via bodsterbug in the comments of this post.
"I have a alpha syntauri synth that has been sat around for years... Can anyone shed any light on it as I have no idea how it is used etc? How much is it worth? I am looking to sell it to free up some room. My email is bodsterbug aol.com.
Here are a few pics"
Update via Steve in the comments: "Check out this youtube video featuring the Alpha Syntauri (spelled there Alpha Centauri, like the constellation). The sound quality is somewhat muffled." Video below.
UFO from the PLEIADES Mark Murdock SOUNDTRACK
YouTube via musicproductionnotes
"Soundtrack by Mark Murdock for THE MEIRE CHRONICLES UFO documentary film featuring Apple 2 and Alpha Centauri [alphaSyntauri] Mountain Music- the first digital music software introduced in 1981 performed by Mark Murdock and assisted by Joe Berger on a very low budget" Update via Deadpan110 in the comments: "Quote: At the same time synthesizers were becoming less and less analog. Digital sequencers and digital keyboards were the norm, and digital oscillators offered better stability than the analog type. A microprocessor of the day could be programmed to produce 16 voices of somewhat limited tone colors, and this cold be build on a circuit board that would fit into a slot on an Apple II. These boards were mostly built by hobbyists, but commercial versions were sold by companies like Mountain Hardware. The Alpha Centauri was based on such a board and also included a piano style keyboard and sequencing software. Also: There must have been over a thousand hybrid systems built between 1978 and 1984. Most of these were home made. Found on: Short History of Computer Music - Part II." Update via Laurie Spiegel: "To elucidate this mysterious antiquity somewhat: The alphaSyntauri (note: not "C...entauri") "The Origin Syn" (as our promo buttons said): http://www.purplenote.com/syntauri/" link to proximaSyntauri website.
Not sure I ever heard of this one!
ReplyDeleteNo knobs or anything?
Here's a better description of this keyboard and what it SHOULD come with and how much it's worth. Strangely enough via... Matrixsynth...
ReplyDeletehttp://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2007/06/alpha-syntauri.html
It's the very first google search result too...
Quite arcane piece of music history!
ReplyDeleteWent back to read the original 2-year-old thread linked by Justin & was surprised that I commented in it so heavily. Memories...
ReplyDeleteI had one of these systems back when it first came out. It was pretty cool in it's day. It was pushing the Apple II to the forefront for sure. All on 5" floppies too. I sold mine for $500 if I remember. It had a fairly decent sized bard that went in in computer. Very fun. I don't remember the keyboard as so fancy looking though but I had one of the very first generation units.
ReplyDeleteFrom June 25 2007...Details
ReplyDelete"Multi-timbral synthesiser, with wave-shaping capabilities and harmonic synthesis.
Original Alpha Syntauri system, with Mountain computer cards, keyboard and software. Apple IIe, double disc drive and monitor included. Lots of original Apple software."
Check out this youtube video featuring the Alpha Syntauri (spelled there Alpha Centauri, like the constellation). The sound quality is somewhat muffled.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHk-Vuj3POc
Centaurus is the constellation, Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the constellation.
ReplyDeleteQuote:
ReplyDeleteAt the same time synthesizers were becoming less and less analog. Digital sequencers and digital keyboards were the norm, and digital oscillators offered better stability than the analog type. A microprocessor of the day could be programmed to produce 16 voices of somewhat limited tone colors, and this cold be build on a circuit board that would fit into a slot on an Apple II. These boards were mostly built by hobbyists, but commercial versions were sold by companies like Mountain Hardware. The Alpha Centauri was based on such a board and also included a piano style keyboard and sequencing software.
Also:
There must have been over a thousand hybrid systems built between 1978 and 1984. Most of these were home made.
Found on:
Short History of Computer Music - Part II.
A little more digging may have found a tiny bit more info - this time on the history of the Apple II.
ReplyDeleteThe Mountain Music System (Mountain Computer, Inc.) was a more advanced sixteen oscillator (voice) digital synthesizer, also with software to control it. Soundchaser System (Passport Designs, Inc.) was a package that included the Mountain Music System (using slots 4 and 5), plus the Soundchaser, which was a piano-style keyboard for music input, whose card went in slot 7. It allowed four track recording and sound manipulation, using the Apple II primarily as a controller. This was probably the most advanced music hardware system available in the days before the release of the IIGS
Found on:
Apple II History Chapter 13
So it looks like the Alpha Syntauri had a big part to play in the brief history of digital synths and pioneering computer sequenced music but may have been one of several using the Mountain Music System.
I had one of these. It sucked big time. Worst mistake of my life. I sold my Prophet 5, TR808, MC202 and SH101 to buy it with an Apple IIE.
ReplyDeleteIt sounded like a crappy organ at best. Additive synthesis that allowed adjusting harmonics but no individual envelop control. Waveform drawing but it was a single cycle static sound.
Just bad. Traded it for a CS60 and Arp2600. Much better deal.
Lol. Found a lonely little pedal here http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/222087089361?
ReplyDelete