MOTM

In a message dated 3/2/99 9:26:24 AM, "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...>
wrote:

>I would try to get the ARP2600 Owner's Manual or the Roland "Art of the
>Synthesizer" set.

As always, Paul is right. I've seen these recommended in numerous places, and
can give a first hand recommendation of the 2600 manual. I seem to remember
the Roland set as being expensive several years ago, so I imagine it would be
even more expensive now.

I try to pick up any EM books I can find at used book stores and library
sales. Other books that I think are worth examining for patches and general
technical information are:

Allen Strange's book "Electronic Music." This is generally good, though it
does have some strangeness at points.

Jon Appleton and Ronald Perera's book "The Development and Practice of
Electronic Music." This is a very good book on EM and has a good chapter on
"Sound, Electronics, and Hearing," and one called "The Voltage Controlled
Synthesizer" (which is only 50 pages, but packed full of data).

"The Serge Modular Manual." You knew I was going to recommend this one. It has
references to certain peculiarities of the Serge (as it is an owner's manual),
but also has some great ideas in the more advanced patch section.

I also think the book "Synthesis" by Herbert Deutsch is pretty good, but like
most EM texts, it deals as much with history and tape music, as with patches.

>Side note: I am in the process of writing a MOTM "workbook" with patches and
>an audio demo CD rom.

This is another great idea, and I can't wait to see this!

Actually I think the best two things one can do to learn interesting patches
are:
1) get some modules, and start patching them (obviously). 
2) Share patches with others (this is really helpful. I learned a whole lot in
my old EM classes, even from watching people less advanced than I was, doing
things I never would have tried).

I think other MOTM users should post some patches to this list (he said yet
again).
Maybe there should be a modular patch list.

Synth Peon 
John B.
"Writing about music, is like dancing about architecture." Steve Allen