Some sonic offerings from various early PPG and Waldorf instruments.

All recordings Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio.

Vintage Wave Machines In Action...

A series of live improvisations by D.A.Wilson recorded in front of some of the myriad of cherished and rare vintage synths returned to life over the past few years in The Lab at Hideaway Studio.

All Recordings are Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio.

The Secret World of Vintage Synths

Having fun testing out an awesome PPG Wave 2.2 Digital-Analog hybrid synth from 1982.  The Wave was one of the first commercially available wavetable synths offering wavetable sequencing and lead the way to the Waldorf Wave series and the Korg Wavestation.  Unlike the later derivatives, the early models definitely had a sound of their own thanks to their 8-bit DACs and SSM2044 filters.  The whole thing has a raw yet warm sound about it and can cover a surprising amount of sonic territory.  I have long since loved the unique sound of 8-bit digital audio into analog filters!

NB: This 100% all came out of a PPG Wave 2.2.. but not necessarily in the right order :-]

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2022.

1982 PPG Wave 2.2: Evolutionary Digital..

Having fun testing out an awesome PPG Wave 2.2 Digital-Analog hybrid synth from 1982 following a Virtual-Music MIDI retrofit and V8.3 firmware installation. The Wave was one of the first commercially available wavetable synths offering wavetable sequencing and lead the way to the Waldorf Wave series and the Korg Wavestation. Unlike the later derivatives, the early models definitely had a sound of their own thanks to their 8-bit DACs and SSM2044 filters. The whole thing has a raw yet warm sound about it and can cover a surprising amount of sonic territory. I have long since loved the unique sound of 8-bit digital audio into analog filters!

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2022.

1982 PPG Wave 2.2: Liquidity in Blue..

Having fun hooking up a 1983 PPG Waveterm A to a Wave 2.2 Digital-Analog hybrid synth from 1982 following upgrades and an overhaul. The Wave was one of the first commercially available wavetable synths offering wavetable sequencing and lead the way to the Waldorf Wave series and the Korg Wavestation. Unlike the later derivatives, the early models definitely had a sound of their own thanks to their 8-bit DACs and SSM2044 filters. The whole thing has a raw yet warm sound about it and can cover a surprising amount of sonic territory. I have long since loved the unique sound of 8-bit digital audio into analog filters!

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2022.

1983 PPG Waveterm A: Monster Waves (Hosting a Wave 2.2)

A live improv recorded during initial controlled wakeup during major repairs to a super rare 1978 PPG Wave Computer 360A vintage digital synth at Hideaway Studio.

As well as battling with an instrument that wasn't playing quite as it should on the day (it was during major repairs after all) I was suffering from a fever when I recorded this - the result is quite a bizarre recording and somewhat reflective of how I felt at the time.  As the name suggests it slowly pulls itself together as it goes on and I'm actually quite glad I found the strength to record this on the day as I think its resulted in capturing something a little more unusual and broken in the process. 

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2022.

1978 PPG Wave Computer 360A: Picking Up The Pieces

A brief live improvisation I recorded using the first voice patch I managed to program into the 1979 Crumar GDS shortly after I undertook the major restoration (previously owned by the late Klaus Schulze) of this extremely rare groundbreaking early digital synthesizer.   It is named in memory of the late Max Mathews who played a major role in developing the software routines and concepts behind key parts of the GDS as well as in many other areas of pioneering computer based music technology.

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson 2014.

1979 General Development System: The Max Factor

A live improvisation by D.A.Wilson shortly following restoration of 1982 Digital Keyboards Synergy number 1032 at Hideaway Studio running in conjunction with the SynHCS host editor on a Kaypro II CP/M computer under HxC disk emulation.  

In this recording you can hear the Synergy's unusual continuously variable random vibrato in action.  The Synergy is an all digital synthesizer with 32 oscillators featuring both FM and additive synthesis.  It is a direct relative of the 1979 Crumar GDS.

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson 2015.

1982 DK Synergy 1032 Awakens: Evolutions

A live improvisation by D.A.Wilson on an extremely rare 1982 Buchla 400-T computer controlled 6-voice hybrid synth (digital "arbitrary" oscillators into analog filters) running MIDAS-III complete with flat pressure sensitive Touch Controller housed in a custom Teak solid wood cabinet awakens during return to operation and overhaul and Lotharek Rev.F HxC virtual floppy disk retrofit at Hideaway Studio.

The touch keyboard was a nightmare to get used and it took a great deal of my concentration to perform this as the pressure-to-pitch modulation was pretty intense on the patch I'd dialled in that day but it certainly resulted in something from the heart.  The highly responsive playing surface opens up some interesting possibilites for expressive patch design and playing!

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2015.

1982 Buchla 400 Awakens: Haute Tension

A live test improvisation recorded in front of a 1982 Rhodes Chroma analog polysynth after finally springing into life during a particularly arduous debug session to determine the root cause of a failed auto-tuning system during major overhaul at Hideaway Studio. 

Easily one of my favourite vintage polysynths (even over Prophet 5 and OB-X) and one I consider to be extremely underrated - a complex and remarkably flexible 16 oscillator beast with a warm but biting character all of its own!!

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson 2017.

1982 Rhodes (ARP) Chroma: Autotune-ONE

An improvised montage of sounds recorded live from 1938 Hammond Novachord No.346 shortly after partial restoration to working order by vintage synth specialist D.A.Wilson in the UK in 2009.  It is very rare to hear a direct modern recording (non-acoustic through chorus/delay/reverb directly from the generator chassis)of one of these instruments in action as less than 50 remain in known working order.

The Novachord is generally accepted to be world's first commercial all electronic polyphonic instrument featuring dynamics control and specifically designed to emulate timbres beyond those of an organ such as strings, harpsichord and piano.

See more on this extremely rare beast at www.novachord.co.uk

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2009.

1938 Novachord #346: Creepy Montage (87 Year Old Tube Polysynth!)

A live improvisation by D.A.Wilson recorded whilst testing out all 32 voices of a recently upgraded 1993 Waldorf Wave during a major overhaul in The Lab at Hideaway Studio.

This is one behemoth of a digital-analog hybrid!!

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2020.

1993 Waldorf Wave: The Martian Waverunner

D.A.Wilson is an Electronic Engineer, Sound Designer & Vintage Synth Specialist with a particular interest in combining vintage tube, classic analog and modern digital technologies working as a synth engineer looking after a very considerable amount of vintage studio equipment for Will Gregory (Goldfrapp / Moog Ensemble) and a number of other internationally celebrated electronic musicians and producers.  Having undertaken several major restorations and produced custom electronic designs for a number of major artists including Jean-Michel Jarre, Dani is also known for fully restoring two out of the world's four remaining 1979 Crumar GDS and partially restoring 1938 Novachord 346 (the only known operational Novachord in the UK) to playable order along with developing and producing the new Elfin family of 8-bit polysynths and the popular MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA), Filter Defeat Module (FDM) and XD-280 Drive Emulator upgrades for the AKAI S612 sampler.

Demos of the S612 Upgrades in Action: 

https://soundcloud.com/hideaway-studio/sets/hideaway-studios-s612-front


Hideaway Studio Kontakt Sound libraries may be purchased directly from: 
https://www.lootaudio.com/category/kontakt-instruments/hideaway-studios
 

..and a nice introduction by Cory Pelizzari to the Hideaway Studio Kontakt Libraries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-C7a3ChC9U&feature=emb_title


For more on releases from Hideaway Studio for Kontakt please visit the blog at:  www.hideawaystudio.net