Datamation, May 1972

[Kyle Owen]

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