From geoff@apanix.apana.org.auMon May 15 12:00:01 1995 Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 18:26:06 +0930 (CST) From: geoff@apanix.apana.org.au To: analogue@hyperreal.com Cc: dreams@dabecy.com Subject: Re: Alpha Synturi!?!?!? > On Mon, 15 May 1995, DMC wrote: > > > Does anyone know what this synth is.....my friend found one in the trash. > > Yes. Leave it there. In fact, dump gasoline on it and light. It's the old > kluge-o-matic that works with the Apple IIe and isn't worth a dime. WHAT!!?!?!?!?!? How *DARE* you!!! I'll have you know my alphaSyntauri is still going strong - one of the main reasons why I still have several Apple II series computers in the studio (three are MIDI processors, one has the Syntauri system in it, and I've got two spares in the cupboard ... now, if I could only find a CMU-800 to match the interface & software I have ...) I'm dead serious - I'll pay for whatever Apple II-class gear you've found. In the FYI Department: the alphaSyntauri system is a two-card, 16-voice digital synthesizer for the Apple II and //e computers, based around a simple synthesis system developed by now-defunct computer manufacturer, Mountain Hardware. Whilst its definitely *not* analogue - it does have a rather unique sound, which is why I still love mine. If you want to hear what a Syntauri sounds like, listen to "Rockit" and "Vibe Alive" by Herbie Hancock, parts of "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" by Byrne & Eno, or one track from Steveie Wonder's 1980 album whose name escapes me for the nonce. Herbie still uses his, AFAIK. In the FWIW Department: Passport made a competing product with a redesigned sound board and more features called the "Sound Chaser" for the Apple // between 1979 and 1982, but it didn't sell anywhere near as well. I contacted Passport in 1989 in regards to other matters, and asked if they still had (or knew of) any Sound Chasers for sale, and the chap I spoke with said "No, but its the only reason why I still have an Apple II at home." Damn :) Geoffrey -- Really? Geoffrey Peters, Macintosh Support Wizard, geoff@tara.apana.org.au ----------------------------------- It is not permitted for this message, in whole or in part, | Disclaimer: to appear on The Microsoft Network or affiliated networks. | It's my mind. From mpulver@netcom.comMon May 15 12:02:49 1995 Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 11:22:30 EDT From: Mark Pulver To: DMC , Analogue@hyperreal.com Subject: Re: Alpha Synturi At 12:28 AM 5/15/95 -0700, DMC wrote: >Does anyone know what this synth is.....my friend found one in the trash. I have one in my crawl space... It's a keyboard controller, (no sonic capabilities of it's own right), that was made circa 1981 or so. In it's first rev, it hooked up to an Apple ][, and got it's sound capabilities from a Mountain Hardware Music System. The MHMS was basically 16 8bit wave players on two cards. Sound creation was waaaayyyy ahead of it's time. The software had full support for the attached lightpen, and yes, you could literally draw a waveform on the screen of the Apple. The MHMS was stereo, and you could do things like assign multiple waves to different voices and place them in various positions in the stereo spread. The Alpha Syntauri software was actually pretty damn good for it's time, first rev was a 16 track sequencer, basically unlimited length, (RAM based), and 16 voice polyphonic, though things would tend to slow down if you really went after all 16 voices. Syntauri later move from the MHMS platform (too hard for the average home user to get into, and pretty costly) and joined forces with Passport designs and the ALF folks. Both of these boards where analog based and you'd add multiple boards into your Apple to gain polyphony. If I 'member right, the Passport and Alf were both three voice cards, and you could expand your system with up to three cards total for nine voices. Syntauri did better with this game, and ended up doing some decent educational software. I can't quite remember how they fell off the face of the earth, mis-management probably? I seem to remember some scandal though? ---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Pulver/Chicago, IL analog analog analog and umm, analog mpulver@netcom.com Voyetra 8, Xpander, P5, MKS-70, 2600, stuff