synthfiend

Random thought of the day: what’s up with what the world has ended up calling those wonderful electronic instruments that originate from a program in a computer? Yes, we all know them as software synths or virtual instruments (a.k.a. VIs if your character count is limited or you’re just that cool), but these names, however accurate, are pretty awful. read more

Leave it to Bob Lefsetz to pretty much nail my sentiments on electronic music.

I’ll admit it – as you can probably guess from my being a synth fiend, it was Thomas Dolby’s use of synths that first drew me to him and his music. As a fan of good pop music, Dolby’s songs like “Europa and the Pirate Twins” really appealed to me (and still do). And while I can understand the reason that most articles today still hang their hat on one particular Dolby MTV hit from the ’80s, it unfortunately seems to discourage a more thorough exploration of a varied body of songwriting and collaborations that has never been tied to a specific genre or instrument type. But after all Dolby, whose career has included work as a session musician, solo artist, soundtrack composer, sound technology developer, musical director for TED and now even game designer, has never followed just one game plan. (read article)

Synthtopia, the essential blog for synth-heads, reports today on a peculiar new keyboard from upstart W-AUDIO with a unique and somewhat innovative keyboard layout. At the very least, the back panel is going to raise some eyebrows.