17 Nov
2016
17 Nov
'16
9:54 a.m.
Does anyone have a scanned (or hard) copy of this? I'm trying to locate
one, without much success. I'm mostly interested in the article entitled
"Capture and Display of Keyboard Music".
Thanks!
Kyle
17 Nov
17 Nov
10:08 a.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 9:54 AM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scanned (or hard) copy of this?
I'm trying to locate
one, without much success. I'm mostly interested in the article entitled
"Capture and Display of Keyboard Music".
Thanks!
Kyle
I wish...but there may be an alternative. There is a 1970 book called "The
Computer and Music" containing 21 articles and documents on the subject.
Edited by Harry B. Lincoln. It is very possible that the Datamation
article drew content from this book and you might find the book for sale on
online..
Mr Degnan
10:26 a.m.
I wish...but there may be an alternative. There is a 1970 book called "The
Computer and Music" containing 21 articles and documents on the subject.
Edited by Harry B. Lincoln. It is very possible that the Datamation
article drew content from this book and you might find the book for sale on
online..
Thanks Bill. Just ordered a copy from Amazon.
I just picked up "Unplayed by Human Hands" (the first album, from 1975) and
wanted to learn a little more about how it was done. I do know it was a
PDP-8 and Model 33 ASR connected to a pipe organ, and there are bits and
pieces referencing it online.
For instance, I found this project: https://github.com/jawknee/upbhh
But, alas...there doesn't seem to be any snippets of actual code from the
album there.
The code is described in some detail here too:
http://charlesames.net/glossary/linear-music-code.html
Again, no actual code. Bummer.
Kyle
10:30 a.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 10:26 AM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen at gmail.com> wrote:
I look forward to the results of your project.
There is a pipe organ event every year near my home at Longwood Gardens.
They have an awesome pipe organ there, it might be the 2nd or 3rd largest
in the world. Spectacular. They actively maintain it, parts pieces, etc.
People come from all over the world to play it and do recitals.
Bill
I wish...but there may be an alternative. There is a 1970 book called
"The
Computer and Music" containing 21 articles
and documents on the subject.
Edited by Harry B. Lincoln. It is very possible that the Datamation
article drew content from this book and you might find the book for sale
on
online..
Thanks Bill. Just ordered a copy from Amazon.
I just picked up "Unplayed by Human Hands" (the first album, from 1975) and
wanted to learn a little more about how it was done. I do know it was a
PDP-8 and Model 33 ASR connected to a pipe organ, and there are bits and
pieces referencing it online.
For instance, I found this project: https://github.com/jawknee/upbhh
But, alas...there doesn't seem to be any snippets of actual code from the
album there.
The code is described in some detail here too:
http://charlesames.net/glossary/linear-music-code.html
Again, no actual code. Bummer.
Kyle
10:39 a.m.
On 11/17/16 7:26 AM, Kyle Owen wrote:
I just picked up "Unplayed by Human Hands"
(the first album, from 1975) and
wanted to learn a little more about how it was done. I do know it was a
PDP-8 and Model 33 ASR connected to a pipe organ, and there are bits and
pieces referencing it online.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unplayed_by_Human_Hands
https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1978-02/
I think there is a paper in the DECUS proceedings as well
You might be interested in knowing Prentiss is still around and the original tapes
along with several songs that weren't on the album were digitized by a friend of
mine about five years ago.
I have that issue scanned, I'll put it up under pdp8/music later today
10:46 a.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1978-02/
I think there is a paper in the DECUS proceedings as well
You might be interested in knowing Prentiss is still around and the
original tapes
along with several songs that weren't on the album were digitized by a
friend of
mine about five years ago.
I have that issue scanned, I'll put it up under pdp8/music later today
Thank you, Al! I did not know about the Kilobaud article; that's exactly
along the lines of what I was hoping to find!
Glad to hear the tapes have been saved. I have a 1965 Hammond organ and a
1915 player piano that I'd love to join together via a (completely
reversible) computer interface. Perhaps a project for another decade, but
we'll see.
