Q&A 2022 (a casual chat about synths and autism)

[@objectivityisourfriend9631]

I'm autistic and immediately got so blown away by synths and modular - it is just insanely addicting. Also ADHD.

[@forestine_]

I have met so many neurodivergent folks in synths. I love it so much.

[@ymotechnopopfan]

I love synths, but I never heard of them until the pandemic.

[@docjoesweeney]

I love you comments on the synths: I have avoided the temptation to invest in hardware collections ... but it is soooo tempting. Also your comments on autism are both honest and refreshing. I've just gone through a similar journey late in life, but as ADHD. Neuodiversity can be a challenge, but it also keeps life interesting.

[@johnrichardson3297]

I am further in from Vancouver between the FVR/Canyon. My wife has Autism I myself am a Type 1 Diabetic (Mellitus) I have 9 synths. Into synths due to undying, love of EDM, VGM (Nobuo Uematsu), and creative outlet. Like yourself, sound design is paramount. Great content!

[@TransistorSounds]

> Out of anyone in history, who would you have dinner with? To clarify, I realise that with *anyone in history* to choose from, I have some very recent picks. You'd *think* I'd want to talk to DaVinci, but then his partner (the "little devil") was way too young, which I'm not really comfortable with... And you'd want to talk to Newton about, say, spectroscopy, but then he'd bring up hunting forgers and sending them to the noose. Not to mention all that theology and alchemy, it'd make for awkward dinner conversation. I don't know as much about Leibniz and at this point I'm almost afraid to look into him.

[@TransistorSounds]

I should probably give an honourable mention to Raymond Scott, who'd probably be neat to have dinner with, as he also made instruments to make his own electronic music with... And the plug-in SketchCassette II which is faster and more versatile than recording to cassette tape, if you want that kind of saturated sound. Very early-AFX style!

[@Raquel_Incorporated]

Just found your channel and found this video super interesting - you seem like a lovely person! Always wanted to get into synths but lacking time, money, and space haha. Thanks!

[@TransistorSounds]

Thank you! You can always wait until Black Friday, or as I like to call it, "plug-in day".

[@Raquel_Incorporated]

@@TransistorSounds Yeah that's a good idea, thanks :)

[@alwysgreen1781]

You rule Zoë, big love from Glasgow

[@patrickscottmusica]

Been into synthesizers and sound design for 50 years, got my autism diagnosis last month. I did have a similar feeling of things about me I thought were special were suddenly pathologized... "Sensory Sensitivity"? Yep, I'm a golden-ears person for an audio company. Sensory seeking and stimming? Yep, monstrously loud Buchla-esque weird noises for hours on end. "Rotating Special Interests"? I'll ditch synths altogether for a few months in favor of guitar or chess.

[@RobinPalmerTV]

Yet another ND music person here! Hiii!

[@TransistorSounds]

👋🏻

[@RobinPalmerTV]

@@TransistorSounds the wrong answer about what made us all trans in this niche area is of course we are all inhabiting the spirit of Wendy Carlos

[@jdanielcramer]

Doggo! 😻 what software is Zoe running on the Atari? 🤓

[@TransistorSounds]

Thankfully, Doggie hasn't got a KZbin account, so I'll just have to tell you myself: mostly Creator, Sweet 16, and 4-Op Deluxe. The first two are MIDI sequencers, while the last one's for making FM patches.

[@jdanielcramer]

@@TransistorSounds Doggie needs a KZbin account! 😻 yes, years ago I had Atari running Creator, and then Notator, and even a rare copy of Logic Audio running on an Atari Falcon!

[@shadowrage2593]

Nice channel! Always wanted to know how hardware samplers distribute audio into the daw. Like each patch go to an individual track?

[@TransistorSounds]

Thanks! Yeah, the multitimbral ones tend to have multiple outputs, so you can route different sounds to different physical audio cables. Unless you're me and record everything one part at a time, for maximum control/polyphony/timing.

[@shadowrage2593]

@@TransistorSounds So lets say if I have only one AKAI sampler Im limited to 8 physical audio outputs/channels?

[@TransistorSounds]

@@shadowrage2593 It depends on the exact model, but basically, yes. The S1000 has 8 individual mono outputs, and you can route any given program to any of them. It also has a stereo pair, and a send (mono send, stereo return) for reverb, if you want to use its built-in software mixing. Oh, and a stereo headphone socket, also at the back with the rest. Note that at the time (late 80s to about mid 90s), this was sheer luxury, and enough for many producers of the era.

[@jasonbelcher4476]

Neurodivergent here, also a synth geek. Your style with puppets reminds me of Mr Fred rogers.

[@TransistorSounds]

Heh, thanks! We don't get his show over here, but I really liked A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. If only I could better cultivate the habit of giving people my undivided attention...

[@schmooster]

controlling your own stimulus, yes!

[@IanWaugh]

Hey Zoë - Great Q&As. A lot of my friends are creatives and several are autistic, bipolar or have ADHD. Maybe I should get tested 😮 I never thought of any of them as 'not normal', I just assumed they were super creatives 😁 One of my friends suspected she was autistic but has only recently had her diagnosis confirmed and she's in her 40s. She was explaining lots of things about how it affected her and it certainly shed light on some og her behaviours. Heck, I just think everyone is normal but with a few quirks.

[@TransistorSounds]

In hindsight, if all your friends are of one specific neurotype, you probably are too, so that's something worth looking into. It's much easier for people to talk to and get along with other people of the same neurotype, it turns out. But in your case, with friends of various different neurotypes, I'm not sure how that works, maybe you're just very flexible in how you communicate. 😄 At any rate, yeah, super-creative friends are the best!

[@IanWaugh]

@@TransistorSounds I've just done one of the online tests which says I am normal/average. Some friends think I'm eccentric 😀 I think I'll stick with that 😁

[@TransistorSounds]

Yeah, eccentric's good! 😄

[@IanWaugh]

@@TransistorSounds 👍 😀

[@objectivityisourfriend9631]

Gosh, I'm autistic, bipolar, and have ADHD. I guess I'm not bad company, lol. All of this runs in my family - my sister has schizophrenia, my dad has asperbergers.

[@KeritechElectronics]

Hey, lovely Q&A - I'm a trans gal on the spectrum, welcome on board! We'll be getting along just fine :)

[@jeffripley9062]

For some reason, "the bell" is stuck in "none" mode for me, and won't let me update it to "All", or even "personalized", for that matter :/

[@flyingskyward2153]

I think that happens when you have the notifications for the entire KZbin app turned off

[@jdanielcramer]

Hmmm same for me actually…

[@Kloxbyn]

I share your nonbelief in spirituality and the metaphysical (as it relates to spirituality). I try to stay open-minded about everything but I tend to believe in what the evidence suggests. I'd love to meet Aphex Twin/Richard D. James. Though, I think I would be too starstruck and intimidated to have a normal conversation with him. Also, he plays his cards close to the chest (at least, with the media, and I don't blame him). I hate crowds, too. Generally, I enjoy people in small doses. However, I do enjoy connecting with people through artwork (mine and theirs).

[@TransistorSounds]

Yeah, that all sounds about right! 😄

[@ymotechnopopfan]

Cute doggie.