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The Synthesizer Museum Berlin has announced its first exhibition, opening February 12, 2025, that will feature over 50 rare synthesizers and other electronic instruments.

They say that the collection offers “an exciting journey through time, showcasing the evolution of the instruments that have shaped pop music like no other.”

“Berlin is the perfect place to celebrate the history of the synthesizer and to make its cultural influence accessible to a wide audience,” explains Michael Soltau, film composer and initiator of the museum. “From the ‘Berlin School’ with Tangerine Dream, to David Bowie’s ‘Berlin Trilogy,’ and the city’s vibrant techno scene, Berlin has played a key role in electronic music history.”

Visitors will also have the chance to try out selected instruments – a highlight for musicians and music enthusiasts alike.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to get a guided tour, with audio experts and musicians such as Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine Dream) as their guide. Visitors will learn how famous tracks were created and which synthesizers played a central role in their production.The exhibition marks the beginning of efforts to establish a permanent location for the museum in Berlin. With over 14 million museum visitors annually—70% of whom are tourists—the Synthesizer Museum promises to be a valuable addition to the capital’s cultural offerings.

Location:

Synthesizer Museum Berlin // Exhibition at SchneidersRäumen
Skalitzerstraße 135a
10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Hours: Open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Admission:  €12 per person

Tickets and further information are available at the Museum site.

There will be an Opening Event Tuesday, February 11, 2025

17:00 Uhr Doors
18:00 Uhr Live: Kurt “Pyrolator” Dahlke
19:00 Uhr Live: Thorsten Quaeschning, Tangerine Dream

RSVP for Opening Event pr@synthesizermuseum.info

If the patch cables on your modular synth or in your studio are getting out of control, you might want to drop Aldi and pick up some of their $3.99 color-coded Cable Ties and Cable Labels.

We happened upon these in Aldi’s Aisle Of Shame – the aisle in the center of the store where they have limited-time deals. The stuff is this aisle is priced so low that you find yourself walking out with a cast iron dutch oven and a dog sofa, when you just came for some groceries.

Both the ties and labels are made of ‘self-gripping fabric’, aka knockoff Velcro:

• The Cable Ties are 6 inches long and come in a variety of colors. They have an integrated loop, so you can attach the tie to power cords, so it’s always there when you need it.
• The Cable Labels, below, are about 2 inches long, folded, and are designed so that you can write on them.

The ties look like the ones that are carried at Guitar Center, but at about half the price.

Aldi’s Aisle Of Shame items change regularly, so we picked up several packages of both, while we there. If you miss the deal, though, you can get similar cable ties by the gross at Amazon for about $8.

Got a studio hack of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!

German gear site Amazona.de reports that a new project, by developer Markus Malik, promises to bring back the powerful Oberheim Xpander synthesizer.

The Oberheim Xpander, originally introduced in 1984, is a sought-after analog synthesizer, known for its great sound and powerful digitally-controlled analog voice architecture. The synth features very flexible multimode filters and deep modulation capabilities.

The ACME XP60 is designed to be a replica of the Xpander. Synth replicas, like the modern Moog Model D and the Din Sync RE-303, are designed replicate the original boards and build of their vintage counterparts accurately enough that you can use the modern boards to repair the original synths.

It’s not clear yet if this will be the case for the ACME XP60, but Malik has previously offered modifications, replacement boards and repairs for the original Xpander.

Here are details on the project, translated from the German article:

“Like its role model, the XP60 is also a six-voice analog synthesizer. However, the design is smaller, because the device, which actually has a desktop format, also fits in a 19” rack.

Not only the structure of the sound generation was adopted, but also the operating concept with the three displays. One improvement, however, are the controls with LED rings, whose colors can be customized.

For the sound generation, modern counterparts (clone chips) of the CEM3374 (Dual VCO) and CEM3372 (VC Mix-VCF-VCA) circuits used at the time are used. As a reference, developer Markus Malik was able to build the voice cards for the prototype with original oscillator ICs. In blind tests with mixed operation, no differences could be found between the original and clone chips.

Initially, no new firmware was written, but the original OS was used during development. The firmware is very complex, as envelopes, LFOs and other modulation options are also implemented using software. Tom Oberheim‘s consent was requested for the use of the firmware.

If the original firmware is retained, this will also entail certain restrictions, as it does not include parameter control with MIDI CCs, for example, but only Sysex. The developer may not be able to avoid creating his own OS sooner or later.”

Details on pricing and availability are still to come at the Acme Synthworks site, but a small series of 50 units is planned, with the possibility of more, based on demand.

via Amazona.de, Matrixsynth