1976: ROGER LIMB Sculpting ELECTRONIC Sound | An ABC Of Music | Radiophonic Workshop | BBC Archive

Roger Limb - the studio manager of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - demonstrates some of the techniques he uses to create electronic music and sound effects for radio and television.
This clip is from An ABC of Music: E for Electronics. Originally broadcast, 7 November, 1976.
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[@macronencer]

This was an astonishing revelation for me... because in the 1970s I and my siblings used to mess around with my dad's cassette recorder, recording all sorts of silly stuff - and I still have the tape. It includes snatches of this programme, which must have been on the TV at the time. I was already quite interested in electronic music back then (I was about 11). Amazing finally to identify what we were watching on TV while I made that tape 47 years ago... wow. (And it must have been live TV because there were no video recorders cheap enough to buy in those days!)

[@steviebboy69]

I remember doing silly stuff like that as well in the late 70's on my little cassette recorder. but sadly all that stuff as in the recordings are long gone. But I still have a Neil Diamond cassette that I got with the recorder very worn but still plays.

[@NuisanceMan]

@@steviebboy69 If only it would break...

[@TayWoode]

Haha I used to do the same, make radio shows with friends ,I’ve still got cassettes full of sound effects I used to record from cartoons or tv shows like Bewitched and music from adverts

[@JT4CD]

Roger Limb - composer of the wonderful Box of Delights score.

[@davidaston5773]

Electronic acupuncture! I like to think alien life speaks in this way. Amazing how many worlds of imagination were created by a small band of music geniuses. Best of British. And most of them, men and women, rarely get the credit they deserve.

[@emitindustries8304]

Electronic acupuncture! Wonderful!!!

[@gus4u2c]

The guy scored the best Doctor Who story, The Caves Of Androzani.

[@TayWoode]

Roger Limb, inventor of one of the best drum machines of the 80s 😉

[@ClotheslineRevival]

That is actually Roger Linn. Roger Limb is a composer. 😊

[@alexfletcher5192]

Given his soundtracks you would expect something more melodramatic! I miss the age where people just explained things from scratch, without insulting the audience.

[@TayWoode]

Totally agree, even kids shows were a lot calmer, yet interesting so you’d actually listen. Now so many videos have someone talking loud and fast, lots of jump cuts and zoom in and outs, cartoon sound effects, annoying music coz everyone seems to have short attention spans

[@80ssynthfan48]

Thank you for this series of RW videos. An absolute treat.

[@freddiebozwell7049]

Now I know why it's called an LFO. I've learned something, great video.

[@kahyui2486]

Needs more reverb and cowbell

[@brianwilson49]

come on behringer - we want a reproduction of the ems synthi 100.

[@Rr0gu3_5uture]

An exact clone of a Synthi 100 would be a big ask. In saying that, after they/if make a VCS3 I wouldn't mind seeing a Behringer version of the EMS Hi-Fli multi-fx.

[@DeadManDesert]

The simplest explanation I've seen in my life. I appreciate that you uploaded this video.

[@SharpblueCreative]

The Synthi 100 - known as ‘The Delaware’ because the Radiophonics Workshop was in Delaware Road. These things are as rare a rocking horse uh hum. They only made about 30 of these.

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

But now revived thanks to Analogue Solutions with their Colossus. Btw, I live in Putney, a mere stone throw from the little detached house by the Thames where Peter Zinovieff invented and manufactured those amazing machines- including the seminal one, the VCS-3 (for 'Voltage Control Synthesizer Nr3'... also known as ... The Putney)

[@darrenlee1938]

Genius work!

[@Erdnase23]

Fantastic find.

[@espacemaxim]

Now that‘s a nice synth!

[@ridgerider7402]

So refreshing yet completely timeless.

[@HAZARDOUS88]

Loved this!

[@SanderAnderon]

that synth workstation is what, about 6 or 8 EMS Synthi's racked up above one massive routing matrix?! wow

[@aCivilServant]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMS_Synthi_100

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

Ah, the Delaware synth. The Radiophonic Workshop could do anything with it. Except a decent version of the Doctor Who theme.

[@Skraboing649]

AKA the EMS Synthi 100?

[@emitindustries8304]

That wall of equipment for the synth now fits in my cell phone, in an app. Ain't technology sumpthin'?

[@NuisanceMan]

I doubt your cell phone can reproduce the sound of a Synthi 100.

[@hal7112]

Not quite...cool story tho

[@SpoonyMcSpoonface]

There’s an app for this now. 😀

[@filmusikchannel7596]

EMS Synthi 100

[@boheem3451]

Release should have been the thing called decay.

[@newtronix]

Nope it goes attack decay sustain release.

[@Vimana]

This was a good observation and I'm glad that you noticed that one. The comment by Newtronix is also right of course but it's just that this video shows the decay (time) behaving like release (time) after 5:16. Let me explain: Many early synthesizers didn't show a release (time) envelope stage. A very common example is the Minimoog. It only shows the attack (time), decay (time) and the sustain (level). With a Minimoog you could add (what would later be called) release (time) with a switch. That switch just says "decay" but it enables the decay (time) to also add the release (time) to the sound you're creating. That's a bit confusing... Well, I've seen many videos about synthesizers and the common ADSR we've had on most synths since the late 1970s is still a bit of a mystery to some people. One puzzling thing is that the sustain is actually a "level" where the sound volume stays after the decay stage (using the amplifier envelope) when we still keep pressing the key(s). It doesn't behave as "time" like the other envelope stages. One of the reasons for the confusion is that the sustain pedal of a piano etc. is actually doing what the release (time) does on a synthesizer. Well, If you really want to be confused, then all you have to do is to look at the controls of early Korg synthesizers, like the MiniKorg 700S. It's a great synth. It's very fun to use and the naming of the controls is part of the fun. It has both a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter but it's a secret... It's just called the "traveler". That's groovy, man. Anyway, I guess I've written enough. Take care and have a great day.

[@Synthematix]

No decay is a slow hold feature

[@hintoninstruments2369]

Only in "Hold On" mode, it's not an ADSR, but a trapezoid and will run without a key (gate) to release.

[@rbrooks2007]

I wonder where that Synthi 100 is now?

[@annother3350]

Most are in universities

[@rbrooks2007]

@@annother3350 that particular one. It was heartbreaking when Peter Zinovieff spoke of his studio one which was cut up with chainsaws.

[@NuisanceMan]

@@rbrooks2007 What did they do that for?

[@rbrooks2007]

@@NuisanceMan EMS was going into receivership and some of the equipment was stored in a damp basement. It is mentioned by Dr. Peter Zinovieff in the documentary about EMS in KZbin, I forget the name. EMS lives on with Robin Wood now, as you know.

[@A3Kr0n]

What will they think of next?

[@NuisanceMan]

Politicians that tell the truth? Well... there's always next year.

[@emitindustries8304]

Roger's music is pretty commercial, which means dull. Daphne Oram's electronic compositions are much more experimental, and fascinating. Expect movie music from him. Hope for the ethereal, and you get her.

[@herby4215]

The fairlight system was the real breakthrough