In ‘s Hertogenbosch – Holland, there is an interesting studio offering instruments and setups for creating and recording Electro-acoustic music. There are several studio’s of which some contain massive vintage synths. The studio’s are available for rent/visit. The studio’s are teamed up with the Willem Twee poppodium (stage).
This is what Willem Twee says: “Are you searching for that unique sound? Then the Willem Twee Studios, a workspace for electro-acoustic music, is certainly worth a visit. The Studios are open to composers, producers, musicians, music students and anyone interested. You can book the studios for one or multiple parts of the day and you are free to record your own sounds.”
The Willem Twee Studios consist of four studios; a 50s and 60s test and measurement equipment studio, a 70s and 80s modular synthesizers studio, a small project studio and the Toonzaal concert hall.
The instruments you find in the Studios are the very same as were used when the first electronic sounds were made. Working with this hardware will make you listen to, and work with music in a different, unique way. Instead of working with a mouse and screen you work hands-on with real instruments. It is a highly intuitive work method that produces surprising, challenging results again and again. This makes working in our Studios a personal adventure for everyone.
Studio 1
In this workspace analog test & measurement equipment from the 50s and 60s can be found. This equipment was originally not intended for making music, but the early electronic music composers proved that this actually could (Stockhausen, Maderna, Varèse, Xenakis et al.)
This specific Studio contains, apart from the more traditional instruments like sine and pulse generators and various filters, some very special instruments that are used for music only quite recently, like the analog computers and the nuclear instrument modules (NIM). Most instruments are manually controlled, apart from some early voltage controlled instruments. Together, they essentially form one large, unique synthesizer.
Tape recorder technique, an essential component of the first electronic music and musique concrete, is also present in this Studio.
Studio 2
In the second Studio you can work with an extensive range of analog synthesizers from the 1970’s-1980’s era.
Three main instrument categories are ready to meet you:
1-The analog modular voltage controlled synthesizers, like the ARP 2500, ARP 2600, Serge Modular, Oberheim SEM’s and EMS Putney.
(The Willem Twee Studios ARP 2500 is probably the only one publicly accessible in Europe).
2-The analog voltage controlled keyboard synthesizers without memory, such as ARP Omni-2, ARP Axxe, Minimoog, PPG1002, The wasp, SCI Pro One, JUNO-60, Yamaha CS-80 etc.
3-The analog/hybrid keyboard synthesizers with memory, like the SCI Prophet 5 and Prophet 600, Korg Polysix, Rhodes Chroma, Oberheim Matrix-6, some of which have MIDI.
Some first fully digital synthesizers are there as well: The Yamaha DX-7 and DX-7fd-II and Nord Modulars.
MIDI to CV units are available too.
With many thanks to the Art museum The Hague we can now offer everyone these exceptional historic synthesizer instruments for several years to come.
Studio 3
Studio 3 is a small space with a variable set up of instruments. In practice you will work with some synths (i.e Yahama DX-7, Palm PPG with sequencer, KORG synthesizers like MS-20, MS-50, Sequencer and Vocoder).
When you connect your own notebook, using plug and play, you will be able to record directly in your own DAW.
Studio 4
Studio 4 is situated in the Willem Twee Toonzaal; a small concert hall with great acoustics. It offers a Steinway grand piano and a small pipe organ. Various microphone recording options are possible.
Because we have audio lines from and to the other electronic Studios, the hall can be used as reverb space as well.
Courses, workshops and education
The Studios offer a comprehensive program in education, courses and workshops.
- Willem Twee Studios introduction workshop
- For everyone who is curious about what is possible in the studios and wants to find out which type of workshop will be interesting for them.
- Workshop tape technique; recording and playback; montage (cut and paste); combining etc.
- 2 x 4 hrs on one or two days, 150E p/p, min. 3 attendants, dates to be determined if there are enough applicants.
- Workshop ARP 2500/2600; learn to work with, and enjoy these iconic modulair synthesizers.
- 2 x 4 hrs on one or two days, 150E p/p, min. 3 attendants, dates to be determined if there are enough applicants.
- Voltage Control special; everything you wanted to know about voltage control techniques.
- 4 hours, 100E, min. 3 attendants, dates to be determined if there are enough applicants..
- Interested in one of these workshops?
Willem Twee Studios offers educational programs for students. We are working and have been working together with: Sonology The Hague, Fontys Conservatorium Tilburg, ArtEZ Mediamusic, Music Technology HKU and others. We are always open to welcome students, pupils and learners of all levels