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The Oberheim OB-6 is a six-voice analog polysynth introduced in 2016 as a collaboration between Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith. Built around a SEM-inspired 2-pole state-variable filter, true analog VCOs and VCAs, and a performance-first knob-per-function interface, it was never meant to be a strict vintage reissue. Instead, it reimagined classic Oberheim tone inside a modern instrument with patch memory, onboard effects, a polyphonic sequencer, aftertouch, and reliable stage-ready construction.

Oberheim OB-6 sound and character

The OB-6 sounds unmistakably Oberheim in the ways that matter most: bold brass, liquid pads, animated sweeps, silky chords, sync leads, and basses that feel wide and physical rather than merely precise. Much of that identity comes from its SEM-inspired filter topology. Instead of a fixed low-pass voice, the OB-6 gives you a resonant 2-pole state-variable filter with low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch modes, which makes its timbre feel more open, airy, and shapeable than many modern analog polysynths.

At the same time, the OB-6 is not a nostalgia machine. Its X-Mod section, polyphonic 64-step sequencer, stereo analog distortion, and dual digital effects let it move well beyond simple vintage homage. It can sound lush and classic, but it can also become wiry, unstable, metallic, percussive, or strangely modern in a way that gives it a broader identity than the old “Oberheim brass machine” stereotype suggests.

Part of its appeal is that it reaches musical results quickly. The front panel is immediate, the Manual mode makes the synth behave like a true live panel instrument, and the limited but well-chosen modulation architecture encourages performance and sound design without burying the user in menus. In practice, the OB-6 is strongest when treated not as a laboratory synth, but as a highly expressive analog instrument for chords, hooks, pads, basses, arpeggios, and emotionally direct lead lines.

Oberheim OB-6 strenghts

Strenghts
Genuine all-analog voice path built around a SEM-inspired state-variable filter rather than a generic modern low-pass architecture.
Fast, musical workflow with a true knob-per-function front panel and Manual mode.
Strong built-in effects selection, including Oberheim-associated phase shifter and ring modulator flavors.
Polyphonic sequencer, arpeggiator, aftertouch, and analog distortion make it performance-ready without external support.
A rare instrument that successfully combines heritage tone with modern reliability and recall.

Oberheim OB-6 limitations

Limitations
Only 6 voices, so dense sustained chords and large unison stacks still require restraint.
The modulation system is elegant rather than exhaustive, which makes it less open-ended than deeper matrix-based synths.
Its sound is strong and opinionated, which makes it inspiring but not always neutral or universal.
The 49-key format is practical, but still more compact than a flagship 61-key performance instrument.
Digital effects are well implemented, yet players seeking a fully vintage signal-chain experience may still prefer external processing.

Oberheim OB-6 historical context

The OB-6 was announced in January 2016 and was slated to ship in March of that year at a US MAP of $2,999. That launch matters because the synth was not just another analog revival product. It marked the historic collaboration between Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim, bringing one of the most important American synth voices of the 1970s into a contemporary production instrument with patch memory, MIDI, effects, and modern stage usability.

Its timing also gave it a distinct place in the 2010s analog resurgence. The Prophet-6 had already shown that a heritage-inspired modern polysynth could succeed, but the OB-6 broadened that idea by centering the SEM lineage instead of the Prophet lineage. Rather than recreate an OB-X, OB-Xa, or OB-8 literally, it distilled Oberheim’s earlier filter philosophy and voice character into a more compact, current-production instrument with a different musical emphasis: less replication, more reinterpretation.

Oberheim OB-6 legacy and significance

The OB-6 matters because it did something more difficult than nostalgia. It took a highly romanticized legacy sound and translated it into a modern instrument without flattening its personality. Many heritage synths either chase exact historical replication or abandon their lineage in favor of convenience. The OB-6 found a more interesting middle path. It retained the boldness, sweep, and harmonic openness associated with Oberheim, but framed them inside a contemporary workflow that made the synth usable every day rather than only admirable in theory.

That is why the OB-6 has aged so well. It is not simply a tribute model and not merely a co-branded curiosity. It became, in practice, one of the clearest statements of what a modern legacy polysynth could be: recognizable, playable, immediate, and sonically distinctive without becoming trapped by reenactment. In the broader analog market, that makes it one of the most successful bridges between classic Oberheim identity and modern production reality.

