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Scott PeerInterview by Brian Cowell. Designing a synthesizer and equipment from the ground up is a specialist's job. Over the years, this man had his introduction into the late PROPHET line of synthesisers, to the final instruments the late ENSONIQ Corporation put out. Better known as the "President of SoUnDEnGiNe.com", he is Scott Peer. Sonikmatter caught up with Scott and got an insight into the man, and some of his thoughts on the music industry today. SONIK : How did you become involved in the music industry?
SCOTT : I was working at a government electronics firm after college, and grew weary of working with unmotivated people working on projects they didn't believe in. I was scanning the Classified Ads in the San Jose Mercury News and I came upon an ad for Sequential Circuits. They were hiring. I couldn't believe it. I interviewed with Chris Meyer, Matt Isaacson, and Dave Smith. I got the job. SONIK : What companies have you worked for and what did you do there? SCOTT : Sequential Circuits - Software Engineer SONIK : Can you tell us what instruments you have worked on? SCOTT : Sequential Circuits - Prophet 3000 sampler - the first 16bit stereo sampler on the market. The first sampler with a remote front panel. Peavey Electronics - DPM3 - the first synthesizer powered by off-the-shelf Digital Signal Processors. The DPMV3 (rack mount) the DPM2/V2 (little brothers to the DPM3). The C8 controller and the PC1600 controller were also my designs. I also worked on several effects processors and MIDI devices beyond that. Passport Designs: Alchemy version 2.61 and MasterTracks. SONIK : What would you consider to be your greatest implementation at ENSONIQ? SCOTT : The MR synth engine is what I am most proud of. That ended up being used in the MR Series, the ZR-76, the ASR-X, and FiZmO. Because it was so versatile and useful, that is why I feel good about it. SONIK : What was it like working on the PROPHET 3000? SCOTT : It was tiring. We were working 90 hours per week - pretty much every day for 12-13 hours. I worked on the synth and sampling engine for that product. Of all the places I have worked, that was the most fun - both on the social and work sides. SONIK : You were at ENSONIQ in its last days. Do you think the music industry has lost one of its most innovative companies? SCOTT : Oh yes. None of the creativity in design that Ensoniq celebrated remains. SONIK : What sorts of things would you "trade off" in a synthesizer? SCOTT : You always have a target price, and a Bill-of-Materials (BOM). Hopefully, the BOM, once built and margins are added, meet the target price. They usually don't. The most common tradeoff is the CPU horsepower. There usually is never enough and if there is, the Marketing Department adds features to render it useless (joke!). Seriously, it's a constant battle. Every component adds into the BOM, which in turn either eats into the profits the company makes, or raises the list price. Companies need to make profits in order to survive and pay engineers. SONIK : Which manufacturers can you see being the most innovative in their products? SCOTT : I'd have to give the award to Kurzweil as far as keyboards. I admire them for what they've accomplished with the K2x00 series. I also really like what Access and Waldorf are doing. SONIK : Do you think manufacturers should have larger ROM blocks in their instruments? SCOTT : I'd have to say it depends on the synth. For example, my FS1r has *no* ROM blocks, and it is a killer synthesizer. For my uses, I like the notion of a built in hard drive with RAM based sounds, like the YAMAHA A5000 has. This is a good, flexible solution for me. I do usually start making music by playing the Ensoniq MR-Rack, however. SONIK : What forms of synthesis would you like to see explored more? SCOTT : I still think that FM is one of the most dynamic synthesis methods, and I like where the FS1r takes it. Perhaps some combination of the FS1r flavor of FM, along with the ability to modulate PCM waves (like the SY77/TG77/SY99) would be interesting. The formant filtering is also fascinating in that box. SONIK : Do some design "accidents" happen in the construction of a synthesizer that actually become features? SCOTT : We usually try to fix bugs, Brian :) SONIK : If you were constructing a synthesizer today, what specs would you implement as a minimum? ( eg. Like voices, sounds, RAM, ROM size, physical controllers) SCOTT : I would design a