Kawasaki Synthesizer
Encyclopedia
The Kawasaki Synthesizer is a musical
software tool
for the Commodore 64
created in 1983 by Japanese jazz musician, Ryo Kawasaki
. The first of four music programs created by Kawasaki, Kawasaki Synthesizer was followed by Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker in 1985, and then Kawasaki Magical Musicquill in 1985. Following this Kawasaki created Kawasaki MIDI Workstation his only software title intended for professional use instead of personal or educational use
.
was released in 1982, Kawasaki immediately bought one, paying $600 for it at an electronics store on 45th street in Manhattan. Kawasaki was fascinated by the possibilities the system afforded him and in two years he taught himself to program
and wrote four programs in machine code
using SuperMon (a tool created by Jim Butterfield
) that he released commercially on 5¼-inch floppy for $49.95 each as well as an unpublished 8-track real-time MIDI
recorder called Midi-Workstation.
Different modes were available including the "Easy Beginner Version" (in which a new player could learn how to create music in simple steps), "Demo" (in which the player was shown a pre-recorded display created by Kawasaki that highlighted the capabilities of the program), and "The Performer" - the composition portion of the game.
, dub
, and bass, and to record his compositions.
for children, with his next release, Kawasaki MIDI Workstation, designed as a serious work for professional studio use.
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
software tool
Non-game
Non-games define a class of software that lies on the border between video games, toys and applications. The original term non-game game was coined by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. The main difference between non-games and traditional video games is the apparent lack of goals, objectives and...
for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
created in 1983 by Japanese jazz musician, Ryo Kawasaki
Ryo Kawasaki
Ryo Kawasaki chose a career as a jazz fusion guitarist after spending some years studying as a scientist. During the 60s he played with various Japanese jazz groups and also formed his own bands...
. The first of four music programs created by Kawasaki, Kawasaki Synthesizer was followed by Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker in 1985, and then Kawasaki Magical Musicquill in 1985. Following this Kawasaki created Kawasaki MIDI Workstation his only software title intended for professional use instead of personal or educational use
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
.
Development history
As soon as the Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
was released in 1982, Kawasaki immediately bought one, paying $600 for it at an electronics store on 45th street in Manhattan. Kawasaki was fascinated by the possibilities the system afforded him and in two years he taught himself to program
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
and wrote four programs in machine code
Machine code
Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions executed directly by a computer's central processing unit. Each instruction performs a very specific task, typically either an operation on a unit of data Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions...
using SuperMon (a tool created by Jim Butterfield
Jim Butterfield
-External links:* * featuring Brad Templeton, Jim Butterfield, and Steve Punter** * * , previous unpublished, presented by the Personal Computer Museum, Brantford, Ontario...
) that he released commercially on 5¼-inch floppy for $49.95 each as well as an unpublished 8-track real-time MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
recorder called Midi-Workstation.
Gameplay
The Kawasaki Synthesizer was sold as a 2-disk package that according to its own in-game demonstration "will transform [a] Commodore 64 into an incredible synthesizer and more." The game came with a software version of a techno track by Kawasaki entitled "Satellite Station," and it allowed a user to select notes to be played and create songs that could then be saved. Numerous other typically Kawasakian influences were also notably discernible, including the Kawasaki Space Theatre which depicted a couple of Thai kick boxers who would fly by. The game was regarded as having a dream-like fairy-tale atmosphere, and as future games were released the color schemes (for example in Kawasaki Magical Musicquill) became increasingly psychedelic.Different modes were available including the "Easy Beginner Version" (in which a new player could learn how to create music in simple steps), "Demo" (in which the player was shown a pre-recorded display created by Kawasaki that highlighted the capabilities of the program), and "The Performer" - the composition portion of the game.
Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker was noted to be considerably different from Kawasaki Synthesizer despite the fact that it used a similar keyboard input and was designed to allow the player to create music in a synthesizer style. The game depicted space imagery, a theme that would become common throughout Kawasaki's programs. Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker allowed the player to alter tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, dub
Dubbing (music)
In sound recording, dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal...
, and bass, and to record his compositions.
Kawasaki Magical Musicquill
The most colorful of Kawasaki's games, Kawasaki Magical Musicquill was the last program Kawasaki designed as a non-gameNon-game
Non-games define a class of software that lies on the border between video games, toys and applications. The original term non-game game was coined by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. The main difference between non-games and traditional video games is the apparent lack of goals, objectives and...
for children, with his next release, Kawasaki MIDI Workstation, designed as a serious work for professional studio use.
Kawasaki MIDI Workstation
Developed in 1986, Kawasaki MIDI Workstation was Kawasaki's only work of professional software, and after finishing this program he founded Satellites Records and returned to making music of his own.External links
- One Voice/Satellites Records: C64 - C64 game display of Kawasaki's works on Satellites Records (Kawasaki's record label)