E-mu Audity
Encyclopedia
The E-mu Audity was a digitally controlled, analog synthesizer
made in 1978. It was inspired by Tangerine Dream
's Peter Baumann
, and eventually evolved into a state-of-the-art, 16-voice polyphonic
analog synthesizer with an included digital keyboard and sequencer that was intended to compete with Sequential Circuits' Prophet 5. The project was funded with royalties from Sequential Circuits
for their use of E-mu's digital scanning technology in their keyboards, and was to be sold for $69,200 (approximately $185,000-200,000, when adjusted for inflation).
Only one Audity ever came off the assembly line. It was exhibited at the May 1980 AES convention, but soon after Sequential Circuits notified E-mu that it was not going to continue paying royalties, which ensured the Audity's death. However, research on the Audity led to the development of the influential and successful Emulator, one of the very first digital sampling keyboards.
The only Audity ever made resides at the CANTOS Music Foundation in Calgary and no longer functions.
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
made in 1978. It was inspired by Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
's Peter Baumann
Peter Baumann
Peter Baumann formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976...
, and eventually evolved into a state-of-the-art, 16-voice polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
analog synthesizer with an included digital keyboard and sequencer that was intended to compete with Sequential Circuits' Prophet 5. The project was funded with royalties from Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits Inc. was a California-based synthesizer company that was founded in the early 1970s by Dave Smith and sold to Yamaha Corporation in 1987. The company, throughout its lifespan, pioneered many groundbreaking technologies and design principles that are often taken for granted in...
for their use of E-mu's digital scanning technology in their keyboards, and was to be sold for $69,200 (approximately $185,000-200,000, when adjusted for inflation).
Only one Audity ever came off the assembly line. It was exhibited at the May 1980 AES convention, but soon after Sequential Circuits notified E-mu that it was not going to continue paying royalties, which ensured the Audity's death. However, research on the Audity led to the development of the influential and successful Emulator, one of the very first digital sampling keyboards.
The only Audity ever made resides at the CANTOS Music Foundation in Calgary and no longer functions.