Art + Music + Technology

Dave Rossum has quite a history. From helping to start up E-mu Systems, managing its acquisition by Creative Labs (and working with them through a 10-year run of amazing designs) and the creation of Rossum Electro-Music, Dave has been designing the heck out of music instruments. I was really excited when the Synthtopia folks we able to pull this interview together, since I've been a fan of E-mu devices for a long, long time, and have been mesmerized by the new modules he's been developing.

In our chat, we talk in detail about the development of the early E-mu modular system, the move into sampling technology, the effect of the Creative purchase and the technology developments behind the Proteus lineup. We also go into detail about Dave's design work with the new series of modules that he's working on, as well as the upcoming sampler module that has everyone humming.

This was a lot of fun, and super-educational; I learned an awful lot about the various technological advances behind samplers and sample-based systems. Given my renewed interest in sampling, that was very interesting to me. But his views on analog and digital modular designs, and his willingness to take on impossible projects and find a way to make 'em work - it was inspirational.

Enjoy!

NOTE: This podcast is presented as a collaboration with Synthtopia.com for the presentation of people designing and producing unique instruments. You can listen to the podcast here, on the Synthtopia website (in an embedded player) or on iTunes. But you can also read the article as well as search for detailed information by viewing the transcription at http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/07/03/junkie-xl-the-art-of-scoring-with-synthesizers/.

Tom Holkenborg - Junkie XL - is everywhere right now. If you've seen any blockbuster movies in the last couple of years, you probably have heard his soundtracks. His recent releases are also widely heard, as are some of his early works (especially his rework of Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation"). And if you are really dedicated to sound design, you've probably stumbled on his website (www.junkiexl.com) and especially his YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/junkiexlofficial), where he has a series - Studio Time - that really gives you a close-up view of Tom's gear, techniques and passions.

When our friends at Synthtopia helped us connect with Tom, I was anxious to explore areas outside of his normal thing: I wanted to hear about his beginning story, but also how he approached composition, where he got his engineering chops and how he made music that has always jumped out of the speakers. We got to talk about all that and more, and I got a good overview of both his past work as a producer, electronica superstar and his current work doing soundtrack for major motion pictures. He's got great stories, but also great object lessons, and I think we all will learn something from his open discussion on his art.

An amazing interview - I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

NOTE: This podcast is presented as a collaboration with Synthtopia.com for the presentation of people designing and implementing synthesizers. You can listen to the podcast here, on the Synthtopia website (in an embedded player) or on iTunes. But you can also read the article as well as search for information by viewing the transcription available here:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/06/25/neural-audio-synthesis-with-google/

I first got to know the Magenta Project at Google when I heard a podcast with Douglas Eck. I subsequently interviewed him for my podcast, where we talked about using machine learning to do interesting work with composition. This led to an invite to meet with the team, and I got a great introduction to their work at their Mountain View headquarters, and first got to me this week's guest, Jesse Engel.

But something interesting happened a few months ago: I got blindsided by the project when they put up details on their 'NSynth' project. This effort is about using machine learning for music, but not for composition - but rather for sound design. Somehow, I never saw that coming, but it really makes a lot of sense, and it comes up with some pretty interesting results.

As part of this series on Synthesizer Design we've talked to people about their past work in synth design. But it is interesting to also talk to someone about the future of synthesis, how computers might be brought into play to enhance the sound design functions, and how machine learning can drive (and/or be driven into managing) massive parameter sets.

Jesse Engel breaks things down for us in this talk, and we get a chance to see how big the datasets are, how all of this data might be managed, and how he goes about wrangling a bunch of scientists and statisticians into working with sound. Sometimes the work is as expected (a "better violin"), and sometimes not (the "cat flute"). It's a crazy ride, and I hope you learn as much as I did about one of the future possibilities for synth design. Enjoy!

NOTE: This podcast is presented as a collaboration with Synthtopia.com for the presentation of people designing synthesizers. You can listen to the podcast here, on the synthtopia website (in an embedded player) or on iTunes. But you can also read the article as well as search for information by viewing the transcription available here:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/06/19/axel-hartmann-on-the-art-of-synth-design/

Axel Hartmann runs a design firm - designbox - that is pretty sneaky-influential to us synth folks. This is the company that does designs of hardware synthesizer for companies like Waldorf, Arturia and Moog. They also do user interface design for software and plug-ins for Antares and Universal Audio. Their designs are everywhere, and adds a lot to making our music lives a lot better than the dull black boxes and drab interfaces we'd otherwise see.

Axel has a great history, though, including the design of some of the most significant synthesizers to come out of Waldorf (including the Microwave and the big boy, the Wave), helping Dr. Moog with some initial designs for the Voyager and even running his own synthesizer company (Hartmann, the developer of the Hartmann Neuron). We talk about all of these - as well as his current work - in this wide-ranging chat.

I've loved what Axel has done to make our favorite synthesizers look the way they do. And I also appreciate what he is doing to make software interfaces both more intuitive as well as more appealing. Enjoy!

OK - Sam Battle is just amazing. He's a bundle of energy - and an obsession with making cool synths. From the famous 'Synth Bike' to the Jacob's Ladder drum machine, his creations span the range from crazy to outright insane. You can get a good taste of his work at his in-process website, or by following him on the Look Mum No Computer Facebook page.

This was a great chat - Sam is hilarious, and his story is really quite amazing. From his move from guitar to synth, to his amazing work space, to his adventures in making his own modular in his own format(!), the story is as fascinating as the result. But it comes with some danger (during the interview, we talk about one video that actually scared me - because of the worries about jewelry near high voltage...), but a lot of fun.

Sam is rockin' the video world, and all of his stuff is supported by his Patreon site: if you can help him out, I know he'd appreciate it. This is just the kind of guy we want to support!

Thanks again for continuing to follow the podcast. If you haven't already done so, please follow the Art Music Technology page on Facebook; we've got some announcements coming up that will be really important to all the listeners. Otherwise - have a great one, and we'll see you soon. Enjoy!!!