Suzanne Ciani On Modular Synthesis & The Buchla 200e | Composer Magazine

[@spitfireaudiollp]

What are everyone's favourite Suzanne Cinai tracks? Comment below!

[@Cosmo95_]

The First Wave - Birth Of Venus

[@josephwright5921]

The Princess with the Orange Feet is interesting

[@stephenrolfe519]

The Velocity of Love

[@michaelhazdra4923]

Suzanne Ciani & Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Sunergy

[@michaelhazdra4923]

Honorable Mention - Ciani on Letterman Show

[@9496TULL]

I could listen to her all day.

[@BurnartOz]

Some things Suzanne tells us in this video are absolute gold. Learnt far more from this than the average synth video. Thanks.

[@ronricherson6685]

This only scratches the surface of this artist and her contributions to the electronic music genre. Suzanne is in world of her own making--a true artist!

[@Yuusou.]

Have you had a chance to see "A life in waves"? That goes certainly deeper, sometimes a bit more personal and private, but good nonetheless.

[@station2station544]

@Bot Assasin well......

[@burprobrox9134]

Bot Assasin kind of a stretch, but she’s certainly very important to the evolution of electronics and instrumentation.

[@sweetvalerie7823]

I've never even heard of Suzanne before this video, it's a shame because she is super talented and over 40yrs experience in synthesis. Thanks Spitfire for sharing this video.

[@station2station544]

@@sweetvalerie7823 Yep. She is amazing. On a Sunday morning while you're relaxing, put on her album called "Buchla Concerts 1975". Its on Apple Music, Spotify, and KZbin. Tan album cover with black art of a synthesizer.

[@yaveeya2992]

I love how she gets excited.. Each time she is gonna show us something.. Its so cute..

[@blooflazh7]

Surprised i'm just figuring out about Suzanne... shes so genuine and passionate!

[@elliotwilliams2376]

Suzanne is so rad! So much love, enthusiasm, and so many ideas. Inspired and inspiring. Anyone notice that she's got patch cables around her neck during the whole thing? Even when they're doing the close-up interview shots? I'm imagining her walking downstairs to make morning coffee in fuzzy slippers with patch cables.

[@edu.monstrik]

I love how she keeps that childish energy when speaks about her instruments and job. Amazingly talented. I'm mesmerized.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

Yes. I think she's 75 in this clip, and still has the youthful enthusiasm of someone who just put their hands on their first synth!

[@ghouling1111]

I’m glad that is appreciated as a 36yr that’s sees so much of myself in the ‘childish/youthful playfulness’

[@cisne_sonoro]

Childish is a wrong adjective, renewed or naive would fit better.

[@edu.monstrik]

@cisne_sonoro it's wrong according to you. To me, express exactly what I think. Don't see the wrong, where it doesn't exist.

[@cisne_sonoro]

@@edu.monstrik you are being childish.

[@alexanderkeys1038]

She's made a really good explanation of her composition method there, you should get a printout of her 'Buchla Cookbook ', from various sources online, which includes the sheet music for her 'Four Sequences ' , you could apply her method to keyboard synths and other instruments.

[@gonesavage]

I never knew about her until YT suggested a video where she was composing for pinball machines. Now this video came up and i'm a HUGE FAN. Thanks Spitfire!

[@JeanParisot]

Same here!

[@DanielKennedyP]

me too

[@flamencoprof]

When I trained as a Telecommunications Technician around 1976, I was in a classroom lab that had VCOs and VCFs. I nearly died. If the period had not ended I would have just stayed there all day and into the night. I thought "There is no end to what you could do with these." Case in point here. What a lady! How did I not hear of her earlier?

[@derekfernandez7701]

10:28 She's such a genius - I love how she wears her patch cables like a necklace! Her thoughts on movement and space with sound are so inspiring to me, thank you! 💙

[@CinematicLaboratory]

I absolutely love how she mixes 1960's westcoast with 21st century tech. It sounds awesome. The jungle patch is excellent.

[@ghostexits]

I've picked up so much about sequencer music composition from recent Ciani documentaries, and this is probably the best one so far. These techniques are somewhat guarded, there are so few people who know these instruments well enough to articulate composition technique, and I guess even fewer who have a platform for doing so; its so cool that she's illustrating all of these patches and going into so much detail on the Marf.

[@gianfrancobianchi1835]

Stunning! An absolute master at work! I also appreciate her precious insights on how these fabulous patches are made

[@CatFish107]

I'm older than a kid, but starting learning music late. Very grateful for the level of accessibility these days, and as eager to learn as Suzanne is to teach. Super rad to see all the tips and tutorials and lessons available online.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

The best time to learn something new is when you're young. The second best time is right now.