11:10 a.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 10:26 AM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen
at gmail.com> wrote:
Interesting. From around 1975 or so, and worth learning about is the music synthesizer
developed on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois by Sherwin Gooch. The
hardware is described in great detail (including full schematics) in US Patent 4,206,675.
The software includes a music code compiler, using a code somewhat like the one you
referenced but different in details. I don't know if one borred from the other or if
they are independent inventions. (Sherwin might remember.)
A few years later PLATO added a 16 channel waveform synthesis device, controlled by the
microprocessor in the terminals. It had a similar music code, plus support for a piano
keyboard (with key velocity sensing) for music input with real time display of the score,
as well as score printing. Not long after, Lippold Haken created a keyboard that's
continuous rather than discrete (think of a keyboard like the fingerboard of a violin); a
successor of that is still sold today.
paul
I wish...but there may be an alternative. There is a 1970 book called "The
Computer and Music" containing 21 articles and documents on the subject.
Edited by Harry B. Lincoln. It is very possible that the Datamation
article drew content from this book and you might find the book for sale on
online..
Thanks Bill. Just ordered a copy from Amazon.
I just picked up "Unplayed by Human Hands" (the first album, from 1975) and
wanted to learn a little more about how it was done. I do know it was a
PDP-8 and Model 33 ASR connected to a pipe organ, and there are bits and
pieces referencing it online.
For instance, I found this project: https://github.com/jawknee/upbhh
But, alas...there doesn't seem to be any snippets of actual code from the
album there.
The code is described in some detail here too:
http://charlesames.net/glossary/linear-music-code.html
Again, no actual code. Bummer.
3:44 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 10:10 AM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net>
wrote:
Interesting. From around 1975 or so, and worth learning about is the
music synthesizer developed on the PLATO system at the University of
Illinois by Sherwin Gooch. The hardware is described in great detail
(including full schematics) in US Patent 4,206,675. The software includes
a music code compiler, using a code somewhat like the one you referenced
but different in details. I don't know if one borred from the other or if
they are independent inventions. (Sherwin might remember.)
A few years later PLATO added a 16 channel waveform synthesis device,
controlled by the microprocessor in the terminals. It had a similar music
code, plus support for a piano keyboard (with key velocity sensing) for
music input with real time display of the score, as well as score
printing. Not long after, Lippold Haken created a keyboard that's
continuous rather than discrete (think of a keyboard like the fingerboard
of a violin); a successor of that is still sold today.
I'd be very interested in any sound samples, if anyone has any...I guess
that's perhaps unlikely. And on that note (heh), are there any other
computer music albums out there? I know of the First Philadelphia Computer
Music Festival, the two Unplayed by Human Hands, and it looks like the
University of Melbourne had an electronic music album too. There's a 45
entitled Computer Composites that featured several IBM systems,
I'm finding it rather difficult to find LPs that are assuredly produced by
a digital computer versus by other electronic means, like early
synthesizers, etc.
Thanks, Al, for the scan upload! I've enjoyed reading that.
Kyle
3:52 p.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 3:44 PM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen
at gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 10:10 AM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net>
wrote:
Sound samples of the PLATO devices? I have somewhere an audio file made from a tape
recording of the earlier one (the GSW, 4 channel square wave). And it's supported in
the PLATO terminal emulator that talks to the Cyber1.org PLATO system. That almost
certainly doesn't exactly reproduce the wave form; I haven't attempted to simulate
the impulse response of the output circuit though I could certainly give that a try.
As for the later device, I don't have any recordings but they might exist. Sherwin
Gooch would be the most likely source, along with Lippold Haken.
paul
Interesting. From around 1975 or so, and worth learning about is the
music synthesizer developed on the PLATO system at the University of
Illinois by Sherwin Gooch. The hardware is described in great detail
(including full schematics) in US Patent 4,206,675. The software includes
a music code compiler, using a code somewhat like the one you referenced
but different in details. I don't know if one borred from the other or if
they are independent inventions. (Sherwin might remember.)
