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Interview – Ginko Synthese

This month I’m interviewing Jan from Ginko Synthese. He makes the awesome Sample Slicer, TTLFO, Grains and more. With a line of a DIY cases and new DIY modules there’s loads going. So I thought we should have a chat!

Hi Jan, I don’t think we’ve ever spoken about anything other than your own modules. Let’s start with some background, what got you into music?

Oh that is a long time ago… I learned flute when I was a young kid. But I really have difficulties in focusing on things I am said to do so teaching me something is quite difficult ;). I had a private teacher and as I hardly practiced at home she thought it might help if I write my own homework, so I got an empty notebook to write down my own ideas about music in musical notation. This helped me a lot and I really liked it! When I went to the middle school we got an early old grey big computer and there was a program on it where you could cut phrases in pieces and rearrange and pitch them, and all monophonic. And as there was only one sound sample “You’ve got mail” on that computer (I really did not know how to make a new one) So my parents went crazy and asked my brother to put some software on the PC for making music. This led me to tracker programs like ST3 and Fast Tracker. But the first experiences of cutting and rearranging one single phrase led me in the end to one of my current products.

How did these experiences lead you into technology and more specifically
eurorack?

My addiction of making music on tracker programs led me into hardware in the beginning. Tracker programs make lots of use of samples and they had weird names like 303, juno, ms20 etc. I really had no idea where those weird names came from so I started to investigate and reallized soon that these names came from real instruments. So I wanted a hardware synth from that point!.. but I was young and did not had any money and could only affort an Electribe EA1, a Roland U220 and an Atari 1040STF to sequence them. I felt like I was the king of hardware :D. But my taste of music was developed by listening more and more to experimental music and especially the U220 made me disappointed in my idea of hardware. I wanted more glitchy weird sounds instead of those bread and butter sounds and I started to experiment with circuit bending and dreamed of a big modular system. And from circuit bending the step to my big dream was a logic step forward, first I simply put those circuit bend stuff behind panels but I became more and more skilled in electronics.

How long were you into eurorack before making your first module the TTLFO?

I have been into eurorack for a few years before making the TTLFO. I
had a little Doepfer rack, a PAIA and some DIY modules and wanted
to make something like the TTLFO just to put in my rack. I thought it
would be a good Idea to make a few to cover the costs. I asked on
the web if there where people who where interested in one and to my
surprise there where more people interested than the amount of
modules I ever could make!

The TTLFO was DIY and assembled, then just available as assembled.
But now you have a new range of DIY modules to compliment your
assembled ones. Is DIY a specific goal for you to support with the
modular community?

Behind all my products there is an idealistic idea of making them affordable for everyone. I started ginkosynthese to make modules I wanted to have myself but did not had any mony so selling them was just a way to cover the costs but since I did not had any money of my own I had (and still have) the feeling that you should make products for a fair price and DIY is a way to keep them more affordable. But after a while I realized that the first PCB’s I designed for the TTLFO where to difficult for many people as there where a lot of standing resistors and they where not layed out very well. I learned a lot and my new designs are easier to solder and that makes me comfortable to make DIY kits again.

Was it the DIY ethics that led you to making your own line of cases?

Yes! Those ethics are really important for me as I have had struggled about money for many years and want to keep things affordable for others. And as I had the opportunity to use a laser cutter daily in my workshop it was a logic step to make those DIY cases. Last winter I moved my workshop to an amazing new space but without the laser cutters so I have to find a way to get those cases back in stock and as money is still a little issue I have to find a right moment to invest in all the parts I need to get them back in stock.

Again you offer pre-assembled and DIY cases, is seeing the end user with a complete Ginko Synthese system something you’d like to see?

I don’t know if that is what I want as the fun part of modulars is that you can combine modules from other builders as well to create your own personal ideal synth. But I am working towards a little complete line I call the GRAINS line for now as the GRAINS is the first module I designed in that range. It will be a super affordable compact series of only 4HP modules and all only available as DIY.

Your Sample Slicer is a unique module in how it presents live sample recording and mangling. What led to that module? Were you chopping lot of samples on other devices prior to you creating the Sample Slicer?

The sampleslicer is for me the module that resembles my first experiences in making electronic music. It has everything to do with the phrase “You’ve got mail” I talked about above.

What’s next for Ginko Synthese? Anything specific you’d like to tell us?

Since I moved my workshop to a new extremely creative space I have worked hard to build up my studio and have our own bar and a stage. I am going to use this to get other people involved in making music and give them a change to play on a proper PA system for small audience. After the summer there will be several studio sessions where artist can use my studio for free. Results will be released on tapes. All these things give me a lot of energy to develop new products. But there are already some products almost finished to release; some new products in the GRAINS line (a filter, a small sequencer and a feedback distortion) and a sequencer as add-on on the TTLFO.

Finally, anything you’d like to add before we finish?

I love your video’s!!!! They inspire me lot of times.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: divkid, DivKid's Month Of Modular, ginko synthese, interview, sampleslicer, superbooth, TTLFO

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mikael says

    15th December 2016 at 7:51 pm

    Jan, you are keeping the anarcho-punk ethics of DIY alive! Big respect to you, and for your love of trackers.

    Reply
    • BenHex says

      9th January 2017 at 8:32 am

      Jan’s doing a great job definitely! Great person when I met him at Superbooth in Berlin last year.

      Reply

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These ain’t your grandpappies waveforms! Worki These ain’t your grandpappies waveforms! 

Working on a new video for something new, coming very soon and sounding/looking killer!!! 