[@thejoshuathomas]

Suzanne is a master of synthesis in every sense of the meaning. Words cannot encapsulate how moving her soundscapes and theories truly are. I began exploring sound design through my semi-modular synth (Korg Volca Modular), and it provides me with joy that defies adequate definition. All of the tools available to us in these times are truly wonderful, and allow for exploration no matter your skill level, preferred workflow or understanding. Cheers to all who resonate with the idea that our sonic palates are without limits.

[@panacea.palace]

would you recommend the volca modular as an entry point into modular synthesis? I have a volca drum/sample as well as a sp404 and other various samplers drum machines. Got lots of experience with vst synthesis too

[@molveni]

Thank you and thanks Suzanne Ciani, this is pure gold. One of my biggest inspiration in starting a modular/analog/dawless journey.

[@Silverlining1111]

👍 Happy to know the artist is healthy and still has burning passion on her art. 👍

[@ghouling1111]

Hello fellow 1111 user name id :P

[@Silverlining1111]

@@ghouling1111 🌹🌹🌹🌹😊

[@TopDownFinance]

Absolutely amazing. 11:10

[@alastairfraser8177]

Very talented and buchla sounds great

[@paradiddle16]

I could listen to her playing and talking all night! She still is excited about what she is doing and that is really inspiring.

[@stiffiron]

I saw her do a master class at University of Michigan last fall. She was wonderful! She had the exact same kit at her performance there. It was all set up in quad and it sounded great!

[@khumkhundreamer]

She’s brilliant

[@hhhAmbientElectronic]

This is why I have always loved Ciani. Her reverence for the Buchla 200e has yielded some amazing work over these decades. The sum is far greater than the parts. Masterful work and a seemingly fathomless knowledge of her tools. This goes beyond just her passion for the Buchla. This is a love affair! Lucky for us, she made the affair public. Hats off to a true pioneer. Status: Legendary. 🥰😍🤩

[@DJANTONIVS]

Love her. Seen her in concert up front and center and talked to her afterwards. Such an awesome artist. 😊😸

[@J_Carter]

Spitfire, thank you for letting her shine! What a lovely window into Suzanne as artist and educator. I'm completely smitten with the idea of making music directly from electricity like this. Listening to Suzanne compose and talk takes it to a whole next level of inspiration.

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

Susan reminded me of how me and my friend would bring our Sony stereo cassette recorders to the beach, and record an hour of the ocean waves/swells moving through the rocks on the jetty or splashing up onto the beach. The water and the sound of seagulls, was something special to listen to, when back home. She has the appreciation for that kind of listening/playing that I find so uplifting. I am so glad to see this video, and learn more about her. I am also a big synthesizer enthusiast, since I was a tanager, currently building an Easel clone. I feel I can really relate to what she is saying/playing. Thanks very much for posting.

[@JohnnyMotel99]

I once had to drive from LA to SF overnight, this station we were listening to stopped playing music at midnight and just sent out the sound of the ocean. It kept us going all the way.

[@DK-qe6uo]

I actually do the same thing but I record the sound of my cubical and the office on a cassette and then when I go to the beach I play it really loud so everyone around me can relax by the ocean.

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

@@DK-qe6uo LOL! You sir, have a great sense of humor :-) Thanks for the chuckle.

[@Electrohedron]

Cassette recorders were a godsend.

[@Chordonblue]

My father did this when we lived out in Colorado. Before we moved back East, he recorded hours of a mountain stream. It brought him peace like nothing else. On those rare times, when he was playing it in his office or downstairs, I knew better than to disturb him.

[@MisterNiles]

Thank you Suzanne. I love Seven Waves. It has been a constant companion for psychedelic experiences. It seems to me to be one of the most expressive uses of the synthesizer ever recorded. That album and As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheny are my favorite tripping albums. Not only do I love them, but the entities in hyperspace seem to love them too. Of course, those entities may just be aspects of my consciousness. Hey, at least I know I love those albums to my very core. I'd also like to say that I am so happy that Suzanne is going back to her experimental roots and that she has worked with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

As I watch this today, it is only a few hours after the passing of Vangelis. I feel such gratitude for all of the pioneers. Thank you Spitfire for making this highly important feature on Suzanne.

[@Tiger313NL]

I have my computer linked to my stereo. The ocean sound she made in this video moves from left to right and back... made me shiver! :))

[@LuxscapeMusic]

Animoog is a massively underestimated instrument. Nice to see it taken seriously.

[@quantize]

I wish they would unshackle it from iOS and do a native plugin!

