Pioneers of Electronic Music

[Tarekith]

cEvin Key.

[ski]

Moderator's note: this thread was getting right whacky towards the end there. So I've taken it out the back, given it a good scrubbin', and now it's all nice and clean and fluffy and ready to continue.

 

[Beer Moth]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nf10k

[simpleton]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nf10k

 

great pic!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/images/episode/b00nf10k_640_360.jpg

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

The sound of the theremin has been likened to that of a cello or the human voice. Is that not a form of imitative synthesis? Have you ever heard Pamela Kurstin play?

 

I was under the impression the theramin was like a synth musical saw.

[ski]

I was under the impression the theramin was like a synth musical saw.

 

I'll amend my statement, then, with...

 

"...likened to a cello or a musical saw..."

 

(where the musical saw produces, essentially, a sine wave, just like a theremin does.)

 

If you haven't heard Pamela Kurstin play theremin then I highly recommend checking out her music. Man, you'll be blown away.

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

If you haven't heard Pamela Kurstin play theremin then I highly recommend checking out her music. Man, you'll be blown away.

 

Will do!

 

BTW, my flatmate's planning on buying a theramin soon, I can't wait to play!

[ski]

BTW, my flatmate's planning on buying a theramin soon, I can't wait to play!

 

Very cool!

 

How about this: I'm going to nominate you to decide whether or not a theremin is a synth or not. Yours will be the final word.

 

 

Happy ooo-wee-ooo'ing!

[Andyreww]

 

 

Very cool....

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

How about this: I'm going to nominate you to decide whether or not a theremin is a synth or not. Yours will be the final word.

 

Ok, phew, what a responsiblity!

 

Firstly, I think arguing about the definition of anything is a bit dumb, as definitions are only convenient, and contrived, language-labels. Lots of people get too hung-up on them, thinking that the definition of something tells them something fundamental about the object. It doesn't, language definitions are self-referential and continually evolve. See Godel's Incompleteness Theorem: http://www.miskatonic.org/godel.html

 

BUT

 

I've listened to the arguments, and would have to say that I believe a one-aerial theremin should be classed as a tone-generator. Whereas the standard two-aeriel theremin, as the volume control is essentially a manual ADS(without the R) envelope filter, should indeed be classed as a synthesizer.

 

That should leave everybody unhappy!

 

EDIT: I was incorrect in calling the ADS envelope a filter, but the theremin certainly does have modulation, and the Wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesizer ) does state: "Sound is controllable by the operator by means of circuits or virtual stages which may include...", so filters seem not essential to the definition of a synthesizer. So my final word stays final!

 

Tone Generator + ADS Envelope + Modulation = Synthesizer!

 

FINAL EDIT: Changed all the "R"s to "S"s in the above edit, as it was late and I wrote ADR instead of ADS, as I'd just been reading about them.

 

THE END

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

@Andyreww:

 

Cool vid, I've never seen a theremin played like a double-bass before!

 

I've got ALOT of practising to do when the theremin arrives!

[Andyreww]

Tone Generator + ADR Envelope + Modulation = Synthesizer!

 

Crap I was going to nominate my Morse Code Generator I did in electronics at school (circa 1983) as a synth.

 

(Edited - once I learned how to spell "did" properly)

[ski]

Reverend,

 

Your word is God(el).

 

And take it from a guy who's had a hand in designing and developing some pretty well-known synthesizers that your definition is quite elegant and fits the bill perfectly (even if you don't like definitions).

 

Thanks also to Andyreww for posting that link of Pamela. Fantastic stuff.

[simpleton]

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/inside_tonto_with_malcolm_cecil/

[Andyreww]

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/inside_tonto_with_malcolm_cecil/

 

Almost a house built around a synth!

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

...And a nice compilation for you (works by the people I listed above are included in this compilation, plus other important ones mentioned by others in this thread):

 

OHM: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music

 

 

J.

 

Ooh! Ooh! I know what I'm asking Father Christmas for!!!

 

Thanks loads for the link!

 

Well, I couldn't wait for that bearded fatso to come up with the goods, I got the Ohm+ 3CD and 1DVD edition, which for some reason was cheaper than the CD only version.

 

It is absolutely fantastic, and the booklet is worth the money alone, I love how each track has comments by a different person who knows what they're talking about.

 

Many thanks Jordito!

 

EDIT: Though it is rekindling my sadness for being too riddled with intestinal spirochetosis to watch Alvin Lucier perform at my music college

[Jordi Torres]

Well, I couldn't wait for that bearded fatso to come up with the goods, I got the Ohm+ 3CD and 1DVD edition, which for some reason was cheaper than the CD only version.

