THE STRANGEST 70's COMBISYNTH AND UNDERSTANDING IT - Buchla Music Easel -

This is a video about A Recent Purchase I Probably Shouldn't have made. TIME TO TRY JUSTIFYING IT!!!!
More projects with the music easel and future DIY buchla project.
for the nice 25 minute long song check it here and useable sounds from the direct uncut demonstration recordings! :-
/ painting-with-25-96908346
Patreon is a massive enable to making videos, the larger DIY projects would be a lot more strung out without it! so i cant thank my supporters enough.
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YOU CAN GET THE LATEST PORTAKOSMO EP HERE :-
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But you can also get all the songs aswell as the live take videos over on patreon.
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[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

IM AN IDIOT ANNOTATION. I picked the only opamp that isn't strictly an opamp! Lm3900 is a Norton operational amplifiers (granted in the described circuit you could get away with being just opamps, so who knows)--- Well i sold something and it transformed into this, how cool is that! i fired over an offer i wasnt thinking would be accepted. but then! to my horror. i now have an easel! Something I never thought I'd own at any point. Weird hey! im aware this isnt really a thorough showcase of the synth. there is plenty on the net on sounds about it! i just wanted to put on the net what i wanted to see about the easel and hadn't seen. after finishing the big boy formant synth project next week, and a funky project, im going to be revisiting this and tackling a funky expansion module. hopefully i'll get some weird stuff out of it! The verdict, am i gunna keep it? no idea tbh. maybe i should do a trading series where i try to trade my way to either a cs80 or a bag of chips in small increments haha.

[@fffUUUUUU]

Right. Less blah, more music

[@erik-janvanoosten1450]

Idea for a future build: your own expansion board. I think it calls for something furby-related but a board based on a kosmo module or a ladder filter to bridge the east-coast / west coast situation. Or lean in on the pretentious hipster cult status of this thing with an expansion board with a voltage controlled coffee machine. go wild!

[@dcorbin5779]

Talk all you want mate I'm here for the talking and the music and all the funky electronic instruments

[@TheCynicalJedi]

@@dcorbin5779 Couldn't agree more, I'm here just as much for the music as I am the insights into what makes these things tick, could listen to Sam explaining synths all day, especially when they're odd like this, the old magazine build along stuff is fascinating, I'm of the generation where 90% of magazine-a-longs released 2 entries and quietly disappeared

[@dcorbin5779]

@TheCynicalJedi totally Sam can just tell us some stories and clean his junk bins and I'd be ok with that. That's parts of the fun of following you Sam. Just like hanging out with one of my mates doing fun and amazing things with music and science .

[@Foxdiesolid]

It just occurred to me ....Sam is the Steve Irwin of synthesizers 😂

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Are we now finally past the stage where every! single! KZbinr! was the Bob Ross of synths? Good.

[@GizzyDillespee]

​@@vinylarchaeologistThat was Cuckoo, but then there were copypasta memers who rode that comment into the ground...

[@5ur3nh0hn]

soooo, he'll die from electroshock? let's hope he doesn't

[@FixerUK]

I can picture him now dangling a Furby in front of a killer synth for the audience.

[@deano1873]

Probably would use the stingray as an oscillator....

[@ericfox4961]

Hey Sam, Great video! The version you have was designed by Don Buchla (DFB on the pcb) and Joel Davel (initials JJD on the pcb and current lead designer and Don's right-hand man/protégé since the early 90's) This version was manufactured between 2013-2019 before they evolved into the newest and current Easel Command/Music Easel "Modern"/Music Easel "Retro" all designed by Joel. Depending on your exact year of manufacture, there might be some updates that can be done. We certainly want any Buchla owner, regardless of if they are the original purchaser or not, to have a working instrument that they can enjoy for decades :) Just hit us up! -eric

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

Hey Eric thankyou for the comment! Very interesting. Apparently it's 2015ish but how would I know the sort of date? Certainly interested in hearing what updates these are you speak of. It's a fabulous machine, I wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't experienced using one before. Really pleased with how solid and proper it is. Amazing machine.