Notable Oberheim OB-6 artists and users

NAME	ROLE	KEY CONTEXT
Tom Oberheim	Founder / co-designer	The OB-6 is explicitly presented as part of the Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith collaboration and as a modern continuation of Tom’s SEM-derived design language.
Dave Smith	Co-designer / manufacturing partner	The OB-6 is framed by Oberheim as the result of a unique collaboration between Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim.
Matt Johnson	Keyboardist – Jamiroquai	Oberheim’s official page quotes Matt Johnson saying the OB-6 is the modern Dave Smith synth that best captures the old magic.
BT	Recording artist, composer, software developer	Oberheim’s official page quotes BT calling the OB-6 “as good as modern analog stuff gets.”
Sound On Sound	Magazine / review context	Oberheim’s official page highlights Sound On Sound’s verdict that the OB-6 proves people wrong when they say they do not make them like they used to.

Oberheim OB-6 market value

CURRENT MARKET POSITION	Current-production premium analog polysynth with modern-classic status
NEW MARKET SIGNAL	Sweetwater lists the keyboard at US$3,499.99 and the desktop module at US$2,399.99.
USED MARKET SIGNAL	Reverb shows the keyboard version with an estimated used range around US$1,708 to US$2,248; the desktop module remains active on Reverb as a current 2017–2026 product page.
AVAILABILITY	Still active on official Sequential and Oberheim product pages in 2026.
BUYER NOTES	Check OS version, aftertouch response, keybed condition, encoder and knob feel, wood side-panel condition, and whether the keyboard or desktop version better fits your setup.
SOFTWARE / SUPPORT	Official support includes manuals, factory programs, alternative tunings, presets, and OS update guidance.

Conclusion

The OB-6 does not matter simply because it carries the Oberheim name. It matters because it proved that the Oberheim sound could return in a form that felt alive in the present rather than trapped in memory. Its success comes from balance: vintage authority without museum stiffness, modern convenience without tonal dilution, and enough character to feel instantly personal in a market crowded with technically competent but emotionally flatter instruments. That is why the OB-6 remains more than a collaboration piece or a successful product launch. It stands as one of the most convincing modern analog polysynths of its era, and one of the clearest demonstrations that legacy, when handled intelligently, can still produce something genuinely new.

The Oberheim TEO-5 is a five-voice analog polysynth introduced in 2024 that pairs a SEM-lineage state-variable filter and genuine analog VCO/VCF voice path with through-zero FM, a 64-step sequencer, and a compact 44-key format. It is not a reissue of one specific vintage Oberheim, but a new instrument that distills several threads of the brand's history into a more accessible, performance-focused design.

Oberheim TEO-5 sound and character

The TEO-5 sounds unmistakably Oberheim in the ways that matter most: wide brass, velvety pads, woody basses, sync leads, and animated sweeps that feel open and breathing rather than boxed in. A large part of that identity comes from the SEM-lineage state-variable filter, whose Filter State control moves continuously from low-pass to notch to high-pass, with a switchable band-pass mode for sharper sculpting.

At the same time, it is not a nostalgia-only machine. Two VCOs per voice, simultaneous wave selection, a sub-oscillator, hard sync, through-zero FM, overdrive, and dual effects push it into brighter and more contemporary territory than many players expect from the Oberheim name. It can sound lush and vintage, but it can also get wiry, aggressive, metallic, and rhythmically alive.

Much of its feel comes from the modeled OB-8-style envelope behavior, the Vintage knob, and the modulation matrix. Those features keep the sweet spot broad. The synth is easy to make musical quickly, yet there is enough motion, instability, and routing depth to reward serious programming rather than only preset browsing.

In practice, the TEO-5 is strongest when treated as a focused performance instrument rather than a giant all-purpose workstation. Five voices and 44 keys encourage concise, playable ideas. It excels at comping, pads, brass, basses, sync leads, and sequenced motifs that benefit from immediacy, expression, and a clear analog center of gravity.

