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NOTICES
Events listed here are thought to be of interest to our audience. Your event could be seen here too...
FCC Notifies Wireless Microphone Users see: HERE Whitespaces A clear and concise article about the future of wireless microphones. MUST READ! www.prosoundweb.com Metaphors for Dead Pianos An interactive sound sculpture by Hugo Solis, January 29 - April 2 at Jack Straw New Media Gallery. www.jackstraw.org Studio Summit 2010 Grammy.com Pacific Northwest Chapter The Pacific Northwest Chapter of NARAS, aka the Grammy Org, will present their 2010 Studio Summit on April 10, 2010 in Seattle. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. Whitespaces Update see: HERE New Jobs Listings HERE New listings were posted 12/22/2009.
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AES PNW Section
February Meeting Notice
New Wave Modular Synthesizers
Meet the Seattle Area Modular Manufacturers
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 7:30PM
Microsoft Studios
4420 148th Ave NE, Redmond WA 98052, Building 127
Our February meeting features some of the rising stars of the new wave of Modular Synthesis giving demonstrations of some innovative new products as well as showing off some of the more tried and trusted, but never completely predictable, modular delights. This will be a great opportunity to play catch-up for those of you who may be new to the world of modular synthesizers - a world of infinitely variable possibilities that started in the early 70s when modular synthesis was pretty much the only way to go. If you're old enough, think back to the Buchla, Moog 900-series, and the ARP 2600 synthesizers. If not... In the beginning, there were several separate modules, each responsible for a specific aspect of sound creation: Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), Voltage Controlled Filters (VCFs) and Voltage Controlled Amplifiers (VCAs). It wasn't too long afterwards that Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs), Sequencers/Arpeggiators, and Envelope Generators joined the party, creating a broad range of wonderful synthesized sounds. The flexibility of such a system was tremendous - primarily because the modules were connected together by patch cords, encouraging sound exploration and design. That flexibility came at a cost - complexity and price. The modular synths of the day were well out of range of all but the most serious musicians and academia. In addition, the different manufacturers had proprietary sizes and interfaces for their equipment. This complexity led to an integration of functionality - the standard modules and patches that create sounds were put together and pre-patched, with control mainly of the parameters of the components, but not their order/configuration... These units incrementally came down in price until the pendulum swung furthest in the mid to late 80s. Here we had synthesizers whose human interface consisted of a couple of 7 segment LEDs and a data slider. The majority of the "patches" (named for the earlier use of patch cables to build a sound) were pre-set and canned. Much of the joy the synthesist derived from creating and manipulating their own sounds in real time evaporated. On the other hand, for live performance, a synthesizer with presets was really the only practical solution, because there was no way for a modular synthesizer to change patches quickly during performance. Fortunately, with lead of several visionaries in the field, modular synthesis has been revived and the costs have dropped enough to become accessible to the general audience. There are new modular standards that provide opportunities for many manufacturers to make modules that interoperate seamlessly and inexpensively. On February 17th, we'll meet several of those manufacturers. Come and learn the history, state of the art, and future trends in modular synthesis. Confirmed guests include:
Interviews with the featured guests and more information about the new wave of modular synthesis can be found on electronicmusic.com
Steve Turnidge
n.b. The material presented at our meetings is the opinion of the presenter and not necessarily that of the Society. You are encouraged to conduct your own research and to form your own opinions before adopting the presented material as Truth. If you would like to be notified in advance of our meetings, you can send a request via the link provided below. Please note that we no longer send anything via USPS. Our meetings are open to anyone interested in Audio. AES membership is NOT required for you to attend our meetings. If you have a topic that you would like to present at a
Section meeting, or if you have a topic that you would
like presented at a Section meeting, please contact the Section Chair or
any officer or Committee member.
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Links and Contacts
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Last modified 02/03/2010 8:46:39.