Synth music pioneer Klaus Schulze rarely gives interviews. And when he does, his answers often display a lack of interest or even disdain for the interview.
In his interview with JonnyJ at Synth.Me, though, Schulze had some interesting comments on his choice of synthesizers.
Klaus Schulze On Software Vs Hardware Synthesizers
“For many years now, I use a lot of software in the studio,” says Schulze. “Only in the studio. Because a stage and a concert situation is different from an office and an office situation,”
“I don’t use much (if any) software during a concert. It’s no fun!” adds Schulze. “It would destroy my mood during a concert, if I have to type alphabetic characters and numbers on a keyboard, or use a mouse. After all, I’m not a nerd, but more the emotional type of musician :-)”
Schulze singles out the EMS Synthi A suitcase synth as a favorite hardware synth.
“I still love the tool, I still use it in each of my concerts because, yes: of nostalgia, and because it still makes great sounds,” says Schulze. “I call it Synthi A or the EMS or der Koffer“(little suitcase).”
“The only other ‘old’ instrument is a Minimoog, that I also still like to play in a concert.” he adds.
See the full interview for Schulze’s thoughts on his recent re-releases, recent concerts, interview questions that he hates and more.
Images of Schulze & Lisa Gerrard: HostOfSeraphim
I love it and being a dedicated soft-synth fan I think he's totally right too. I mean; lets face it; I love my Ableton synths, Reason synths and some of the stuff I picked up as vst. But its for a pretty good reason why I have a keyboard with midi capabilities around (so not so much a 'dead' "midi drone") as well as an APC40 for controls. Turning a dial, switching banks, starting another clip, hitting a chord; playing it over the keyboard speakers for a 'de tune' comparison, etc. All of that is fun when playing. Clicking a mouse, drawing midi, etc. isn't IMO. Well, it is but not for me when all I'm trying to do is play a couple of nice tunes.
So true – you have to be careful or the soft synths, computer and controllers can get in the way of making music.
Well, the soft synth has alloed the average joe to make
electronic music that he/she would never be able to
30-40 years ago, even 20 years ago. I think Hardware has
it's proper place in the world of electronic music, but no-one
can deny the vital role softsynths play.
I don't have the time to perform live, my career commands
a great deal of my time. I don't have the space available in
my home for keyboards etc…so soft synths have made it
possible for me to have more synths than I ever thought possible.
Hardware is dandy, but softsynths suit me just fine.
Schulze doesn’t seem to like interviews!
Yes, and no BSODs. Not particularly good when playing live.
I know how to crash my A6 and Access have, after years of waiting, still not worked out all the kinks in their voice management on the Virus TI, I sometimes wonder if they actually play their own instruments. I can jam a voice on fairly easily.
Hardware isn't necessarily perfect!
Klaus Schulze is one of the musicians who always went with the times as far as technology is concerned. He even had a phase where he would not use his Moog modular and other analog gear because he liked the tuning stability and instant on of the digital instruments better from a musical point of view. He's probably more of a technology nerd than he likes to admit. What he says about software instruments is true, I can relate to that. In the few instances where I played life I've mostly used software (or at least always had a computer as part of the setup) and although I use controllers it's not as nice as playing a hardware instrument (even if it is itself just a computer that runs a fixed program).
The interview with JonnyJ at Synthme.com was a fake, written by Klaus D. Mueller and I have proof of that. Klaus Schulze in an e-mail to me states, "hi greg, i never gave an interview about your book…..i do not know where it comes from….a couple of rumors are running around….dont know who are these stupid guys. All the best for you and take care klaus
Subsequently I received a note from the guys at Synthme.com that Mueller admitted that "he has been answering questions for KS and is qualified to do so". The interview you refer to, if you know Schulze really well is an obvious fake and written by Mueller, apparently without Schulze's knowledge.
It's ALL ABOUT THE prejudices and stereotypes of thinking just like the old man like to listen old music from his young age years……O! Old gramophone with old vinyl and ONE BIG NAIL MAKE NOISE O! SO ROMANTIC…..that's all…………when you have predjudices you see what you want to see or see what you think …..but when you defeat your predjudices you will realize how actually synths like Massive, Vanguard, Sytrus, FM8, sylenth, viral Outbreak (Nexus2) are better than hardware like Microkorg, XL, R3, NordLead, Alesis Micron, Virus, and etc………………………
you have to watch Klaus Schulze interviews, you never know if their really with Schulze or his publicist Klaus D Mueller.. Usually the ones that are kind of snappy and opinionated are KDM… I just can tell because I know his personality from dealing with him because my band Second Culture was on ‘A Tribute To Klaus Schulze’ on Manikin records
The bold statement “rarely gives interview” above is simply: wrong and, sorry to say so: it’s clueless.
Maybe there were not many IN THE USA, or the the person who jotted this sentence did not stumble over many, recently. THAT would be closer to the truth 🙂
Many people and journalists and magazines and fanzines and radio stations exist outside USA. In fact: a lot of.
And they made hundreds of interviews with Schulze, and they have broadcast them all, and they have printed them all, during the last 46 years. … (A small handful even in the US of A 🙂
And a tiny selection (from 1976 to 2015) can even be reread in the Schulze website. Some are informative, and some are just funny. And some are even in English 🙂