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Eric Persing
Eric Persing
Eric Persing
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A man stands in front of an electric keyboard
Eric Persing showing his synthesizer

Key Information

Eric Persing is an American sound designer, professional synthesist, keyboardist, recording artist and music producer based in Los Angeles, California.[1] One of the world's leading sound designers,[1] he is best known as the founder and Creative Director of the music software and virtual instrument company Spectrasonics.

Career

[edit]

Persing started playing piano in the sixth grade before playing a Minimoog in 1975 and finding inspiration in synthesizers. In the early 1980s he moved to Los Angeles and began working as a session musician and arranger.[2] This work, which continued for years, led to his working with such notable artists as Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones, Danny Elfman, Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, James Newton Howard, Eddie Jobson, Michel Colombier, Diana Ross, Arif Mardin, Chaka Khan, Larry Carlton, Hans Zimmer, Leonard Cohen, Michael Jackson, Randy Newman and Celine Dion.[1]

In 1982 he began working at Goodman Music, a music store in Orange, California and became more proficient with synthesizers and the possibilities of new MIDI technology. Eventually he was recruited by Tom Beckman, the President of Roland US, to demo the company's products at the 1984 NAMM Show in Chicago.[3] Roland made Persing the company's Chief Sound Designer, a position he held from 1984 to 2004,[4] during which time he worked on many influential synthesizers and music-related products such as the Roland D-50,[5] JD-800,[6] the Roland JX, JV, JP, XP series synthesizers, and many others.

In 1994, inspired by his work with sample libraries for Roland, Persing co-founded Spectrasonics with his wife Lorey,[2] releasing the company's first library, Bass Legends, featuring bass guitar samples played by Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, and Abraham Laboriel. Another library, Distorted Reality (1995), became one of the best-selling professional sample libraries of all time.[1] In 2002, Spectrasonics shifted from sample libraries to virtual instruments, releasing Atmosphere and later Trilogy.

Since founding Spectrasonics, Persing has been the producer and primary contributor to all of the company's products, including the award-winning Omnisphere, Keyscape,[7] Trilian, and Stylus RMX.[8]

At the 2011 NAMM Show, as part of a joint promotion with the Bob Moog Foundation, Persing exhibited the OMG-1 synthesizer, a unique synthesizer of his own design that integrated a Moog Little Phatty with an Apple Mac Mini and two iPads running virtual instruments, all housed in a custom curly maple cabinet.[9] In 2011 Persing's company released the Bob Moog Tribute Library for Omnisphere, with all proceeds going to the Bob Moog Foundation. Ten years later, the company released the Bob Moog Tribute Library 2, again donating all proceeds from the library's sale to the Bob Moog Foundation.[10]

Persing has cited important musical influences of Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Jan Hammer, Yes, Genesis and Thomas Dolby.[3]

Awards

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In 2011, Persing and his team accepted the TEC Award for "Best Musical Instrument Software" for Omnisphere version 1.5.[11]

References

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Further reading

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Eric Persing

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Eric Persing is an American sound designer, synthesist, , recording artist, and music producer based in , , renowned for his pioneering contributions to and virtual instrument software. Born July 21, 1963, in , , son of a choral director, Persing grew up in , where he began playing in and discovered electronic music through the in 1975, igniting his lifelong passion for the field. As Chief Sound Designer for from 1984 to 2005, he created iconic patches and waveforms for landmark synthesizers, including the D-50, JV-1080, and XV-5080, and served as lead sound designer for the influential JD-800, where he developed its core sounds, addressed performance latency issues, and collaborated on its distinctive angled control layout. His Roland work established many of the most widely used sounds in modern electronic music, influencing genres from pop to film scoring. In 1994, Persing co-founded Spectrasonics with his wife Lorey, serving as its and driving the development of award-winning virtual instruments such as Omnisphere, Keyscape, Stylus RMX, Trilian, Atmosphere, and . The company pioneered thematic sample libraries, including the best-selling Distorted Reality and innovative titles like Liquid Grooves and Vocal Planet, which revolutionized production tools for musicians worldwide. Persing's sounds have been featured in thousands of major film, television, music, game, and productions. Throughout his career as a studio musician, producer, and arranger in , Persing has collaborated with luminaries such as , , , , and , contributing to numerous Grammy-winning albums—including his production of Sergio Mendes's 1993 album Brazileiro—and Award-winning film scores. His original sounds and compositions continue to be heard daily across global media.

