OHM-01

YouTube via rasppatrol
"Early days of synthesizers."
OHM on Ebay
OHM on Amazon
Look for The Early Gurus of Electronic Music - DVD and CD.

Click for more Laurie Spiegel on MATRIXSYNTH
Regarding what she is playing (from a prior post):
"Concerto for Self-Accompanying Digital Synthesizer. The instrument is possibly the first realtime digital synthesizer, built at Bell Telephone Labs, NJ by Hal Alles and team, with C language software written by Laurie that processes the player's live input into an ongoing accompaniment that will continue to be played live against."

Update: the video above was posted on YouTube without permission from the makers of OHM. The following video is approved and was uploaded by Laurie Spiegel.


"Concerto for Self-Accompanying Digital Synthesizer. The instrument is possibly the first realtime digital synthesizer, built at Bell Telephone Labs, NJ by Hal Alles and team, with C language software written by Laurie that processes the player's live input into an ongoing accompaniment that will continue to be played live against.

This is a legal copy uploaded by the owner of the original tape. The OHM DVD's video was taken from this.

For more info on see http://retiary.org/ls/obsolete_systems

For tech info on the synth see:
http://www.matrixsynth.com/blog/media..." [mirrored here]
Be sure to see additional comments here.

Part 1: Laurie Spiegel Bell Labs Interview 1984

YouTube via MusicMouse
"This interview was taped at Bell Labs in 1984, with brief intro by Max Mathews. Some of this footage may have made it into the documentary for which this was recorded but most of it has not been seen anywhere yet. Apologies for not knowing the name of the interviewer. This is Part 1 of 2."

Part 2: Laurie Spiegel Bell Labs Interview 1984


video upload by

Update: also see this video.

Bell Labs Speech Synthesis Site

In case you missed the update to this post, you can find a site on the Bell Labs Speech Synthesis here. Apparently you can still buy the kits here. Also, some comments in this electro-music.com thread. BTW, comments are disabled in this post so we can keep all the comments in the previous post.

via Pete

Bell Labs Speech Synthesis

Click here for additional pics via this auction

Details:

"This complete and unused kit contains everything you need to understand speech synthesis and build your own synthesiser. Produced by Bell Systems Laboratories in 1963, the kit contains all the original equipment and parts which includes the book with complete instructions. The kit is complete and has never been used. It was intended for high school and college students and not for young children. This is an excellent source for hands on learning. When Bell Labs made something, they made it extremely well."

Update via Pete in the comments:
Bell Labs Speech Synthesis site
Kits still available here

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Future of BASS Today!

This one sent in via Randy.

BELL Labs Bass Synth.

If anyone knows more about this one, feel free to comment.

Laurie Spiegel and the Bell Labs Programmable Digital Synthesizer

YouTube Uploaded by MusicMouse on Jan 26, 2007
Audio on left channel only.
"Concerto for Self-Accompanying Digital Synthesizer. The instrument is possibly the first realtime digital synthesizer, built at Bell Telephone Labs, NJ by Hal Alles and team, with C language software written by Laurie that processes the player's live input into an ongoing accompaniment that will continue to be played live against.

This is a legal copy uploaded by the owner of the original tape. The OHM DVD's video was taken from this.

For more info on see http://retiary.org/ls/obsolete_systems

For tech info on the synth see:
http://www.matrixsynth.com/blog/media/misc/spiegel/Alles1.pdf"

Laurie Spiegel's website: http://retiary.org/ls/.

Laurie on Wikipedia

Update embeddable video and description above sent my way via Laurie Spiegel, and via Reed in the comments before the embed: "She's playing a digital synthesizer built by Hal Alles of Bell Labs. Somehow it found its way to Oberlin College in Ohio, where it has remained broken & unused in the basement for over 20 years. (The video, btw, is from the new Ohm DVD compilation). "

Update via Andrew Dean on AH:
"Here's the credit for the Spiegel trackl on the DVD:

Track 12: Laurie Spiegel Improvisation on a 'Concerto Generator'
(2:40) Music, Performance, and Interactive software by Laurie Spiegel,
1977

So, "Concerto Generator" it is. Probably early digital by Hal Alles."

Update: PDF on the instrument. Via ivan on AH.

Update: And more from steve sloan on AH.

Update via Loscha: You can find the patent for Laurie Spiegel's machine here.