Tag Archives: vintage synthesizers

Suicide Manual

Posted on 04/16/2013 by chris

In NYC in the mid-seventies, an electronic-based band arose amongst all the guitar punks, a band that was known as much for their confrontational post-beatnik vocals as for the strange and intense sounds that emanated from their famously homemade electronic … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Electronic Music, Publications, Technical | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Keys Break: 1980

Posted on 09/11/2012 by chris

Today: a quick look at some forgotten synths+keys from circa 1980 A.D.  Above: the Electro-Harmonix Mini Synth, a pretty cool little piece.  Incredibly, it has a touch-sensitive keyboard.  Other period entries in the mini-analog-monosynth field included my beloved Yamaha CS-01 … Continue reading →

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Key Break

Posted on 05/02/2012 by chris

Man I love this image.  Yamaha YC Combo Organ advert circa 1971. “Organ Eyes.  It’s what happens when you see something in your mind.” Nice.  We briefly used a Yamaha YC20 In our band before we started touring.  It was … Continue reading →

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PAiA : Synth DIY circa late 70′s

Posted on 04/22/2012 by chris

From the pages of various musician’ mags of the late 70s: The Collected Works of the PAiA Electronics marketing department.  PAiA is, and has been for decades, the standard-bearer for good-quality kits for musical instruments and musical accessories.  I am … Continue reading →

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(Very) Early Electronic Instruments

Posted on 03/01/2012 by chris

When you think of ‘early electronic instruments,’ what period comes to mind?  European tape music of the 1950s?  Academic electronic music labs of the 1960s?  How about 1931? Download a five-page article from Radio News 1931, on ‘The Electrical Future … Continue reading →

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Some 70s electronic oddities

Posted on 10/25/2011 by chris

The Computone Lyricon is an analog synthesizer with a wind controller interface.  The horn-controller responded to three input parameters: the keys (‘valves’) themselves, lip pressure, and wind force pressure.  It sounds beautiful.  Listening to this thing, I can’t help but … Continue reading →

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Electronic Music Labs, INC, of Vernon CT

Posted on 10/25/2011 by chris

Electronic Music Laboratories, INC, was based in Vernon CT from 1968 through 1984.  The company’s founders included Dale Blake, Norman Millard, Dennis Daugherty, Fred Locke, and Jeff Murray.   Apparently EML synths used op-amps rather than transistors in certain circuits, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Connecticut Audio History, Synthesizers | Tagged | 1 Comment

Vladamir Ussachevsky, electronic music pioneer and educator

Posted on 10/23/2011 by chris

“Does this qualify me for a prophet? Well, perhaps partially.” Imagine if this dude had been your college music professor.  Read a 4-page essay by Mongolian-born composer Vladamir Ussachevsky as printed in the 1/17/74 issue of DOWNBEAT magazine.  Ussachevsky was … Continue reading →

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ARP Synthesizer Endorsers of the early 1970s

Posted on 10/21/2011 by chris

Stevie Wonder endorses the ARP 2600 in this early 70s advert Billy Preston likes his ARP Pro-Soloist Les McCann and the Arp Pro-Soloist Edgar Winter apparently used the ARP 2600 on his cheerful Doobie-Bros-esque hit record ‘Free Ride’; those wind … Continue reading →

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Univox-branded Synth+Drums

Posted on 10/20/2011 by chris

Billy Preston with a Univox Compac-Piano Univox (brief company history here) was a US company that marketed a huge range of musical products in the late 60s and into the early 80s.    Most famous is their ‘Hi-Flier’ electric guitar, aka, … Continue reading →

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