Analog Days, Sonic Pi, and Synthesis at large: to keyboard or not to keyboard?

Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer Revised Edition
by Trevor Pinch (Author), Frank Trocco (Author)
ISBN-13: 978-0674016170
ISBN-10: 0674016173

For the past couple weeks, I've been reading Analog Days by Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco. My wife got it for me as a gift because she knows I'm interested in synthesizers. My journey in synth and what they talk about in the book would make for a number of posts. For our purposes here, I'd like to discuss the differences between two pioneers of the synthesizer; Buchla and Moog.

Without getting into too much of the details (it would spoil the fun of the book). Buchla made his synthesizers sans keyboards and, you may have guessed, Moog used the keyboard. I haven't gotten to the point in the book about why that propelled Moog to the powerhouse it is today but it got me thinkin'. As one who has struggled to learn the piano, do I really need it?

Weeks ago, I loaded up a fresh install of VCV Rack and, by default, it has a very pleasant setup. You press keys on the keyboard and you play a basic sound. It's a heck of a lot better the first time I used the program which presents the user with a bare Eurorack case; I spent like hours with countless cables and still never got anything going.

However, with that initial setup, I was setting myself up for disaster. I understood by limits to be the keyboard. The next logical step was to try and set up a sequencer using the keyboard and then make minor modifications.  But, I have since kicked the keyboard out of the way. Let's start off with the basics, I say! There are some fascinating things that can come about with some very basic inputs and outputs.

So, I think I'll stream this one of these days coming up how we can start with a single oscillator and then build on top of that.

I think this can go for any new project; start with something really basic that brings some enjoyment and then build from there.

Have you tried anything new recently and have been initially turned off by complexity? Leave a comment below! 

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