Dr. John Chowning

John Baccigaluppi is a skateboarder, recording engineer/producer, studio owner, and surfer. He studied with Dr. John Chowning at Stanford's CCRMA in 1983 and later developed the VDS editor/software synthesis program for Dr. T’s Music Software. In the 1980s and ’90s, he recorded punk bands like 7 Seconds and The Groovie Ghoulies and jazz saxophonist John Tchicai. He has produced for artists like Sea of Bees and Little Wings, and his studio has hosted My Morning Jacket, Feist, Kanye West, and Suzanne Ciani. After a break from recording in 1992, John co-published Heckler Magazine, la

Dr. John Chowning is known throughout the world for his discovery of FM sound synthesis, which, when used in the context of electronic musical instruments, provided an alternative to the way synthesized music was being created. The technology was first used with great success in the Yamaha DX7, which not only sold extremely well and was a success in the marketplace, but it changed the way the world thought of and used electronic keyboards. As a professor at Stanford University, Dr. Chowning also designed a number of other applications for FM sound synthesis and similar electronic

Hirokazu Kato took part in the innovative engineering team at Yamaha in Japan who utilized FM Synthesis to create an electronic musical instrument, first the TRX prototype and then the revolutionary DX7.  Kato-san began his career with Yamaha in 1965 when he helped design the company's first clarinet while working in the wind instrument division.  After becoming Systems Engineer and studying at Columbia University, he returned to Japan where he worked on sound processing chips and the LSI technology required when John Chowning's discoveries of FM Synthesis became the framework for

Andy Leary bought his first synthesizer when he was in high school and has been hooked ever since. His passion for music and electronics led him to attend a few classes at Stanford University taught by Dr. John Chowning, who is best known for his discovery of FM Synthesis. In 1991, Andy began working at KORG R&D part time while earning his masters degree. He worked on synthesis and audio processing algorithms, discovering his passion for the company’s innovative products and working to provide instruments that assist fellow musicians in crafting their sound.

Don Lewis was trained as an electronic engineer and, because of his love for music, he created one of the very early integrated-sound controllers, a precursor to MIDI. In the early 1970s when many electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers were being introduced, performers such as Don found it difficult to access all of the sounds they wanted in a given performance. While some performers pre-recorded the sounds they wanted to use, Don wired several instruments together so he could produce those sounds live. His instrument was called LEO, the Live Electronic Orchestra.

Max Mathews was working as an engineer at the famed Bell Laboratory in 1954 when he was asked to determine if the computer Bell was designing could create music. The landmark Music 2 and later Music 4 projects put the two concepts together as early as 1957-–the computer and music had a future and Max was there for the birth. Max had moved on to musical programming when Don Buchla and Robert Moog created similar electronic music in the form of the synthesizer. As a Stanford University professor, Max worked with his close friend John Chowning for several decades on a number of progr

Andrew Nelson’s fascination with electronic sound began in the third grade when he received a small Casio keyboard and quickly became captivated by the possibilities of creating new sounds. At age eleven he discovered the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and was determined to own one. When the instrument proved too expensive, Andrew started a paper route and saved his earnings month after month until his parents, impressed by his determination, loaned him the remaining amount so he could purchase the instrument and repay them over time.