@mordaxsystems DATA on the visual good stuff as always. 

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Thanks to @sleaford_mods for the mention in the la Thanks to @sleaford_mods for the mention in the latest @electronicsoundmag. I’m constantly surprised and happy to see the range of people watching what I do. Thank you all. 

#sleafordmods #electronic #magazine #electronicsound #electronicmusic #eurorack #modular #modularsynth #divkid
SUBMISSIONS OPEN! If you’re a Patreon supporte SUBMISSIONS OPEN! 

If you’re a Patreon supporter and want to take part in our FEATURED SYSTEMS activities submissions are now open! 

Go read the post on patreon or head to the link in bio for information. 

Featured Systems is a randomly selected system from part of the DivKid community. If selected your image(s) is presented alongside other information and for the duration of the week we discuss an all manner of things about approaches, music making, patch techniques, module choices and more. 

#eurorack #modular #modularsynth #patreon #open #submissions #synthesizer #electronic #electronicmusic #community #divkid #featuredsystems #featured #modularsynthesizer
Heading off to Coventry for CFON @the_city_is_full Heading off to Coventry for CFON @the_city_is_full_of_noises held by and around @the_herbert_cov. It’s going to be the first time modular bleeps, washes and clangs of sound have surrounded Dippy, the huge diplodocus from the National History Museum and there’s all sorts of great things happening. Have a scan through the images for the overall schedule. 

Lots of great people involved with performances, talks, a drone bath, maker fair and synth meet up. Come long if you're close or can get to Coventry, it’s free or pay what you can for everything.

Some of the people involved @futuresoundsystems @frequencycentral @beepboopelectronoicsworkshop @stone.anthem @impplus @leolodreamland @synthcurious @iamloula @steck_dose @musicandy76 @gazwilliamsbass @tomtebby @emma_margetson @handmadesound @michael.lightborne @mowgli__tv @rbmk_music @jimantronic @tylumnus @cristiana_ilie_ 

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My modular best buddy has another sibling! Can’t My modular best buddy has another sibling! Can’t get enough DATA and it’s looking nice in silver. 

Way more than a scope, though I very much enjoy its scope-y-ness. 

@mordaxsystems 

#data #mordax #eurorack #modular #modularsynth #scope #oscilloscope #electronic #electronicmusic #synth #synthesiser #musicproduction #sound
Here we have the last FEATURED SYSTEMS post before Here we have the last FEATURED SYSTEMS post before we take a break for a week to open up new submissions from the DivKid community, collect those up and resume posts again the following week. 

This week we have @lukesnarl and we can see a great mix of @befacosynth , @xaocdevices , @wntrblm , @rabidelephant , @audio.damage , @4ms_company , @dnipro.modular , @intellijel , @busycircuits , @wmdevices , @instruomodular , @joranalogue , @acidraintech , @vermonagear , @noiseeng and more. It looks to be a great tidy performance style system to get music happening! 

FEATURED SYSTEMS is a DivKid community activity where each week we featured a user submitted set up then in our Discord and discuss that for a whole week. Focusing on module choices, music making, studio and performance ideas, layouts and more. 

To get involved and join the community head to patreon.com/divkid (link in bio). 

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Wobbler2 from @rocket_not looking mighty fine alon Wobbler2 from @rocket_not looking mighty fine along with its packaging. Beep! 

#lfo #wobbler #wobble #modulation #eurorack #modular #modularsynth #module #synth #synthesizers #newgearday #rocketscience #tinrs #drums
A new Monday brings a new FEATURED SYSTEMS post. T A new Monday brings a new FEATURED SYSTEMS post. This time with have @heckseven and their studio combining the @lookmumnocomputer KOSMO format, Eurorack and other goodies all hooked together as one big performance instrument. 

Featured Systems is a community activity where we featured a DivKid community members system, be it a small case or whole studio then spend a whole week in our Discord discussing it. Talking about musical approaches, patch ideas, module choices, performance techniques, recording ideas, expression your own creativity with the gear and more.

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Does your Eurorack case also double as a phone hol Does your Eurorack case also double as a phone holding, guitar video recording device? 

Didn't think so, mine just about does for that ropey second camera angle for guitar into modular stuff. But I don’t recommend it! 😂

This is in the @steady_state_fate state fate Steady State Gate video on my YouTube channel if you want to see the results. 

#eurorack #modular #modularsynth #guitar #video #recording #cameraangles #telecaster #videocreation #videomaking #divkid #videoproduction #hack #camerahack #iphonevideo
Thanks to all involved that made the first SYNTH E Thanks to all involved that made the first SYNTH EAST event last weekend a great success which will hopefully be a new annual event going forward for the synth calendar. 

@robinv00 alongside @norwichartscentre , @stevesnookerone47 and others did a great job of creating a community focussed event with performances and companies in the same space. 

Here’s a quick video to show some of the gear, feel free to go new module spotting! 

Featuring … @danwahlbeck @thonksynth @voltagevibes @somasynths @soma_laboratory @bastlinstruments @befacosynth @lookmumnocomputer @apolloviewmodular @venusinstruments @beepboopelectronoicsworkshop @expressive_e @sourcedist @moogsynthesizers @pwminstruments @arturia_official @eventideaudio @korguk @electronicsoundmag @gorman662 @modularperfection @ryk_modular @blickensynths @expertsleepers @knobula @busycircuits @gazwilliamsbass and @nikcolkvoid apologies those I didn't grab a quick video with @finlayshakespeare was a huge highlight too! 

For the curious, the track in this is ‘Digifunk’ by me DivKid.

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