The Buchla Easel Command 208C in 29 minutes

The Buchla Easel Command 208C, as this analogue modular synthesiser is called, appeared in 2020, as the third variant of the original Music Easel. It was released by Don Buchla in 1973 as a performance synthesiser, with a touch-key keyboard and in a case. In this video you will get an overview of what this synthesizer can do, and of course we have created an extensive sound demo for you.
More info: buchla.com/easel-command-and-...
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00:00 - Intro
00:06 - Gearjunkies leader
00:12 - The Buchla Easel Command 208C
01:14 - Looks, in- and outputs
02:17 - The layout of the Easel
03:28 - Additive synthesis.
05:46 - 2nd oscillator
08:05 - No filter section
09:46 - Modulation
13:11 - Marker 10
14:24 - Demo sound 1
15:50 - Demo sound 2
16:50 - Demo sound 3
17:55 - Demo sound 4
19:59 - Demo sound 5
22:17 - Does the Easel have presets? Yes it does!
23:34 - Program manager software
27:51 - Conclusion
28:51 - Outro

[@denzilstudios7072]

The Buchla Easel has the proclivity to sound like squeaking duck, but once you get beyond that a whole universe opens up.

[@LocaliLLocano]

I just got my easel this week too. I’m in love with it

[@nsbd90now]

I sure wish I could save this video in a playlist. I'm totally being tempted to preorder the "modern" sound easel coming out fall 2023.

[@spdycar13]

I kept debating, keep or sell? Then I added the program manager and the 218 and love it! The 218 touch keyboard made a huge difference for me. Buchla challenges me and I like that.

[@no_talking]

Can you use midi to control the parameters in the program manager?

[@xfloodcasual8124]

How is this possible (computer control) if the sliders on the easel are analog? It seems there must be a digital chip inside that the sliders and pots are connected to, which means it's not a pure analog synth. Curious.

[@gearjunkies]

it is pretty simple but also genius the way they did it. The sliders are analog, or in electrical terms, a variable resistor. All the connections run through the program interface. So if a card is inserted, they get disconnected and the paths on the card determine the new value. if the slider is bypassed, only the value on the card counts. If choosen so, the slider resistor value can be added to it. The old empty program cards allow yo to solder resistors in the path creating a 'preset'. The new program manager card has a chip that can hold various values, like an fpga. So you can create presets, which are really maps describing the programming of the array.

[@xfloodcasual8124]

@@gearjunkies Sounds like a modern synth like a Prophet where a digital controller manages states and generates arbitrary voltages? In the old days, the electrical signal path runs entirely though analog components with no digital system controller chip. So if your slider or pot gets dirty, the sound quality will go down. Picked up some extra character from that method, but this still sounds good as well. Thats why I was curious exactly what aspect is divorced and using digital controllers. I would have to see schematics to know that full answer.

[@dengyun846]

@@xfloodcasual8124 for what it's worth, the "store and passthrough" method has been in use since at least the Jupiter-6 from 41 years ago. The waveform (CV & audio) are still analog, but informed by digitally-stored parameters...whether the information (e.g. "4 volts -> pitch") comes from a variable resister directly or an opamp under computer control is irrelevant unless the value is changing quickly and an under-speced DAC (like 4 bits) is used.

[@szcsaba101]

The Buchlas are terribly overpriced!