Oberheim TEO-5 features and architecture

NAME	Oberheim TEO-5
MANUFACTURER	Oberheim
YEAR	2024
PRODUCTION YEARS	2024 to present
SYNTHESIS TYPE	Analog subtractive polysynth with digital effects and modern modulation/control architecture
CATEGORY	Compact keyboard synthesizer / performance polysynth
POLYPHONY	5 voices
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE	US$1,499 at launch; current new keyboard street pricing commonly sits around US$1,849.99
OSCILLATORS	2 analog VCOs per voice plus sub-oscillator and noise; simultaneous triangle, saw, and variable pulse wave selection; hard sync and through-zero FM
FILTER	Discrete SEM-lineage state-variable VCF with continuous morphing from low-pass to notch to high-pass, plus switchable band-pass mode
LFOS	Poly and Mono LFOs with 5 wave shapes and tempo sync
ENVELOPES	2 five-stage DADSR envelopes using modeled OB-8 voltage curves
MODULATION MATRIX	19 slots, 19 sources, 64 destinations, including audio-rate possibilities
SEQUENCER / ARPEGGIATOR	64-step polyphonic step sequencer and full-featured multimode arpeggiator
EFFECTS	Dedicated reverb, one multi-effect section with delay, chorus, flanger, phase shifter, ring mod, rotating speaker, distortion, high-pass filter, and Lo-Fi, plus dedicated overdrive
PROGRAM MEMORY	512 programs total, 256 factory and 256 user
KEYBOARD	3.5-octave, 44-key premium Fatar keyboard with velocity and channel aftertouch
OUTPUTS	Left, Right, and headphone outputs
PEDAL / MIDI I/O	Footswitch sustain input, expression pedal input, 5-pin MIDI In/Out/Thru, and USB MIDI
DISPLAY	High-resolution OLED display with direct program access and parameter editing
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT	25 in x 12.75 in x 4.4 in; 17 lbs. Approx. 63.5 x 32.4 x 11.2 cm; 7.7 kg
POWER	Internal fanless power supply; 100 to 240 V, 50/60 Hz, 20 W

Oberheim TEO-5 strenghts

•  Genuine analog VCO and VCF voice path with the signature SEM-lineage state-variable filter.

•  Through-zero FM, simultaneous wave selection, sub-oscillator, and a deep modulation matrix give it far more range than a simple vintage tribute.

•  Immediate front panel, live Manual mode, premium 44-key Fatar keybed, velocity, and channel aftertouch make it unusually playable for its size.

•  64-step polyphonic sequencer, multimode arpeggiator, overdrive, and practical onboard effects make it musically complete without external help.

•  Current-production hardware with an official desktop counterpart and Poly Chain expansion path adds long-term relevance.

Oberheim TEO-5 limitations

•  Only 5 voices, so large sustained chords and wide unison stacks require discipline.

•  The 44-key format is compact and expressive, but it is still more constrained than a full-sized flagship keyboard.

•  It is not multitimbral in the workstation sense, so its strength is depth of one sound at a time rather than broad part-based arrangements.

•  Digital effects and modern control architecture mean it does not reproduce every aspect of a fully vintage Oberheim signal-chain experience.

•  As a recent instrument, its long-term canon, resale trajectory, and artist discography are still being written.

Oberheim TEO-5 historical context

The TEO-5 arrived in May 2024, two years after the comeback momentum created by the OB-X8. That timing matters. The OB-X8 re-established Oberheim at the premium end of the market, but the TEO-5 was the instrument meant to widen the circle: smaller, less expensive, and more contemporary in spirit.

Even its name frames that ambition. TEO stands for Thomas Elroy Oberheim, and the launch materials present the synthesizer as Tom Oberheim’s effort to make the company’s tone palette more widely accessible. Rather than cloning one exact vintage model, it pulls from several strands of Oberheim history, including the OB-X, Four Voice, TVS, SEM filter tradition, OB-8-style envelope behavior, and classic phase-shifter and ring-mod references, then recomposes them into a new compact polysynth.

The story did not stop at launch. In July 2025 Oberheim added the TEO-5 desktop module, and in November 2025 the company introduced a Poly Chain OS update that allows two TEO-5 units to operate together as a 10-voice system. That makes the instrument historically important not only as a new Oberheim, but as a living platform still being expanded.

Oberheim TEO-5 legacy and significance

The TEO-5 matters because it changes the usual Oberheim equation. For decades, the name tended to evoke either rare vintage giants or expensive modern flagships. The TEO-5 keeps the recognizable Oberheim voice but relocates it into a more compact, reachable, working-musician format.

