I’m here at Synthplex 2019 at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center in Burbank, California. Sweetwater is excited to cosponsor Synthplex, a new annual event that celebrates All Things Synthesizer. Created by Michael Boddicker, a synth legend, and Michael Learmouth, it features exhibits, seminars, lectures, and over 85 vendors who have been setting up their booths since yesterday. They’re here and ready to entertain the West Coast’s electronic music creators, composers, and enthusiasts when the doors open momentarily.
As I write this (Friday morning), the doors are still closed, and a line is building behind me. A much appreciated wave of the hand by Michael Boddicker himself allowed me to peek inside the conference halls filled with synths, keyboards, controllers, and Eurorack modules to get some quick photos before the crowds poured in. (Thank you, Michael!)
Synthplex also features a surprisingly wide variety of speakers throughout the four days of the show on subjects such as Cinematic FX & Sound Design Using Ableton Live, the Secret History of Modular Synthesis, a Meet & Greet with Thomas Dolby, Marc Doty’s Buchla History, and Dave Smith’s Digital Through Analog — Then & Now. I gave a presentation yesterday evening on my Sure-fire Synth Programming Strategies, using the amazing Moog One Analog Synthesizer as my keyboard. I was asked to give my talk again on Sunday morning, so if you’re in the neighborhood, you should stop by and sit in.
There were lots of synth performances last night, along with constant handshakes with the many synth artists, inventors, builders, educators, and composers. I was somehow lucky enough to have a personal hang with Dave Smith, founder of Sequential Circuits, who made it his mission to teach me only some of what he knows about top-shelf tequila. Today, Dave will be giving me a private tour of his Prophet X synthesizer. (Yes, this really is my job!)
Here are a few photos from Synthplex to show you what an amazing event it is.
I had the chance to sit down with Dave Smith for a one to one tour of the Prophet X.
