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Ryan Gaston

  • Instruments
  • Writings
  • Bio

Writings

Selected writings about the design and history of synthesizers + electronic musical instruments. Writings include overviews of historical electronic musical instrument concepts, detailed descriptions of specific electronic musical instruments, reviews of new electronic instruments/synthesizers, and detailed accounts of my own instrument designs.


Personal Instrument Designs

  • Continual Transition: Making a Memory Machine (SCI-Arc Offramp, 2019)

  • Perspectives on Time: Performance Practice, Mapping Strategies, and Composition with MIGSI (NIME, 2019)

  • Minimally Invasive Gesture Sensing Interface (MIGSI) for Trumpet (NIME, 2016)


Electronic Music concepts / Techniques

  • Timbre & Digital Nonlinear Waveshaping (The Buchla Archives, 2024)

  • What is a Low Pass Gate? (Perfect Circuit, 2023)

  • Patching Tips: Using Sequencers as Oscillators (Perfect Circuit, 2023)

  • What is MPE? MIDI Polyphonic Expression + New Dimensions in Sound (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • What is a Modular Synthesizer? And Why Would You Use One? (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Using Control Voltage with Effects Pedals (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Guitar Effect Pedals + Modular Synths (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Synthesizer Polyphony: What Does It Mean? (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Polyphonic Modular Synth: Classic Approaches (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Connecting Your Computer + Modular Synths (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Getting Started with Field Recording: Tips and Tricks with Ian Wellman (Perfect Circuit, 2020)

  • Time-Based Effects: Exploring Time with the Make Noise Mimeophon (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Learning Synthesis: Envelopes Pt. 1 (ADSR, AD, AR, & Friends) (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Learning Synthesis: Envelope Pt. 2 (Arbitrary Functions & Beyond) (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Learning Synthesis: VCAs (Developing Dynamics + Modulating Modulation) (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Plays Well With Others: Modular Synthesizer in Collaborative Performance (Canadian Electroacoustic Community, eContact! 17.4, 2016)


electronic music history / historical instrument overviews

  • What is Language? (The Buchla Archives, 2024)

  • East Coast Synthesis vs. West Coast Synthesis (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • What is West Coast Synthesis…Really? (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • Digitech’s XP-300: Into the Space Station (Perfect Circuit, with Eldar Tagi 2021)

  • Vintage Moog Modular Synthesizer Filters: Defining the Moog Sound (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Oberheim Matrix-12: the Last Great Polysynth of the 1980s? (Perfect Circuit, 2020)

  • ARP 2600 Semi-Modular Synthesizer: The Best Synth of All Time? (Perfect Circuit, 2020)

  • Sequential Circuits Prophet VS: Timbral Trajectories & Vector Synthesis (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Technos Acxel Resynthesizer: Additive Synthesis at the Turn of the 1990s (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • Technos Acxel Walkthrough: Concepts + Workflows for Additive Resynthesis (Perfect Circuit, 2019)

  • The Technos Acxel Resynthesizer (EMEAPP, 2019)


Selected Modern Instrument Reviews

  • Pittsburgh Modular Voltage Lab 2 Review (Perfect Circuit, 2024)

  • Infinite Textures: Make Noise Soundhack Spectraphon (Perfect Circuit, 2023)

  • The Year is 2022, and the Moog Minimoog Model D is Back (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • A First Look at Make Noise’s XPO Stereo Oscillator (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • Meet Moog’s Mavis: an Affordable Desktop Semi-Modular Synthesizer (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • Chase Bliss Habit: an Echo Collector…or Is It Time Travel in a Guitar Pedal? (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • Make Noise Strega: Alchemical Experiment + Cortini Collaboration (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Nonlinear Labs C15 Synthesizer: Is It Worth It? (Perfect Circuit, 2020)

  • Moog Claravox Centennial: Celebrating 100 Years of the Theremin (Perfect Circuit, 2020)


miscellaneous writings

  • Celebrating 500 Articles on Signal (Perfect Circuit, 2023)

  • Electronic Music: Allen Strange’s Classic Book Reissued (Perfect Circuit, 2022, with Eldar Tagi + Jason Nolan)

  • Beamz: the Future of Music Production is Here…and You Can Thank Flo Rida (Perfect Circuit, 2022)

  • Making Weird Sounds with Nick Reinhart (Perfect Circuit, 2021)

  • Type to Rhythm Machine: Interactive Live Stream and How to Use It (Perfect Circuit, 2019)