Ray Wilson: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Ray Wilson pro pic.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]'''Ray Wilson''' (1956–2016) became interested in analog synthesizers in 1968 when he first heard Switched On Bach.<ref name="book">[http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028093.do Make: Analog Synthesizers] by Ray Wilson, Maker Media Inc, 2013, ISBN 1-4493-4522-0</ref> He has been influential in the synth DIY community and many people got a start in the world of synth DIY because of his sharing of his designs.<ref name="rip">[http://www.matrixsynth.com/2016/07/rip-ray-wilson.html RIP Ray Wilson], Matrixsynth, 23 July 2016</ref>
[[File:Ray Wilson pro pic.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]'''Ray Wilson''' (1956–2016) became interested in analog synthesizers in 1968 when he first heard Switched On Bach.<ref name="book">[http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028093.do Make: Analog Synthesizers] by Ray Wilson, Maker Media Inc, 2013, {{ISBN|1-4493-4522-0}}</ref> He has been influential in the synth DIY community and many people got a start in the world of synth DIY because of his sharing of his designs.<ref name="rip">[http://www.matrixsynth.com/2016/07/rip-ray-wilson.html RIP Ray Wilson], Matrixsynth, 23 July 2016</ref>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
=== Education and how MFOS got started ===
=== Education and how MFOS got started ===
First employed at a steel mill he bought sold and traded analog synthesizers, mainly Korgs, Mini-Moogs, and a variety of the patchable semi-modular Rolands. There he also went through an electronic repairman apprenticeship program. Supplementing the classroom training with [[breadboard]] experimentation, a Heathkit [[microprocessor]] trainer kit, and a great deal of reading and maths. Learning enough to spend the next fifteen years in the medical electronics industry.<ref name="book">[http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028093.do Make: Analog Synthesizers] by Ray Wilson, Maker Media Inc, 2013, ISBN 1-4493-4522-0</ref>
First employed at a steel mill he bought sold and traded analog synthesizers, mainly Korgs, Mini-Moogs, and a variety of the patchable semi-modular Rolands. There he also went through an electronic repairman apprenticeship program. Supplementing the classroom training with [[breadboard]] experimentation, a Heathkit [[microprocessor]] trainer kit, and a great deal of reading and maths. Learning enough to spend the next fifteen years in the medical electronics industry.<ref name="book">[http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028093.do Make: Analog Synthesizers] by Ray Wilson, Maker Media Inc, 2013, {{ISBN|1-4493-4522-0}}</ref>


Together with a friend in the 1970s through into the early 1980s he sold [[electronics kits]] under the name Waveform Processing, advertised in [[Radio Electronics magazine]]. While keeping on researching, breadboarding and developing [[monophonic]] and [[polyphonic]] synths. Coming across the versatile [[OnChip Systems|Curtis Electromusic Specialties]] ICs designed by [[Doug Curtis]].<ref name="book" />
Together with a friend in the 1970s through into the early 1980s he sold [[electronics kits]] under the name Waveform Processing, advertised in [[Radio Electronics magazine]]. While keeping on researching, breadboarding and developing [[monophonic]] and [[polyphonic]] synths. Coming across the versatile [[OnChip Systems|Curtis Electromusic Specialties]] ICs designed by [[Doug Curtis]].<ref name="book" />
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== Incomplete list of writings on electronic music ==
== Incomplete list of writings on electronic music ==
=== Books ===
=== Books ===
* ''Make: Analog Synthesizers'', Maker Media, 2013, ISBN 1449345220
* ''Make: Analog Synthesizers'', Maker Media, 2013, {{ISBN|1449345220}}


=== Papers and articles ===
=== Papers and articles ===

Revision as of 10:53, 16 July 2020

Ray Wilson (1956–2016) became interested in analog synthesizers in 1968 when he first heard Switched On Bach.[1] He has been influential in the synth DIY community and many people got a start in the world of synth DIY because of his sharing of his designs.[2]

Biography

Education and how MFOS got started

First employed at a steel mill he bought sold and traded analog synthesizers, mainly Korgs, Mini-Moogs, and a variety of the patchable semi-modular Rolands. There he also went through an electronic repairman apprenticeship program. Supplementing the classroom training with breadboard experimentation, a Heathkit microprocessor trainer kit, and a great deal of reading and maths. Learning enough to spend the next fifteen years in the medical electronics industry.[1]

Together with a friend in the 1970s through into the early 1980s he sold electronics kits under the name Waveform Processing, advertised in Radio Electronics magazine. While keeping on researching, breadboarding and developing monophonic and polyphonic synths. Coming across the versatile Curtis Electromusic Specialties ICs designed by Doug Curtis.[1]

The Ray Wilson Sound Lab.

Then doing electronic design at Intec Systems and Siemens Pacesetter, his focus shifted to designing electronic test equipment and writing software. Until in 1994, he moved from California to Aurora, Colorado where his work became solely software development. The desire to work with electronics brought him back to synth-DIY, starting a website called Ray-Land to publish the circuits and PCB layouts that he was coming up with.[1]

Developing and publishing a simple, battery-powered mini-synthesizer, called the Sound Lab Mini-Synth for which he started selling PCBs, led in 2008[3] to the birth of his brand Music From Outer Space (MFOS). The information available on the MFOS website is respected by synth-DIYers the world over.[1]

On the 21st July 2016 Ray died of cancer. His family will likely have medical bills and a GoFundMe page was setup to raise funds.[2]

Not open source

Ray was happy to share his circuit designs and knowledge with hobbyists but did not give permission to mass or hand produce what he considered his intellectual property.[4] MFOS designs are now owned by synthCube.

Incomplete list of writings on electronic music

Books

  • Make: Analog Synthesizers, Maker Media, 2013, ISBN 1449345220

Papers and articles

Article name Publication Issue PPNo Key components Corrections Comments On Web
The Sound Lab Mini-Synth Sound Synthesizer Nuts & Volts March 2006 44 CD40106, op-amps Archive.org, Parts and PCB art

Online

Video

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Make: Analog Synthesizers by Ray Wilson, Maker Media Inc, 2013, ISBN 1-4493-4522-0
  2. ^ a b RIP Ray Wilson, Matrixsynth, 23 July 2016
  3. ^ Music From Outer Space LLC, LinkedIn
  4. ^ "Making $Money$ With MFOS". Archived from the original on 2017-12-19. Retrieved 2016-07-24.

External links