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Musician's Tape Notes Page *1
The original intention in presenting this cassette tape mas to allow those mho had no access to a Serge synthesizer the opportanitc to hear its qualities f flit* I fit MIMI- qualities that just cannot be described by words in the * THE MUSICIAN'S TAPES Data Sheets. Since all of our sales are direct (me SIDE I (36:451 don't sell our instruments throagh local retail PI* ffilifilitiliftWitifl stores), it sosetimes is difficult for a person to evaluate the serits of such a sophisticated susical znstrusent. Since 1974 the Serge Synthesizer System You want, maybe, something a little intense diatonic? has presented a certain appeal to the artist and - 5?-11aFferBurt. musician because it has featares like no other (September 25, 1982), section from electronic instrasent. In the tradition of the "STUDIES (1982) for Synthesizer'. classical studio synthesizer found in *any electronic Scarlet Aardvark Tapes. (2:04) susic studios, recording studios and universities, the Serge synthesizer uses patchcords to connect the *15 step sequence tuned to Ptolosy's Intense Diatonic.- various modules to produce the electronic sounds, but a just intonation C Major scale. Changing rhythsic it ases sanf unique designs for signal processing and sampling routines result in harmonies. Tigre: controlling patterns of sound (susic, when the traditional VCO-VCA-VCF patches. pattern's right). Keyboard controlled synthesizers are nom 'This piece is aide up of 17 sections, each 2 tinutes everywhere. These instrusents borrowed a few standard long. Each section was made on a combined 'patches' frog the sodular synthesizer and built them Serge-Driscoll-Aardvark synthesizer, and each uses around an organ-type keyboard. Nhile the widespread use different tuning, Umbria, and rhythmic ideas. Each of these instruments has made the electronic section was made in real time, or some multiple of real synthesizer a little more familiar, there Zr still a time, and was made using various automated and vast rage of possibilities that cannot be covered by interactively perforted processes. No traditional these dedicated, though sophisticated, instruments, it keyboard was used in making the piece and often the ic collar to hear the words YCF, UCA, Veil in music only performing done was to start and stop Lite process stores, but the Nave Multiplier, the Analog Shift in motion. The sections are formally more complex than Register, and Dual Universal Slope Generator, after the •onolithic blocks of sound one usually associates years of use, are still relatively unknown module with such processes, however, and it was one of the concepts to the average synthesist. The desonstrations aims of the piece to give each section a fairly planned for this tape were to have sade these functions intricate formal structure while still using these sore well known, and possibly, would have shown their processes. My prime aim in making the piece was to usefulness to a group of sasicians for the first tise. stretch my use of the synthesizer into areas I knew This tape was to have been in tso sections. One were possible, butwhich I had not yet explored. These section was to have esployed the standard announcer explorations will hopefully serve as the basis for some proclaiting '..and this is the sound of the Nave future work. Multiplier', then a short desonstration of sose of the sounds available with the device. In conjunction with "Technical concerns catapulted this piece into being, these short aural desonstrations of sany of our unique and if parts of it swing, that swing is probably a modules, we requested short musical sections fros those by-product of the intense delight 1 felt in exploring using oar equiptent. Ne ended ap receiving so sach these materials for the first time.....(the) pieces can task covering so Bay different styles, that it was be listened to in many different ways, and the delights quite difficult to select a fem short exasples from so available in any one way of listening do not such good Mk. It mas finally realized that the necessarily cancel out or sake inferior the delights entire point we mere trying to get across was covered made available by listening in other ways. I siaply quite explicitly in the susic subsitted for this tape. ask you to listen, and if the piece makes you curious After all, the synthesizer only generates sound, it enough to start any exploration of your own, it will does not (as sole would have you believe) synthesize have been lore than successful.' D4S2C. The susician is the one who best desonstrates the potential of the instratent, so me are quite excited to be able to present to you this incredible saspling of susic by those who use the Serge Nodular Synthesizer Systes. Here are the Musician's Tapes, Esso Commercial by Broadscore. (c) • FIRCHTT-Fraser and Elizabeth Myers POB 2252 Darrel Johansen Beverly Hills, CA 90213 Serge Nodular Nay 1983
572 Haight Street • San Francisco CA 94117 • (415) 621-6898 SEE? E MODULAR MUSIC SYS •—•■••■•••••••■ —m.----••■•-•■•■••—••■•••••-•••••••••••mmeimmessemp....m.....•••• ■■ ••••sio.- ---•_.
