PAiA Gnome Synth

As a teenager I poured over the PAiA catalog and fantasized about soldering together a music studio from their modular kits. They had polyphonic synths, all kinds of effects, computer controlled sequencers, space-age stuff — and this was 1977 or so, way before the Mac and P.C.

The first kit I got was the Gnome Synth. When I opened the box I found a dozen or so plastic baggies full of teensy little resistors and what not, green and gold circuit boards, lots of wire and LEDs. Somehow I soldered the Gnome together. As you can see in the photo, it had a few knobs but no keyboard. It had this ribbon controller across the front, with a metal probe you ran across it to make the sounds. It was supposed to bleep, and wine and boing and growl, but mine probably had a dozen fried components (I was new to the soldering iron) and didn't work. I sent it back and they fixed it for free. Later I got the OZ Mini-Organ.

PAiA was started by a guy named John Simonton in 1969. Later, in 1975 he launched Polyphony magazine, which was later renamed Electronic Musician. I learned my synthesis basics from reading his sales sheets, instruction booklets and magazine articles.

When I decided to hunt down some old PAiA kits on the internet a few years ago, I discovered, much to my surprise, that the company still existed! When my email was cheerfully answered by John himself, I froze in disbelief. To me, John was was a rock star.

John passed away in 2005.