We all know that person, or maybe you are that person, someone who is obsessed with diving into the dusty bins of history to find antique and unique analog synths. SYNTH GEMS 1 is to synth lovers what Dust and Grooves is to record collectors, a journey into a collection of wonderous machines documented and curated with a true passion. The title even alludes to a sequel as there are just so many synths you can fit into one book.
Even if you are just analog curious or a fan of older electronic music, this is still a fascinating stroll through the history, technology, and innovation of these electronic music machines.
Author/Curator Mike Metlay takes you through just over 60 synths, some you will know right away, and others will become instant curiosities flaring up an itch that you might jump on eBay to scratch. Be warned; this is pure synth porn and a dangerous tome for those who might become gear junkies or those recovering.
Detailed photos, origins stories, and historical significance bits are all presented beautifully in this hardback edition. You cannot help but be fascinated by these machines displayed as art, almost as if you are thumbing through a companion coffee table book to an art exhibit.
This slick hardback is not just gear porn; it’s an educational journey into synthesis and its short but eclectic history in 20/21st-century music.
Metlay explores the designs and tells the stories of famous brands such as ARP, Casio, Clavia, Korg, Moog, Oberheim, Roland, Sequential, and Yamaha – as well as vintage gems from Crumar, Electronic Dream Plant, Elgam, E-mu, Ensoniq, Fairlight, Kawai, Gleeman, Lord Synthesisers, Steiner-Parker, Technics, Waldorf, and more.
What are you waiting for, if you’ve made it this far head on over to Bjooks and order yourself a copy, a perfect gift for that synth nerd in your life as well.
You can catch a cool PODCAST-interview with Metlay and get the story behind the book below.
Darwin Grosse runs the fantastic Art + Music + Technology podcast series and interviewed author Mike Metlay about how the book came to be.
David Ireland is a professional strategist, creative, and marketer. He began his career in 1995 as creator and publisher of BPM Magazine. In August 2000, BPM Magazine merged with djmixed.com LLC, an online media company based in Los Angeles, which later evolved into the Overamerica Media Group [OMG] in 2003. In 2009, Ireland left Overamerica Media Group to serve as the VP of Marketing at Diesel. In 2011, he returned to his roots in media and cofounded the online electronic music publication Magnetic Magazine and created The Magnetic Agency Group. In June 2018, Ireland joined Winter Music Conference (now owned by Ultra Music Festival) as the Director to lead the reboot for 2019 and usher in a new era for the iconic brand. He served as Chief Marketing Officer at Victrola for three years, guiding product innovation and brand growth. He currently serves on the advisory board of Audiopool, a new music tech startup focused on AI-generated music licensing and artist revenue models.
![In Conversation: Kim Bjorn [Bjooks]](https://magneticmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/kimbjorn.png)