[@tripleespresso1823]

Your demonstration/exploration of the Buchla, makes Suzanne Ciani’s music even more amazing.

[@JimmyNuisance]

She’s such a legend.

[@DonChups]

Googled that name. Found a few videos. Thank you for introducing me to her music.

[@AntonNidhoggr]

@@DonChups check out her buchla concerts album (1975), it's a really nice, very musical improvisation and it's officially free on youtube.

[@GODZINACOMA101]

​@@DonChupscheck out the excellent documentary Sisters With Transistors 👍

[@jumptoit3812]

@@DonChupsgoogle Alessandro Cortini too if you don’t already know of him, he does great work with Buchlas. Also did a very touching live show collaboration with Don Buchla himself.

[@JoelDavel]

As the person who did the PCB layout on both this version and the 208C, I appreciate how much is accurately and efficiently covered in this video. FYI the newer 208C adds some IO and looses the daughtercards in favor of one large board on the back so that it would be easier to service and cheaper to build, but the circuits are still essentially the same even on the 208C.

[@markwsibley]

I rewatched the Logans Run film yesterday and so much of that music sounds almost exactly like this. Just wonderful :) thank you

[@wendelynmusic]

I learned on a Buchla Easel and a Buchla 200 back in the early 80's in college. It is awesome!!! Buchla is the best!

[@markaprill6501]

What did learn. Pretty cool on thing for the school to have.

[@kraftaculousgreekgodofcraf1113]

Two legit concerns… opening it up and finding a raspberry pi like device 😂… and having nice things but knowing yourself that you break or scratch stuff. I’m clumsy and ruin stuff all the time so I try to buy used gear that already dinged up. Great video I’ve wanted to check Buchla out … I learned a lot.

[@JimmyNuisance]

This is my dream synth. Ever since I saw Alessandro Cortini perform with this thing I’ve been thirsting so hard. Behringer is making a clone..only way I’ll ever get this.. it sounds so so so so so good.

[@Donato8nacho]

I hope behringer also make’s a touch plate keyboard to go along with it.

[@TheDavidPoole]

I'm definitely getting one of the clones. The buchla easel keyboard is about 13 hundred quid on its own. Ouch! I think an Arturia MicroFreak will do the job nicely if Behringer don't do the keyplate.

[@Arkansya]

​@@TheDavidPooleI use thé microfreak to play the makenoise strega and it's reeally nice :) makenoise also have a touchplate controller

[@crhkrebs]

I have both the Easel and the Synthi In software format from Arturia. This is the only way for a normal person to play with these synths. The former sells for almost $7k Canadian new and the latter goes for $24k on Reverb. Given that, the digital emulations sound just fine. But I agree, the Easel is a bit mind boggling if you are only used to more traditional “east coast” workflows.

[@TheDavidPoole]

@@crhkrebs I wish I'd bought that Synthi back in the 80s when I was offered it for 80 quid 🤦

[@docschro6847]

As a paramedic in the USA, watching the Oscalscope waves and hearing the tones, I realized that some of the waves looked exactly like some of the more lethal cardiac disrhythmias. This got me wondering what other cardiac rhythms would sound like in a standard 3 led EKG as well as a 12 led EKG set up in a mulit out put so you can isolate each leads sound. If you manage to make something somewhat good sounding you could call the track/play list "Heart Beats" lol. Any just a rambling thought

[@the_largest]

Torsades de Pointe I see you 😉. And the mechanism is interesting, basically you have ectopic ventricular beats that are performing both amplitude and frequency modulation on each other

[@jjjohny_a5965]

played most synths own a few but that is on my dream list....its the west cost synth/most the 60's japan godzilla sound tracks where done on one and alot of sci fi movies there just crazy sounding

[@modulblok-e3168]

Same i think,,,the sounds ,,,and i think i se it as a messure instrument in a old japain erth qake film or goodzilla film

[@markaprill6501]

I really appreciate the fact he opens it so you can see the inside.

