GIORGIO III

 

So, when can we expect the VST version?

More seriously, this extraordinary modular synthesizer inspires several thoughts...

 

First, of course, hats off to the designers, Yves Usson and Pierre-Jean Tardiveau, for this extraordinary achievement...

 

We can only hope that this prototype will give Syntesla and French expertise in hardware synthesizer design maximum visibility... and perhaps pave the way for a range of instruments accessible to ordinary musicians...

 

We can also applaud the educational value of such a synthesizer for teaching the basics of sound synthesis...

 

But...

 

What are the uses of such a gigantic device?

 

We can obviously understand its appeal on stage, as a backdrop for Hans Zimmer's concerts. Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream's walls of synthesizers are ridiculously small in comparison... It's also the polar opposite of Kraftwerk's minimalist yet high-tech stage set up.

So Giorgio III is undoubtedly a hyperbolic and breathtaking stage device...

 

It won't be suitable for all concert halls, but Hans Zimmer doesn't seem to be aiming for the intimate atmosphere of jazz clubs at the moment.

 

How many operators are needed to manipulate such an ensemble live? One or two in front of each rack?

 

On the other hand, the real question is undoubtedly that of sonic and musical potential. Where is the added value? In the production of a “big sound” superimposing oscillators? In the possibility of programming completely new and never heard sequences and rhythms? How does it differ from the best existing hardware synthesizers, vintage or contemporary, or even from the most sophisticated virtual emulations?

 

In other words, beyond its sheer size, what is its potential for sonic and musical innovation?

 

It is undoubtedly too early to tell, as the few video clips of Zimmer's current concerts do not allow us to judge...

 

Will Giorgio III significantly change Zimmer's future soundtracks? Basses that make the walls and seats of multiplexes theaters shake? Layers and sequences like we've never heard before?

 

Is there still something to be invented in the sound and musical potential of large modular systems, after more than fifty years of experimentation in all directions, with Moogs, ARPs, Rolands, PPGs, and others?

 

Ultimately, we might question this maximalist temptation to always go bigger, more powerful, and beyond the norm, which runs counter to another current trend toward minimalism and simplicity, as well as the specialization of sound tools for innovative uses.

 

Does the future of electronic music lie in hyperbole, in always more (bigger, more powerful, etc.), or in subtraction, refinement, and simplicity?

 

Does the future lie in ever more massive and thunderous walls of sound produced by ever more excessive walls of synthesizers, or in innovation in terms of composition and musical structures, regardless of the instruments used?

 

Beyond its spectacular appearance, which makes it the ultimate fantasy of any musician who uses (or used) modular synthesizers, Giorgio III invites us to reflect on the evolution of electronic music and its potential for creative renewal.

 

Once again, we can't help but be impressed by the expertise and creative imagination of the designers of this system. There's no doubt that Hans Zimmer will make the best use of it in his concerts and future soundtracks!