Buchla 208 Stored Program Sound Source (early 1970s)
A synthesizer module that is the core sound source of the Buchla Music Easel portable instrument.
Overview
The Buchla 208 Stored Program Sound Source is a synthesizer module designed by Buchla as part of the 200 Series, released in the early 1970s. It is the central sound-generating component of the Buchla Music Easel, a portable electronic instrument made by pairing the 208 with the 218 keyboard and controller module. Each system was hand-built to order, which was how boutique production worked in those days.
Design
The module is built around a motherboard and 12 plug-in cards. That simplifies PCB assembly but adds to total build time. Total construction time for the unit was approximately 27.5 hours: 17.5 hours for the 12 cards and 9.5 hours for the panel and motherboard. Card 1 is a five-stage sequencer. Card 2 is a random voltage source, later known as the "Source of Uncertainty." Card 3 is an envelope generator. Two modifications improve performance. Replacing resistor R53 on the motherboard with an RC combination fixes sequencer trigger issues. Substituting R20 with a 220Ω resistor and adding 0.1µF decoupling capacitors on IC1, IC4, IC5, and IC6 reduces envelope generator bleed.
Product Family
The Buchla 208 is the sound source module of the Buchla Music Easel. It is part of the 200 Series, which refined and expanded the Buchla concept after the original 100 Series was completed in 1966.
Context
Buchla instruments were tools for composers, sound designers, and experimentalists such as Suzanne Ciani, Charles Cohen, Todd Barton, and Alessandro Cortini. The 208, like other Buchla systems, offered sonic capabilities that set it apart from conventional synthesizers, and it supported complex composition through modules like the Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator.
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