[@OIP_1]

had the pleasure of playing one of these a bunch of times at MESS in melbourne (shout out, amazing place). it's so much fun, very limited in some ways but also incredibly ahead of its time and just a fantastic, inspirational instrument. will build one someday...

[@ANTheWhizkid]

I love the entire story about don, also how chiani and others contributed to it… 😅 if only the modules didn’t cost so much, that you would need to sell your your first born. The sound is just so sick.

[@DumblyDorr]

Buchla - for when regular synths and Eurorack just aren't expensive enough. I love the ideas of west coast synthesis though - complex oscillators, wavefolding, lpgs, more use of randomness and spatial processing... really opens up a lot of new possibilities.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

To be fair eurorack prices. What I paid (I wouldn't pay new prices for a buchla) I recon case and all it would work out similar price wise

[@DumblyDorr]

​@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER That sounds totally reasonable - and I really can't talk... I wouldn't pass up such an opportunity either.

[@mcblahflooper94]

I know it's been said before, but your dedication to synths, and commitment to sharing what you've learned, is commendable and inspiring. I hope to make my way across the pond and check out your museum one day. Many thanks from Detroit

[@JolphinLlama]

i love coming back to this channel, i learn new things everytime, this channel is simply amazing

[@MD_is_me]

I've been waiting for an in-depth video series on the Music Easel for years! Thanks for this and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@CausticCatastrophe]

The Buchla Music Easel is such a dang mystery to me. Im personally using the arturia vst version, but its wild and mysterious to me.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

yeah! to be honest playing on the arturia one peaked my interest. someone i was working with the other week before crimbo in town had it on their laptop, and it got me going ooooooooooh

[@valdir7426]

it's certainly unusual if you already have experience with other synths. was stumped for a bit until I figured out the basics. love to use the seq to modulate the lpg with an arp going on. and the sound is really cool

[@CausticCatastrophe]

@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER banana jacks are weird and scary to me. but they are also cool. :)

[@CausticCatastrophe]

@@valdir7426 lol its still unusual even once you understand whats going on. but unusual isnt a bad thing!

[@andrelucassen9229]

There's at yt channel called "one man and his songs". He does quite a good job explaining the easel v (and a bunch of other v-collection synths).

[@CovertCulvert]

Thanks for going through that piece of gear. I have the Arturia VST, but I haven't played with it that much. It was great to see you experiment with the different features and inspires me to work with my version. Look forward to your future vids on this instrument.

[@brotusclips]

I ADORE the way this is designed

[@iandaniel1601]

I love these sounds you make!

[@CinematicLaboratory]

This is possibly probably definitely the best and most unexpected Easel demo on YT. You make it sound like you owned it even before you were born. Look Mum it's the Real Deal.

[@geraldgoodiii6993]

Yes bro this is good. Makes me want one even more. One day I’ll sell all the Eurorack and get a 12 module boat. Had that shit picked out for years. $17k ooof

[@matzer8846]

Thanks a lot for showing this great piece of modern music history in depth

[@stevebaldwin2374]

Beautiful synth. Thank you for the look.

[@dillipphunbar7924]

It's a keeper Sam!...and those expansion mods open up so many possibilities.

[@Nopp3]

The program boards are super neat. looking forward to future videos on this.

[@geofftaylor8913]

I just love the sound of this synth!

[@johanwejedaldesign]

I just love the sounds this thing can do. More episodes on this, you say? Bring 'em on!

[@markgriskey3055]

Brilliant! My private composition teacher Dr Grigsby actually studied with Buchla. Dr "Bev" Grigsby was also responsible for creating the computer music studio at Cal State Northridge where I was able to use a Fairlight CMI to make music. I mostly studied counterpoint with Grigsby, but she was always into electronic music and computer music long before people were using computers to make music. Thanks for putting all of this content out ;}

[@ExcessiveSpareTime]

Tiptop Audio's been in the course of porting Buchla's modules to Eurorack over the past couple years. I really want the Source of Uncertainty, given it was the basis for the MakeNoise Wogglebug.

