BookTip XVI: The Synthesizer by Mark Vail

Music journalist, historian, teacher, and performer Mark Vail is the author of the new book 'The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument' (2014), published by Oxford University Press, as well as classic Vintage Synthesizers (1993, 2000) book.
He has developed an elective music curriculum based on Propellerhead Reason and has taught 6th through 12th grade students at private schools in Sacramento and San Jose, California, since 2003.

The Synthesizer book by Mark Vail

In his latest book he explains the important developments throughout the history of the synthesizer and how engineers, musicians, and visionaries have advanced its capabilities.
He gives important practical tips on choosing a synthesizer and reveals the deep creativity and imagination of those who work with synthesizers
The book is thoroughly illustrated with over 350 images

" Electronic music instruments weren't called synthesizers until the 1950s, but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termen's (Theremin) development of the Etherphone, now known as the Theremin.
From that point, synthesizers have undergone a remarkable evolution from prohibitively large mid-century models confined to university laboratories to the development of musical synthesis software that runs on tablet computers and portable media devices.

Throughout its history, the synthesizer has always been at the forefront of technology for the arts.
In The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument, veteran music technology journalist, educator, and performer Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation, musical control, and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound.

Vail also describes how to successfully select, program, and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments.
This one-stop reference guide on all things synthesizer also offers tips on encouraging creativity, layering sounds, performance, composing and recording for film and television, and much more."

A companion website features resources which accompany the book.

I haven't bought the book yet, but i will definitely order it this year... A must-have in my opinion although i do expect it partially overlaps the Vintage Synth book of him that I also have.

Mark Vail “The Synthesizer”

Oxford University Press

ISBN: 978-0-19-539481-8

How NOT to Modify

The rail is still visible through the
new hole i drilled

Okay... sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

I made a slight mistake while drilling a new hole in a front panel for my latest DIY-project.
(blogpost will follow soon)

Although i knew there was not a lot space where i had to drill, i did not calculate that the rail would still be visible.

Hardly visible, but i had to scrape almost
one mm. off the module's PCB

I am glad that i didn't have to put a mini jack connector but only a switch there, but that didn't even fit here.
Okay, maybe I should have drilled a smaller hole in the first place.

My bad... but still very annoying.
On the other side of the hole there's the module's PCB, so i couldn't put the switch higher without also modifying the PCB board.

Luckily i could solve the problem with an extra large ring.
It has not trned out to be my most successful modification.
More info on what i was working on will follow later this week.

Finished switch, with extra large ring

Sadly i also damaged the front-panel a little bit (bottom left and under the D from Doepfer)

I should be more careful next time, and take a little bit more time for my modifications... 

Make a plan first... and work step-by-step.

That would spare me a lot of trouble.

PatchPierre Mobile App for Symbian Update

Version 3 of the PatchPierre Mobile App is now available in the OVI-store. 
The ultimate way to watch PatchPierre's content on your Nokia device. It works on all Symbian and selected S40-devices.

The app enables easy browsing through the PatchPierre posts and comments and also links to the original articles.
Added in Version 3 are the PatchPierre Twitterfeed and my YouTube Videosection with jams, demos and other music made my me. Find it on the web at http://www.youtube.com/netpierretv

The app will stay free in 2010, the 1 Euro that it will cost in 2011 will be spent on upgrading my A-100 system and maintaining the blog. 

All other donations are welcome too, there is a PayPal donation button in the blogs' right column.

Click HERE for a direct link to the OVI Store


More screenshots after the break:

SiteTip I : Tone's Analog Synthesizer Projects and Products

I stumbled upon this interesting site last week; Tone's Analog Synthesizer Projects and Products. You can find it at http://synovatron.blogspot.com/
The overall site looks like a good start for everyone who is busy with, or starting on eurorack synthesizer DIY-ing and is operated by Tony Steventon, a UK electronics design engineer with a long interest in synths.
"Like most ideas it came out of trying to solve problems..." he wrote to me "... I could not fit either the jack sockets or bracketed pots on to standard 0.1" perfboard and came up with this idea over a year ago".

He continues "...several people have expressed an interest in learning how to take an idea through to a design and onto a prototyped module which I am quite tempted to do as a future 'learning' page on my blog..." "...I am working on my CV Tools module at the moment, which I have prototyped using my kits, but when that is ready for manufacture I am happy to consider some more ideas, I already have four promising ideas which may get developed either on my own or in collaboration with the idea originators."

