On Mon, Jul 25, 2005 at 08:22:43 -0400, Dave Phillips wrote: > Phil Mendelsohn wrote: > > >Audio predates MIDI by about 30 years. Being out of reach I'll agree > >with, for sure!, but there were tube D/A converters being built in the > >late 50's at MIT (meaning the resistor ladder type guts, not any > >"audiophile" type of thing). Tom Stockham and the Soundstream were > >pre-MIDI, there were various things going on in Europe, and the Synclavier > >was doing sampling and resynthesis (not sampling playback as we know it) > >before MIDI. > > > Again, just as a pointer, I recommend Curtis Roads' "Computer Music > Tutorial" for a wonderful overview of Ye Olden Tymes. Also look for > reminiscinces from the pioneer electronic composers of the day, e.g., > Lejaren Hiller, Milton Babbitt, Paul Lansky, Charles Dodge, and so forth. > > Btw, who are the leading European lights in the early days of computer > music on that side of the pond ? I know many of the names associated > with electronic and tape music, but I'm woefully ignorant of what went > on in the computer corner. I've no idea who was the first, but Peter Zinovieff of EMS was using (pre-UNIX) PDP-9's in the '70s for audio, partly with DCOs though I think http://www.ems-synthi.demon.co.uk/emsstory.html There was a lot of work with custom architectures at IRCAM, but I dont know much about it. I second the recomendation for Roads, it's very good. - Steve
