Synth Gems 1 is the first Bjooks publication to be authored by their Editor-in-Chief, Dr Mike Metlay, and sets out to document, both visually and in words, some of the most incredible keyboard synthesizers ever made. Using strict selection criteria, Mike, Kim Bjørn and the team have curated a collection of instruments that are pioneering and rare, influential and impactful and, above all, gorgeous to look at. In this podcast, I wanted to dig into that selection process, find out what it took to document these instruments and ask how this book came into existence, so I began by asking Mike where the inspiration for this book came from...

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - What was the inspiration for this book?
03:12 - What was the process of whittling your list down?
07:24 - Why no modular synths?
09:59 - Were there any synths that you wanted but couldn’t find decent examples of?
12:24 - How did you check and verify your accuracy?
20:06 - How did you come up with the essay format?
22:56 - What challenges did you face when photographing the synths featured?
28:40 - What prompted the inclusion of an introduction to synthesizers?
37:24 - Which is the one instrument in this book you HAD to have in there?
43:36 - Did you ever consider including audio examples?
45:17 - Can you offer any insights into what may appear in Synth Gems 2?

Mike Metlay Biog 

After attaining a Ph.D in Nuclear Structure Physics, and eschewing a career in that most technical of scientific fields, Dr Mike Metlay worked for ‘Recording, The Magazine for the Recording Musician’, for over 20 years, the last five of which were as Editor. It allowed him to indulge in his passion for electronic music, and the making of it, through many mediums such as writing, creating and performing. This eventually led him to become Editor-in-Chief at Bjooks, a highly-respected publishing house specialising in luxurious and detailed tomes on the subjects of synthesizers and music technology. 

https://bjooks.com
https://bjooks.com/products/synth-gems-1-exploring-vintage-synthesizers
https://www.mrspiral.com

Rob Puricelli Biog 

Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMIs so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for his website, failedmuso.com, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology. 

www.failedmuso.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/prosynthnetwork
Twitter: @failedmuso
Instagram: @failedmuso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedmuso/

Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts