[sdiy] So just what *is* the Buchla 291?

[David G. Dixon]

> " Moog appropriated the sequencer idea from Buchla. "
> 
> I don't think that is correct. From
> http://www.soundhead.net/index.php/Genres/origins-of-electronic-music.html
> 
> "The first circuitry concept for the sequential performance of musical
> pitches -known as a sequencer- was invented by Raymond Scott in 1953.
> Nicknamed by Scott as "Wall of Sound", it was 6 feet high and covered 30
> feet of wall space. It consisted of hundreds of switches controlling
> stepping relays, timing solenoids, tone circuits and 16 individual
> oscillators. By 1959, Scott designed and built a more compact electronic
> sequencer called the Circle Machine."
> 
> Moog delayed making his own sequencer - out of deference to Scott - until
> Buchla made his own.

Yes, I was aware of Raymond Scott's sequencer.  However, I'm not convinced
that Moog delayed making one out of deference to Scott.  I think he delayed
making one until someone (Wendy Carlos?) asked him for one.

And, of course, Buchla may or may not have been aware of Scott, but in any
case, he conceived of his sequencer as a way to avoid making tape splices.
Again, the inventive impulse seems to have resided with Buchla on this one.