A few years later PLATO added a 16 channel waveform synthesis device,
controlled by the microprocessor in the terminals. It had a similar music
code, plus support for a piano keyboard (with key velocity sensing) for
music input with real time display of the score, as well as score
printing. Not long after, Lippold Haken created a keyboard that's
continuous rather than discrete (think of a keyboard like the fingerboard
of a violin); a successor of that is still sold today.
I'd be very interested in any sound samples, if anyone has any...I guess
that's perhaps unlikely. 
4:02 p.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 3:57 PM, Al Kossow <aek at
bitsavers.org> wrote:
On 11/17/16 12:44 PM, Kyle Owen wrote:
In college I once played some pieces from a recording in the back of a computer music
textbook. One of them was an "eight tone canon" (in an 8-tone scale, i.e.,
2^(1/8) ratio between consecutive notes).
I don't remember the title, unfortunately.
paul
are there any other
computer music albums out there?
yes, check the Warners budget (Nonesuch) label
4:03 p.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 4:02 PM, Paul Koning
<paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
This is the piece I mentioned, I believe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60oxsizDxaQ
paul
On Nov 17, 2016, at 3:57 PM, Al Kossow <aek at
bitsavers.org> wrote:
On 11/17/16 12:44 PM, Kyle Owen wrote:
In college I once played some pieces from a recording in the back of a computer music
textbook. One of them was an "eight tone canon" (in an 8-tone scale, i.e.,
2^(1/8) ratio between consecutive notes).
I don't remember the title, unfortunately. are there any other
computer music albums out there?
yes, check the Warners budget (Nonesuch) label
4:15 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
This is the piece I mentioned, I believe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=60oxsizDxaQ
That's quite eerie sounding!
18 Nov
18 Nov
9:30 a.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 4:15 PM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen
at gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 3:03 PM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
I believe I found the book in which that recording appears.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Music-By-Computers/release/2426436
I also remember another piece listed in that description, "British Grenadiers".
It's a smooth transition from that tune to "Johnny comes marching home".
Which is interesting because they are in different keys, one minor, one major.
The technical details listing at the end mentions ILLIAC II several times.
paul
This is the piece I mentioned, I believe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=60oxsizDxaQ
That's quite eerie sounding!
17 Nov
17 Nov
4:02 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 2:57 PM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
On 11/17/16 12:44 PM, Kyle Owen wrote:
Cool, thanks! I've heard of Nonesuch before, probably from Rifkin's Scott
Joplin album. Can you recommend any particular computer music titles? I'm
trying to find ones specifically composed for computers, not a human
playing a synthesizer.
are there any other
computer music albums out there?
yes, check the Warners budget (Nonesuch) label
4:08 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 12:44 PM, Kyle Owen <kylevowen at gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 10:10 AM, Paul Koning
<paulkoning at comcast.net>
wrote:
I have an LP, "Electronic Music from the University of Illinois" (1967 or
so):
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Electronic-Music-From-The-University-Of-Ill….
If I recall, they used the U of I's ILLIAC IV in the recording.
It's somewhat interesting but the electronic parts of it are sometimes hard
to discern :). Looks like someone's digitized it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ueVm8WvRHI.
I digitized an 45 of music generated by an Orchestra-80 (TRS-80 4-channel
synth), it's called "Classical Mosquito!" -- you can grab it from here:
http://yahozna.dyndns.org/scratch/mosquito/
As an aside, I've been (slowly) working on emulating Ted Kaehler's organ
keyboard / FM synth for the Xerox Alto (c. 1974) in ContrAlto. I have just
enough technical information and code listings to make it possible, but
there's just enough information missing to make it difficult...
