RIP Don Buchla

Sad News ...

:(

One of the most important unsung heroes of not only synthesizers and synthesizer music, but one of the most important figures in all of experiential music. RIP :(

If only we could afford Buchla synths.

RIP

2016 has been a rough year.

  Quote

 

 From the wiki

 

Buchla was born in South Gate, California, and studied physics, physiology, and music.

Buchla formed his electronic music equipment company, Buchla and Associates, in 1962 in Berkeley, California. Buchla was commissioned by avant garde music composers Morton Subotnick and Ramon Sender, both of the San Francisco Tape Music Center, to create an electronic instrument for live performance. Under a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation Buchla completed his first modular synthesizer in 1963. The result was the Buchla Series 100, which he began selling in 1966. Buchla's synthesizers experimented in control interfaces, such as touch-sensitive plates. In 1969 the Series 100 was sold to CBS, who soon after dropped the line, not seeing the synthesizer market as a profitable area.[2]

In 1970 the Buchla 200 series Electric Music Box was released and was manufactured until 1985. Buchla created the Buchla Series 500, the first digitally controlled analog synthesizer, in 1971. Shortly after, the Buchla Series 300 was released, which combined the Series 200 with microprocessors. The Music Easel, a small, portable, all-in-one synthesizer was released in 1972. The Buchla 400, with a video display, was released in 1982. In 1987, Buchla released the fully MIDI enabled Buchla 700.[3]

Beginning in the 1990s, Buchla began designing alternative MIDI controllers, such as the Thunder, Lightning, and Marimba Lumina. With the recent resurgence of interest in analog synthesizers Buchla has released a revamped 200 series called the 200e.

Sweet jesus it's been a rough couple of years for synth gods. RIP

RIP thanks for all the inspiring synths and sharing your circuits for people to take them and run with them and make new things. 

he essentially open sourced his 200 series modular by putting the schematics on the internet and letting people clone them or use them to inspire their own designs. pretty legendary and selfless thing to do. 

he connected with musicians and inspired many.  there's a lot in the eurorack world that is inspired by him and lot's of builders revered him and took the opportunity to seek him out and meet him when in proximity.  

RIP Don Buchla!

Sad, sad news. RIP.

The afterlife has gained a genius.

R.I.P. Don

Whos this

  On 9/17/2016 at 10:19 AM, bubbhasdance said:

Whos this

don buchla. musical instrument designer/builder. modular synths, synths, semi modular synths, interesting controllers etc. 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/16/don-buchla-modular-synthesizer-pioneer-dies-aged-79

Yeah I saw this!  R.I.P.  

Quite recently there was a bit of buzz about some code for one of the old buchlas being put up online, so I think we will see something appear in that vein. I cant remember which it was but its a weird sounding one

Long interview with him from awhile back, not the best questions (RBMA after all) but he's too interesting to have that be a problem.

https://vimeo.com/28737580

Damn, RIP... If only could actually afford some Buchla gear...

there was one called easel something which I assume is a buchla thing too?

  On 9/18/2016 at 9:50 PM, Ragnar said:

there was one called easel something which I assume is a buchla thing too?

http://buchla.com/product/music-easel

RIP, Don.

Donnacha costello uses a music easel...

https://donnachacostello.bandcamp.com/track/ten-ton

  On 9/22/2016 at 12:44 PM, lala said:

Donnacha costello uses a music easel...

 

 

https://donnachacostello.bandcamp.com/track/ten-ton

There's a few who have really mastered that instruments like that guy - I always associate Buchla music easels with more balls to the wall wacky synth craziness but Costello has really mastered that instrument.

It really does sound nice doesnt it.  

I would really love something like the prophet-12 but with more of a lush sound.  I love playing the pro-2 but always with it could be poly, and slightly nicer sounding, I would sit playing that for hours, just learn that instrument if there was a synth like this for a decent price.  (I dont own a '12 & I like the music easel sound so much more)

  On 9/22/2016 at 10:22 PM, lala said:

It really does sound nice doesnt it.  

 

 

I would really love something like the prophet-12 but with more of a lush sound.  I love playing the pro-2 but always with it could be poly, and slightly nicer sounding, I would sit playing that for hours, just learn that instrument if there was a synth like this for a decent price.  (I dont own a '12 & I like the music easel sound so much more)

i got to play a few different music easel reissues... really is an amazing instrument. there's so much flexibility with the patching. you can do feedback, bongos, acid, bass all kinds of stuff. it's so playable too. it's an instrument.  i didn't have enough time to really learn it but we had one in the muffwiggler store from time to time and a person who knew it better than I would patch it up and show me some tricks so i'd sit and jam with it and sometimes record it. then i'd listen to recordings people did w/the easel.. Alessandro Cortini etc and it's just amazing the sounds people get out of it. 

the synth i really fell for though is the oberheim SEM. just the most awesome sounding thing. so musical and sweet. it never sounded bad. there are no bad sounds that come out of an SEM. 

i also love the small form factor of things like the Pro2 and wish for more synths in that form.  a small FM synth w/25 keys and lot's of knobs would slay. 

if waldorf would make a blofeld in the same forfactor as the microQ KB that'd be a nice thing.. but they'd have to cover it w/lot's of knobs and not do a matrix editor button knob thing.. knobs.. like on the MWXT.

but oh if you want pro12 like thing but lusher think oberheim expander (spendy though) or maybe a new OB6 from DSI/oberheim.

The OB6 hasnt got the scope of the P12 - 1LFO, less envelopes etc. its a pretty basic keyboard to me. whereas with the 2/12 you can do an entire patch just in the synth, I.E saturation, wow & flutter, BBD, layer & split.. 4 envelopes, loadsa LFOs, amazing mod matrix and all controlled how you want    The pro2 is so inspiring but its para & I would love multitimbral. its also got a very bitey sound so ambience just isnt as nice & i think the 12 is more bitey so im skeptical... 

Like this is just me trying to play the pro2:

Maybe its just me but I love what it does, just super critical of the sound of it, I dont think it sounds the 'right' emotion.    Maybe im just too self critical, ive always been like that

Maybe the deepmind might be a good choice what with all the FX & lush Juno sound

OB6 is my dream synth, one day it will be mine !!!