Les Mizzell Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 It is with heavy heart that I report the passing of John "PAiA" Simonton, sometime last week, following a battle with cancer. John created PAiA something over 30 years ago, and was a constant source of inspiration, education, and affordable synthesizers to at least a couple of generations of us. I'm showing my age, but my very first synthesizer was a PAIA that I built during high school. Les Mizzell ---------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Oh man. I'm sorry. I built a P-4700J while in college. http://www.paia.com/p4700j.jpg I learned a LOT from that. Plus, they were good at answering my stupid questions when I called or wrote. They are good folks at PAiA. Tom "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Landrum Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 This is a sad day. I actually talked to Mr. Simonton on the phone while trying to figure out some problems with a kit. He was very helpful and willing to give his time. He will be missed. Darren Landrum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Mizzell Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Originally posted by Darren Landrum: This is a sad day. ... He will be missed. My guess is that a lot of the younger folks here have no idea whom John was or what PAiA was, but I consider him to be a very important part of electronic music history. The first two recordings with synth I ever heard were "Switched On Bach" and "Lucky Man". Of course, this caused an immediate race to the library to try and find out what was making those noises. I simply *had* to acquire one of these things. Until I saw the price tags. Argh! A little more searching and I stumbled across PAiA and the very affordable kits that John offered. I bought a 2720 system and kept adding modules from there as my little variety band income would allow. At some point I had around 45 or 50 modules in the system and it was capable of some monster sounds. I learned an amazing amount from working with the PAiA system and from John, and once I got into college and signed up for electronic music courses, found I knew more about the Arp 2600/2500 System in the Electronic Music Lab than the professor did. For you young guns here that push a couple of preset buttons and think you've created something great - you don't know what creation is until you've spent hours over a module with a soldering gun and then get the delight of plugging it up and hearing something glorious come out of it! Yes, John will be dearly missed by many of us! Hopefully Keyboard will do a tribute article. Les Mizzell ---------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed A. Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 I built one of his 2720 systems back in 1974 when I was 16. It was my first synth. http://www.synthdiy.com/files/1/2004220/2720.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Originally posted by LesMizzell: - you don't know what creation is until you've spent hours over a module with a soldering gun and then get the delight of plugging it up and hearing something glorious come out of it!Solder fumes. Mmmmmmmm... Yummy. "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I'm really sorry to hear this. Man, I hate that freakin' disease. Me and my Dad tinkered around with one of those kits back in the early 70's. It was one of those cool father/son projects. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Landrum Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Well, if it helps, I'm 29 and I've more than heard of him. I still have a Fatman I need to finish building. Darren Landrum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Text edited for brevity. Picture not suited for children and small animals Is There Gas In The Car? "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 My condolences to Mr. Simonton's family and friends; he was definitely an important figure in the development of the items we currently take for granted. His work was instrumental (pun partially intended) in my eventual return to college to obtain my E.E. degree as my choice of 'a real career'. That being said, sorry, but I can't help myself. Nice slacks, Gas. Cheers, SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Originally posted by Sven Golly: That being said, sorry, but I can't help myself. Nice slacks, Gas. This is not the college boy i pictured. You look so....responsible? [inappropriate grin deleted] I'm ashamed to say I didn't know about PAiA or Mr Simonton. (where's Dave? That should smoke him out.) "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Irok Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 RIP. I'm truely saddened to hear this. I, too, had a brief conversation with him on the phone once, about a year-and-a-half ago. I hadn't heard of Paia until I got Mark Vail's Vintage Synths book and read the article on them. I got interested and eventually bought and assembled a Fat-Man, a TubeHead preamp and the 97xx modular. The funny thing is that I say I 'never' heard of them before reading Mark Vail's book, but shortly after becoming 'acquainted' with Paia, I was going through some old magazines and books that had been stored up in the attic and at the bottom of a box, I found a flat, totally perfect condition Paia catalog from 1977 (or thereabouts). It was a hoot looking through it and seeing all of the products they offered then, like the Pygmy amp, the different modules they offered, and of course the Gnome! Sometime, somewhere, I must've gotten on a mailing list or sent a catalog. I was only 13 or so, and just started getting interested in computers and electronics (but not music at that point!) I remember filling out one of those postcards for Creative Compting, circling the advertiser's numbers to get more info. It might have come from that, or maybe it was sent to my brother. In any event, I never threw it out, but for the life of me, I have no conscious memory of receiving it. Although he's passed, I would like to see Paia continue. Check out my band's site at: The Key Components! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylos Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I still have the gnome that I built back in the 70s. I think my theremin came from there, too. I learned a lot by buying the manuals for the modules, then building circuits branching off from those designs. "shit" happens. Success Takes Focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Hughes Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Oh, man. Not another one. Simonton was perhaps not as important as Bob Moog on the invention side, but he sure made synthesis technology available to people who could never afford Moogs. His stuff was the "gateway drug" for the happy addictions of many of us. For that he deserves our eternal gratitude. linwood, I'm with ya. I hate cancer with a passion I can hardly express. Technical Editor Keyboard Magazine More people pay for Keyboard than any other music-tech magazine. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.