msm@sri-unix (11/10/82)
Back when I was a student at UCLA, the computer club there had a
DEC Classic Linc (2K core memory, 2 Linc Tape (similar to DEC Tape) drives,
analog I/O, and a graphics (with incredibly high flicker) CRT (~5" diag)).
What was interesting was that the high order bit of the accumulator was
attached to a speaker as standard equipment. Whenever the bit changed states,
the speaker would tick. Tones were made by varying the frequency.
Some people did write music programs (that played things like Bach's Little
Fugue, Gilbert & Sullivan's Modern major General amoung others). It was
a nice little computer (vintage 1963 I believe).
How many computers have you ever seen with a VOLUME control knob on the
front panel? !!!
Michael S. Maiten
Silicon Gulch, California
<...!{ucbvax!menlo70,decvax}!sytek!msm>harkins@sri-unix (11/11/82)
ok, i'll own up to my neanderthal (dp) origins; when i first started, we had an ibm 1401 that would play "jingle bells" via an AM radio, but would also play several other "tunes" via the 1403 printer as others have alluded; the "pgms" of course, were read in one at a time via cards (no disks, no tapes, 4k; that was my 2nd machine; the first was a 407) ernie harkins
laurir@sri-unix (11/12/82)
I'm surprised that nobody's yet mentioned the old PDP-10 music system. The device was originally known as a KL10, for "music KLudge", and connected to a KA10 processor. Later "KL10" was officially used to name the third generation PDP-10 processor. The box watched the low order six bits in the data register lights (via direct connections) to produce six individual square wave voices. You could mix each voice into any combination of the two stereo output channels by twisting potentiometers. A standard stereo "auxiliary input" would take it from there. As usual, there was a music compiler. Alas, the music player had to run stand-alone, so it was only heard when major pieces of hardware were broken (like a 16k core box). One of the features of the KA10 processor was a speed control knob next to the power switch. Presumably the service engineers would adjust it to make the processor clock fire at an optimal rate. While music was playing, this knob could be used to slow it down, much like reducing the speed of a turntable. -- Andrew Klossner (decvax!teklabs!tekmdp!laurir)
amyh (11/19/82)
Montana State U hosts an annual "high school week" during which high school seniors live on campus and attend classes to get the flavor of university life. For many years, the most popular exhibit in the EE Department was computer music played on an AM radio. The notes were produced by toggling the extend bit of an HP2116B at varying rates. Amy Heidner John Fluke Mfg Co decvax!fluke!amyh