Early life

Childhood

Eric Armand Persing was born on July 21, 1963, in , . He is the son of a -based choral director, a profession that profoundly shaped his early exposure to music through family involvement in choral activities. Persing's formative years were spent in the area, where he participated as a child singer in the choirs directed by his father at Grace Cathedral, fostering an immersive musical environment amid the city's vibrant cultural scene. His father, who taught music at , performed in the symphony, and played instruments such as the trumpet, created a household rich in diverse musical influences that permeated Persing's early life. In sixth grade, Persing transitioned to lessons under his mother's guidance, initiating his hands-on engagement with music.

Musical beginnings

Eric Persing began his musical journey in the when he started lessons, following an unsuccessful attempt at playing the due to chapped lips that made the instrument impractical. This shift to piano allowed him to explore the instrument's rich tonal possibilities and build foundational skills in keyboard technique and . In 1975, Persing had his first exposure to a , an encounter that profoundly ignited his passion for electronic music. He described the moment as transformative, stating, "It was all over at that point... I began devouring everything I could on the subject of electronic music." This pivotal experience shifted his focus toward the creative potential of synthesizers, marking the start of his deep immersion in sound creation. Persing's early experiments with synthesizers, including the , further shaped his approach to . At a time when factory presets were not yet common, he emphasized the need to learn how to generate original sounds manually, honing his skills through hands-on exploration of the instruments' capabilities. These formative efforts laid the groundwork for his lifelong dedication to innovative electronic music production.

Professional career

Session work

In the early 1980s, Eric Persing relocated to to pursue opportunities as a , leveraging his growing expertise in synthesizers amid the burgeoning demand for electronic instrumentation in recording studios. Persing established himself as a and synthesist, collaborating with prominent artists such as , , and , among others including and . During the 1980s synth-pop era, he contributed to recording sessions by programming and providing keyboard performances, notably on Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad, where he handled synthesizer programming for tracks like "Speed Demon". These efforts helped shape the era's polished electronic soundscapes, blending analog and digital in high-profile productions.

Roland Corporation

Eric Persing joined in 1984 as a product demonstrator, showcasing the company's early instruments at the following his prior experience as a . This opportunity arose from his demonstrations of setups at a music store, which impressed representatives and led to his initial involvement with the company. He rapidly advanced to the role of Chief Sound Designer, collaborating closely with Roland's R&D team in to oversee the creation of factory presets and sound libraries for synthesizers. In this capacity, Persing directed efforts for a wide array of Roland products, guiding the transition from analog to digital synthesis technologies during a pivotal era in electronic instrument development. His responsibilities included rating and finalizing presets, as well as supervising global sampling sessions that informed Roland's expansion into CD-ROM-based sound libraries. Persing maintained a long-term relationship with , evolving from demonstrator to a key leadership figure in patch creation and product over two decades. His tenure as Chief Sound Designer lasted until 2004, during which he contributed to more than 60 Roland instruments, establishing foundational sounds that became staples in music production.

Spectrasonics

Eric Persing co-founded Spectrasonics in 1994 alongside his wife, Lorey Persing, establishing the company in with an initial focus on developing high-quality sampled sound libraries for music production. This venture capitalized on Persing's extensive experience in , building a reputation for innovative audio resources that catered to synthesists and composers. During its formative years, Spectrasonics maintained ties to Persing's ongoing professional commitments at , where he served as Chief Sound Designer, allowing the company to leverage established industry networks while expanding independently. Around 2002, Spectrasonics pivoted strategically from hardware-dependent sample libraries to software-based virtual instruments, marking a significant evolution in its product strategy to align with advancing digital audio technologies. Under Persing's guidance as , Spectrasonics experienced substantial growth, emerging as a premier developer of world-class virtual instruments through focused and a global team of sound professionals. This leadership positioned the company as a key player in the , emphasizing quality and creative tools for professional use.

