS3. "We like the distortion, we like the cross-over"!
Painter and tutor Bob Ross always said:"There are no mistakes, only happy accidents."

I read that Bob Moog got his figures slightly wrong when designing the Minimoog filter. But that's what makes it sound so good!

Thank you for your work at Datanomics.

May I commend to the House Mr Sam Battle, creator of Look Mum No Computer.
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Old 8th Aug 2022, 2:38 pm   #11
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Yes, I've come across him already, he might be considered to be the modern day 'Mad Scientist Of Music'.

Some of the things he does, like running helium through an old church organ to see how it affects the pitch, or smoke, so that the sounds being played by the pipes are 'visualised', are not really my bag, but I generally do enjoy his stuff.

He seems to run a little museum somewhere down on the south coast although I'm not quite sure where.
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Old 18th Aug 2022, 10:39 pm   #12
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Thoroughly enjoyed all of these programmes - especially the Tangerine Dream & Gary Numan ones. I loved Garys description of aspergers as a gift, such a positive, inspirational yet modest character. I dream of wires was also brilliant. Thanks G!
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Old 19th Aug 2022, 1:27 am   #13
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

I liked Numan from the very beginning but if you listen to some of the stuff he has done in the past decade or so he sounds even better, he's become the king of the big, dark, growly synth riff. He sounds much heavier / more industrial than he did in the early days. I think he must be almost the only artist whose long term fans are just as happy to hear his newest material as they are to hear the classic tracks.

I loved IDOW but I have to admit I had never heard of Buchla synths so it educated me as well - the only criticism I could find was that there was a very high 'talking to playing' ratio, I would have liked to have heard more than merely several seconds of some of the pieces which were being used to link from one interview to another.

I liked the 'Rise Of The Synths' programme as well although to be honest it was describing a movement or subculture that I wasn't even aware existed until now.

The 'Sisters' documentary was great as well - altogether one of the best couple of evening's worth of documentaries I have seen for a long time.

Made me want to dust off the SH101 again, as there were several in background shots in the IDOW programme.
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Old 19th Aug 2022, 6:45 pm   #14
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

I remember lusting after a synth in a black briefcase, not sure if it was a version of the Synthi VCS3? or an adapted Minimoog? Cant remember. I must get whats left of mine down from the loft, its beyond fixing up but would be a nostalgic timewarp, I was only a kid at the time. I used the Dewtron keyboard in a home-made organ using that top octave chip AY something, & load of TTL dividers, it used about 3 amps
I know the organ was skipped decades ago but I'm pretty sure the synth is still up there somewhere. Cant easily get up there after the bike crash
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Old 19th Aug 2022, 8:29 pm   #15
lesmw0sec
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
I remember lusting after a synth in a black briefcase, not sure if it was a version of the Synthi VCS3? or an adapted Minimoog? Cant remember. I must get whats left of mine down from the loft, its beyond fixing up but would be a nostalgic timewarp, I was only a kid at the time. I used the Dewtron keyboard in a home-made organ using that top octave chip AY something, & load of TTL dividers, it used about 3 amps
I know the organ was skipped decades ago but I'm pretty sure the synth is still up there somewhere. Cant easily get up there after the bike crash
That sounds like the EMS AKS. Similar works as to the VCS3, but linked to a small included touch keyboard with a short-memory sequencer.
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Old 19th Aug 2022, 9:13 pm   #16
Phil__G
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Default Re: Music synth programmes coming up, Sky Arts

Thank you, yes that was it https://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/synthi.php

Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-pLObY7BK0



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Last edited by Phil__G; 19th Aug 2022 at 9:22 pm.
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