Teenage Engineering Featured in "What's New" Preview Tips in Mac Sonoma 14.5

Thought this was interesting. I updated my Mac to Sonoma 14.5 last night. This morning I flipped through the "What's New" tips and saw this. Some exposure for modular synths. Curious how Teenage Engineering managed that. I wasn't researching Teenage Engineering so I don't think Apple did some browser history magic there.

If you've updated to Sonoma 14.5, take a look and let us know if you see the same.

Apple Vision Pro and Animoog Galaxy - Sonic LAB Exploration

video upload by sonicstate

"Nick and Gaz Williams have a talk with the talented @gbevinGeert Bevin @gbevin - @MoogSynthesizers Head of Software Development - we got to take a look at how the Apple Vision Pro is being used by Moog as the platform for one of the first Spatial Computing applications - the Moog Animoog Galaxy - as well as a sneak peak at the MidiWidgets app Geert has also been working on.

We get a glimpse of how this new platform might be used as a new way of creating workspaces.

Fascinating.
Animoog Galaxy is available now $29.99 via the US iTunes Store only."

Synth Rorschach #82: Gallery of Apple Macs That Could Have Been

Spotted this one on Boing Boing

What comes to mind?

See the Synth Rorschach label at the bottom of this post for more.

Apple II Plays a DIY Modular Synthesizer

video upload by Joshua Coleman Makes

"In this video we pair the trusty Apple II Plus with my newly-constructed modular synth. We check out some basics about the connections and we write a couple programs in BASIC to capitalize on this quirky connection!

DCP Microdevelopments Webpage for Interpack Controllers:
http://www.dcpmicro.com/interpack/ind...

Arduino Voltage Controlled Digital Core Multimode Oscillator:
https://github.com/luislutz/Arduino-VDCO

Chapters:
00:00 Opening Credits
00:27 Intro
01:01 Synthesizer Breakdown
03:33 Apple II Breakdown
04:06 DAC Explanation
04:43 DCP Microdevelopments Controller
06:31 How It All Works with Examples
08:33 Simple Frequency Sweep BASIC Program
11:51 Intro to more complex BASIC Programs
11:59 Program 1: Mary Had a Little Lamb
12:26 Program 2: Apple II as Musical Keyboard for Synth
12:50 Closing thoughts
13:53 Outro"

Eurorack Modular System at Apple Park

Spotted this image in this article about Apple Park on wallpaper.com

It's captioned:

"An audio designer creates custom sounds in the Design Studio sound lab"

It's not too surprising considering how popular eurorack has become, but it still is cool to see. Someone there likes modular. :)

RARE Alpha Syntauri Synthesizer System for Apple IIe

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Ultra rare Alpha Syntauri Synthesizer System for Apple IIe w/ all hard- and software in great condition, incl. some NOS (new-old-stock) parts from my personal collection of vintage historic Sound Synthesis and Music Creation hard- and software.

—

These systems are a COLLECTOR DREAM, as they are incredibly hard to find in working condition and with all required components, software and documentation."

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Roland CMU-800R real demo with AppleII interface.

DeftAudio

"This is the basic overview of CMU-800R capabilities and Apple II software driving it. Less talking and actual demos."

MAKING MUSIC ON A APPLE ii 1983 8 bit using DMS Drummer

Published on Aug 28, 2019 LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER

"long before the #apple #macintosh. Making a song on a apple ii by using the dms drummer against its intended purpose! uh oh. #8bit weapon

more info on DMS can be found here :-
https://8bitweapon.com/store/

Downloads of the files aswell as other loops etc and even an extra video content of what else came with the apple ii is available over here on my patreon, thanks for the support it helps a lot with projects like this and the gameboy mega machine:-
https://www.patreon.com/lookmumnocomp..."

You can find additional posts including video demos of DMS Drummer in the archives here.

