A treat to serious synth enthusiasts as well as to newcomers in electronic music, Synth Gems 1 is an enlightening look into the wonderful world of vintage synthesizers.
Explore the designs and read the stories behind known classics and significant rarities. How about:
Moog Sonic V & Sonic Six, Korg miniKORG 700, Crumar DS-2, Yamaha CS-80, RSF Kobol, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, ARP Quadra, Fairlight CMI, Roland Jupiter-8, Gleeman Pentaphonic Clear, E-mu Systems Emulator, Casio CZ Series, Oberheim Matrix-12, Ensoniq ESQ-1 & SQ-80, Oxford Synthesiser Co. OSCar, Waldorf Wave, Clavia Nord Lead, Korg Prophecy & Alesis Andromeda A6…

The book takes you on a tour of over 60 remarkable keyboards — large and small, famed and rare, elegant, beautiful, and brutal… and ranging from classics that define entire genres to rare oddities that bring their own grace to the world.

Each synthesizer is presented in a series of finely detailed photographs, with a discussion of its origins and importance. From the dawn of commercial synthesis to the close of the Twentieth Century, the lives and times of these unique instruments are chronicled in exquisite pictures and thoughtful stories – mingling music, technology, commerce, and visual art.

Meet the synthesizer

Besides a brief introduction to the basic elements of synthesizer design, as well as a comprehensive Glossary, the book is rounded out by tours of the three museums that opened their collections to be photographed, and a selection of resources for further study: books, films, educational initiatives, online resources – even ways to play with these sounds at home.

About the author

Dr. Mike Metlay is an electronic musician, educator, writer, editor, gear lover, and retired nuclear physicist (!), who has been working in the audio technology industry for nearly 40 years. As a former Editor of RECORDING Magazine, he has authored hundreds of gear reviews and articles enjoyed worldwide.

60+ selected vintage synthesizers
Over 330 unique color photographs
Foreword by synth musician Vince Clarke
320 colorful pages printed on ecofriendly paper
Hardcover format (25 x 25 cm)