Erik Norlander

From lightning-fast, Bach-like synth leads and arpeggios to thunderous rhythm beds and sci-fi lyrical themes (2003’s Music Machine chronicles the rise and fall of a genetically-engineered rock star, for example), Norlander’s solo work gleefully summons the operatic spirit of ’70s prog. At the same time, it displays the kind of originality, virtuosity, and cohesion best achieved by one artist taking a vision from conception to final mix.

To that end, Erik employs MOTU Digital Performer 4.5 running on a dual G5 Mac connected to a Magma expansion chassis that houses four Universal Audio UAD-1 Powered Plug-In cards. He also makes heavy use of both the Miroslav Philarmonik orchestral instrument and Classik Studio Reverb from IK Multimedia, and a second dual G4 Mac carries some of the soft synth load. But the synthalicious centerpiece of his studio, which he also takes on tour around the globe, is what fans call the “Wall of Doom,” a gigantic, heavily customized analog modular system.

“I started building this in the early ’90s,” he explains, “mainly out of vintage Moog modules. The model 901 oscillators actually have the date ‘April 20, 1967’ stamped on them! There are model 911 filters for that famous Moog filter sound, and later 921 oscillators from the ’70s. The newer modules in the rack are from Synthesizers.com, a small company in Texas that does amazing work.” Two features make the Wall of Doom truly unique, though. “These panels with blue and green lights are 16 x 2 x 1 mixers custom-made for me by Julie Yarbrough, who was the lead engineer on the Alesis Andromeda. A blue LED means that channel has a sub-oscillator built in, which I can turn up and layer underneath whatever module is plugged in.”

The second feature is sure to impress even the most jaded synth geek. Erik’s Wall includes four Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Modules, or SEMs, that have been “modular-ized.” Erik explains, “These were the building blocks of Oberheim’s two-, four-, and eight-voice synths,” the forerunners of the OBX and OB-8. “Where Moog put a different sonic element in each module — oscillator, filter, and so on — Oberheim chose to make a module with one voice-worth of the whole signal chain.” The complexity, price, and rarity of an SEM might scare lesser mortals away from modifying it, but not Erik, who connected all the internal circuits to patching jacks on custom-built panels that live below the SEMs in his rack. “So I’ve got the Oberheim analog sound, which is different from the Moog, but with all the patching flexibility that SEMs originally didn’t give you,” he grins.

Rounding out his arsenal are a Dave Smith Poly Evolver Rack, a Studio Electronics Midimoog, an Ensoniq ESQ-M “for this one pad I can’t seem to get out of anything else,” and a Roland MKS-70 Super JX, “My favorite for that big, pompous, analog prog-rock brass!”

Even though he loves playing and tweaking, as well as educating others about the gear, Erik is quick to caution against gear envy: “Just like guitarists have their favorite axes and amps for different tones, I have my favorite synths for different sounds and musical tasks. But if my house burned down, I know I could make a great-sounding record with just one workstation like a Fantom, Motif, or Triton, or even soft synths on a computer. It’s only been in the past few years that we’ve really gotten there with the technology, but we’re there. This is a pretty great time to be making music.”