Zoë Blade's notebook

Harald Bode

Not to be confused with Hendrik Wade Bode.

Harald Bode made electronic devices to manipulate sound. This included a modular system that used control voltages to pass along values from one module to another.[1] Although this was more of an effects unit than a fully fledged synthesiser (it could only modify existing sounds, not make its own from scratch), it certainly seems to have influenced Don Buchla and Bob Moog, who both took the CV concept and ran with it when making their respective modular synthesisers.[2][3]

Bode later designed several modules for Moog, including a ring modulator and frequency shifter. Both are useful for creating inharmonic sounds, such as metallic clangs.

References

  1. "Sound Synthesizer Creates New Musical Effects" Harald Bode, Electronics, Dec 1961
  2. "Voltage-Controlled Electronic Music Modules" Robert Moog, Audio Engineering Society, Oct 1964
  3. "Harald Bode" Jay Lee, Polyphony, Sep 1981, pp. 14—17

Engineers: Bob Moog | Harald Bode