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

A 1983 Fairlight CMI Series IIx going through her paces whilst testing out her realtime controllers and delayed vibratos following major repairs and overhaul here in the workshop - in this case the foot controller is mapped to the filter cutoff...  bringing in the human element makes such a huge difference!

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2021.

1983 Fairlight CMI Series IIx: Foot Sweller...

This track is quoted from the album 'youth'.
Listening to all tracks of the album and purchasing are available on the link below.

https://gallerysix.bandcamp.com/album/youth

written, mixed, mastered by Hidekazu Imashige 
cover photo, design by Hidekazu Imashige

Gunjyo

Full doomload here : http://gestrococlub.org/SPLIT22.htm

Vaatican Split Release N°22

SGURVIN - "Too sorry to say" (Out jun, 2018)

~ LAAPS 032 ~ [SEQ.04 - LP32]

artist : iu takahashi
album : Sense / Margin 
duration : 31.46 mn
date : December 14th, 2023

edition :
-  vinyl : limited to 200 copies / marble turquoise/clear transparent LP / pantone / hand numbered 
- cd : limited to 200 copies / pantone / hand numbered + handcrafted, sealed

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pre-order : December 01st, 2023 / official release : December 14th, 2023
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« Early morning mist in the mountains, the lakeside ripples in the stillness.
On rainy days, open the window and lie in bed.
The moment when a margin is created in me.
I want to feel these senses forever. »

All tracks written, produced and voice by iu takahashi.

Mastered by Ian Hawgood
Artwork created with friendly permission by Dirk Stewen
Design by Sprflxgrfzm
 
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Links :
https://laaps.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/iikki_laaps/
https://www.iutakahashi.com/
https://iutakahashi.bandcamp.com/

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℗ & © 2 0 2 3 - L A A P S - L A A P S 0 3 2

iu takahashi - Blink / Landscape

Rising

~ IIKKI 023 ~

music : The Humble Bee & Offthesky
artwork : Mikael Siirilä
album : Here In, Absence
duration : 38.29 mn
date : February 29th 2024

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craig tattersall : spaces, notes, & tapes
jason corder : arrangement, mixing, synths, percussive textures, glockenspiel, and vibraphone
shilpi gupta : flute
rin howell : voice

Mastered by Ian Hawgood
Artwork by Mikael Siirilä
Design by Sprflxgrfzm

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edition :
• vinyl: limited to 300 copies / hand numbered  / selective UV varnish / white inner
• cd: limited to 200 CD / hand numbered, hand-made / selective UV varnish
• book: limited to 500 copies / hand numbered / embossed / selective UV varnish / hand stamped / visible seam / cutting cover pages

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pre-order : February 02nd, 2024 / official release : February 29th, 2024

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Links :
https://iikki.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.iikki-books.com/
www.instagram.com/iikki_laaps/
https://www.leavings.co.uk/
https://offthesky.bandcamp.com/

The Humble Bee & Offthesky - Senses

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

~ LAAPS 034 ~ [SEQ.05 - LP33]

artist : Danny Clay
album : No More Darkness, No More Night
duration : 42.52 mn
date : March 28th, 2024

edition :
-  vinyl : limited to 200 copies / transparent blue LP / selective UV varnish / hand numbered 
- cd : limited to 200 copies / pantone / hand numbered + handcrafted, sealed

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pre-order : March 01st, 2024 / official release : March 28th, 2024
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Kevin Rogers, violin
Otis Harriel, violin
Taija Warbelow, viola
Doug Machiz, cello
Danny Clay, pedal steel guitar

Special Thanks to Friction Quartet and R. Eric McMaster
Fall 2023, San Francisco, California, US
In Memoriam Hank Williams

Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi
Artwork by Anni Leppälä
Design by Sprflxgrfzm
 
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Links :
https://laaps.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/iikki_laaps/
https://www.dclaymusic.com/
https://dannyclay.bandcamp.com/

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℗ & © 2 0 2 4 - L A A P S - L A A P S 0 3 4

Danny Clay - Part 4

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

Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian, Vol. 2

On the Other Ocean

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 (85 Year Old Tube Polysynth!)

https://blearmoon.bandcamp.com/album/windbreak
Windbreak single produced in early June of 2020 in the peak of seclusion in Snezhinsk, Russia where I accidentally confounded for several mounts far away from my natural habitat, friends and family. 
This piece is one of the few that resulted from my attempts to adjust in forced situation and find a ways for music creation in given situation and tools. 
Windbreak resulted from my exploration acoustic properties of current living place and ambiance around it with use of tape machines and various texturing techniques of digitally synthesized melodies.

Windbreak

download on bandcamp

Blear Moon - Windbreak

Taken from the album Synopsis Seriation released as 2CD and Digital

Hecker 'Synopsis Seriation (2/2) (excerpt)' (EMEGO 256)

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 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

1983 Fairlight CMI Series IIx: Foot Sweller...

Hideaway Studio

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