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Beautiful. Amazing demo. Thank you.

[@wideyxyz2271]

Get in...Sam delivers another blinder!

[@alexanderfavell]

Clockwork Orange sounds, Wendy Carlos style. Great video chap.

[@patrickbodine1300]

And don't forget TONTO.

[@fablesofsilence]

My favorite synth. I have been doing a lot of JAMuary work the last days with it. Endless possibilities. From Techno to spaced out over beautiful textures and melodic bliss up to polyphonic work using a Push 3 Standalone, it’s all out there.

[@BillyNoMate]

i got vibes of Forbidden Planet there.

[@wheniwaswater-2903]

Well, Buchla is the official synth of the Krell…or so I’ve read.

[@sarahledger3202]

Jinx!

[@sarahledger3202]

@@wheniwaswater-2903😂

[@mikeciul8599]

@@wheniwaswater-2903 Two Philadelphia legends once recorded a track titled "Say Hello to the Krell" - Charles Cohen on Buchla and George Korein on I don''t know what. Unfortunately the track seems to have been erased from the internet.

[@JurekPrzezdziecki]

I bought this years ago and I don't regret it. A phenomenal instrument for live, stage performances.

[@kioshiki4519]

Looks lots of fun to play with something like that and showing the analogue oscilloscope was an awesome addition to the video and i bet fun to see in person.

[@quinnzeeskimo]

I love having the oscilloscope on screen to really be able to see what the sounds look like. very cool!

[@Calverhall]

I think many of us can relate to buying something accidentally with speculative low offers on the internet, then being horrified its accepted! This video was fascinating and I look forward to the next in the series. There is a genuinely magical sound to these things that came through as you tinkered more and more.

[@synthshoot1026]

Not everyday that you see someone brave enough to open and fiddle with the inside of a buchla.

[@digitaldesigner5284]

Cool synth. Very impressive sounds and power reverb effect.

[@LordCountdown]

I am already knee-deep in Buchla quicksand. And waiting for the clone coming any year now. These things are really habbitforming.

[@St33v33]

I misread that as Hobbit farming.

[@borisborisov500]

Lol 😂 ​@@St33v33

[@zimou3040]

i love buchla type synths so much, u got my dream machineeee

[@danielleohallisey4218]

These sounds have such an amazing depth! Thanks for posting this. I’ve been hearing about this company for a very long time but never saw a demo until now…

[@66Gollum]

Hell - this is amazing cool, the sounds, the extern cards... and of course, now I want to have a spring reverb.

[@TheDavidPoole]

You actually made the easel make sense to me for the first time ever! I couldn't ever afford one of these, but you made me even more interested in the Behringer clone when it comes out. I'll definitely get one of those.

[@djembeboyzach]

Nice :) Looking forward to more on the buchla.

[@Don_Kikkon]

I'd just spent some time the other night with the Arturia Buchla V so this is perfect for a recap. Great vid mate, just the right balance of clear instructional to tweaky synth workout.

[@VERYMENTAL]

This old Tony of the synth. Loving your work!

[@dman030]

You're gonna love it man.....and you will learn to take good care of it ;-)

[@PatternRecognitionMusic]

Super cool - I had never seen an Easel until I saw Alessandro Cortini using one. Now I really want one, but it's hard to justify the expense. Maybe some day. Anyway, great video, you really give a better understanding of how the various aspects of the synth are laid out and work together. Enjoy your awesome new toy, and I can't wait to see what else you do with it!

[@DigitalStains]

Ooh more videos on the Buchla, including a deep dive on the expansion function? Count me in! I'll watch it a couple of times to help justify the purchase lol

[@zebo-the-fat]

That looks so much fun!

[@DaveBessell]

Thanks for the walk through. It was helpful.

[@Kupka2408]

I love this synth so much and I truly appreciated your refreshing video about the Music Easel. After years of working with synths it is still somehow one of my goals in life to own a Music Easel one day. Someone just needs to keep me from buying other stuff for a while :D

[@DetroitMicroSound]

I have lusted after this synth, since I was 12. I'm 51.

