Seer Systems - First software synth

Boot up that copy of Win98! : )

"Seer Systems invented the software-based 486 music synthesizer in 1993. From this experience grew the RealityTM, SurRealTM, and reMixerTM professional-strength software-based synthesizer engine for Win98. By making the instrument as well as its sounds distributable, the comprehensive, patented SeerMusic system (U.S. #5,886,274) accomplishes everything that is needed for the music delivery system of the future.

Please note that all Seer Software runs on Windows 95 or 98™. An XP™ version is in preparation but no release date can yet be offered. You can try to set up a "dual-boot" system. But committing a fast legacy Win 98 machine with digital output from Reality™ is still justifiable in many cases. "

BTW, check out the history page on Dave Smith Instruments. Dave Smith founded Sequential Circuits, is responsible for the Prophet 5, Prophet VS, MIDI, the Korg Wavestation and this. He also worked at Yamaha where I wouldn't be surprised if he worked on the Yamaha TG33 Wavetable synth.

Phoenix

Interesting connection to Syd which I posted about earlier. Antonio Tuzzi, author of a software synthesizer named Phoenix developed in 1997 for the Mac, dropped by to post a comment on the Syd.

"I think I've seen for the first time Syd in 1996. Was my inspiration: I wrote a couple of emails to Jim and after that I decided to write a virtual analog real time synth and by the 1997 I had Phoenix up and running on MacOS9.
Phonenix is (was) a very powerful tool! It was used in couple of schools.
If you have a powermac still running MACOS9... let me know
the url contains a snapshot of Phoenix running"

I find the very first software synthesizers fascinating. I remember when I saw Dave Smith's Seer Systems Reality for the first time. I thought this is it. The time has finally come for synthesizers in software, the realization of the PPG Realizer. I remember thinking the next step would be less powerful but more accessible shrink wrapped synths in software. Now we have thousands of software synthesizers available to us, many even free.

Update: you can get the software here: link. Install and use at your own risk. Antonio Tuzzi sent this my way with the following comments:

"Hi M,

attached phoenix...

remember, was a development stage application (used in digidesign in
1997~1998...)

is written for MACOS9 (but still run with some chocking on MACOSX calssic mode)

is a RAR file that contais a DMG image, file should be copied in
alocal directory on the final computer

there is pratically no documentation. but the synth is still able to
create real time AIF files that can be reused in samplers or in
composign software (ProTools ?).

implemented oscillators tables filters string filters delays reverb
analyzer and room simulators


ciao
antonio"