MOTM

Is there anyone else out there letting little kids play with their 
MOTM systems?  I've found that my grandson loves to play with the 
sounds.  With the addition of the dual ribbon controller, he requires 
a little less supervision, too.

The next kid kontroller will be a pair of x-y joysticks.  I've got an 
XR-2206 function generator set up for LFO operation with the 
amplitude and frequency controlled by one joystick.  The second 
joystick will be dividing voltages between inputs of two diff amps of 
a TL072.

Malachi is getting pretty good at this.  It keeps him occupied while 
I work on other things in the studio, too.  With the volume down, the 
kid-operated synth is easier on my nerves than Micki playing my drum 
kit, believe me!

Chub

:: Is there anyone else out there letting little kids play with their
:: MOTM systems?

I used to let mine play with my Arp 2600. I'd hand them a pile of patch
cords and let them at it.  Since they had no idea what they were doing, and
didn't approach the instrument in a logical way, they'd come up with sounds
that I would have never thought of...

My older boy likes to play with the MOTM. He's probably a future 
customer.

We've got a Pro-One patched in as a keyboard controller & sequencer, 
so he makes techno basslines, and then twiddles with the knobs to his 
heart's content. He doesn't really understand the limitations of the 
Pro-one sequencer, and he ends up creating a lot of cool sequences in 
weird meters as a result!

Modulars are great for kids: kids can learn about sound, physics, and 
electronics,  in addition to how synthesizers work.

The only caveat is that I wouldn't let a little kid around one if 
you've got an open cabinet. I'd bet they could curl their hair if 
they poked their hands around the power supply. Almost as important, 
they could screw up your modules!

I don't have a kid yet, but I plan to, and when he/she comes along, I plan on getting him/her involved in any hobby of mine I safely can.  (I intend to take up tube amps in the near future-- better believe that's hands-off for a while!)  MOTM is definatley a good starting point-- I think most modern synths I own (i.e., A6, Waldorf MWIIXT) would be too frusterating to start with: menues and whatnot.

My dad was an auto mechanic, and he tried to spend time with me working on cars.  I wasn't terribly interested (being a book worm and a TV addict-- computers weren't quite accessable yet), but I managed to unconsciously learn how to change the oil, filters, various fluids, tires.  Also learned a bit about what an alternator does, how the tires on opposite sides of the car maintain proper rotational velocities while cornering (OK, blame that one on legos!), and how brakes work.  Nowadays, I wish I had been more interested, and I like my memories of lying on oily concrete looking up at the guts of a '71 Chevy pickup.

--PBr

-----Original Message-----
From: osthelder [mailto:osthelder@...]
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 5:57 AM
To: motm@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [motm] synth kids


Is there anyone else out there letting little kids play with their 
MOTM systems?