- Josh
Interesting. From around 1975 or so, and worth learning about is the
music synthesizer developed on the PLATO system at the University of
Illinois by Sherwin Gooch. The hardware is described in great detail
(including full schematics) in US Patent 4,206,675. The software
includes
a music code compiler, using a code somewhat like
the one you referenced
but different in details. I don't know if one borred from the other or
if
they are independent inventions. (Sherwin might
remember.)
A few years later PLATO added a 16 channel waveform synthesis device,
controlled by the microprocessor in the terminals. It had a similar
music
code, plus support for a piano keyboard (with key
velocity sensing) for
music input with real time display of the score, as well as score
printing. Not long after, Lippold Haken created a keyboard that's
continuous rather than discrete (think of a keyboard like the fingerboard
of a violin); a successor of that is still sold today.
I'd be very interested in any sound samples, if anyone has any...I guess
that's perhaps unlikely. And on that note (heh), are there any other
computer music albums out there? I know of the First Philadelphia Computer
Music Festival, the two Unplayed by Human Hands, and it looks like the
University of Melbourne had an electronic music album too. There's a 45
entitled Computer Composites that featured several IBM systems,
I'm finding it rather difficult to find LPs that are assuredly produced by
a digital computer versus by other electronic means, like early
synthesizers, etc.
Thanks, Al, for the scan upload! I've enjoyed reading that.
Kyle
4:13 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 3:08 PM, Josh Dersch <derschjo at gmail.com> wrote:
I have an LP, "Electronic Music from the University of Illinois" (1967 or
so):
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Electronic-Music-From-
The-University-Of-Illinois/release/349054.
If I recall, they used the U of I's ILLIAC IV in the recording.
It's somewhat interesting but the electronic parts of it are sometimes hard
to discern :). Looks like someone's digitized it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ueVm8WvRHI.
Well, uh...that's certainly a little too avant-garde for my tastes, hah!
But that definitely fits the bill otherwise.
I digitized an 45 of music generated by an Orchestra-80 (TRS-80 4-channel
synth), it's called "Classical Mosquito!" -- you can grab it from here:
http://yahozna.dyndns.org/scratch/mosquito/
As an aside, I've been (slowly) working on emulating Ted Kaehler's organ
keyboard / FM synth for the Xerox Alto (c. 1974) in ContrAlto. I have just
enough technical information and code listings to make it possible, but
there's just enough information missing to make it difficult...
That'll be very nice to see once you get that going!
5:30 p.m.
I remember that CDC used to put on a show for Navy brass back in the 60s
using, tape drives and printers for the rendition of "Anchors Aweigh".
ISTR that it was a 1604 used for this, but may also have been a 3800.
The memory dulls with time.
I believe there was also a similar rendition of "The Stars and Stripes
Forever". Very impressive to watch and hear.
Do any recordings exist of these?
--Chuck
5:04 p.m.
On 2016-Nov-17, at 1:08 PM, Josh Dersch wrote:
I have an LP, "Electronic Music from the
University of Illinois" (1967 or
so):
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Electronic-Music-From-The-University-Of-Ill….
If I recall, they used the U of I's ILLIAC IV in the recording.
Somethings' amiss there, 1967 is way too early for ILLIAC IV.
ILLIAC IV wasn't actually located at U of I.
According to refs it was installed at NASA Ames (Calif) in 1971-2.
It's somewhat interesting but the electronic parts
of it are sometimes hard
to discern :). Looks like someone's digitized it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ueVm8WvRHI.
5:20 p.m.
On Nov 17, 2016, at 5:04 PM, Brent Hilpert <hilpert
at cs.ubc.ca> wrote:
On 2016-Nov-17, at 1:08 PM, Josh Dersch wrote:
Maybe an earlier ILLIAC? I vaguely remember hearing that ILLIAC I had been used to make
music.
ILLIAC IV was designed at U of I and was originally intended to be located there; they
even built a high-security building for it (CAC). But in the end DoD didn't like all
those unruly students so they installed at at Ames instead. The building ended up being
used for an ARPAnet node instead.
paul
I have an LP, "Electronic Music from the
University of Illinois" (1967 or
so):
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Electronic-Music-From-The-University-Of-Ill….