[@sheldondrake8935]

as thorughly and completely mastered by the incredible human being Charles Cohen, who should be remembered with nothing but the deepest respect.

[@jts-jc8jk]

Wow, it's so weird and wonderful! Your excitement is totally contageous! I very much enjoyed the book "Switched On", all about the life & times of Bob Moog. There was a passing mention of Don Buchla and his different approach. I'd love to learn more about the way he thought.

[@parasiteunit]

Really like this concept - the idea its not a standalone and is designed to be fitted into an existing system is to me, the clincher.

[@harald-bosh]

I wonder myself, that such young people also have the interest in OLD SCHOOL SYNTHESIZERS! Respect!

[@galaxophone]

That modulation ring is so nice...

[@guitfidle]

Well that was fun! I thought I needed one after seeing this video..... then I saw the price! 🤑

[@WilliamCharlesShaver]

That’s the best intro to the Easel I’ve seen on the web.

[@charlesrovira5707]

I absolutely *_love_* this. I just with I could afford one.

[@codelicious6590]

I wanted the end of the vid to last a couple hours! Super interesting machine!

[@surrealchemist]

I browse these every so often myself. I didn’t expect to see one here. I built out a eurorack with the TipTop Buchla modules, that was my budget way to give Buchla a go.

[@Graterstuuf]

I love this thing to no end

[@petegaslondon]

Nice description/rundown with the History - Buchla's always been a mystery Oh and you get the same HMV Wireless i had in my bedroom! I used to listen to Pirate Radio on one of those - nice Reverb are usually silly money - might as well have some fun and show us the guts :) :) :)

[@Stadsjaap]

That verb on those OSCs are dope! So rich.

[@TRaddcliff]

Keep it. It sounds amazing!

[@0VRLNDR]

"It's not recommended to plu...oh whatever" 😄 Looking forward to this series Sam!

[@joelizquierdo8624]

Yep, I’m still waiting for my Buchla Easel Retro version. Great video. Nice to see what’s inside of it. I’m curious what you’re going to come up with as an expansion module. ✌🏼

[@Andy-From-England]

That was freaking awesome and one thing promis me Sam that you do not change with the sarcasm 😊

[@nicholasfaith8999]

The comment about not knowing if he's going to keep it, being afraid of "scratching it", I FEEL those words, I have the standard ARP 2600 (2600P) , and Moog Minimoog model D, and neither have a single scratch on them and it's always a fear of mine

[@jasonmcgary]

Awesome video so excited to see whaaat u do with this

[@oxiigen]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@Tommass79]

This synth is actually a bit legendary and quite expensive and quite unique

[@DavidGilden]

Well done!

[@akkerdood6149]

The sequence at the very end was great...

[@mymodularjourney]

The easel is such a unique instrument. For its size it offers an insane amount of different timbres and textures.

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

Wow, very interesting video!

[@moldycoats]

I've had the Easel as almost my only synth for almost 2 years, I play it every day and it's magic. You could try patching outputs to outputs and using diodes instead of shorting bars, the loading effects can be amazing, but maybe its my old school op amps (4136) vs whats in the newer easel. You won't damage anything. Great video.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

is that an original? whats the going rate for an original out of interest?

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

interesting answer.@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER

[@moldycoats]

​@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER not original, clone, but with 70s era op amps. I like it because I don't think about chasing equipment, it just works beautifully and the ergonomics are fantastic.

[@dontnormally]

wait, why would you patch outputs to outputs? what effect would it have?

[@moldycoats]

@@dontnormally on buchla systems you get a mix of the two signals but it’s not linear, more of a kind of VCA effect, which I often find really useful for making more organic sounds.

[@KeritechElectronics]

That's one lovely synth, it looks more like a scientific instrument, haha! I love your enthusiasm! You're really channeling your inner Dave Jones here. Winner winner, chicken dinner.

[@CVinyl]

Awesome Synthesizer!