That shift is significant inside the broader analog market. By 2024, players no longer wanted heritage alone. They wanted heritage plus modulation depth, aftertouch, sequencers, effects, USB MIDI, patch memory, and practical size. The TEO-5 meets that expectation without abandoning the core sonic traits that make an Oberheim desirable in the first place.

It also helps clarify what a modern legacy synth can be. The TEO-5 is not a museum piece and not a strict reissue. It acknowledges SEM and OB history, but it also embraces through-zero FM, modern routing, and a deliberately compact footprint. In that sense, it is as much about present-day usability as brand continuity.

That is why its cultural role is likely to grow. The TEO-5 may not yet have the decades of discography behind an OB-Xa or a Matrix-12, but it already represents a strategic turning point: the moment Oberheim translated its signature tone into a smaller, more approachable 2020s form without flattening its identity.

Notable Oberheim TEO-5 artists and users

NAME	ROLE	KEY CONTEXT
Tom Oberheim	Founder / design vision	The instrument is named for Thomas Elroy Oberheim, and official launch material presents it as his compact and affordable Oberheim for 2024.
Jimmy Jam	Producer / songwriter / performer	Oberheim’s official product page features Jimmy Jam saying the TEO-5 is his latest inspiration and that it captures classic Oberheim character with a modern twist.
Joppe Vanwetswinkel	Live keyboardist	Public gear documentation shows the TEO-5 in live performance use, an early sign that the synth is already entering professional rigs rather than remaining only a launch talking point.
Sonicstate	Media / critical reception	Oberheim’s product page highlights Sonicstate’s “Best Polysynth – Superbooth 24” recognition, which helped establish early credibility around the launch.
Sound On Sound	Media / review context	Oberheim’s product page quotes Sound On Sound’s verdict that the TEO-5 is lovely to program and sounds great, reinforcing that its reputation depends on hands-on strength as much as branding.
Tom Oberheim and David Gibbons	Launch narrative	Official launch statements frame the TEO-5 as the model intended to broaden access to Oberheim sound after the OB-X8, which is central to understanding who the instrument is for.

Oberheim TEO-5 market value

CURRENT MARKET POSITION	Current-production compact analog polysynth with premium-brand positioning
NEW MARKET SIGNAL	Sweetwater lists the TEO-5 keyboard at US$1,849.99 and the TEO-5 desktop module at US$1,399.99 as of March 2026.
USED MARKET SIGNAL	Reverb tracks the keyboard model as a 2024 to 2026 product and shows an estimated used range around C$1,283 to C$1,812, with open-box and B-stock listings indicating an active secondary market.
AVAILABILITY	Still active through Oberheim’s official product page in 2026, with the keyboard joined by an official desktop module released in July 2025.
BUYER NOTES	Check OS version, aftertouch response, calibration behavior, knob feel, included accessories, and whether the keyboard or desktop format better fits your setup.
SOFTWARE / SUPPORT	Official support materials include the user manual, MIDI implementation, OS updates, SoundTower editor support, and the Poly Chain expansion path.

Conclusion

The TEO-5 does not ask to be measured against the largest instruments in Oberheim’s history. It asks to be understood on its own terms: as a compact, genuinely analog polysynth that carries forward the SEM filter tradition, the tonal weight, and the playability that have defined the brand, while meeting the practical expectations of a 2020s workflow. It is not a scaled-down flagship and not a nostalgic tribute. It is the point where Oberheim’s identity became portable enough to enter more studios, more rigs, and more musical conversations than the name had previously reached. Whether that entry proves lasting will depend on the music made with it, but the instrument itself has already clarified something important: that a legacy does not need to be large to remain unmistakable.

The Oberheim Matrix-12 is a 12-voice digitally controlled analog polysynth introduced in 1985 as the keyboard flagship of the Matrix line. Built on the same core architecture as the Xpander but expanded into a 61-note performance instrument, it combined two oscillators per voice, a 15-mode analog filter, a modulation matrix with no real equivalent in its era, expressive keyboard control, and patch memory in a way that made it one of the most ambitious programmable analog synths of the decade.