[@RunFaster011]

Wow, amazing video. Suzanne is an amazing artist. I could listen to her talk for hours.

[@SynthoidSounds]

Nicely done video. Suzanne really is a master musician of this artform. Interesting that she elaborated on the extreme cost of the earlier hardware. Still very pricey, but more accessible, with more functionality to many. Her modular setup is relatively minimal, compared to some others. "Analog is back" . . . yes it is! From 4+ decades ago, my own primordial experiments being spawned, and now it has come back to life.

[@vampolascott36]

I'm so happy to hear about an artist that's excited as I am about sound design. I've spent hours on a patch, working until I hear voices and choirs in the software TERA sound engine, which doesn't use samples. Doing it all with filter envelopes and PPG style waves. Knowing how the sound is generated with the gear you're using only gets you so far. Magic only happens when you're willing to experiment. I picked up a Montage when they came out so I could play with FM. FM was so frustrating to me until I got past the basics and decided to learn and then disregard the tutorials, freeing myself to experiment radically with very long pitch envelopes and motion sequencing. I can get 8 separate 8 operator voices with separate envelopes and motion sequences per voice, all running at the same time and I'm getting wild freeform but rhythmic stuff out of it. And I laugh when people can't believe it's coming from a Yamaha Montage, which everybody considers to be a boring conformist workstation rompler! Is it music? I don't care. It doesn't sound like anything else out there, and it's got a beat haha!

[@justinkinter8651]

House RN no one cares

[@ahol967]

Do you have any video of your creation on Montage? Would be interesting to hear it.

[@vampolascott36]

@@ahol967 Sorry that was on the Tera softsynth and it doesn't even work with the latest version of windows for me so I gave up on it long time ago.

[@ahol967]

@@vampolascott36 I was asking about Montage, not Tera. Montage is not that old. :)

[@peri252]

@@justinkinter8651 Who hurt you to make you this rude?

[@CaelanDeJager]

What a gorgeously shot video.

[@michable100]

This is like hyperrealistic painting, but with sound. Amazing.

[@mrcwalker33]

She seems like a very cool person and is a true inspiration for many. Beautiful video, time well spend, learned a lot! Merci!

[@devonk298]

I still remember reading her cover profile on Keyboard Magazine back in the 80's. I believed she mentioned she had vision of creating futuristic disco type environment. She is a lovely lady.

[@andreyfw]

Absolutely brilliant and astonishing! Thanks!

[@OfficialDrEricShannonParr]

Incredibly timeless, classic, and never-ending dynamic beauty. I’m talking about the music, too.

[@thobraa]

Brilliant interview! Thank you Spitfire!

[@TheTeddingtonBoy]

Just wonderful - nothing compares

[@JamrockVybzTV]

Wonderful. Thank you so much Suzanne!

[@damiensmith371]

thanks so much for this interview, what a amazing human. Mad respect to Suzanne and all she does and gives.

[@hollowearthsounds]

very calming voice and good energy. wholesome stuff.

[@periklisliakakis2049]

She has such a warm voice :-) A true artist she is!

[@SONICrider]

One of my inspirators!!! Always cool to see/hear Suzanna (live - I was lucky 2 times till now - is the best). \0/

[@elgauchoandres]

Lovely lady Suzanne, so passionate with technology and music, so talented and knowledgeable

[@dougsignorovitch1493]

What a great artist Still Killin it after all these years. Bravo 👍

[@johnduval482]

Long ago I had a sixteen panel Serge modular that i would make sounds . .or rather “try” to make sounds as well as this brilliant woman does. I miss it so much. There are no limits with a Buchla or a Serge.

[@trigliderider]

Been listening to S.C. since I found her in the early 1980’s. Love her work.

[@dawnhafner1573]

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for all that you do!

[@russelljohnson6243]

Wow! She's still at it, bravo!

[@henrysavage2547]

Absolute genius

[@ManCalledMif]

Wow. some serious modular analogue sounds. love this

[@wajobu]

Having followed Suzanne’s work in the 1970s, it’s so great that she is getting well deserved recognition now.

[@NorthernLightModular]

Thank you for a great show here in Copenhagen , Suzanne Oh, and if anyone wants to know more about the 2H9, ask me :)

[@timwilliams2035]

I have always loved music. My parents both play instruments. Recently I wanted to understand and just plain experience music in a deeper way. Crazy thing is how fast I am already feeling it happen. Everything music is worth exploring and it’s incredibly vast.

[@dafingaz]

So many gems here.

[@UserName________]

She is so amazing in every way!

[@keykiyox]

I was lucky enough to listen to this classy lady making presentation in Tokyo back in 2018 at a modular synthesizer exhibition.

