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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

2088.0. "The Incredible Scorpio?" by UPOA1::NOVELLO () Fri Aug 18 1989 16:53

    
	Does anyone know who this man was/is?

	He had a set of electro-mechanical drums (solenoids attached to
	beaters) which were somehow sequenced by a big black box.
	
	I saw him play at a college mixer in Sept. of 1972 (Waltham, MA).
	His keyboard playing was mediocre, and his singing was worse
	(as I remember), but we were all amazed by his drum machine. 
	I remember thinking that keyboard players with electronic drums 
	would never catch on :-).

	I heard that later in the '70s, he had robots carry his
	keyboards onstage.

	Last I heard, he was a slum lord and had given up playing music

	Was he an MIT student? Some say yes, some say no.
	What type of programmable hardware was around then? 
    
	I have to chuckle whenever I see a solo performer with 10K
	worth of the latest gear not sounding any better than Scorpio
	did 17 years ago.

	Guy Novello
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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2088.1I saw him (I think)...FGVAXX::LAINGSoft-Core Cuddler*Jim Laing*282-1476Mon Aug 21 1989 12:008
    I think I saw this guy at B.U. around '77 or '78 or so.  He did
    have a robot to "entertain the crowd", alot of keyboards, played
    some guitar, and had what looked like a PDP-something to control
    his (real) drums.  Maybe I was naive back then, but I remember being
    impressed with the sound he was able to create by himself, and the
    drum "machine".   Maybe he'd improve since '72?!
    
    -Jim
2088.2Maybe?DRUMS::FEHSKENSMon Aug 21 1989 13:008
    I think I may have known (and played with) this guy.  I think his
    last name is Terwilliger.  I know his older brother was an MIT student,
    he (his brother) lived in the same dormitory I did.  I lost touch
    with him (if it's the same guy) before he went off doing his Scorpio
    thing.  When I played with him, he was just a plain old guitarist.
    
    len.
    
2088.3Thanks.UPOA1::NOVELLOTue Aug 22 1989 10:306
    
    	Thanks for the info. I think that this dude was ahead of his
    	time in many respects.
    
    	Guy
    
2088.4Everythings transient? 1-e(t)LEDDEV::ROSSshiver me timbres....Tue Aug 22 1989 16:3011
    
    	SO WHY DIDNT IT WORK???????
    
    	I wonder.
    
    	I still have 'dreams' about doing that kinda solo thing.....
    
	I dont tell anyone that, tho....
    
    ron