Musician's Tape Notes Page #2
#5 by Michael Elliot. (2:03) 15502 SE 25th Bellevue, WA 98007 Untitled (excerpt) by Earl Howard. (6:001 'A drug rhytha exercise, after attending a Blackfoot festival. When hearing the drums, ay wife said all that was aissing was the coyotes.... '...Several of these pieces began as exercises...1 included thea anyway, due to the pleasant surprise of Big Maaa by Rick Blanchard. Rubber Logic Sniper discovering sole ausical value in what began as an 12:44T's ROB 205 exercise or iaprovisations t the latter being an area (c) 1962 that is largely unexplored in 'studio' synthesizers, Volcano, CA 95689. and an area in which the Serge system excel's... '
Suburban areal Music by Scot greshateLancaster. (2:14) Killer Didieridoo by Todd Barton. Casio key5oar8 Foiessed through Serge synthesizer. 71:253 -7cT"TPTe Todd Barton 1982 c/o Oregon Shakespearean Festival Association 'Did you ever dreas you were in a shopping mall and PUB LW didn't have your pants on?' Ashland, OR 97520 Scot is currently technical director at the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College and actively 'Al! of the sounds were created on a stall 'standard' composing and performing throughout the F Bay Area. systes...(this cut was) produced without aulti-tracking, i.e. these are all pure, single-event Serge sounds... Many of these pieces appear in the Official Entry by David Stilley. (4:31) upcosing pilot of the National Science Fiction Radio Piece- Eamaissioned by Cabrillo College Music Festival. Theater out of Los Angeles.' Todd Barton is an active Coaposer and is the Music Aurorator(excerpt) by Roger Powell. Director of the Oregon Shakespearean Festival Cybersound Music Association. (2:07) Rhinebeat Research Poe 328 Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Personnel: Piano and Serge Synthesizer - Roger Powell He is Come by Planetary Peace. Guitar - Andrea Cairo ROB 1573 Engineer - Paul Antonell Taos, NM 87571 'Except for Piano and Electronic Guitar, all sounds 'When we do our recordings, our approach is to blend were created on the Serge Modular Synthesizer, and together electronic, acoustic, and vocals... We went recorded at 30 ips without noise reduction on an AMPEX back to our original tapes and extracted those I6-track deck. Outboard processing included a LEXICON instrumental backups and accompaniments to songs which Prise The, AKG BX-10 Reverberator, and (very little) were done exclusively with the Serge. Many of these equalization provided within the APSI mixing board songs used acoustic instruments as well in the creation todules. No other equipaent was used to take this of the instrusental aspect of a song, and these too recording - a testimonial to the versatility of the were eliainated. So, the sounds... are completely Serge Systea. Several tracks were synchronized during Serge system created. overdubbing by using basic •odules in the Serge to • first generate a clock signal of periodic, 'All the rhythms in the songs are seven beats per tempo-aultiple tone bursts which were then read back measure and are made autoaatically in realtite (not off the tape by the Slope Generator module and sultistracked) by DS (Dual Slope Generator) clicks converted to clock pulses used to drive the tequencer thru keyboard voltage controlled VCR's (Variable and envelope generators. The Touch Keyboard Sequencer VC Filters).' was used to trigger other noneautosated sounds. The Wave Multiplier •odule and the unique Serge filters were used often and *art, I believe / audio characteristics that are unachievable on other systems, Sciagnce '82 by David Vosh with Jack Deckard. ( 4: 08) especially in the area of non-linear waveshaping 6300 Goldenrod Court techniques. Upper Marlboro, ND 20772 'Although no computers were used in the taped excerpt, frequently -use an APPLE Ii with ay own coaposition 'On this piece we used objects sondie generated by both language, TEXTURE, to control aultiple synthesizer Serge's with the addition of a few twittering voices during the development and realization of background notes done with a Casio N-10.' synthesizer-based pieces.' Roger Powell's solo recordings include two albums of synthesizer music: COSMIC FURNACE, Atlantic Records (1973 release), and AIR POCKET, Bearsville Records (1980 release). He has recorded and toured with the band UTOPIA for the past nine years and worked with David Bowie during his 1978 world tour.
