Modern Buchla Reissues with Mike Hunter and Steve McQuarry - LIVESTREAM

Modern Buchla Reissues with Mike Hunter and Steve McQuarry

Original Buchla instruments are rare and expensive, but fear not! There are several modern companies working to make Buchla's designs accessible to today's musicians. This event will explore current commercially-available instruments that are decended from or based upon Buchla's creations. These include modern hardware instruments from Buchla USA, the current version of the company Don founded. We'll also explore the Eurorack Buchla modules issued by Tiptop Audio as well as various Buchla-based software/VST instruments. 

The event will open with a movie screening of Waveshaper Media's 2014 documentary I Dream of Wires, which discusses Buchla's design philosophy in depth and also focuses on the rebirth of modular synthesis via the modern Eurorack community.  (NOTE: DUE TO COPYRIGHT LAWS, THE MOVIE SCREENING CANNOT BE LIVESTREAMED THEREFORE THE LIVESTREAM OF THIS EVENT WILL START AT 4:00PM WITH MIKE HUNTER'S PRESENTATION.)

Following the movie screening, Mike Hunter will conduct a lecture/workshop on the Arturia Buchla Easel V, a powerful and affordable software recreation of the Buchla Easel. 

The evening will feature performance sets by both Mike Hunter and Steve McQuarry. Mike will use his modern Buchla Easel while Steve will use Tiptop Audio Eurorack modules. Both sets will include accompanying video projections designed by each artist. Following the performances, each artist will discuss their approach to music creation using their modern Buchla instruments and take questions from the audience. We also plan to show pre-recorded video interviews with representatives from Tiptop Audio and Buchla USA discussing how their company's instruments carry on Buchla's legacy.

There is no registration fee but donations are encouraged and gratefully received. Please be sure to register for the afternoon and evening livestreams separately.

NOTE: Because we send out livestream links immediately preceding the event, each attendee must register separately. This page can only be used to register one person at at a time.

4:00 - 5:00 pm - Exploring the Arturia Buchla Easel V with Mike Hunter

Love the Buchla sound but don't have an extra couple grand laying around to buy a hardware version? Arturia makes a fantastic software version of the Buchla Easel -- it is licensed by Buchla USA and retails for just $149. Join Mike Hunter as he demonstrates the features of the Arturia Easel and compares and contrasts it to a hardware Easel. 

NOTE: The stream will stop after the workshop and a new link will be sent for the evening concert. Please be sure to select both events to ensure you receive links to both streams. 

8:00 pm Concert Performance

Mike Hunter aka Ombient and Steve McQuarry aka Synsor will present performance sets with accompanying video projections using their commercially-available modern versions of Buchla instruments: Mike uses the modern Buchla Music Easel and Steve uses Tiptop Audio Eurorack modules. Following their performances, each artist will discuss their approach to music creation using modern Buchla instruments and take questions from the audience. Video interviews with representatives from Tiptop Audio and Buchla USA will also be shown as part of this program. Photo credit: pique.fm

MIKE HUNTER (OMBIENT)

Mike Hunter, known artistically as Ombient, is a composer, performer, and sound designer celebrated for his immersive electronic landscapes and mastery of modular synthesis. As a member of the EMEAPP Board of Directors, Hunter plays a vital role in preserving and advancing the legacy of vintage electronic instruments. His compositions often center on deep-looping improvisations and ambient soundscapes, with the Buchla Music Easel serving as a key instrument in both his studio work and his live performances. More info can be found at ombient.com.

STEVE MCQUARRY (SYNSOR)

Steve McQuarry (aka Synsor) is an avant-garde audio and visual performer-composer renowned for his groundbreaking work in experimental music. With a focus on creating electronic soundscapes accompanied by digital visuals, McQuarry’s music traverses the realms of ambient, drone, noise, and beats. McQuarry’s journey into electronic music began in high school, where an encounter with a neglected synthesizer sparked a lifelong passion. In addition to working alongside legends like Dizzy Gillespie, John Cage, and Laurie Anderson, McQuarry has been a featured artist for the Buchla TipTop 200t series at 2024 conventions of Modular World and the Earth Modular Society. More info can be found at linktr.ee/synsormusic.

This event is part of EMEAPP/MMT's special exhibition Instruments That Talk Back: Celebrating the Legacy of Don Buchla. Funding for this exhibition has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. We are deeply grateful for their support.