Music On An OLDSKOOL Apple Macintosh Classic and CUBASE 1.0

Published on May 5, 2019 LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER

"SO YEAH TIME TO PROCRASTINATE by trying to make a song on cubase 1.0 on an old apple macintosh. im setting off tomorrow for my europe tour, info can be found here :-"

Alphasyntauri Synthesizer Interface for Apple II

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Looks new. Esoteric piece of synthesizer kit. Just cool that things like this exist for those that might need it.

"Alphasyntauri synthesizer interface card for Apple II
This is just the (hard to get) interface between the keyboard and the apple II.

For a full working Alphasyntauri you also need:
Mountain Hardware Music System (MCMS) board set (2 boards)
Alpha Plus software (at minimum)"

RARE VTG 70's ALF PRODUCTS APPLE II MUSIC SYNTHESIZER SOFTWARE CASSETTE TAPE #3

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

12-2-1A 0003 USE EITHER SIDE

If anyone knows what this did, feel free to leave a comment. It may or may not have been this.

via wikipedia: "When ALF began selling music cards for the Apple II, floppy disk drives were not yet common on the Apple, so the software was supplied on cassette tape.[25] ALF worked closely with a local cassette tape duplication company, helping them modify equipment designed for voice and music to copy cassettes with data in Apple's format. They asked ALF to design equipment to copy floppy disks so they could do business in that market as well, but ALF, wanting to focus on their own products, declined. When ALF later began offering the music card software on floppy disks, they quickly discovered that existing methods for copying the disks were slow and extremely unreliable. ALF went back to the cassette duplication company to work with them on creating floppy duplicators, but by that time the cassette company had decided not to enter the floppy business."

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Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major - Original Apple II

Published on Nov 28, 2016 MrCaliforniaD

Apple Watch – Play

Published on Oct 21, 2015 Apple

What the?

4 iPad's & laptop live jam @ Apple Store Berlin September 2015

Published on Sep 10, 2015 Oliver Greschke

Short clip but very cool to see. Exposure for our world at an Apple store. BTW, anyone looking forward to the iPad Pro? I started with the original iPad excited to use it as a controller and for virtual synths. It works well as a controller and I still use it to this day. It was a little underpowered for synths, especially newer ones. I picked up an iPad Mini Retina which works well for synths, but I'm missing a larger screen. I'm definitely tempted by the Pro, but man, the price...

Video description:
"Live jam from our talk we gave at Apple Store Berlin.
Featuring Elastic Drums, zMors Modular, Studiomux (Midimux&Audiomux), Touchable and Ableton Live on a Laptop.
Elastic Drums and zMors Modular were synced via Midimux to the Laptop, which was the tempo host. zMors Modular went directly into the laptop via Audiomux VST Plugin. 2 other iPads were controlling Ableton DAW and Ableton instruments with Touchable. All connections were made with standard lightning cables, no special soundcards or connectors have been used."

Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic with Apple II Interface Card

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Note this does require an Apple II and software to run. You don't see pics of the card often.

See this post and this post for a couple of video overviews of the CMU-800. A search will bring up previous posts.

"Up for sale is a very rare Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic vintage analog synthesizer/sequencer module. Additionally it has 8 cv/gate outs for controlling other gear that supports this feature.

The unit powers on and the LED lights up, but that is all as far as the testing goes as I don't have the needed gear to test. So I am selling this AS IS.

It also comes with an Apple II interface card -- no software though. (Everything you get is in the two photos).

If you search the net there is a way of making or buying a MIDI interface for this. One is available for around $75 from beatnic.jp, which is based on an atMega168 using schematics and c code another Japanese fellow developed. I'll include on a DVD-ROM this set of files. -- in case you want to implement your own using the schematics, printed circut board image file and the c code.

I read that with the MIDI interface you can trigger all 8 channels of the cv/gate -- for compatible gear. Channel 8 has a nice portamento effect."

Camel Audio Acquired by Apple?

via MacRumors

"Apple appears to have acquired popular music plug-in and effect maker Camel Audio, based on information found on corporate registry site Companies House [PDF]. Camel Audio's address has been updated to 100 New Bridge Street, which is Apple's London address, and the company's sole director is now listed as Apple lawyer Heather Joy Morrison, suggesting the company is in the possession of Apple.