572 Haight Street San Franctsco CA 94117 (415) 621-6898 ne Qv IS ER I 41=111b..- S •••••011111, - SYSTE S I
Musician's Tape Notes — Page #3
Santur Ora (excerpt free live performance) by Ivan • #############Iffillit Taiiipnin714:12) I THE MUSICIAN'S TAPES SIDE 2 (37:07) 'Santur Opera is without text, without singers and ##########4#•1f####### played entirely on the Santur ta Persian zither) and realized with the aid of an electronic synthesizer built by Mr. Tcherepnin's brother, Serge, and Totot I've a Filling We're Not in Kansas Anysore associated electronic instruments built by David a a by sa ssene "e -- "e Wilson. The word 'opera' is used to sumst the (cl Monogram Tapes available through: presence of an unfolding drama during the laprovised Continuum Montage performance. 31074 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica CA 90405 'Depiction of the topsy-turvy world of SANTUR OPERA is (213) 828-6830 facilitated by Serge Synthesizer Modules: sequenced oscillators keeping the world a-ticking; and the slews: All instrumentation done with the Serge. Cassette tapes 'Running Slew', 'Rising Slew', 'Slow Slew', 'Hand of Michael's recordings, as well as other artists are Slew', and 'Wandering Slew'; all basically functioning available from the above address. as subharionic generators from an independently controlled Master Oscillator (the New Timbrat 'Neither a 'pop' tusician nor a member of the Terry Oscillator, naturally!). Riley/Philip glass miniaalist school, Michael Stearns composer, performer, producer and recording artist - is "The Army and the Chase' (the section from Santur one of the creators of a new genre of music that has Opera on this tape) makes use of voltage controlled been flowering in all corners of the globe since the Wilson Analog Delay, along with a tabla patch on the early '70s. synthesizer which is directly dependent on each nuance of the performer's play. There are two envelope 'People use all kinds of noses for this tusk,' followers for the Santur: one for the voltage Stearns says. 'Some call it aeditative controlled filter, and one for the Negative Slew which transforaational, or cosmic music. Others call it New controls the rate of the Negative Slew driving the Age or Space ausic. What we are talking about here is a Gate.' world music. The music eaerges from all cultures of the world and uses all of the instruaents - acoustic ban Tcherepnin was born in 1943. He studied with his and electronic - as well as newly innovated instrusents caner Alexander Tcherepnin, and with Leon Kirchner. and tuning systeas. It includes counds both hoitan and He presently teaches music at Harvard University, where aechanical and, of course, the sounds of nature - he also supervises the operations of the Electronic ocean, wind, rain, animals, etc.' Music Studio. 'Since 1977, he has recorded four major compositions: Planetary Unfolding (MI), Morning Jewel (1979), Sustaining aaCirindirs (with Gifiesilaviafr Sieging Niais (19781 ; -ind Ancient leaves (1777):10n file Papon for President by Kevin Braheny. of these albuase'iraiii, liEhiel Stearns has 12:04i Heartcall Music established himself as one of the foremost creators of PCB 3565 visionary synthesizer music in the world today, Santa Monica, CA 70403 'The intent of my ausic is quite different from the intent of cossercial music', said Stearns. 'I don't All sounds done in real the with the sighty Serge. perfora, not in the usual sense of the word. In fact, I remove myself as the focal point of the audience's energy. I don't write attention-grabbing hooks, nor do write music that promulgates or reacts against established forms and cultural values. Instead I create a sustained, alternative context, a life-affirming texture in which there are many •elodies. In that context, which is totally open, listeners can hear whatever they want to hear, dreaa whatever they want to dream. They can guide theaselves, using their own power to create their own visions and personal inner musics." Notes by Lee Underwood.
