After we ran the piece on “Modular Synthesizers in the Control Room” by Chris Koltay in Tape Op #165, we decided to have him do a semi-regular review column on the state of the modular world. Here's the first one!
Make Noise [Tape Op #104] is a synthesis purveyor from Asheville, North Carolina, run by Kelly Kelbel and Tony Rolando with a small army of lovely and talented people. From humble beginnings, they've become one of the top modular companies around and a tastemaker, raising the bar for the format several times in the 17 years since its inception. They are experts at harnessing controlled chaos while embracing modular theory in a way that informs the user as creation happens.