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The electronic music synthesizer is a machine that produces music from a coded record. The coded record, is produced by a musician, musical engineer, or composer with a fundamental understanding of the composition of sound. The electronic music synthesizer provides means for the production of a tone
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systems. It was prohibitively expensive to replicate, and an RCA Mark III, though conceived by Belar and Olsen, was never constructed. Nor was RCA to remain in the synthesizer business, prompting
Columbia to purchase enough spare parts to build two duplicate synthesizers.
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In 1959, the
Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center acquired the machine from RCA. At Columbia-Princeton, Milton Babbitt used it extensively. His tape and tape and instrument pieces were realized using the RCA Mark II, including his masterpiece
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prior to running a score. Little attempt was made to teach composition on the synthesizer, and with few exceptions the only persons proficient in the machine's use were the designers at RCA and the engineering staff at
Columbia who maintained it.
258:-based sequencers) generated high expectations for the Mark II, and contributed to the increased awareness of electronic music as a viable new art form. An album featuring the instrument and its capabilities was issued by RCA (LM-1922) in 1955.
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Much of the historical interest of the RCA, besides its association with the
Electronic Music Center, comes from a number of amusing and possibly apocryphal stories told regarding the synthesizer. One common story is that Ussachevsky and
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Electronic Music
Synthesizer, 'No instruments necessary'! "This is music with a strictly electronic beat". Man demonstrates synthesizer, bit of an anticlimax as it plays 'Camptown Races'.
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with any frequency, intensity, growth, duration, decay, portamento, timbre, vibrato, and variation. If these properties of a tone are specified, the tone can be completely described. ...
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components, the Mark II gave the user more flexibility and had twice the number of tone oscillators as its predecessor, the Mark I. The synthesizer was funded by a large grant from the
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next to the machine. The resulting recording would then be compared against the punch-tape score, and the process would be repeated until the desired results were obtained.
1006:: a brief summary of work by Olson and Belar is given, and their "composing machine" is described as a prototype of RCA Electronic Music Synthesizers. (according to
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219:, that would send instructions to the synthesizer, automating playback from the device. The synthesizer would then output sound to a synchronized
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The success of the Mark I led to the creation of the Mark II, which had twice as many tone oscillators and gave the composer more flexibility.
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290:, though not by any means the only person to use the machine, is the composer most often associated with it, and was its biggest advocate.
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321:. Over time it fell into disrepair, and it remains only partly functional. The last composer to get any sound out of the synthesizer was
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Still going strong at age 84, renowned composer Milton
Babbitt was a founding member of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Center (see
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of the day, who were growing weary of creating electronic works by splicing together individual sounds recorded on sections of
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orchestra," prompting RCA executives to gamble the cost of the synthesizer in the hopes of being able to eliminate their
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music with a high degree of precision. The RCA is cited by composers of the day as contributing to the rise of musical
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500:) where he created "Philomel," one of the first compositions of the synthesizer (available on New World Records).
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Hiller, LeJaren (1970). "Music composed with computers—a historical survey". In Harry B. Lincoln (ed.).
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RCA into building the machine, claiming that a synthesizer built to their specifications would "replace the
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Olson, Harry F.; Belar, Herbert (1961). "Aid to music composition employing a random probability system".
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D. Description of an
Electronic Music Composing Machine Employing a Random Probability System
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were manually operated. The RCA combined diverse electronic sound generation with a
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Although part of the history of electronic music, the RCA was seldom used. Made to
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1950 early electronic synthesizer: 'This is music with a strictly electronic beat'
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Babbitt describes the acquisition and use of the machine in an interview segment.
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RCA Mark II Sound
Synthesizer: the first programmable electronic synthesizer
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source). The synthesizer was difficult to configure, requiring extensive
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Time's
Encomium (For Synthesized & Processed Synthesized Sound)
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The sequencer features of the RCA were of particular attraction to
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Electronic and
Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture
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238:, because it allowed composers the freedom to write music using
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composers of the time, especially those interested in writing
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1102:, Video of the RCA Mark II Synthesizer at Columbia University
795:", published October 14, 1957, assigned to RCA Corp.
426:, where it is bolted to the floor in the office of Professor
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The Sounds And Music Of The RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer
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in 1957. Consisting of a room-sized array of interconnected
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359:), its active electronics were constructed entirely with
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1023:"Uses of the Computer in Music Composition and Research"
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that were impractical, if not impossible, to realize on
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Earlier 20th century electronic instruments such as the
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construction specifications (and even sporting a USAF
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RCA Mark II Electronic Music Synthesizer (circa 1958)
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A number of important pieces in the electronic music
984:. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. pp.
712:" for Olson-Belar composing machine (c.1950), and "
561:. N-Z Pt. 2. Devon, England: Susurreal Publishing.
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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716:" for RCA Mark I (c.1955) & Mark II (c.1958).
297:were composed and realized on the RCA. Babbitt's
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325:, who used it for a thirty-second piece on the
27:First programmable electronic music synthesizer
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625:(Vinyl LP). US: RCA Victor Red Seal. LM-1922.
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1370:Studio di fonologia musicale di Radio Milano
942:Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
872:Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
863:Olson, Harry F.; Belar, Herbert (May 1955).
152:and the flagship piece of equipment at the
1365:Studio for Electronic Music (WDR, Cologne)
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791:, Harry F. Olson; Belar Herbert, "
782:Olson-Belar composing machine (circa 1950)
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154:Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center
1029:. Vol. 12. Academic Press. pp.
