Peter Zinovieff and Electronic Music Studios

Peter Zinovieff's pioneering work into the fields of electronic music production and research led to many innovative electronic music instrument developments that were outstanding for the time. Peter was fascinated by electronic music and used his financial resources to develop a huge voltage-controlled studio that occupied an entire room in his home premises. There was a time when EMS (Electronic Music Studios) stood as equal to Moog and Arp. In many ways, EMS was more advanced with several pioneering ideas being investigated. Peter used two PDP8 minicomputers in the late 1960s to control the voltage-controlled analogue modules for research into electronic music exploration. Twenty years before affordable computing and sequencing packages, Zinovieff's computers could store and replay compositions, complete with sound shaping parameters even inventing a form of spectral or additive synthesis. Excerpts are edited from the television documentaries "What the Future Sounded Like" and "The New Sound of Music" featuring the first public performance of music by a computer in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1967. The spirit of EMS continues, and Peter's synthesizer innovations like the VCS3 and Synthi 100 have become outstanding analogue classics.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Peter
• Zinovieff
• EMS
• electronic
• music
• studios
• VCS3
• sound
• David
• Cockerell
• Tristram
• Cary
• synthesizer
• synthesis
• research
• innovation
• analog
• analogue
• history
• PDP8
• computer
• synthi
• oscilloscope
• performance
• Putney
• voltage
• controlled
• digital
• interface
• MUSYS
• sequencer
• science
• technology
• program
• Queen
• Elizabeth
• Hall

[therealKINDLE]

What a sad story. It just goes to show that the universe makes no sense when a Genius & all his Ideas are scorned & refused the credit that they so rightfully deserve. This man belongs in the same catagory as other Legends such as Delia Derbyshire, Dr Moog & Walter Carlos. Maybe even above them.

My most admirable & humble respect to Peter Zinovieff.

[JeffreyPlaide]

Many thanks for your appreciation. I believe that Peter was involved in an experimental band with Delia and Brian Hodgson called Unit Delta Plus. Also, watch the entire documentary "What the Future Sounded Like" on the YouTube. There are many great pioneers that also worked with Peter Zinovieff.

Jeffrey S.

[ajittffcure]

What a great footage this is. It was so wonderful to hear a master, a pioneer in every sense talk so passionately about his innovations. We are in a way indebted to this great man- Peter Zinovieff.

[JeffreyPlaide]

I feel very inspired by the work and innovations of Peter Zinovieff. For me, he is a hero of sound synthesis, and deserves recognition for his research and vision. It's great to have footage of him.

[arpquadra]

This is great!

Did his computer system get rescued or was it left with rain pouring over it?

[JeffreyPlaide]

I'm afraid that after the water damage, most of the equipment was scrapped, apart from a few Ampex recorders.

[UncleFeedle]

There are many instances like this in the past where Britain was leading the world in new, pioneering stuff, but it all going pear-shaped due to lack of support, investment or bad management, followed by other countries taking it over and making it successful. The home computer era would be another example.

[whitestrat73]

I lived close to Peter's house in Putney when I was a schoolboy. I often heard sounds from his garden house as I crossed the iron bridge to/from Putney Bridge Station.

I was always amazed at those unworldly sounds, wondering what on earth was going on in there.

Didn't Peter also create a concert for office machines at QEH?

Thanks for posting this.

[midwichyouthclub]

What a man!

[kharlos84]

this guy is a genius.

[victormusictechnique]

It is an absolute fucking crime that his musical computer equipement was damaged and water logged.

What a shame,what a great man.

Why does the goverment pour millions into crap and yet decent projects like this just ignored.

[astrophonix]

Delia Derbyshire @ 8:45! She turned me onto electronic music!

[radiohead926]

WOW... THANK U FOR THIS VIDEO!

[straypixel]

@3.37, second row, far left, note the presence of Daphne Oram, inventor of 'Oramics' and key player in the early days of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

[aliisvorbach]

Wow this was great to discover....a very under appreciated piece off history.....kinda inspiring but sad....thanks for posting this

aliis vorbach