Oberheim Matrix-12 sound

The Oberheim Matrix-12 sounds lush, deep, and highly programmable in a way that feels more architectural than immediate. Where earlier Oberheim polysynths often win people over with instant brass, sweep, and detuned grandeur, the Matrix-12 tends to reveal itself through motion: evolving pads, harmonically shifting textures, animated stabs, glassy digital-meets-analog hybrids, and dense multitimbral layers.

A major part of that character comes from its voice design. Each of the 12 voices pairs two analog oscillators with an unusually sophisticated 15-mode analog filter, five envelopes, five LFOs, tracking generators, ramp generators, lag processing, and an extensive Matrix Modulation system. The result is a synth that can sound velvety and cinematic one moment, metallic and restless the next, without ever quite losing its late-Oberheim polish.

It is also a different kind of analog flagship from the Jupiter-8, Prophet-5, or OB-Xa. The Matrix-12 is less about one instantly recognizable front-panel personality and more about controlled complexity. Because the audio path is analog while many modulation sources and system controls are digitally generated, it occupies a compelling middle space between classic analog tone and more modern programmability.

That is why the Matrix-12 is so often remembered as a programmer’s dream. It can produce huge Oberheim pads and brass when asked, but its real identity lies in sophisticated modulation, unusual filter behavior, expressive keyboard response, and layered performance structures that still feel advanced decades later.

Oberheim Matrix-12 features and architecture

NAME	Oberheim Matrix-12
MANUFACTURER	Oberheim
YEAR	1985
PRODUCTION YEARS	1985 to 1988
SYNTHESIS TYPE	Digitally controlled analog subtractive
CATEGORY	Keyboard synthesizer
POLYPHONY	12 voices
KEYBOARD	61 keys with velocity, pressure (aftertouch), and release velocity
MEMORY	100 Single patches and 100 Multi patches
VOICE ARCHITECTURE	2 VCOs per voice, 24 total
FILTERS	15-mode analog multimode filter per voice, covering 1-pole to 4-pole low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, and phase-related combinations
MODULATION	27 sources and 47 destinations via Matrix Modulation; 5 envelopes and 5 LFOs per voice, plus lag, ramp, and tracking generators
PERFORMANCE STRUCTURE	Single and Multi operation, splits and layers, multitimbral zoning
CONNECTIVITY	MIDI In, Out, and Thru; pedal inputs; left, mono, and right audio outputs
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE	Approximately US$6,399 at launch; contemporary U.K. pricing was around £4,595
DIMENSIONS	38 7/16 x 20 5/16 x 5 15/16 in  ·  97.63 x 51.59 x 15.08 cm
WEIGHT	33 lb  ·  14.97 kg
POWER	AC mains

Oberheim Matrix-12 strenghts

•  Exceptionally deep modulation architecture for a vintage analog keyboard.

•  Twelve true analog voices with two oscillators per voice and a highly flexible multimode filter.

•  Strong patch memory and multitimbral zoning compared with many earlier analog flagships.

•  Expressive keyboard response including velocity, aftertouch, and release velocity.

•  A sonic range that moves easily from classic Oberheim warmth to highly animated, evolving textures.

Oberheim Matrix-12 limitations

•  Considerably more complex to program than one-knob-per-function classics like the Prophet-5 or OB-Xa.

•  Expensive to buy, maintain, and service, especially because of specialized Curtis components and aging hardware.

•  Large and heavy for a synth that many owners now treat as a collector-grade studio centerpiece.

•  Membrane buttons, data-entry workflow, and layered menu logic are less immediate than more tactile vintage interfaces.

•  Market scarcity and service history matter enormously; condition can vary widely between surviving units.

Oberheim Matrix-12 historical context

Released in 1985, the Matrix-12 arrived one year after the Xpander and effectively turned that celebrated six-voice module into a 12-voice flagship keyboard instrument. Tom Oberheim’s own historical summary describes it as two Xpanders in an integrated unit, augmented by Oberheim’s first velocity and release-velocity keyboard. In practice, it became one of the company’s most ambitious products ever.

Its timing matters. By the mid-1980s, MIDI had become central to serious studio workflow, and the Matrix-12 embraced that reality more fully than the earlier OB-series flagships. It offered extensive MIDI integration, multitimbral zoning, and a control philosophy that treated routing as a programmable matrix rather than a fixed panel of one-knob-per-function shortcuts. That made it feel modern in a way many earlier analog synths no longer did.