Sound design contributions

Innovations at Roland

As Chief Sound Designer at , Eric Persing played a pivotal role in developing innovative techniques for several landmark during the 1980s and 1990s. One of Persing's most influential breakthroughs came with the released in 1987, where he created signature sounds utilizing the instrument's novel Linear Arithmetic (LA) synthesis engine. This method blended short PCM samples for transients with subtractive synthesis on generated waveforms, enabling expressive, evolving timbres that bridged digital realism and analog warmth; notable patches like "Fantasia" and "Digital Native Dance" exemplified this approach and became staples in electronic music production. Collaborating with , Persing's presets, such as "Pizzagogo" featured in Enya's "," demonstrated the D-50's versatility and helped popularize LA synthesis across genres. Persing extended his waveform and preset design expertise to subsequent Roland models, including the JD-800, JV-1080, XV-3080, and XV-5080 . For the JD-800, he crafted all core sampled —drawing from 4 MB of memory to emphasize lush, characterful tones—and nearly all patches, incorporating looped sustains across four tones per patch to enhance creative flexibility and sonic depth. His contributions to the JV-1080 and later XV series involved designing over 1,000 patches and optimizing multisampling techniques to maximize memory efficiency while delivering high-fidelity orchestral and electronic sounds, as seen in the SR-JV and SRX expansion boards. These efforts established 's PCM-based romplers as industry benchmarks for accessible, professional-grade . Beyond hardware sounds, Persing pioneered MIDI demonstrations and patch libraries that shaped electronic music workflows in the and 1990s. Beginning as a product demonstrator in 1984, he showcased Roland's early instruments through multitimbral, multitrack performances using tools like the MSQ700 sequencer and Jupiter-6, highlighting seamless integration in live and studio settings at events like NAMM. He also oversaw the creation of factory libraries, including the Project, Archives, and Composers series, which provided curated patch collections and influenced production techniques by offering ready-to-use, high-quality sounds for sequencers and samplers. These innovations democratized advanced , empowering producers to achieve complex arrangements with unprecedented ease.

Spectrasonics products

Spectrasonics' early sample libraries, developed under Eric Persing's direction, laid the foundation for the company's reputation in . Bass Legends, released in 1994, was one of the first products from the newly founded company, featuring meticulously recorded acoustic and electric bass samples sourced and engineered by Persing himself. This library provided musicians with high-fidelity bass tones suitable for a range of genres, emphasizing natural articulation and playability. Following this, Distorted Reality (1995) emerged as a groundbreaking collection of experimental guitar loops, textures, and effects, which became the best-selling professional sample library of all time due to its innovative use of harmonic distortion and techniques. Symphony of Voices (1996), another early release, offered a comprehensive four-CD set of vocal multisamples, phrases, and effects drawn from diverse singers worldwide, produced by Persing to capture a broad spectrum of human vocal timbres for creative synthesis. A notable large-scale project was Vocal Planet (2000), an ambitious five-CD library that compiled over 75,000 samples from 500 singers across global sessions spanning four years, all produced by Persing and his team. This extensive effort focused on multisampled vocals in multiple keys, recorded dry to allow maximum flexibility in production, and included phrases and effects to enable realistic and ethereal vocal performances in music composition. Transitioning to virtual instruments, Stylus RMX (2004) marked Spectrasonics' shift toward software integration, delivering a groove-based plug-in with thousands of loops and sounds produced by Persing's sound design team. Its core library emphasized rhythmic precision and real-time manipulation, making it a staple for electronic and hip-hop production. Trilian (2009), building on the earlier Trilogy bass module, consolidated electric, acoustic, and synth bass sounds into a single virtual instrument, with Persing overseeing the expansion of its library for enhanced realism and versatility in basslines. Omnisphere (2008), Persing's flagship synthesizer, combined a vast sample library with synthesis engines, offering over 8,000 sounds and evolving through expansions like the 2021 Sonic Extensions that added specialized content packs. In October 2025, Spectrasonics released Omnisphere 3, a major update featuring 18 new sound libraries with thousands of new sounds, advanced synthesis options including Quadzone Modulation and 36 new filter types, enhanced hardware integration supporting over 300 profiles, and 35 new effects units, all developed under Persing's direction as Creative Director. Keyscape (2017) rounded out the virtual instrument lineup as a dedicated collection of 36 emulated pianos and keyboards, sourced from rare vintage instruments and modeled by Persing to replicate authentic mechanical nuances and tonal depth.

