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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:	* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:	Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:	DYPSS1::SCHAFER

Created:	Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:	Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2852
Total number of notes:	33157

2116.0. "Serge Modular Music Systems returns" by KALLON::EIRIKUR (Hallgr�msson, ACA and CDA Prod. Mgr.) Thu Sep 07 1989 17:23

As I recall, Mark is the manager of music engineering at Apple, one of the
people behind the MIDI Manager, or the "MIDI Munger" as one Apple person
refered to it verbally.

	Eirikur  (getting out my pencil tonight to write to Serge)

Date:	 7-SEP-1989 14:08:25.06
From:	DECWRL::"[email protected]"
Subj:	Re: Modular Synthesis 
To:	decwrl::"[email protected]", ddif::eirikur 
CC:	 
36 records
Attributes: None
Sorry about the general-ness of this reply, but to my happy
surprize, many people responded to the Serge posting...

Yes indeed, Serge Modular is back into production.  They are
selling things only in kit form (although it is more like
half-assembled: they do the hard electronic calibration, and
you get to do the more time consuming wiring of pots and jacks...)
They prefer to be contacted by mail rather than phone, which
is why you won't find a listing for them in the S.F. phone
directory.  Here's the address.  Drop them a card asking for
a catalog and mention that you heard it from me...

    Serge Modular Music Systems
    572 Haight
    San Francisco, CA
    94117

Let me know if you get some of their modules, I don't think
that we'll have enough folks for rec.music.serge, but I'll
mainatain a mailing list.  If anyone wants more specific
info, write me back and I'll see what I can do...

-mark lentczner
 [email protected]

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2116.1		SALSA::MOELLER	Nested assumption calls	`Fri Sep 08 1989 11:00`	5
	Michael Stearns, well-known spacemusic composer, and older brother of my close friend Philip Stearns, got his start with a Serge modular unit, and still has it. I've been in his studio, and it's a monster! karl
2116.2	MIDIable?	BARDIC::RAVAN		`Fri Sep 08 1989 11:32`	5
	I'm looking for a good analog system to add to my studio. I was think of an Oberheim Matrix-12, but would this also be an alternative? I've never heard of them. -jim
2116.3	MIDI: yes but not easily. Not a Matrix substitute!	DDIF::EIRIKUR	Hallgr�msson, ACA and CDA Prod. Mgr.	`Fri Sep 08 1989 14:05`	20
	<<< Note 2116.2 by BARDIC::RAVAN >>> -< MIDIable? >- I have written to ask them this question. Certainly you can do it with a third-party MIDI<->CV box, but the question is whether they will offer such a thing. The Serge is a modular analog system like the big old Moogs. It's all patchcord programmed. Not a good Matrix-12 replacement. Big, no memory, probably very expensive compared to a Matrix-1000 for polyphonic use. Best not to think about polyphony, actually. They probably don't make a keyboard for that sort of use, they did not originally make a keyboard at all--maybe this is still true. They did have a bunch of nifty unusual modules as I recall. Kevin Braheny ("Perlandra") uses one. There is a writeup in the "Whole Synthesizer Catalog" which you can find in some music stores. Eirikur
2116.4	Serge aint Midi!	GUESS::YERAZUNIS	Reverse-engineering the future.	`Thu Sep 14 1989 18:02`	19
	Serge modular systems aren't programmable at all- you connect up the oscillators, VCF's, VCA's, ring modulators, envelopes, LFOs, etc. with patch cords. What comes out, comes out. Some of the Serge synths didn't even have keyboards- you only bought a keyboard if you wanted one. Serge had some nifty controllers like joysticks and touch pads (!). -------------------- If you want programmability in a modular-style environment, with MIDI and polyphony, go get an Oberheim Matrix-12 or an Xpander. Serges are for people who enjoy programming down on the metal... like me. -Bill (who still wants a Scalatron keyboard!)