Buchla Announces New Company, Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments, & Plans For A Buchla Keyboard

Don Buchla at the 2012 NAMM Show

At the 2012 NAMM Show, several interesting announcements were made about electronic music legend Don Buchla, above, and the future of his electronic music instruments:

  • His company, Buchla & Associates, has been acquired by a group of investors, who are creating a new company Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments. Buchla wil be the Chief Technology Officer of the new company. The organizational change will bring design, manufacturing, sales and marketing resources to Buchla. The intent is that, by freeing Buchla from some of these areas, he’ll be able to spend more time to ‘introduce more innovations in music technology’, expand the Buchla product line into new areas and make his instruments available to a wider range of musicians.
  • Buchla also introduced a new modular synthesizer, the Buchla Skylab. The Buchla Skylab is a compact and slightly more affordable configuration of the Buchla 200e modular line.
  • Finally, Buchla announced that, after 50 years of not making a keyboard for his synthesizer, that there will finally be a Buchla Keyboard controller. The Buchla Keyboard is currently in early stages, but don’t plan on it being a standard control keyboard. Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments expects to release a keyboard design that is as different from other keyboard controllers as its modular synthesizer is from other modulars.
All in all, an interesting set of Buchla announcements. See our earlier post on the Buchla Skylab modular synthesizer for details on the new modular.

7 thoughts on “Buchla Announces New Company, Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments, & Plans For A Buchla Keyboard

  1. “expand the Buchla product line into new areas and make his instruments available to a wider range of musicians.” I really hope that means “more affordable stuff”! anyway I love Buchla, even if I can only dream to have a 200e now

  2. What’s he talking about “not a keyboard”??
    There was a GREAT keyboard on old 80’s models, just not the classical piano style.
    You could tune the keys to any equal temp pitch (eg 14.7575 semitones per octave),
    it was pressure-sensitive (which broke easily), and the joystick was part of the kb I think.

    Anyway glad to hear he’s designing, hope the suits don’t crash the company…

    1. Klik Trak – unfortunately, they didn’t reveal details on this.

      They’ve released several keyboard-like devices, or at least alternative controllers, in the past. So, the way I took their statement was that they plan to release a controller that’s an evolution of the standard keyboard.

  3. Letter to Don Buchla: “Hi Don, ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….above all i just hope i can afford one of future synths. Please make one cheap.
    If i start saving 5 bucks each day, next year i will have: 1825 ! 🙂
    That should be the price for your next affordable synth with keyboard.
    Thanks and best wishes.
    ps-If you need any help just send an air ticket to Portugal and i will go there :)”

  4. Looking for a keyboard with a complete touch screen midi 61 note keyboard, (without moving keys)
    I’ve figured out how to play a touch screen just like the weighted and non-weighted keyboards .
    MidiMan

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