 

It is absolutely fantastic, and the booklet is worth the money alone, I love how each track has comments by a different person who knows what they're talking about.

 

Many thanks Jordito!

 

EDIT: Though it is rekindling my sadness for being too riddled with intestinal spirochetosis to watch Alvin Lucier perform at my music college

 

You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it

Yes, I remember the booklet being very nice, too.

 

Cheers,

 

J.

[Orsanct]

As it appears everyone's reached a satisfactory resolution to the question, I'll just chime in here at the end to state that I REALLY think that the term "synthesizer" was used largely (and imprecisely) to make an easy-to-understand distinction between "natural" and "electronic" (i.e., "manmade") sound sources. Ergo, I'm content to call a lowly Theremin a "synthesizer."

[Scott Jackson]

As it appears everyone's reached a satisfactory resolution to the question, I'll just chime in here at the end to state that I REALLY think that the term "synthesizer" was used largely (and imprecisely) to make an easy-to-understand distinction between "natural" and "electronic" (i.e., "manmade") sound sources. Ergo, I'm content to call a lowly Theremin a "synthesizer."

 

I agree

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

Wow, just found this site:

 

http://120years.net/

 

According to this, the first electronic instrument was invented in 1759

 

Pretty interesting, and comprehensive looking, list of electronic instruments!

[goodandfruity]

So ... uhh ... yeah, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, early synth pioneers. Nice to see Raymond Scott mentioned.

 

Surprising to not see Peter Gabriel mentioned although Larry Fast was mentioned so indirectly you kinda include Peter Gabriel in that.

 

Gershon Kingsley comes to mind. Popcorn was mentioned. That was his (Hot Butter recorded the most famous version) and he also did the solo in Del Shannon's Runaway. He was the Moog pioneer. The first to use it on a popular recording and the first to play it live.

 

Devo Rules!

 

Cheers,

Jimmy

[Andyreww]

So ... uhh ... yeah, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, early synth pioneers. Nice to see Raymond Scott mentioned.

 

Surprising to not see Peter Gabriel mentioned although Larry Fast was mentioned so indirectly you kinda include Peter Gabriel in that.

 

Gershon Kingsley comes to mind. Popcorn was mentioned. That was his (Hot Butter recorded the most famous version) and he also did the solo in Del Shannon's Runaway. He was the Moog pioneer. The first to use it on a popular recording and the first to play it live.

 

Devo Rules!

 

Cheers,

Jimmy

 

Learning (ok, doing an overview of) Synthesis @ school - didn't see Giorgio Moroder mentioned,,,,

[Beer Moth]

[Andyreww]

If you haven't heard Pamela Kurstin play theremin then I highly recommend checking out her music. Man, you'll be blown away.

 

Will do!

 

BTW, my flatmate's planning on buying a theramin soon, I can't wait to play!

 

Did you get your hands on a Theramin yet?

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

Did you get your hands on a Theramin yet?

 

Sort of, my flatmate got a cheap one for christmas, but it's not very playable. It's ok for weird sci-fi noises if you stick it through a delay pedal, but the pitch range is too limited to play a tune

 

Hopefully she'll get a proper Moog one in the next couple of months.

[Andyreww]

Did you get your hands on a Theramin yet?

 

Sort of, my flatmate got a cheap one for christmas, but it's not very playable. It's ok for weird sci-fi noises if you stick it through a delay pedal, but the pitch range is too limited to play a tune

 

Hopefully she'll get a proper Moog one in the next couple of months.

 

Yeah - there's a whole bunch of resources out there on building them - might be a good a project in the interim...

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

Yeah - there's a whole bunch of resources out there on building them - might be a good a project in the interim...

 

I don't gots the time!

[Andyreww]

Yeah - there's a whole bunch of resources out there on building them - might be a good a project in the interim...

 

I don't gots the time!

 

Tell me about it - while learning synths at school I have thought about building one from scratch - did most of the circuit theory back in the day. Only time would prevent this....it sucks!

[Orsanct]

Years ago, I was contemplating conducting a piece that had an optional theremin part. I wistfully mentioned that fact to my ensemble and the hand of one the players shot up and she said, "I play theremin!" As she was (is) an incredibly gifted oboist — and everyone knows that when oboists aren't practicing, they're devoting their remaining moments to making reeds — I thought she was putting me on.

 

Well, as it turned out, she was an excellent "thereminist" as well! Today, she continues to lead a musical double life. Here's a fun little photo shoot she did last summer —  with her "other" ax.

 

http://blog.bespokephoto.com/2010/08/musician-portrait-lara-wickes-theremin.html