[@MisterRorschach90]

Build a Braun wall unit inspired synth. The synth pictured at 2:14 reminded me of this dream.

[@jochenstacker7448]

That Mr. Blobby t-shirt really is everything! 😂

[@DrQuadrivium]

What is this witchcraft of which you speak?

[@jochenstacker7448]

@@DrQuadrivium kzbin.info/www/bejne/fH7IaYmwitOFe5Ysi=X64o8lFuXKwuYfgu

[@neonblack211]

I hope you do some more follow up videos with this, your demos sounded really cool, I'm not the hugest fan of spring reverb in general but goddamn it works in this setting what a cool synth

[@_greenleader]

Congrats buddy!

[@christopherjohnson4276]

Great video!!!!

[@geofftaylor8913]

This transports me to so many scifi movies of the 70’s

[@paulallen8777]

Amazing, would love to have one! Really like the spring reverb too. Korg Volca Modular is a cheaper way to start to get into this type of synthesis and reminds me of some of these sounds.

[@VirtualMayhem]

Can't wait for you to use the Buchla with your tape loop.

[@Dubmayer]

More on this, Sam!

[@izzymonkey]

When I got my Easel Command a couple years ago (having been entranced for a long time by the previous Easel revisions), I'd already abandoned the modular sandbox where I faffed about previously. Eurorack is absolutely *beyond* rich, varied, and wonderful, but the sounds I got out of the Easel right from the off felt more organic + inspiring to me. The Buchla mindset just made sense to me, and I later expanded beyond the Easel Command to other 200e modules. Punchline: if it compels you to explore--and it just might--keep yer Easel. 💙

[@PatternRecognitionMusic]

I think there's a bit of an engineering aspect at play - every now and then, a synth is designed in such a way that there are no BAD parameter combinations, and Buchlas are notorious for their organic sound. I can approach those sorts of textures with other gear, but there's something magical about the Easel. Maybe one day I will own one.

[@izzymonkey]

@@PatternRecognitionMusic Well said. There are shedloads of Easel examples full of noisy bleep-bloops (I'm guilty of that, too) but also many featuring its melodic, beautiful colors as well. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has some lovely examples in that latter category.

[@PatternRecognitionMusic]

@@izzymonkey Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look her up! One of my favorites is still Alessandro Cortini's set at the Apothecary, really the entire Forse trilogy which if I understand correctly, some was done on an AKS and the rest on the Easel. Nothing wrong with bleep bloop, I spend many an hour in a darkened studio going bleep bloop myself LOL. Every once in a while it evolves into something a bit more musical.

[@izzymonkey]

@@PatternRecognitionMusic 💯 regarding AC and his Forse work. Good call. I posted a piece last year that I felt was less melodically oriented (more "Krell" patch) yet people responded very positively--apparently a relaxing, meditative work for them. Just goes to show when we make something in a darkened studio and share it with others, the value and meaning translates in generative ways we may not expect. I find that beautiful and fascinating.

[@tomcherry6168]

Thanks for the clear explanation, I bought and use the plug in but never RTFM, just went in at random!

[@dubbynelson]

i just noticed his watch is strictly a fashion statement-rad!

[@roxyamused]

It's one of my dream synths. I use some west-coast inspired pieces, but the easel or maybe even getting a bunch of those less amazing but affordable tiptop audio/buchla modules, or actually get it without the key plate- it has a sequencer and maybe it connects to euro rack too.

[@TheDavidPoole]

Not sure about the tiptop modules, but the originals need a converter to talk to Eurorack. The Distings by Expert Sleepers will do the job.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

definitely look on second hand market, i think its a bit slow atm, i got this for less than just the module and also less than it would cost to make a eurorack version of it. definitely fire offers over haha

[@iancain6647]

The spring sounds so damn good

[@electricdawn2258]

Blimey! This thing usually goes for around 6000 euro and somebody SOLD theirs?!?!? Bloody unbelievable. This is so cool! I would absolutely keep it. This is a piece of music history. I'm really envious right now... 😉