Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to artistic evolution and the creative exploration of sound. Since 1986, ESS has worked with sound artists and musicians from Chicago and around the world, and it is internationally recognized as a hub for sonic experimentation.

SYNTH[bank] is a community-focused studio and production space offering access to and education around synthesizers and electronic musical instruments.

SYNTH[bank] is a resource housed in ESS’s Studio B. We offer ongoing synthesizer workshops and residencies, allowing artists to connect their sound making practice to the Creative Audio Archive (CAA) and other ESS programs.