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Butch the Do by Eric Drew Feldman. (6:24) (excerpt) by John Wiggins. (5:30) J.S. Wiggins Productions 'Many Serge modules were used in, on and through this 15 Reservoir Avenue composition. The percussion track was generated by Northport, 1.1. 1 NY 11768 rhythmic subdivision using a Dual Slope Generator and a Dual Transient Generator with Extended ADSR's. A ...a section from ay second cassette 'Anagenic' which MiniMoog was used for the 'bass' and it as well as a will be available in the summer (13). My first Casio M-10 and MT-30 were processed through various cassette 'Tuned Space' is doing very well, thanks in Serge signal processing modules, including Variable large part to you, my instrument builder. Although the and Variable Slope Filters, Wave Multipliers, and piece uses other sounds, the base of all my work is my Resonant Ers. Also used were Precision VCO's and New Serge (6 panel) withity studio built around it and one Timbral Oscillators, a Noise Source, and a Touch of ay computers dedicated to controlling. All the Activated Keyboard Sequencer.' sounds were either totally created or processed through ay system...' Eric Feldman has played keyboards, synthesizers and bass with Captain Beeiheart and the Magic Band since 1976, appearing on the albums 'Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Pullen', 'Doc at the Radar Station', and 'Ice Cream for Crow'. He has played with Snakefinger and Her Blade by Easy Teeth. (c) Dental Records 1980 co-produced the album 'Manual of Errors' on Ralph 144:21Yeas 11340 W. Olympic Blvd. Records. Los Angeles, CA 90064 ! He can be reached do Serge Modular Personnel: Serge Synthesizer - Paul Young 572 Haight Street and Steiner E.V.I. San Francisco, CA 94117 Drums and Synares - Robert Williams Paul Young is known affectionately along his friends as 1*,&-/(11!'. When not at the ballpark, racetrack or Untitled by Tom Dill. (3:42) sushi bar, Mr. Young spends much of his time creating electronic masterpieces at his luxurious, private 8-track recording studio and attending to his trilobites. He has scored pieces for the Mary Jane Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Third nyttmt Eisenburg Dance Company in Los Angeles and for other excerpEirci Sonic Sinsitionse ar dance companies in Los Angeles and New York. (5:22) by Brad Slocum. 810 Laths Ct. In his spare time, Mr. Young lifts equipment for Sunnyvale, CA 94086 himself and others. Serge System with Casio 202 and Serge Modular N-Voice Controller (Casio Keyboard Interface).
Neerstille by John Adams. (4:40) 1E7 T983 by Associated Music Publisher Moto Peuttuo by Darrel Johansen. (1:42) Music fro the file 'flatter of Heart', a documentary 'This piece is a realization of a short piece written about C.S. Jung. by Elliot Carter for four tympani. Each instrument is Serge Synthesizer with orchestra. of fixed pitch, and the regular eeter was an ideal test of a computer rhythm controller I developed. The triggers were used to initiate the percussive 'voices' patched on the Serge synthesizer. The entire score was loaded into computer memory, and then 'played' without human intervention. In addition, various timbral and spatial parameters were controlled manually and automatically. The piece is performed live.' Darrel Johansen is the manager of a firs specializing in electronic musical instruments and other diversions.
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The Works (excerpt) by Alvin Curran. (3:00)
572 Haight Street • San Francisco CA 94117 • (415) 621-6898