Did Moog ruin synths? Suzanne Ciani reveals analog's original sin

About this episode

Suzanne Ciani and KamranV discuss the evolution of synthesizers and the accessibility of quadraphonic music.

Today we talk to modular synth pioneer Suzanne Ciani and MIT Spatial Sound Lab researcher KamranV. Suzanne and Kamran both love quadraphonic sound, and they have a new quad release coming out on June 4th called Ciani/Orkest. They are on a mission to make quadraphonic music accessible to both musicians and to listeners, and in this interview, Kamran will explain how, you, with no special equipment, can listen to their new album in quad. We'll also get into how analog synthesizers actually work, the early history of Buchla synths versus Moog synths, why Suzanne thinks keyboards diminish the potential of synths, and how Suzanne designed some of the most recognizable sounds of the 1980s. Suzanne Ciani is a Grammy Award nominated composer, electronic musician, and neoclassical recording artist who has released over 20 solo albums, including Seven Waves and The Velocity of Love. Her work has been featured in Hollywood films, video games, and countless commercials. She was inducted into the first class of keyboard magazine's Hall of Fame, alongside Bob Moog, Don Buchla, and Dave Smith. And she was the subject of the feature documentary, A Life in Waves. KamranV is an arts technologist…

People in this episode

Host: SpectreVision Radio

Guests: Suzanne Ciani, KamranV

Topics covered

• synthesizers
• quadraphonic sound
• music technology
• analog synthesizers
• music accessibility

Keywords

• synths
• quadraphonic
• analog
• Buchla
• Moog
• music technology
• 1980s sounds
• Ciani/Orkest

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MIT Spatial Sound Lab, Interscope Records, dublab

Books & works: Ciani/Orkest, Seven Waves, The Velocity of Love, A Life in Waves

More episodes of Phantom Power

• Digital feeds, malnourished students · June 12, 2026 · 45 min
• Anonymous Sounds: Library Music · May 15, 2026 · 52 min
• William Basinski: From 'NASA Brat' to Space Cowboy · April 24, 2026 · 42 min
• How to Listen Like a Fish with Marine Biologist Sophie Nedelec · April 10, 2026 · 57 min
• Talking Back to the “The Oral Theory of Everything” · March 27, 2026 · 41 min
• The Internet Promised Creative Freedom. What Happened? · March 13, 2026 · 50 min