Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
If you’re anything like I used to be, you might be super curious about learning something new but kinda / super overwhelmed about getting started.
Intimidated by all the tech.
Nervous you won’t be good at it.
Worried it might be “too late” for you to start something new.
^^For me, that was how it felt getting into modular synths and electronic music.
100%
I’ve interviewed dozens of my students, and asked what THEY felt was most helpful in not only learning modular synths, but overcoming these feelings of overwhelmed and doubt that so often can accompany getting started in this world.
What they shared is amazing—here are some highlights:
“Sucking at something is the 1st step to getting really great at it.”
“It takes the time it takes—this is YOUR creative journey, not a race.”
“Be open to what you don’t know…even in the stuff you do know. There’s always a way to go deeper.”
“It’s ok if it takes time. It’s ok if it doesn’t click right away. It’s ok to have questions. It’s how you KNOW you’re growing!!”
The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is that if you’re waiting to feel confident BEFORE you get started on something new, you’ve got it backwards.
Confidence comes from taking imperfect, messy action. It comes from doing it scared.
Just in case you need this reminder today:
You are capable. The only way to get good at something is to start.
❤️
#modularsynth #experimentalmusic #electronicmusic #sounddesign #musicproduction #synthesizer
If you’re anything like I used to be, you might be super curious about learning something new but kinda / super overwhelmed about getting started.
Intimidated by all the tech.
Nervous you won’t be good at it.
Worried it might be “too late” for you to start something new.
^^For me, that was how it felt getting into modular synths and electronic music.
100%
I’ve interviewed dozens of my students, and asked what THEY felt was most helpful in not only learning modular synths, but overcoming these feelings of overwhelmed and doubt that so often can accompany getting started in this world.
What they shared is amazing—here are some highlights:
“Sucking at something is the 1st step to getting really great at it.”
“It takes the time it takes—this is YOUR creative journey, not a race.”
“Be open to what you don’t know…even in the stuff you do know. There’s always a way to go deeper.”
“It’s ok if it takes time. It’s ok if it doesn’t click right away. It’s ok to have questions. It’s how you KNOW you’re growing!!”
The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is that if you’re waiting to feel confident BEFORE you get started on something new, you’ve got it backwards.
Confidence comes from taking imperfect, messy action. It comes from doing it scared.
Just in case you need this reminder today:
You are capable. The only way to get good at something is to start.
❤️
#modularsynth #experimentalmusic #electronicmusic #sounddesign #musicproduction #synthesizer
![The Electric Music Box: Exploring a Vintage Buchla 200 Modular System
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In the spring of 2025, I spent a week at the Stony Brook University Electronic Music Studio, working closely with their original Buchla 200 Series modular synthesizer. Built in the early 1970s by pioneering instrument designer Donald Buchla & associates, this rare instrument is one of the few surviving and fully intact systems of its kind.
Due to its rarity, very few musicians have had the opportunity to interact with an original 200 system firsthand. I hope this video will help bridge that gap by sharing the instrument’s sound, design philosophy, and aesthetic intentions with a wider audience.
The video begins with a brief historical overview of the Buchla 200 Series and its role in the rapidly evolving landscape of 1970s electronic music. From there, I dive into a detailed walkthrough of the system, exploring each module with sound demonstrations and examples. We conclude with some reflections on the Buchla 200’s design philosophy, offering insights into the types of musical interaction the instrument was built to encourage (and why it continues to resonate with musicians and designers today).
Join my FREE Introduction to Synthesis mini course here (no experience or special gear required): https://www.soundandsynthesis.com/firstsynthpatch
Learn how to make your own unique music with modular synths and master the fundamentals of sound design inside my step-by-step course & coaching program, Learning Sound and Synthesis®—no experience needed!: https://www.soundandsynthesis.com
This video was created in collaboration with the Buchla Archives, an organization dedicated to the thorough and thoughtful documentation and preservation of Donald Buchla’s work.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:
My Overview of the 1st Buchla 100 [VIDEO]: https://youtu.be/CiqhM-bNBrY
Music by Daria Semegen and Bülent Arel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfRVXqatoGQ
Modular Synthesis Patching Machines & People [BOOK]: https://www.routledge.com/Modular-Synthesis-Patching-Machines-and-People/Teboul-Kitzmann-Engstrom/p/book/9781032113463?srsltid=AfmBOoqCddh_cHdYalz7ZoVIHrRT5q9fNTPLVSBSMPrPkiPl-clId1Vp - Theodore Gordons writings on Buchla and Cybernetics
Between the Tracks: Musicians on Selected Electronic Music [BOOK]: https://direct.mit.edu/books/edited-volume/4879/Between-the-TracksMusicians-on-Selected-Electronic - A chapter analyzing the use of the Stony Brook 200 in music by Arel and Semegen, written by Margaret Schedel
The Composers Black Box [BOOK]: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/the-composers-black-box/paper - forthcoming book by Theodore Gordon about Cybernetics and early electronic music
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
2:22 200 Series History
9:15 System Overview (Sound Generation)11:56 System Overview (Mixing Facilities)
13:34 System Overview (Control Voltage Generation and Processing)
17:04 200 Series Workflow Improvements
22:46 Dynamic Timbral Modification
39:44 Polyphonic Signal Generation
49:15 Spatial Location and Mixing
59:04 Complex Pattern Generation
1:10:22 Expressive Interaction in the 200
1:21:13 What is an Electric Music Box?
Sarah Belle Reid is a Canadian performer-composer, active in the fields of electroacoustic trumpet performance, intermedia arts, music technology, and improvisation.
www.sarahbellereid.com The Electric Music Box: Exploring a Vintage Buchla 200 Modular System](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Su8op8Xhs_8/mqdefault.jpg)









