Magnetic Fish Music

Magnetic Fish is Don James.

Don's introduction to the world of electronic music began with Wendy Carlos, Isao Tomita, Suzanne Ciani, and Keith Emerson. His first synthesizers were an ARP 2600P and an ARP Odyssey. Those two instruments, a Teac mixer, and a 4-track tape recorder comprised Don’s first studio.

In the mid-1980s, the original analog synths gave way to a new crop of synths with the Roland Jupiter 8 and the venerable Yamaha DX7. With the advent of MIDI, Don’s arsenal took on a new look with a battery of MIDI based sound modules, samplers, and a Mac SE30 running MOTU Performer sequencing software. Add a 16 track recorder and a proper mixing desk, and Don’s studio now overshadowed his small bedroom studio of the 1970s.

Don’s music endeavors took a backseat for a while when he focused on nurturing a career in photography. But in 2024 when Uli Behringer was releasing modern versions of the vintage synthesizers of his youth, Don was back in the world of analog synths.