The 2016 NAMM Show kicks off next week. And you know what that means: tons of new gear, some vaporware, booth babes, celebrity sightings, lots of NAMM weirdness and, of course, the ‘game changers’.
Open Mic: For the holidays, our 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, leave a comment and let us know if ‘Synther Claus’ paid you a visit!
The BBC reports that vinyl record sales have hit an 18-year high: Earlier this month, Pink Floyd’s The Endless River became the fastest-selling vinyl release since 1997. UK’s Official Chart Company told the BBC it will soon launch a weekly vinyl chart. And we’ve seen a surge in electronic releases on vinyl, ranging from reissues of classics… Read More Open Mic: Is The Surge In Vinyl Sales ‘A Hipster Thing’?
Open Mic: Pioneering synthesist Jean Michel Jarre shared a vintage shot of himself today on Facebook. He added the comment “Back in the Seventies, we had a romantic, poetic vision of the future, like it was in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.” In the 60’s, 70’s and, to a lesser degree, the 80’s, the… Read More Open Mic: Has Electronic Music Lost Track Of The Future?
Open Mic: For most electronic musicians, there’s a track or an album that got them hooked on electronic music. You hear the music and wonder how the artist made it – and soon you want to be making sounds & music like that. Next thing you know, you’ve got a home studio and a wall… Read More Open Mic: What Record Got You Hooked On Electronic Music?
A reader faces a common dilemma: they wanted to get started with electronic music making, they need to spend their money wisely and they aren’t sure where to start: I’m researching building an analog startup kit for a home studio. Some years ago I was pretty involved with software-based DAW production and a little MIDI.… Read More Open Mic: What Gear Would You Recommend For Someone Getting Started With Electronic Music?
As 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… Read More Open Mic: What’s The Best Synthpop Track Ever?
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… Read More Open Mic: What Do You Want To See Introduced At This Year’s NAMM Show?
2012 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… Read More The 10 Most Talked About Synth Stories Of 2012
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
