VCS4 由世界著名的电子音乐工作室有限公司 (EMS) 公司于 1960 年代后期在伦敦制作，由作曲家 Peter Zinovieff 博士经营。它是众多早期 EMS 合成器之一，被英国电子音乐先驱如 Harrison Birtwistle ( Medusa ) 和 Tristram Cary 使用，在位于 Putney 的原始 EMS 工作室解散后，他们将其带到了皇家音乐学院.
该乐器是现存唯一的乐器，它结合了两个 VCS3 合成器和一个“基站”，该基站配备了一个键盘、外部音频输入混音器、随机阶梯发生器和独特的音调/滤波器/谐波发生器电路，以创建一个定制和高度通用的乐器. VCS3 合成器已被 Delia Derbyshire、BBC Radiophonic Workshop、Aphex Twin、Brian Eno、Hawkwind、Pink Floyd 和 Robert Fripp 等知名人士使用。多年来，人们一直认为 VCS4 已经丢失，直到 2019 年，当时 VCS4 的所有者 Simon Desorgher 向音乐系提出了将 VCS4 转移到 Goldsmiths 的建议，以便维护并提供给学生和研究人员电子音乐工作室。 在 Goldsmiths 电子音乐工作室成立于 1968 年初（英国大学部门的第一个永久性电子音乐工作室）之后，该工作室在 1971 年获得了两台首批 EMS VCS3 合成器。因此，现在将 VCS4 安置在 Goldsmiths Electronic 是很合适的音乐工作室，提供机会供本科生和研究生在作曲和表演中使用。 EMS VCS4 由研究助理 James Bulley 博士在 Goldsmiths Friends 和 Alumni Fund 的支持下被该部门收购。 Join us for a day of talks and discussion about, and performances with, the EMS VCS4 Live Performance Module - this event will be live-streamed & limited seating is available.
This is a key element of Goldsmiths’ new modular synthesizer suite at the Electronic Music Studios in the Department of Music, where it is available for use by our music students, researchers and visiting artists. The VCS4 was built by the world-renowned Electronic Music Studios Ltd (EMS) company which was founded in London by Peter Zinovieff more than 50 years ago and was one of a number of synthesisers used in the 1970s by pioneers of British electronic music. Due to strict Covid-measures, this event will allow 50 ticket holders in person at Goldsmiths - please book your free ticket via eventbrite, or watch online on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP4Tg_E0cCQ Full programme for VCS4:2022 on our Facebook event page (https://fb.me/e/1zu3oKfG9). The day will take place at Goldsmiths Cinema in the Richard Hoggart Building. This can accommodate a live audience of up to 50 people and we will be live-streaming the day as well - see direct link at top of page.
The VCS4 was built for Harrison Birtwistle’s performance of Medusa at South Bank in 1970. It was moved to the EMS studio in Putney before it was taken to the Royal College of Music by composer Tristram Cary. It was subsequently owned by Simon Desorgher, a former RCM student. The VCS4 was restored to functional order in 2006 by Robin Wood at EMS and acquired by Goldsmiths in 2019. Additional restoration and repair work has since been carried out by Steven Thomas of Digitana Electronics. The VCS4 is based on two EMS VCS3 synthesisers – a portable analogue synthesiser developed in 1969. These were widely used by such luminaries as Delia Derbyshire, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Brian Eno, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Robert Fripp and Aphex Twin. The VCS3’s in the VCS4 have been heavily modified and incorporated into a base station featuring keyboard, external audio input mixer, and signal processing inside a wooden cabinet). It is a completely unique instrument. A second, but very different, VCS4 model is owned by Matt Black of Coldcut. The VCS4 was acquired for the Department by research associate Dr James Bulley with support from the Goldsmiths Friends and Alumni Fund. |
