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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:	* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:	Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:	DYPSS1::SCHAFER

Created:	Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:	Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2852
Total number of notes:	33157

1046.0. "Computers used in advanced synthesis" by ANGORA::JANZEN (Tom LMO2/O23 DTN296-5421) Mon Dec 07 1987 08:57

I performed a fast (.5 hour) careless survey of the music synthesis
literature in my office to inventory the CPUs used in computer music.

-In Foundations of Computer Music (Roads, Strawn, ed.) John Chowning's
famous article on FM reports that he used a Digital Equipment Corp.
PDP-10 for development.
-In Max Mathews Technology of Computer Music, he reports using a
General Electric 635 for MUSIC4.

-Then I surveyed the Computer Music Journal back to volume 8 (we are in 
vol 11 now, I think:
XI-3 (volume 11, number 3 of CMJ):a letter asked for Digital Equipment
Corp LSI-11 Q-bus hardware and software in the public domain, for
use in developing computer music in China (I saw a Kurzweil in China on TV,
too).
X-1: Kurzweil 250 based on MC68000 at 10MHz
IX-3: Yamaha CX5M based on Z80A.
IX-1: DMX-1000 from Digital Music Systems meant to run on a Digital
Equipment PDP-11 or LSI-11
VIII-3: FORMES in Vlisp on a DEC PDP-10 and later a Digital Equipment
VAX-11/780 at IRCAM, is a score development and synthesis language or system.
VIII-3:IRCAMs DEC PDP-10 was used by J. Harvey for making his piece,
Bhakti.
VIII-2:Vaggione used IRCAMs PDP-10 for making his work, Octour.

I think you get the point.  I could have gone back to volume two, but
I wanted to emphasize the currency of large computer systems in modern
computer music.

Also, don't make the mistake of equating "weird noises" and 
sliding sine waves with computer music made on large computer systems.
Instead, equate the source of computer music ideas of all types now being
sold in stores, the future of computer music for all of us, the development
of advanced principles and beautiful music of many different personal
musical languages, with computer music made on large computer systems.

Tom Janzen, yes, Digital Equipment Corporation, 111 Locke Dr. Marlboro, MA 01752

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1046.1	a career based on rotational inventory?	SALSA::MOELLER		`Mon Dec 07 1987 10:53`	19
	thanks for the research, Tom. it's clear that the technical advances have come from labs equipped with fairly large systems. My all-time favorite 'lab' sound is 'Shepherd's Tones', a 10-overtone series forming an ever-dropping sound that never stops.. it rolls off each overtone as it drops to a specific frequency, and sneaks another one in at the top.. a truly special sound. I would say, however, that the musical sensibilities of those lab denizens are somewhat lacking, (as in non/and in/human) and further, that it's only recently, with the 'democratization' of computer music (read AFFORDABLE microsystems) that the MUSIC has become listenable, possibly because the instruments are in the hands of MUSICIANS, not computer hacker/scientists. But I will grant you that all the technological breakthrus do indeed occur in well-equipped computer labs. Now if that requisition for that ADV11-AA would only come in. karl moeller Digital Equipment Corporation SWS Principal Specialist
1046.2	Also a PDP-6	SAUTER::SAUTER	John Sauter	`Tue Dec 08 1987 07:14`	7
	re: .0 John Chowning's work was started on a PDP-6 which developed into a PDP-6/PDP-10 dual processor. I left before he published his famous FM synthesis article, so I don't know if the PDP-6 processor was still on-line at that time. John Sauter
1046.3	this I gotta hear!	LOLITA::DIORIO		`Tue Dec 08 1987 09:56`	7
	RE .1 the Shepard's tones: Karl, I 've never heard the sound you describe, but now I am very curious to hear it (them?). Where (or how) could I find a recording of the Shepard's tones? Mike D.
1046.4	your move, Mike	SALSA::MOELLER		`Tue Dec 08 1987 12:26`	10
	re .1, 'Shepherd's Tones' Two years ago I raided the local library for everything I could find regarding the structure of sounds, electronic/computer music, etc.. one of the books had several flexydisks in it. I don't remember the title/author. However, I did record all the sounds (with narration) on cassette. karl
1046.5	I Think it's like Early '70s, Man....	DRUMS::FEHSKENS		`Tue Dec 08 1987 13:17`	7
	Might it have been Heinz Forrester's "Computer Music"? I have an old copy, it had a half dozen or so of them flexible records. I recall this recycling overtone sound from somewhere, might have been Forrester. len.
1046.6	BTL, maybe?	CTHULU::YERAZUNIS	Snowstorm Canoeist	`Tue Dec 08 1987 14:13`	5
	I thought the ever-rising tone was a PDP-11 hack out of Bell Labs (that's where I first heard of it). That was about '78.
1046.7	I Think It Predates the -11	DRUMS::FEHSKENS		`Tue Dec 08 1987 14:39`	5
	Well, the von Forrester (did I leave out the von before?) book dates from around 1972 or so. len.
1046.8	I referred to it in my cmj article	MORRIS::JANZEN	Tom LMO2/O23 DTN296-5421	`Tue Dec 08 1987 15:28`	2
	I have this recording. I think I know which record. Tom
1046.9		HPSTEK::RHODES		`Wed Dec 09 1987 08:27`	5
	And don't forget that yesterday's big systems are todays small systems. I believe more research will be done on small systems (uVax, etc) in the future... Todd.
1046.10	Ancient computer music	DFLAT::DICKSON	Network Design tools	`Wed Dec 09 1987 09:55`	4
	A loong time ago Bell Labs released an album (on Decca) of various computer music projects done with MUSIC4B and other programs. The ever-rising and ever-descending tones effect was one of them. (Also the original singing of "Daisy" as used in the movie "2001".)
1046.11	you call that music?	FROST::HARRIMAN	How do I work this?	`Wed Dec 09 1987 14:48`	16
	re: original singing of "daisy" I have the original album of that - the album is a 7.5" 33rpm mini-documentary of computer speech synthesis (circa 1965). The record came with a "create your own speech synthesizer" kit from them (it consisted of three LC filters and an oscillator to create "oo", "ahh" "ee", etc). It turns out that the entire thing was driven from punch cards. I haven't listened to it in years. The research was applied very early on ("the number you have dialed - five - five - five - - - wun - too - wun - too - - - has been disconnected.") thenkyew (click) /pjh
1046.12		DFLAT::DICKSON	Network Design tools	`Wed Dec 09 1987 16:12`	3
	Hey, I had one of those speech synthesizer kits myself. With a cardboard chassis. I don't recall a record coming with it, but that was too long ago.
1046.13	Now can you remember the schematic?	FROST::HARRIMAN	How do I work this?	`Thu Dec 10 1987 08:19`	6
	yup, that's the one. Cardboard chassis. Yes, there was a record with it, too - that was half the fun. The stupid thing wasn't exactly a vocoder... /pjh
1046.14	Corrections	DRUMS::FEHSKENS		`Wed Dec 16 1987 11:28`	8
	I dug out my von Foerster (not Forrester); there's another author whose name escapes me. The "Shepherd's tone" effect is not on the records included with the book. The book is from 1968, and it's called "Music By Computers". I need to get parity installed on my aging memory. len.