General Information

Serial #

1008557

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

synthetic casing, keys, parts/ metal parts/ rubber? feet

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

57.6 cm

Width

16.2 cm

Height

6.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Communications

Category

Music

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Casio

Country

Japan

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

circa 1980+

Canada

Part of a collection of electronic equipment for musical composition, performance and recording owned and used by Canadian Paul Hoffert, composer, musician, author, researcher, entrepreneur and arts administrator. American born, he came to Canada as a child and his career has encompassed many areas of the Canadian music business, including working as a jazz pianist, CBC music director and performer, educator, manufacturer of stereo equipment, music producer, and film composer. In the late 1960s he worked for a short time as a researcher in Hugh LeCaine's electronic music lab at NRC, where he wrote a computer program for music analysis and developed a solid-body electric violin. In 1968 Hoffert and rock drummer Skip Prokop, formed the very successful jazz-rock band Lighthouse (1969-1974, 1982, 1993-present), which earned one platinum record and four gold records and received three Juno awards between 1971 and 1973 In 1977 Hoffert received a Canadian Film Award (later known as a Genie) for best original musical score for the movie "Outrageous!". He also headed the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, the Guild of Canadian Film and Television Composers,and the Ontario Council for the Art. In 1995 he was inducted into the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2009 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

Function

An instrument used to make musical tones using digital electronic synthesis and play these tones by means of a keyboard.

Technical

The Hoffert collection consists of approximately 25 pieces of electronic equipment for musical composition, performance and recording. These range from iconic keyboard instruments of the 1970s, to a variety of digital devices from the 1980s, to computer software from the early 1990s. These were used either for stage performances, especially during his years in the jazz rock band Lighthouse, or for work in his home studio. Casio, originally a manufacturer of electronic calculators and digital watches, was one of several Japanese consumer electronics companies that began producing low-cost digital synthesizers for the home market around 1980 (Théberge, pp. 34, 73,74). Introduced late in 1980, the MT-30 is a portable device with a three-octave keyboard. It has a molded plastic carrying case and is powered by five D-cell batteries. It has 22 preset sounds, and slider controls for sustain, vibrato and volume. Sound synthesis is by a single chip followed by analogue filters. Because it was light, portable and easily used even in a hotel room, the donor used this instrument for composition while travelling.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

metallic plate on top with indented black lettering reading 'CASIO'/ black lettering on top reading 'Casiotone MT-30' and 'ELECTRONIC/ MUSICAL INSTRUMENT'/ raised lettering on underside reads 'CASIO Casiotone MT-30/ RATING: DC7.5V 3.3W' and 'CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD MADE IN JAPAN'/ black lettering for control functions/ label inside battery compartment reads '1008557'

Missing

appears complete

Finish

white casing/ white and black keys/ brown and grey controls/ metallic jack/ black feet

Decoration

N/A