[@thewoodentops.]

thats was such a cool and enjoyable watch. love her.

[@ssonpli6819]

You are creating an imaginary special environment , thanks you dear suzanne and with you all pionneers , thanks to whom life is poetry .

[@TheMox78]

Forever inspo! Thank for this buchla and sound breakdown 🙏🙏🙏

[@Seekthetruth3000]

Very nice. She has such a soothing voice.🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@aseomg]

I have to hear this performance live!

[@annother3350]

It wouldn't be the same. It never is!!

[@PeterJnicol]

@@annother3350 I see what you did there...

[@TangoDelta70]

Legendary!

[@geraldtir]

Very interesting, there is NO WAY I could get my head around that kind of synth!

[@laptopolist]

Astonishing performance.

[@semegraph]

This is fascinating. I think someone needs to make an abstract real time video visualizer, not for the music output waveforms, but for the control panels' various changes as they are made, whether automatically or through manual action, that could be another opportunity to showcase the live nature of the performance. That doesn't seem like a big ask.

[@russelljohnson6243]

She's just amazing!

[@so2fast4u2]

I cried twice during this, she speaks my mind xD

[@demofilm]

i always loved synth, and yes it is coming back to life... retro is the future.

[@kozmicstreamz417]

She is amazing! And so is that Buchla!

[@szeredaiakos]

While she started playing with her waves again, on another tab Black Hole Sun started to play. It came out perfectly.

[@calabiyou]

Lovely. Such a pleasure to watch.

[@thelanavishnuorchestra]

That was great. Suzanne Ciani is so cool.

[@NotedArchived]

Just the best. Thanks for this.

[@Veluvian]

Charm does not rely on age. Thank you Ms Ciani!

[@jackgahan149]

She Is a genius in electronic music!!!⌨️🔊🎶🎶🎶

[@vanmikzbeatzexperimentalan509]

Wow the original DJ, playing it live. And a true pioneer

[@mikedevlin2048]

More please 👏🏻

[@LarissaR3754]

I love 18:50, but after 19:09 I ask myself "what's going on" - because the music is introducing a strange tone to the sounscape. The overall impression: it's the best of what I heard in mod. synth.

[@djembeboyzach]

Very cool, love all this. Anybody know what the mpe controller is on the bottom left?

[@NutritionalZero]

the jungle patch is outrageous

[@soliv27]

3:50 Roland Hollinger «Peaceful dreams» 1986 (maybe recorded seaguls, dont know)

[@ImplosiveCatt]

Inspiring as always.

[@spacealienjesus709]

She is amazing...

[@JayFrederick]

what's the story with those H9s!? we need that in eurorack.

[@AdamsBrew78]

Are they really modified though? maybe they’re just mounted in the rack, with a CV to MIDI CC converter sending signals to it? (I’m really not sure). It looks like a custom mounting solution, with separate CV and audio input /converter strips mounted above them- maybe nothing modified on the hardware itself other than its casing.

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

damn I wanna know too

[@justinjones2595]

I would pay for that mod on mine if anyone has more info on them

[@thereignofoswin6138]

Justin Jones made by Northern Light Modular

[@robotboot]

i loved this.

[@joeanderson8839]

Not only do we have the control over our music expression, but we can also record it, and send out millions of copies to people, or put it on the internet.

[@LamboDrive]

Imagine having a mom like this

[@elitefitrea]

She's got that Bob Ross relaxation energy

[@modularmanX]

Wonderful. The best.

[@joezazasin7]

I LOVE this woman 🔥💯❤️

[@niknayme3754]

Even if you photographed all the patch cables on the Buchla, would you ever get that same patch again? Very impressive.

[@kenhensch3996]

Considering the sound is dependent on not only the patch cables, but also all the sliders and knobs. While it's technically possible to fully recreate a patch it's practically not feasible. This makes even a really practiced modular set a little different every time. There is a certain draw to that aspect for a lot of people.

[@niknayme3754]

@@kenhensch3996 Yes, if I was into modular, that's why I'd be into it, the complexity of trying to do the same sound twice making you try something new each time instead. I sometimes use synths without presets for the same reason. But don't all those patch cables on the Buchla look good, like a crazy science experiment.....

[@Lia-A-Eastwood]

13:50 San Jacincto Ciani style. ♫♪♪♫♪

[@newbiadk]

really interesting video thanks

[@danilocaposeno]

I Love you Suzanne, I love your voice, I love your music... I just love!

[@Nullllus]

The greatest sound of the ocean is on the track 'Salt' by Nurse With Wound.

[@russell_szabados]

Steven Stapleton would give it up to Suzanne Ciani.