Camel Audio is known for its range of plug-ins, synthesizers, effects, and sound libraries, which were available via the company's Alchemy software. Previously available for $249, Alchemy included more than 1000 sounds, 5.5GB worth of samples, a powerful additive resynthesis engine, spectral resynthesis, a virtual analog synthesizer, and more. Its powerful engine was highly useful to those who liked to create and manipulate audio for unique sounds."

Interesting. Curious if it will become part of Garage Band. Deeper instruments coming to the platform?

1985 Jellinghaus German Ad

via synthmuseum.de

Translation via Chris:

"Quality in sight...

The Score Writer module contains the new 16 channel sequencer and music printing software. Loads in seconds, 990 DM complete.
The new Recording Studio II sequencer is also available separately on diskette: 290 DM.
16 tracks, variable pattern length, real-time, step-time,
note list and editing clear and straightforward to use.

++ New ++

AKAI sound sampler software
including multi-sample processing
for Apple II
Apple Interface including software 650-

JMS MSX diskette drive
for AKAI samplers
or the Yamaha CX-5M Computer 398-"

Season's Greetings from The Glasgow School of Art

Season's Greetings from The Glasgow School of Art from The Glasgow School of Art on Vimeo.

This one in via Alan, spotted on Creative Review.  James Houston who created the video brought us a number of other brilliant pieces using vintage computer gear.  You'll find links to them at the bottom of this post.  Be sure to check them out.   And of course, be sure to see the holiday channel below for more holiday posts!  Some great ones have come in so far.

"Season's Greetings and best wishes from The Glasgow School of Art for 2014.

This year's seasonal e-card comes from alumnus James Houston. James graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 2008 with a first class degree in Visual Communication. He works in Glasgow as a moving image maker. http://www.1030.co.uk

The ensemble: A collection of vintage Mac computers, a Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum + 1 and a SEGA Mega Drive perform a rendition of 'Carol of the Bells' with lyrics re-written by Robert Florence & Philip Larkin in the Mackintosh Library at The Glasgow School of Art. Jacket by Ten30.co.uk (Alan Moore, GSA Textiles alumnus 2008).

James aimed to create a piece of Christmas music by appropriating past Christmas gifts. "I discovered that a few had the capability for speech synthesis so the obvious next step was to figure out how to assemble a choir." he said. "This is a process which is based on the last piece of work I did as a student at GSA." (See James' Degree Show film - Big Ideas (Don't Get Any).

Lyrics: Carol of the Bells

HAIL THE MACHINES
SWEET OLD MACHINES
BLOW OFF THE DUST
WIPE OFF THE RUST

CHRISTMAS HAS COME
JOY IS FORETOLD
FOR THOSE OF US
YOU NEVER SOLD

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Apple II Plus, Apple IIe and Apple IIGS Echo+ Speech Synthesizer with Software

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"FROM THE INTERNET:
In the 1980s two other popular brands were the Echo II (slot-based) and Cricket (for the modem port on the IIc) synthesizers, made by Street Electronics. These latter also included the ability to produce a robotic voice, a female voice, sound effects, and stereo music. Some games released at the time had enhanced sound output when one of these two devices were detected. For speech reproduction, they used a method of accepting ASCII text from the computer in the form of “phonemes” to describe and produce voice through a built-in speaker. They used this approach because English words have a variety of pronunciation depending on their context. Properly programmed, the voice synthesizers could pronounce the word “root” to rhyme with either “boot” or “foot”. It wasn't until the IIGS came out with the built-in capability of speech reproduction (via the Ensoniq chip) that software making use of that feature became available in any quantity."

Yamaha Music Interface for Apple IIe

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Yamaha Musical Interface! A MIDI interface for the Apple IIe!!! For further documentation, please see this website. This is in fine collectors condition, and is as new and has never been used."

This one is via Loscha who says it's from Frostwave's Paul Perry's personal stash. That's a little bit of synth history for you.

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