At pointblank Music School, we’re always looking for exciting ways to immerse our students in hands-on learning. Recently, we teamed up with Erica Synths to host a special workshop featuring the innovative Bullfrog synthesiser, giving our students an exclusive opportunity to explore synthesis in a dynamic, interactive setting.
Bullfrog was designed by Erica Synths and techno pioneer, Richie Hawtin. He played an integral role in developing Bullfrog and encapsulated the spirit of creative exploration inherent to electronic music. He explains that “Electronic Music is as popular as ever and its traditions and frequencies now stretch around the world, uniting people across language and cultures. For me, one of the most exciting parts of creating with a synthesiser is the playful experimentation that inspires and pushes the imagination.”
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This ideology not only guided the design of Bullfrog but also resonates with our commitment to nurturing passion and creativity in every student. So if you’re passionate about sound design and synthesis, our Music Production Degrees offer comprehensive training in these essential production skills. Experiences like these are just a glimpse of what we provide, and we believe you should learn music with state-of-the-art hardware and facilities to enhance your learning. Start this April and apply now!
Workshop Day: Synthesis in Action
Recently, we welcomed Jacq Noise from Erica Synths to our Hoxton campus. With eight Bullfrog units set up in our Hub space, pointblank students gained hands-on experience with these remarkable devices. “We believe that the hands-on approach and problem solving that is innate to synthesis on a semi-modular synth like the Bullfrog, contains life lessons that go beyond what we can hear” says Richie Hawtin. “The Bullfrog encapsulates the foundations of synthesis and is built with an immediate, intuitive design and a unique expandable architecture that grows and expands together with our user’s imagination”
During the three-hour session, participants explored sound physics fundamentals, subtractive synthesis principles, and creative patching techniques. Our Sound Design module leader, James Malone, who teaches our popular Music Production Degrees, helped students navigate the world of analogue synthesis.
Learning Through Doing
What made this workshop particularly special was its practical approach, students immediately applied what they were learning by manipulating the Bullfrogs in real-time.
“The hands-on experience with the Bullfrog devices was invaluable,” commented one of our students. “Being able to hear how each parameter affects the sound helped me understand synthesis concepts that had previously seemed abstract.”
The session culminated in an improvised jam session where students put their newly acquired knowledge to creative use, exploring the sonic possibilities of the Bullfrog collaboratively.
Looking Forward
The overwhelmingly positive experience had our students excited about future possibilities. As always, we’re committed to providing our community with opportunities to learn from industry professionals and gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.
Keep an eye on our social platforms for more glimpses behind the scenes and stay tuned for announcements about future collaborations and learning experiences at pointblank. Special thanks to Erica Synths for providing the Bullfrog units and to Jacq for sharing her expert knowledge and passion for synthesis with our students.
Want to learn more about sound design and synthesis? Our Music Production & Sound Engineering and Music Production & Software Engineering degrees offer comprehensive training in these essential production skills. Check out our London and Online programmes and join our vibrant community of music creators.
Inspired?
We are incredibly proud of our industry expert lecturers. Thanks to their dedication and expertise, pointblank has earned a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Achieving this Gold title is a significant milestone, placing us among the very best institutions. This accolade not only underscores our commitment to delivering world-class education in an industry-focused learning environment but also bolsters our impressive credentials. Learn more about our awards here.
When it comes to higher education in music, you want to learn from lecturers who are not just active industry professionals but also part of a TEF Gold award-winning team. This ensures you’re learning from the very best, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to match industry standards. Whether you’re passionate about DJing, music production, sound engineering, vocal performance, software engineering, radio, songwriting, or foundation year - pointblank offers degrees in our London as well as our Online campus.
In addition to providing a wide range of degrees with flexible start dates throughout the year, we offer short courses in all subjects mentioned above. Our campuses are not only based in London but also in Los Angeles, Ibiza, and Online—making them accessible wherever you are in the world. No matter your location or aspirations, we are here to help make your dreams a reality.
Register to Access Free Courses, Plugins, Projects, Samples & More
When you register with pointblank, you access an array of free sounds, plugins, online course samples and much more! Simply register below and visit our Free Stuff page to get your hands on a range of exclusive music-making tools and tutorials provided by the team.