The M.E.M.S. Project
MODULAR ELECTRONIC MUSIC SYSTEMS
The M.E.M.S. Project is an all encompassing research project that aims to document, replicate, and study the historic Buchla modular electronic instrument. In order to understand and conceptualize Don Buchla’s achievements, we found it best to take a few steps backward in time. The design processes we typically implement in this day and age allow for flexibility and ease, yet lack the luster of artistic prowess. M.E.M.S. embraces the processes and artistic design technique that existed back in the 1960s and 1970s, when electronics were evolving at an alarming rate. In order to fully digest this vintage technology, we must revert back to the old methods.
“We are not limited by technology; we’re not limited by instruments. We are limited by our mindsets.”
— Don Buchla
Time Domain Processing
The research provided on this site will always be an incomplete compendium of information, as the project is constantly absorbing new data. Check back often, we will be constantly updating the site with new pages and documentation.
This is not a clone, this is a time machine.
The one rule the project will always follow is common courtesy and respect for any and all contributors to the research. Some photos displayed here will be cropped or partially redacted to protect the interests of the contributors. Credit will always be given to those who help, but often we wish to preserve anonymity by request to keep their (physical and metaphysical) inboxes free of spam.