If I recall, they used the U of I's ILLIAC IV in the recording.
Somethings' amiss there, 1967 is way too early for ILLIAC IV.
ILLIAC IV wasn't actually located at U of I.
According to refs it was installed at NASA Ames (Calif) in 1971-2.
5:26 p.m.
On 11/17/16 2:20 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
Maybe an earlier ILLIAC?
correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiac_Suite
5:45 p.m.
On 2016-Nov-17, at 2:26 PM, Al Kossow wrote:
On 11/17/16 2:20 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
Maybe an earlier ILLIAC?
correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiac_Suite From that link, ILLIAC Suite / String Quartet No. 4 is
a 1957 composition by the ILLIAC I, programmed by Lejaren A. Hiller.
(According to
Ed Thelen's site the ILLIAC I was then retired in 1962.)
Josh's 1967 record lists "Machine Music" by Lejaren A. Hiller but (from the
presented info) it's not clear those are the same composition (the names at least are
inconsistent).
5:51 p.m.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/illiac-suite-for-string-quartet-1957/oclc/386…
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3AComputer+music.&qt=hot_subject#x0…
is an interesting search
On 11/17/16 2:45 PM, Brent Hilpert wrote:
On 2016-Nov-17, at 2:26 PM, Al Kossow wrote:
On 11/17/16 2:20 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
From that link, ILLIAC Suite / String Quartet No. 4 is a 1957 composition by the ILLIAC
I, programmed by Lejaren A. Hiller.
(According to Ed Thelen's site the ILLIAC I was then retired in 1962.)
Josh's 1967 record lists "Machine Music" by Lejaren A. Hiller but (from the
presented info) it's not clear those are the same composition (the names at least are
inconsistent).
Maybe an earlier ILLIAC?
correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiac_Suite
5:54 p.m.
and
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102651543
On 11/17/16 2:51 PM, Al Kossow wrote:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/illiac-suite-for-string-quartet-1957/oclc/386…
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3AComputer+music.&qt=hot_subject#x0…
is an interesting search
On 11/17/16 2:45 PM, Brent Hilpert wrote:
On 2016-Nov-17, at 2:26 PM, Al Kossow wrote:
On 11/17/16 2:20 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
From that link, ILLIAC Suite / String Quartet No. 4 is a 1957 composition by the ILLIAC
I, programmed by Lejaren A. Hiller.
(According to Ed Thelen's site the ILLIAC I was then retired in 1962.)
Josh's 1967 record lists "Machine Music" by Lejaren A. Hiller but (from the
presented info) it's not clear those are the same composition (the names at least are
inconsistent).
Maybe an earlier ILLIAC?
correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiac_Suite 
18 Nov
18 Nov
3:54 a.m.
I've only skimmed this thread so I'll appologize in advance if I'm off
topic or repeating things.
But here are a few other early computer music projects:
EMS in London (PDP-8/s):
http://120years.net/musys-and-mouse-audio-synthesis-language-peter-grogono-…
EMS in Stockholm (PDP-15):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCdlTilrp5k
In Memoriam LP (Datasaab D2, D21 and D22):
http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/datasaab/musik.html
Cheers,
Pontus.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 08:54:10AM -0600, Kyle Owen wrote:
Does anyone have a scanned (or hard) copy of this?
I'm trying to locate
one, without much success. I'm mostly interested in the article entitled
"Capture and Display of Keyboard Music".
Thanks!
Kyle
2804
days inactive
2805
days old
26 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
aek＠bitsavers.org -
billdegnan＠gmail.com -
cclist＠sydex.com -
coryheisterkamp＠gmail.com -
derschjo＠gmail.com -
hilpert＠cs.ubc.ca -
kylevowen＠gmail.com -
paulkoning＠comcast.net -
pontus＠Update.UU.SE