Tag Archives: open mic

Open Mic: What’s The Best Synthpop Track Ever?

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synthpopAs long as there have been synthesizers, there have been composers creating pop synth music. Many of the earliest synth albums were ‘switched on’ or ‘mooged out’ versions of pop tracks, and tracks like Gershon Kingsley’s Popcorn and Kraftwerk’s Autobahn were the first synth music that many people ever heard.

But it took another decade for synth pop to take off as a genre, lead by artists like Gary Numan, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ultravox & Depeche Mode. And it’s never really gone away since.  Continue reading →

Open Mic: What Do You Want To See Introduced At This Year’s NAMM Show?

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2013-winter-namm-show

The 2013 NAMM Show is next week, Jan 24th-27th.

The NAMM Show is one of the largest music industry events in the world, and manufacturers use it to showcase their latest gear and make some of their biggest announcements of the year.

We’ll be on location to provide full coverage of the show. In the meantime, though, what do you want to see companies introduce at this year’s NAMM Show?

The 10 Most Talked About Synth Stories Of 2012

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light synthesizer2012 was an interesting year in synths and electronic music gear.

2012 brought a resurgence of analog gear, a major Windows release that holds promise for new types of music apps, a growing acceptance of mobile music making tools and many surprising announcements.

The most talked about stories of 2012 at Synthtopia reflect these changing technologies. But more importantly, they reflect the debate over how new technologies fit into music-making.

Check out the list and let us know what you think!

Continue reading →

Open Mic: Was ‘Santa’ Good To You This Year?

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Open Mic: For the holidays, my wish is that you have family, health and peace.

And, yes, since it’s Synthtopia, maybe some wicked gear under the tree, that new app that you’ve been wanting or some great new electronic music….

So, let us know if ‘Santa’ was good to you this year!

Image: rthakrar

Open Mic: What’s The Best Synth Song Of All Time?

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At the beginning of the 70′s, synthesizers were largely considered a novelty. There were dozens of novelty ‘switched on’ albums, ranging from Switched On Beatles to Switched On Buck.

By the end of the decade, though, Keith Emerson had blown minds with his synth solo on Lucky Man, Kraftwerk had created the template for synth pop and Moroder and Summer had transported dance music into the future with I Feel Love. Synths have had a prominent place in music ever since.

What’s the best synth song of all time? Is it one of the 70′s classics, something from the synthpop heyday or something more modern?

Image: ocad123