Hardware projects

Eric Persing developed the OMG-1, a one-of-a-kind custom hardware that blends analog, software, and computer components into a unified instrument. Unveiled at the 2011 in collaboration with the Bob Moog Foundation, the OMG-1 features a Moog Little Phatty , Spectrasonics' Omnisphere software, a computer, dual iPads for control, dual iPods for additional audio sources, and the Omni TR controller, all housed in a hand-crafted curly cabinet. Designed as a live performance tool rather than a commercial product, the OMG-1 served as the grand prize in a fundraising contest benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation, with the winner receiving it at Moogfest 2011. In conjunction with the OMG-1 project, Persing produced the Bob Moog Tribute Library, a collection of custom sound emulations honoring the analog synthesizer heritage pioneered by Bob Moog. Released in 2011 as an expansion for Omnisphere, the initial library included over 700 sounds crafted by leading synth artists, with all proceeds directed to the Bob Moog Foundation to support its educational and preservation efforts. A major update in 2021 expanded it to more than 1,300 sounds, incorporating contributions from over 50 artists and emphasizing authentic recreations of classic Moog timbres through advanced synthesis techniques. Persing's hardware-oriented sound design also yielded distinctive creations like the "Behemoth" patch, which integrates field recordings of ocean waves lapping on a boat dock, vocoded against a fuzzed didgeridoo drone processed through a JP-8080 for an evolving, ominous texture. Similarly, the Bizarre Guitar library, co-developed with guitarist Peter Maunu in 1998, employed hardware such as an Looping Delay unit at 11kHz sample rate to generate seamless ambient guitar beds via multitracked "sound-on-sound" passes, alongside extreme effects like octave-shifted shock noises from plugging a guitar into an open , often refined through portable outdoor setups. These projects highlight Persing's approach to fusing unconventional hardware manipulations with environmental captures to expand sonic possibilities.

Personal life and legacy

Family

Eric Persing is married to Lorey Persing, with whom he co-founded Spectrasonics in 1994, establishing a collaborative partnership that blended their personal and professional lives from the company's inception in their home. Their joint efforts in building the company, starting with sample libraries and evolving into virtual instruments, highlight Lorey's role as co-partner in managing operations, including early distribution and business development. The couple has three children: Jazmine, Soren, and Sage Persing, who have been integral to the family's supportive environment amid Persing's demanding creative work. The family provided essential encouragement during long-term projects, such as the Vocal Planet sample library, where the children are credited for enduring the extended production process that spanned much of their childhoods; the library is dedicated to them in recognition of this support. Persing's personal interests in capturing unique sounds often involved family, intersecting with his sound design career, as seen in his 1990s recordings of rare Tuvan throat singers during their U.S. Smithsonian tour for the Vocal Planet project. These expeditions, including travels to and Native American reservations for authentic vocal samples, reflect how family dynamics sustained his pursuit of exotic audio elements that enriched Spectrasonics' offerings.

