Museum synthesizer exhibition

[UrielsHarp]

Hello all,

This looks like like a really good forum to get the advice I need. I'm working on the redevelopment of the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow. One gallery is going to be looking at Synthetic music. This includes a historical account of electronic music, interactves that allow people to understand how they work in a basic way and the other ones to allow people to play with synth sounds in a creative way. This is a permanent exhibitions so will be all properly made with screen based and robust physical interactives as well as historic objects (we have a number of Soviet Synths like the Polyvoks but we need to make it an international display)

so my questions to the forum are and please feel free to suggest for one or more than one of these:
1) What are the most interesting things to get across to a general public audience about the history of synths. What key steps/case-studies/synths would you choose to tell the story of the history
2) Can you imagine or have seen any interactives that allow people to learn about synths? what would the key things to communicate and are there any creative possibilities for taking those basic ideas and making them fun and accessible?
3)Contacts of people who are involved in creating the above

Look forward to reading the responses

Cheers

[condit79]

at the least an oscilloscope would be ideal for visualizing wave forms. In fact, one that taps in after each stage of the signal flow would be ideal so people see how the filter, an lfo, a wavefolder, etc are changing the sound.

[UrielsHarp]

Cheers. yes some way of visualising the changing wave form sounds like a great idea

[Cybercardinal]

A Theremin is always popular and an important part of the history of electronic sound. And not that expensive, I think I would include that.