synthesizer with a powerful software based that could be upgraded over time by purchasing new CPUs (like G3 -> G4) for example. This approach would eliminate many of the design constraints that you list above. SONIK : These days, you are working at GVOX INTERACTIVE MUSIC : Can you tell us what you do there? SCOTT : GVOX is a company that believes in music education. We have developed a website that is sold on a subscription basis to schools and school districts. Teachers can author lessons - music theory and instrumental lessons - and using our patented Interactive Notation Technology, teach students. We have built the site on the notation technology that was acquired when we bought Passport, and integrated Digital Signal processing and web technology. We own our own server farm, and have closed sales with several districts in NYC. I am the Chief Technology Officer there. SONIK : Can you tell us about your 3rd party sounds business SoUnDEnGiNe.com? SCOTT : I started the business right after I left Peavey. I was primarily focused on Peavey sounds to start. I have been fortunate over the years to be able to collaborate with Brian Cowell, Joel Putman, Michiel Post, Mike Peake and several new developers to grow the business to what it is today. We have doubled sales for two years in a row, and hope to continue a similar growth over the coming years. Most importantly, we want to continue to offer the most innovative sounds and samples to our customers, as we have in the past. SONIK : What instruments do you have in your personal studio? SCOTT : I have the following instruments: Yamaha A5000 I am saving for a Taylor Acoustic. My favorites have to be the ASR-10, the K2600, and the MR-Rack. Each of them is incredibly musical in its own way. The MR because of the huge built in sounds library, the ASR-10 because of the feel, response, effects, and re-sampling, and the K2600 because of the powerful synthesizer engine and the KDFX effects. SONIK : What music software do you use in your MAC computer? SCOTT : Audio & MIDI sequencing: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum Notation: Don't really work in it, personally. Processing: Spark for sound design and SoundMaker for productivity. I have a huge catalog of plug-ins, including Pluggo from Cycling '74. I also use my hardware effects and a patch bay for a good amount of sound design. SONIK : What have been your musical influences Scott? SCOTT : Well, I started playing piano in third grade, and took up Alto Saxophone in year 5. I went on to be a solo performer with the Junior High School Concert and the Senior High School Jazz Bands on that instrument. Sadly, I have hardly picked up a saxophone since. I was in a dance music band in high school and we made a lot of money! I had a Rhodes, an Arp Onmi II, an Arp Axxe, and a Farfisa combo organ that I ran through a phase shifter. Early favorites include the Doobie Brothers, Toto, and Cheap Trick. More recent influences are Kevin Gilbert, Jellyfish, and Ben Folds. SONIK : Do you get to make much music of your own? SCOTT : Yes, but I am focusing on new styles right now, adding guitar and bass to electronic tracks. I get up at 4:30am to make sure I get some time for creative outlet. I hope to start participating in the MP3.com community soon. SONIK : Can you tell us your 10 favorite CD's? SCOTT : Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True SONIK : What advice would you pass onto someone if they were considering a career in synthesizer design? SCOTT : Get an Electrical Engineering degree. Learn a lot about writing software, and take some course in chip design. Those are the most powerful areas of technology in music today, IMHO. SONIK : What do you get up to in your spare time Scott? SCOTT : I have two kids, Adele and Max. Between them and Tracy, I am a busy guy! SONIK : Coming from both a hardware and software background, what is your view of the "hardware vs software" debate? SCOTT : That is a tough one. In working at GVOX in the Internet business, one thing I have learned is that not everyone has computers hooked to the Internet, and for that matter, not everyone has a computer. Keeping this in mind, there will always be a need for music-making equipment that doesn't have the computer tether. I think there is opportunity for success in companies that realize their visions in both the software and hardware realms (like Access and Waldorf have). SONIK : FEBRUARY 2001 |
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