Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Ever wanted to hang out, ask questions, and dive deep into modular synths, experimental trumpet techniques, creative process, or just geek out about weird sounds together?â
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Iâm hosting a special Patron-only Zoom gathering for everyone who joins my Patreon community (at any tier) this week - before Friday May 16th. â
â
Along with the rest of the community, we will get to connect face-to-face and you can ask me ANYTHING about sound, music-making, creative mindset, trumpet, patching techniques... you name it!â
â
When you join the Member tier on Patreon, you'll also get:â
- Access to our private Patron Discord channelâ
- Monthly Patron-Only Hangouts via Zoomâ
- Open Studio Sessions showing works-in-progress and behind the scenes updatesâ
- Virtual Listening Parties (these are the highlights of my month!)â
- My entire archive of tutorials, downloads, & musicâ
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PLUS: The first 5 people who join as Member Tier *annually* will receive a personalized miniature improvisation created by me, just for you - like a tiny sonic gift inspired by a keyword of your choice. đď¸đşâ
â
My Patreon community has been the backbone of my creative practice for 8 years now. It's where all the behind-the-scenes happens, where we listen to music together, where I share my process (messy parts and all).â
â
I would LOVE for you to join us. Link in bio to sign up! â¤ď¸â
â
#experimentalmusic @patreon #sounddesign #modularsynth #electroacousticâ
Ever wanted to hang out, ask questions, and dive deep into modular synths, experimental trumpet techniques, creative process, or just geek out about weird sounds together?â
â
Iâm hosting a special Patron-only Zoom gathering for everyone who joins my Patreon community (at any tier) this week - before Friday May 16th. â
â
Along with the rest of the community, we will get to connect face-to-face and you can ask me ANYTHING about sound, music-making, creative mindset, trumpet, patching techniques... you name it!â
â
When you join the Member tier on Patreon, you'll also get:â
- Access to our private Patron Discord channelâ
- Monthly Patron-Only Hangouts via Zoomâ
- Open Studio Sessions showing works-in-progress and behind the scenes updatesâ
- Virtual Listening Parties (these are the highlights of my month!)â
- My entire archive of tutorials, downloads, & musicâ
â
PLUS: The first 5 people who join as Member Tier *annually* will receive a personalized miniature improvisation created by me, just for you - like a tiny sonic gift inspired by a keyword of your choice. đď¸đşâ
â
My Patreon community has been the backbone of my creative practice for 8 years now. It's where all the behind-the-scenes happens, where we listen to music together, where I share my process (messy parts and all).â
â
I would LOVE for you to join us. Link in bio to sign up! â¤ď¸â
â
#experimentalmusic @patreon #sounddesign #modularsynth #electroacousticâ









![The Electric Music Box: Exploring a Vintage Buchla 200 Modular System
Join my Patreon community to support future video projects like this one, and to access behind-the-scenes content + community events:
https://www.patreon.com/sarahbellereid
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 instrumentâs 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 200âs 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 SynthesisÂŽâno 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 Buchlaâs work.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:
My Overview of the 1st Buchla 100 [VIDEO]: https://youtu.be/CiqhM-bNBrY
Music by Daria Semegen and BĂźlent 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)