Along with selling different DIY sets and prototyping kits, you can also order additional components for reasonable prices here. Listed are various Control pots (50k linear supplied as standard but 10k linear, 100k linear, 1M logarithmic or a mixture are available upon request), Pot mounting brackets, Decoupling capacitors, 16-pin headers, 3.5mm jack sockets, Red/green 3mm 2mA LEDs, TL084 quad op-amps (DIL), 14-pin IC sockets, 16mm soft-touch knobs (red, grey, orange, green, white, blue, yellow pointers), 10uF 16V electrolytic capacitors, 100nF ceramic capacitors, Headers - single, double, straight, right-angle, DPDT toggle switches to fit DIY2,  ...and more on request.

The site has an interesting (and growing) support page with all the datasheets and other practical tips on synovatron products. More info and discussion is possible at his dedicated Forum.


For sales, support and combined shipping enquiries you can contact synovatron@btinternet.com
CAUTION: These kits are intended only for experienced experimenters and constructors to prototype their designs. It is possible for you to destroy components or damage your synth if you are not careful. It is recommended that you use a separate regulated ±12V power supply for experimentation.

Quick Tip III : Vocoder testing

Ideal for ( Doepfer ) vocoder testing;


Try feeding an audio-book or a recording of your favorite radioshow through your system while tweaking your vocoder settings.

Speech-only programmes are perfect for this purpose.

Short demo:
  In the Morning Vocoder test by NetPierre
* original audioclip from: http://NoAgendaShow.com / http://NoAgendaShots.com

A-115 Audio Divider

A module that i use a lot in my patches to get a fatter sound is the A-115 Audio Divider.

This module adds 4 seperately mixable sub-octaves to your original signal,
where F/2 = half the frequency = first sub-octave,
           F/4 = quarter frequency = second sub-octave,
and so on...

It is a perfect module for making nasty low bass sounds.
Especially the F/16 output can sound very dirty ( but very gritty ) if you turn its volume up.

Most of the times i feed a signal directly from an A-110 VCO Voltage Controlled Oscillator into the Divider module.
To make optimal use of all of the sub-octaves, i turn the footage (or octave-) switch of the original oscillator up one or 2 octaves.
( An option is to leave the original signal out of the mix )
This makes even the lowest octave (F/16) a bit useable in my setup.

Note that all 4 sub-octaves outputs are all true square waves, so the output provides 4 square waves plus the original signal.

PatchPierre Mobile App for Symbian

Good news for all Nokia owners and followers of this blog.

The official PatchPierre Mobile app is out, for all Symbian and selected S40 devices.

A few screenshots:

NetPierre presents the PatchPierre Mobile app. The ultimate way to watch PatchPierre's content on your Nokia device. PatchPierre provides (basic) A-100 -tips -patches sound-examples and other general (analog) synthesizer-tips for those of you interested. The app enables easy browsing through the posts and also gives links to the original articles

Click HERE for a direct link to the OVI Store

*Update: Version 2 is out now... with better design, and a feed to the comments

Quick Tip I - Cleaning the A-100 with a Brush

As most of us know, the Doepfer A-100 can be quite a dust-magnet, and with all the cables and knobs, it isn't the easiest instrument to clean.

A dry piece of cloth often gets stuck between the wires if you try, and cleaning between the knobs can be awkward at some times

What i prefer for a quick cleanup is a dry long-haired (painting)-brush.

It quickly removes all the dust from the surface of your modules without any problems.

CD-Tip I : Secrets of Synthesis by Wendy Carlos

This CD ( a 2003 enhancedCD re-issue by East Side Digital ) is a nice introduction into analog synthesis by the American synth pioneer Wendy Carlos

Secrets of Synthesis ( originally from 1987 ) is a lecture by Carlos with her own audio examples. The main topic is 'Electronic Orchestration' - the use of analog ( and digital ) synthesizers in ways that orchestral instruments sound.

Some of the audiotracks are an introduction to synthesis, and some of it is aimed at the more experienced musicians.
A great tutorial CD in my opinion, with some very good information and great and usefull insights.

One short soundexample: Secret of Synthesis, discussion with musical examples ~ Introduction
01 Secret of Synthesis, discussion with musical examples~Introduction by NetPierre
Wikipedia: Wendy Carlos
Ordernr: East Side Digital ESD 81702 or ESD 81692

Booktip I - Analog Synthesizers by Mark Jenkins

Analog Synthesizers - Understanding, Performing, Buying - by Mark Jenkins

One of the most interesting books about synthesizers and synthesis is probably this one by Mark Jenkins, has 336 pages, and was published in 2007

The book starts with basics like 'what is analog' and goes through the aspects of analog sound by the hand of the different components of a synthesizer.

A large part of the book is about the history of synthesizers, and there are also a lot of interviews; with Robert (Bob) Moog, Keith Emerson, Hans Zimmer, Rick Wakeman, Jean-Michel Jarre and many more.

The book is complimented with a lot of nice black/white pictures and also includes a tuition and sound-sampling CD with over 30 different analog synthesizers, spread over 79 tracks

ISBN: 978-0-240-52072-8