The Story of SSM and Curtis Electromusic. The soul within the sound of the 80s

A mini-doc on two companies that changed the way synthesizers were designed in the 80s. Both had a incredible impact on the electronic music industry and the sound of music created during that time.

[@EspenKraft]

Great summary Johnny. Infotainment I like to watch.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Espen! You've always inspired me so much, so this means a lot.

[@ChristianLehmann]

I've been watching now a few videos in the last couple of months and I have to say that your channel is underrated. Keep up your great work!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Christian - I will!

[@kaitlyn__L]

Great job! I hadn't realised it kind of went SSM to CEM, I'd assumed they coexisted for longer. I guess not all the manufacturers switched to CEM at the same time though. One wee bit of (hopefully constructive) criticism: where the script said "sonic sound" I think "sonic character" might be more appropriate!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks for the comments Kaitlynn - yes - character for sure - next time!

[@markfennah4322]

Love these superbly presented synth documentaries ❤ - thank you

[@gunark]

I got a Waldorf M recently and it’s one of those synths that sounds like a era, like many records, like you’ve played it before. And while part of that is the 8 bit PPG and MW wavetables, the other side is without doubt the filter being Dave Rossum’s revised take on the SSM2044 in the original Wave and MW. It sounds fantastic, vintage and modern at the same time.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Nice - the SSM2044 in the P5 Rev. 4 sounds so good as well. Really great to see these new synths designed knowing there was something special with these classic filters

[@kaitlyn__L]

Yes! I love the SSI 2144. I'm so glad they're making them again (and the 2140, of course). If I had to pick a single VCF to use for all time, 2144 would have to be the one. I love the way it latches-onto harmonics. It's not as cold and crisp as a Curtis, but it can be airy since it's not treacle-thick like Moog filters. A perfect sweet-spot IMO.

[@VultureCulture]

I look forward to every video you post! This one was particularly great - I have a fascination with the chips that it seemed everyone was using to make some of my favorite vintage synthesizers!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks! i know - it's always fascinated me as well - I still have a small synth I breadboarded in the early 90s from Curtis chips. I've always found the intersection of the electronic engineering and synthesizers of great interest to me.

[@_c_y_p_3]

Super journalism here! Thanks! 💙

[@mirkocaserta]

Oh boy, I do love some super nerdy intersection between electronics and music. Awesome job.

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

Johnny this was truly fantastic! I love the story of these two companies and the incredible impact they had on an entire era of music - Superb!

[@SpikesStudio3]

Hey bro!, you really can tell a story. Its a beautiful thing to me, that you make these docos on the most amazing topics. This is a major story for synth lovers. Kudos to you, sir. 👍🎯

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

I appreciate that - thanks - I'll keep em coming.

[@TryptychUK]

Excellent article. Thanks for all the research.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks TryptychUK - as always much appreciated!

[@AllureMusicLab]

Wonderful Documentation ! Thanks !

[@johnb2044]

Hence keeping my Kawai K3m rack unit

[@dan-h2g]

I want one so bad

[@avigdonable]

Thanks for some history lessons. Good stuff.

[@gary909]

This was great, thanks for spending the time to make it

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Gary.

[@jbognap]

Wow, what a great history lesson.

[@project-95]

Fantastic video, wonderful insight into the history

[@XanderEwald]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks for watching!

[@garryvee]

I was always interested in Doug Curtis and his CEM chip history but couldn't find much about him. Your video filled in more detail on him and his amazing products. I was so disappointed when he passed but his legacy is truly remarkable as you mention in this video. Well done!

[@summerlaverdure]

fantastic video, thank you for covering this!!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks - Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Chrispy01a]

Great doc - thanks 👍

[@GNeuman]

Excellent video❤

[@sawsquaresinetube]

👏🏼👏🏼 Cool! Thanks for creating this. I actually own John Burgoon’s Roland SH-2000. I’m the 2nd owner at this point in time. Nice you mentioned him.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

No way - that is amazing. I think he passed on years ago, but I'd image that synth had a lot to do with his interesting music electronics. Do you have any back-story to how you purchased it?

[@sawsquaresinetube]

@@johnnymorgansynthdreams thanks! I do - I found the synth at auction, but I did not know the history, I was interested in a U.S. voltage version that still had the Moog ladder filter and found this. While communicating with the seller, she mentioned it had recently been serviced by John’s wife and the paperwork was included in the sale. That’s when she mentioned she was selling this on behalf of John’s Burgoon’s wife / the SSM guy 😄

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thats a great story. Thanks for all that info! I've always said we are just custodians of these instruments and it's great to know they history of them if possible. @@sawsquaresinetube

[@AndyVonal]

Wonderful documentary into these influential products... I have never own a synth with SSM oscillators but I have owned an SH101 and still own a SCI Pro-One. Oh my, it still sounds amazing!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Both are amazing synths - SH 101 is such killer synth for leads and bass and the Pro-One is legendary for arpeggios and sequences. Love the both so much and both Curtis Chips.

[@AndyVonal]

@@johnnymorgansynthdreams Ha! Funny you should say that... that's exactly how I used them! THe bass from the 101 was so much punchier through a PA system then the Pro0one abut the P1 was great for modulated blippy bits (still is!).

[@bcastromusic]

Interesting. I’ve found Interdesign IC’s in a Prophet 5 Rev1. When I talked to Dave Smith about it he didn’t remember any details. I assumed they were early SSm parts. But this video seems to show w/ facts that they were more likely early CEM parts. Anyone else have Interdesign IC’s in in their prophet 5?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

That is so crazy! Wow. I do know someone that might know something more about this. Let me get back to you with some more info!

