Electronotes?

[Magnus Danielson]

From: Tim Ressel <Tim_R1 at verifone.com>
Subject: Electronotes?
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 10:42:55 -0800

> Hi,
> 
> Guess I've led a sheltered life. Whats this Electrnotes thing I keep hearing
> about?  Magazine?  And how do I get ahold of it?

Ah. Let me tell you a little story...

Once upon a time there was this guy that felt that music and electrical
curcuits was a nice concept and he felt that trying to have himself and other
friendly souls to publish articles and projects under a common name for people
to buy and use as a basis for their discoveries into building synthesizers and
the like would be a nice idea. Now, it start of as a rather small thing but
eventually it grew to be reknown within the community. It became a place where
companies like CEM had datasheets published and so did SSM. It covers both
theoretical and practical curcuits. Many commercials synths grew from the
backdrop that the Electronotes formed. Later has the Electronotes been referred
to (at times with almost mythical reference as to its existence). The relative
low profile the Electronotes have had in recent years in promoting its products
have been just one of the components into a more recent battle.
The Electronotes PCC (Popular Circuit Collection) have been a popular subset of
the Electronotes to copy and share among friends. This have upset Bernie
Hutchins, the father of Electronotes, who still claims his copyrights and
still provide the Electronotes. Not all of the Electronotes are available.
Further, Bernie's style of having a rather long propagation delay (or so it is
claimed by a number of his customers) have created an upset as such.
Bernie has been figthing furiosly to protecting his rights, at times reaching
over the edge of what was his rights into what actually was others rights.

Now, a number of persons on this list have had various dealings with Bernie
on the Electronotes. Your milage with him may vary (to say the least), at least
to what I have been able to gather from the various responces.

I think that we do not get too deep into the issues, but lets just say that
things have been a migthy upset and for to the best of my knowledge the
relation between Bernie and some others is at least grumpy. There are surely
others that have no quarrels with Bernie.

Some people are just fed up on him and don't mind a femtosecond to copy his
stuff. Others are more into just not create more hazzle with Bernie and thinks
of other ways to convey usefull material.

So, while everyone seems to agree that a Electronotes CD (or a number of them,
whatever it takes) with the full suite of Electronotes would be a swell idea,
I take it that the feelings about how to go about and get one is a totally 
diffrent thing.

So, the idea to create a Synth-DIY CD is really an effort to collect stuff
not realated to Electronotes but still get a suite of material from which
everyone may learn and benefit.

You should know that yours truly have had some migthy upsetting moments with
Bernie, so what you can read above is what comes out after filtering out much
of what I felt back then and my poor effort to give you a basic introduction
into this field.

Lastly, Bernie have with the Electronotes contributed to the field, we shall
not forget that. It's just that things have become a bit more hairy nowdays.
At least with some people around here.

I still have no single Electronote and feel a bit divided on the issue. For me
it used to be a cash-flow problem, but that is not the issue anymore. Now it is
more my previous interactions with Bernie which makes me have some second
thougths.

So, now you have a quick overview of Electronotes and the implied "problems"
with them. I say this out in the open just to let those not knowning about the
problem at least see the diffrent sides. "Judge for yourself". At least now
you should have some understanding about the ramblings occuring.

You can still get the Electronotes from Bernie and I think I have the address
etc. lying around here somewhere. I am sure it is in the archives. If someone
is interested in getting the Electronotes I think it is his or her decision.
If you need further advice on that, I am sure you can get many opinion on this
email list.

I am sure that people will add and comment to this mail.

Cheers,
Magnus