double magicNum = 0.41;
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2024
Wendy Carlos is one of the trans icons that a lot of folks in the trans community love to bring up, partially because Carlos transitioned in the mid 20th century and had a fairly successful career as a composer and arranger of music.
Some would have you believe that Wendy Carlos basically co-invented synthesizers as we know them, or even was the first to suggest controlling one with an organ keyboard instead of an alternative layout of touch pads (a la MPC or Launchpad) or sequencer.
Some models of the Ondes Martenot immediately disprove that notion.
Carlos was indeed a close friend of Bob Moog, who standardized so many features on synthesizers and wanted his synthesizer to somewhat fit into an orchestra. Carlos was well known for the synth arrangements of Bach, though before the transition. Carlos did write some fully original music too, though most of that music is out of print and off streaming, and Carlos is currently just occasionally updating one of the last vestiges of the Web 1.0 personal site culture.
It’s ironic that Carlos didn’t even like synthesizers much, finding the sound unsubtle and not very complex. Carlos’ personal dream synth was a computer that played back samples, hooked up to a weighted keyboard and mostly used for pipe organ sounds. This arrangement was rare for the 1980s. I doubt Carlos would approve of all the DAW music created by people like Sophie, seeing that that kind of music is so far removed from classical. Different tastes, different strokes, etc… but you still have to consider that this alleged icon wasn’t really as invested in synthesizers as you might think.
Switched On Bach did very little that the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun didn’t.
Electronic instruments were pretty common already at the time. The cult around Moog is really interesting.
Sophie Wilson is another interesting story that trans people go gaga over that I could get into.
Some would have you believe that Wendy Carlos basically co-invented synthesizers as we know them, or even was the first to suggest controlling one with an organ keyboard instead of an alternative layout of touch pads (a la MPC or Launchpad) or sequencer.
Some models of the Ondes Martenot immediately disprove that notion.
Carlos was indeed a close friend of Bob Moog, who standardized so many features on synthesizers and wanted his synthesizer to somewhat fit into an orchestra. Carlos was well known for the synth arrangements of Bach, though before the transition. Carlos did write some fully original music too, though most of that music is out of print and off streaming, and Carlos is currently just occasionally updating one of the last vestiges of the Web 1.0 personal site culture.
It’s ironic that Carlos didn’t even like synthesizers much, finding the sound unsubtle and not very complex. Carlos’ personal dream synth was a computer that played back samples, hooked up to a weighted keyboard and mostly used for pipe organ sounds. This arrangement was rare for the 1980s. I doubt Carlos would approve of all the DAW music created by people like Sophie, seeing that that kind of music is so far removed from classical. Different tastes, different strokes, etc… but you still have to consider that this alleged icon wasn’t really as invested in synthesizers as you might think.
Switched On Bach did very little that the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun didn’t.
Electronic instruments were pretty common already at the time. The cult around Moog is really interesting.
Sophie Wilson is another interesting story that trans people go gaga over that I could get into.