[@oblitafier]

This is a great video. I’m old enough to have played with a lot of the instruments mentioned here. We’ve lost so many of the stars who gave us these great instruments. I just wish the large corporations who now own these brands would charge realistic prices, and not gouge people.

[@synth4ever]

Great video and insights into this period of synth history, which influenced and enabled so many great synths to be created! Awesome work as always! :)

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Synth4Ever - I enjoy making these videos! Yours have been super influential to me.

[@carriersignal]

Great video man! To many of us, Curtis is a legend!

[@hominidaetheodosia]

Absolute gold -

[@petegreenwood2793]

Wow, impressively well researched. Great job!

[@pauloespadinha2754]

Wonderfull ! Thanks..

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Welcome!

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

Brilliant work.

[@_P_M_]

great job. Very informative. Love the music and the visuals as well!

[@tjpenton]

Love these videos going back to the roots. I've learned alot from them. Please keep it up :)

[@ALFA8902]

Nice work

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks for the visit

[@Samplers]

Great vid. Thank you!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Glad you liked it!

[@acdnrg]

Thank you!

[@TH3_FURY]

Fantastic work ! That mini doc is so interesting ! Thanks for that !

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Glad you liked it!

[@urokricardo]

Bravo buddy! you nailed this perfectly 🫡

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Ricardo - lets get together soon! I'd love to come by for a coffee and hang amongst the synths - Hope you're doing well!

[@kaitlyn__L]

Hehe, a year on, I can safely say this was the video that got me to start paying attention to which filters were in what synths! I previously knew the MS-20 sounded coolly harsh and Moogs sounded thick, and what have you, but each one was kind of "its own thing" (just like guitar pickups: tele vs strat vs lipstick chromes etc). I knew the kinds of sounds I liked, but model numbers usually washed-over me. It was _this video_ which made me check which chip was in every one of my favourite synths. Lo and behold, they all used 2040 or 2044s! (Or modern 2140 and 2144s.) Thankfully, this included my own big-hybrid (which also has an external audio input). Probably the only one I'll ever own with real VCFs and VCAs (which overload _sooo_ good 🤤). So, I suppose I was always an SSM fangirl. But this video is what made me _knowingly embrace_ being an SSM/SSI fangirl ;)

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Very cool - thanks for mentioning that.

[@polydata]

Awesome job, one of my favorites you've done so far.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Polydata - much appreciated!

[@kemek3000]

FANTASTIC video. I learned so much. Makes me proud to be from Silicon Valley.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

What a place and what a time it was back in the 70s and 80s.

[@danielpirone8028]

Great video - thanks for sharing

[@cnfuzz]

Debateable is that the prophet 5 was the worlds first programmable Poly synth , there was the Korg ps3200 , 24 oscillator 48 voice polyphonic programmable from 1977 ,more than a year before p5 ,or the duophonic Ppg Sonic carrier from 1977, prophet 5 was the first microprocessor programmable Poly

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

True - I mean technically yes, but as a commercial success to artists it was the P5.

[@mikebro2557]

Great video. There is no mention of Sequential Circuits Sixtrak synth, I have one but unfortunately it only makes weird non-musical sounds, but it also has 6 CEM oscillator chips.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Oh yea - the Sixtrak is super cool - I'm actually on the hunt for one.

[@andrewgeary9749]

The best gear historian around!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Awe thanks Andrew - much appreciated.

[@russ254]

hey, this is my kind of thing; subbed!

[@temporoboto]

💙

[@roycemurgatroyd7963]

SSM chips where used in Wersi,s DX range

[@EnervatedSociety]

Good vid. Thoroughly enjoyed it Question, starts @ about 3:44. That tune, what is it? I can't help but think I've heard it before but I can't place it. Or maybe it's just my imagination.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Hey - it's a song I wrote recently on my Prophet 5 rev 4. I had it one a few of my other videos, but as far as I know it's not a copy of anything although I like 80s music so maybe subliminally? I'm going to release all the songs on Bandcamp shortly for download. Cheers!

[@EnervatedSociety]

@@johnnymorgansynthdreams Appreciate the reply. Maybe I heard it in another video then, not sure. in any case, it's a cool sound and melody. Guess I'll be looking out for your Bandcamp to check it out further.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

@@EnervatedSociety I hope to have it out shortly - hopefully within a week.

[@josejuan4405]

Afaik, Kawai K3 uses SSM2044 chips.

[@audiolego]

I had one of those EMU Emax sampler keyboard and did it have the Curtis filter chips?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

My understanding is that the original Emax used SSM filters and the Emax 2 had a digital filter

[@audiolego]

@@johnnymorgansynthdreams it was a very good sampler.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

I used to have an Emax SE - loved it. @@audiolego

[@klownaround5464]

I just dusted off my OBERHEIM DPX-1 i wonder if it has these chips inside it… it still has the old 1/4” SOFT FLOPPY DISC ((remember those?? From the early 80’s ??))

[@huntergalloway3944]

The Emax does have SSM2240 filter chips. I love my Emax SE, instant Pretty Hate Machine vibes.

[@RaquelFoster]

These are all really well done! It's a bit confusing to see a reference to PWM without a Nick Batt meme, but I almost prefer it!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Ha totally... who even needs PWM. imgflip.com/memegenerator/85157352/Nick-batt-sonicstate

[@adamlastiwka]

You’re the David Attenborough of Synth!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Lol - awesome - that is cool.

[@zmix]

Excellent - but too brief..! More please.!

[@deadmanwalking6342]

CEM chips was also not entire stable and much of a love hate affair according to Stefan Stenzel former founder and CEO of Waldorf.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks for adding that info,. Very interesting to know those thoughts from Stefan Stenzel

[@AlainHubert]

Interesting. But the background music was repetitive and annoying at times.

[@Noise-Conductor]

There was background music in this video?