It was also expensive. Contemporary coverage and later price references put the Matrix-12 at the very top of the professional market, with a U.S. price around US$6,399 and U.K. pricing around £4,595. That high cost limited its reach, but it also cemented its status as an elite studio instrument rather than a mass-market polysynth.

Oberheim Matrix-12 legacy and significance

The Matrix-12 matters culturally because it represents one of the clearest endpoints of classic American analog polysynth design before the market fully shifted toward cheaper digital and sample-based workstations. It was not only powerful for its time. It was philosophically important, showing that a polyphonic keyboard could behave almost like a modular system while still storing patches and operating inside a MIDI studio.

That helped give it a different legacy from more immediate classics. The Prophet-5, Jupiter-8, and OB-Xa are often remembered as iconic performance polysynths. The Matrix-12, by contrast, became a symbol of depth, modular-style thinking, and serious sound design inside a keyboard instrument. It appealed especially to musicians who wanted evolving textures, complex performance layers, and highly customized control relationships.

Its user base reflects that identity. The instrument is repeatedly associated with artists such as Vangelis, Depeche Mode, Steve Roach, and later The Orb, all of whom make sense in the Matrix-12 story because the synthesizer excels not only at big analog sonics, but at movement, atmosphere, and complex internal behavior.

Modern software recreations and the continued prestige of the Oberheim name only reinforce that reputation. The Matrix-12 remains one of the benchmark examples of a synthesizer that was not merely expensive or rare, but genuinely conceptually ahead of much of its era.

Notable Oberheim Matrix-12 artists and users

ARTIST	GENRE	KEY RECORD / CONTEXT
Vangelis	Electronic / Film	MusicRadar cites Vangelis among the Matrix-12’s major users, which fits the instrument’s long association with lush, evolving analog textures and richly programmed performance layers.
Depeche Mode	Synth-Pop / Alternative	MusicRadar also lists Depeche Mode among notable users, reinforcing the Matrix-12’s studio reputation beyond pure virtuoso synthesis circles.
Steve Roach	Ambient / Electronic	Cited by MusicRadar as a key user, Steve Roach represents the Matrix-12 at its most atmospheric and modulation-driven.
The Orb	Ambient / Dub / Electronic	Vintage Synth Explorer and later retrospectives associate the Matrix-12 with The Orb, highlighting its usefulness for expansive pads and shifting sound design.
Gravity Kills	Industrial / Alternative	Frequently cited in later retrospectives as a user, showing how the Matrix-12 carried forward into darker 1990s electronic rock production.
Toto / Steve Porcaro	Pop / Studio Rock	Arturia’s Matrix-12 overview points to Toto among the artists associated with the instrument’s level of polyphonic and programmable sophistication.

Oberheim Matrix-12 market value

CURRENT MARKET POSITION	Collector-grade flagship analog polysynth
RECENT MARKET SIGNAL	Current market references place the Matrix-12 firmly in the five-figure collector category, with used pricing commonly around US$12,900 and exceptional restored examples valued around US$20,000.
AVAILABILITY	Scarce. Original units surface irregularly and well-maintained examples attract strong attention.
BUYER NOTE	Revision history, keyboard condition, membrane reliability, calibration state, and service documentation are critical.
SOFTWARE ALTERNATIVE	Arturia Matrix-12 V
HARDWARE-SPIRIT ALTERNATIVE	Oberheim OB-X8, or an original Xpander for the same core voice architecture in rack form

Conclusion

The Matrix-12 endures not because it was the warmest analog polysynth of its era or the most immediate to play, but because it proposed something more demanding and more lasting: that a keyboard instrument could think like a modular system, store its ideas, and respond to the player’s touch with a depth of routing that most of its contemporaries never attempted. It was the end of a line, the last and most complex expression of Oberheim’s classic analog voice architecture before the industry moved elsewhere, and that position gives it a weight that goes beyond nostalgia or market scarcity. What the Matrix-12 represented in 1985 still has no exact equivalent: an analog polysynth built not for simplicity, but for the kind of musician who wanted to compose the behavior of sound itself.