639:OHM+: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music
483:"Milton Babbitt talks about "Philomel" ,
261:The synthesizer had a four-note variable
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
485:OHM- The Early Gurus of Electronic Music
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335:
148:) was the first programmable electronic
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1007:
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507:"The Early Gurus of Electronic Music".
452:Engineering and Technology History Wiki
418:The RCA remains housed at the Columbia
254:progress (continuing with contemporary
250:. The allure of precision as a mark of
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725:"Early Synthesizers and Experimenters"
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661:. Nonsuch Records commission. H-71225.
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714:10.4.RCA ELECTRONIC MUSIC SYNTHESIZER
680:
525:"Wuorinen's story of Time's Encomium"
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448:"RCA Mark I and Mark II Synthesizers"
404:, for synthesized sound and soprano.
731:(4th ed.). Routledge. pp.
199:, which proved a huge attraction to
58:adding citations to reliable sources
29:
642:(DVD). US: Ellipsis Arts. DVD 3694.
24:
853:RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer,
265:(in addition to twelve fixed-tone
25:
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1345:Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium
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367:modular synthesizers such as the
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912:RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer
689:. Courier Corporation. pp.
559:The A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers
156:. Designed by Herbert Belar and
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1355:San Francisco Tape Music Center
681:Olson, Harry Ferdinand (1967).
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69:"RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer"
45:needs additional citations for
1275:Groupe de Recherches Musicales
865:"Electronic Music Synthesizer"
687:Music, Physics and Engineering
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307:both feature the RCA, as does
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1107:RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer
1064:120 Years of Electronic Music
831:Olson-Belar composing machine
827:Figure 6.1 Schematic for the
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207:. The RCA Mark II featured a
142:RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer
1071:Milton Babbitt (1968–1971).
1025:. In Morris Rubinoff (ed.).
422:facility on 125th Street in
7:
1270:Electronic Music Foundation
754:See also excerption of pp.
481:Gross, Jason (April 2000).
10:
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1021:Lincoln, Harry B. (1972).
789:US application 2855816
344:that lives up at Columbia
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802:(filed December 26, 1951)
655:Charles Wuorinen (1969).
1340:BBC Radiophonic Workshop
373:Moog modular synthesizer
327:Freight Elevator Quartet
313:Pulitzer Prize for Music
164:, with contributions by
1391:Polyphonic synthesizers
557:Forrest, Peter (1996).
493:. No. April 2000.
353:United States Air Force
980:The Computer and Music
603:. Clips & Footage.
470:Olson & Belar 1955
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215:reader analogous to a
182:Rockefeller Foundation
172:, it was installed at
137:
1280:Institute of Sonology
1265:Computer Music Center
1153:electroacoustic music
1074:Occasional Variations
1060:"The RCA Synthesiser"
1027:Advances in Computers
970:Computer compositions
723:Holmes, Thom (2012).
509:Perfect Sound Forever
491:Perfect Sound Forever
420:Computer Music Center
410:
346:Computer Music Center
339:
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284:Princeton University
248:acoustic instruments
166:Vladimir Ussachevsky
54:improve this article
1396:Analog synthesizers
954:1961ASAJ...33.1163O
884:1955ASAJ...27..595O
857: (circa 1955)
811:Musical Engineering
174:Columbia University
1177:Experimental music
1114:(list of releases)
683:"Electronic Music"
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211:sequencer using a
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1044:978-0-08-056644-3
962:10.1121/1.1908937
892:10.1121/1.1907975
793:Music Synthesizer
772:978-0-415-95781-6
746:978-1-136-46895-7
700:978-0-486-21769-7
529:Art of the States
396:radio orchestra.
299:Vision and Prayer
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16:(Redirected from
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511:. April 2000.
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357:oscilloscope
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331:Jungle Album
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232:dodecaphonic
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221:record lathe
217:player piano
189:Telharmonium
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170:Peter Mauzey
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136:RCA Mark II
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
1207:Noise music
948:(9): 1163.
922:, pp.
920:Holmes 2012
839:Holmes 2012
815:McGraw-Hill
555:; based on
428:Brad Garton
365:solid state
340:Closeup of
271:white noise
267:oscillators
158:Harry Olson
150:synthesizer
144:(nicknamed
18:RCA Mark II
1385:Categories
1230:By country
1197:Microsound
1160:Techniques
1149:Electronic
1010:, p.
841:, p.
434:References
295:repertoire
236:complexity
213:paper tape
110:March 2008
80:newspapers
1192:Tape loop
868:(reprint)
762:from the
394:unionized
333:in 1997.
286:composer
263:polyphony
252:aesthetic
228:modernist
201:composers
1331:Inactive
1315:Toonzaal
1100:(music).
1090:(2016).
1081:(music).
809:(1952).
454:. 2012.
402:Philomel
390:symphony
311:'s 1970
304:Philomel
275:patching
256:computer
193:theremin
1247:Germany
1112:Discogs
1079:YouTube
950:Bibcode
880:Bibcode
758:–
675:Overall
601:YouTube
414:in 2007
240:rhythms
191:or the
94:scholar
1323:studio
1317:Studio
1305:SEAMUS
1256:Active
1242:France
1041:
992:
916:Mark I
855:Mark I
799:
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