Awards and influence

In 2011, Eric Persing and the Spectrasonics team received the TEC Award for "Best Software" for Omnisphere version 1.5, recognizing its innovative synthesis and sampling capabilities in virtual . This accolade highlighted Persing's role in advancing software-based , building on his earlier hardware contributions at . Additionally, Omnisphere earned the MIPA Award for Best , further affirming Persing's impact on professional music production tools. In 2018, Spectrasonics' Keyscape instrument, developed under Persing's direction, won another TEC Award in the same category, underscoring his ongoing influence in the field. Persing's sounds have profoundly shaped electronic music production, with his patches—such as those in the D-50 and JV-1080—becoming staples in genres like and film scoring. These timbres, used by artists including , , and , transitioned from hardware to software realms through Spectrasonics products, enabling widespread adoption in modern studios for both session work and creative composition. His virtual instruments, like Omnisphere, continue to influence producers by providing expansive, high-fidelity sound libraries that blend synthesis with real-world samples, fostering innovative soundscapes in electronic and cinematic music. In October 2025, Spectrasonics released Omnisphere 3, a major update featuring new patches and enhanced capabilities, further extending Persing's legacy in music technology. Persing's legacy lies in ushering the software synthesizer era forward, founding Spectrasonics in 1994 to pioneer accessible, high-quality virtual instruments that democratized advanced . A key innovation was Groove Control, a proprietary technique he developed for Spectrasonics' drumming libraries, allowing independent manipulation of , pitch, and groove feel to enhance rhythmic flexibility without artifacts. This approach inspired subsequent sound designers by setting standards for dynamic sample manipulation, influencing the evolution of loop-based production tools and encouraging creative experimentation in music technology.

References

  1. https://www.spectrasonics.net/company/artists/artist.php?id=9
  2. https://www.soundonsound.com/people/eric-persing-creating-spectrasonics
  3. https://www.discogs.com/artist/495997-Eric-Persing
  4. https://articles.roland.com/digital-dreams-eric-persing-and-the-jd-800/
  5. https://ericpersing.bandcamp.com/
  6. https://www.kvraudio.com/interviews/eric-persing-interview-16992
  7. https://thechurchcollective.com/interview/interview-spectrasonics-founder-eric-persing/
  8. https://designingsound.org/2010/01/21/interview-with-eric-persing-founder-of-spectrasonics/
  9. https://www.discogs.com/release/9940876-Michael-Jackson-Bad
  10. https://www.michaeljackson.com/track/speed-demon-2/
  11. https://musicbrainz.org/release/be5e01b0-904e-4c9d-8a8d-25d096960abd
  12. https://www.spectrasonics.net/company/other/ep-roland.php
  13. https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/eric-persing
  14. https://www.spectrasonics.net/company/
  15. https://www.discogs.com/artist/792590-Spectrasonics
  16. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/legacy/atmosphere/
  17. https://articles.roland.com/listening-guide-sounds-of-the-d-50/
  18. https://sonicstate.com/news/2024/04/26/4-ingenious-ways-synth-makers-saved-memory/
  19. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/legacy/basslegends/credits.php
  20. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/legacy/distortedreality1/credits.php
  21. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/legacy/symphonyofvoices/credits.php
  22. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/legacy/vocalplanet/credits.php
  23. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/stylusrmx.php
  24. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/omnisphere/overview.php
  25. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/spectrasonics-omnisphere
  26. https://www.spectrasonics.net/contest/contest-omg-1.php
  27. https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/namm-2011-spectrasonics-and-bob-moog-foundation-unveil-the-omg-1-358943
  28. https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/01/14/the-omg-1-synthesizer-the-coolest-synth-of-namm-2011/
  29. https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/tribute/
  30. https://sonicstate.com/news/2021/03/25/spectrasonics-launches-bob-moog-tribute-library-v20/
  31. https://moogfoundation.org/1940/
  32. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Electronic-Musician/2001/Electronic-Musician-2001-03.pdf
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/30804849-Eric-Persing-Featuring-Peter-Maunu-Bizarre-Guitar
  34. https://www.spectrasonics.net/news/news-content.php?id=74
  35. https://www.spectrasonics.net/news/news-content.php?id=22
  36. https://www.facebook.com/Spectrasonics/videos/keyscape-wins/10155922801333592/
  37. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/groove-control-masterclass
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