Synchronizer
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2005.0109.001
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- OBJECT TYPE
- digital/SMPTE to MIDI
- DATE
- 1984
- ARTIFACT NUMBER
- 2005.0109.001
- MANUFACTURER
- Roland Corp.
- MODEL
- SBX-80
- LOCATION
- Japan
More Information
General Information
- Serial #
- 460241
- Part Number
- 1
- Total Parts
- 1
- AKA
- Sync Box
- Patents
- N/A
- General Description
- synthetic casing with metal end pieces/ synthetic controls/ 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
- 32.7 cm
- Width
- 30.0 cm
- Height
- 10.5 cm
- Thickness
- N/A
- Weight
- N/A
- Diameter
- N/A
- Volume
- N/A
Lexicon
- Group
- Communications
- Category
- Music
- Sub-Category
- N/A
Manufacturer
- AKA
- Roland
- Country
- Japan
- State/Province
- Unknown
- City
- Unknown
Context
- Country
- Canada
- State/Province
- Unknown
- Period
- mid 1980s +
- 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
-
A device used to synchronize the output of a digital drum machine, sequencer or synthesizer to a multi-track tape recorder. - 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. The SBX-80 generates and displays an extremely precise time code that can be recorded onto one track of a multi-track tape before the other tracks are used to record a musical composition. As the tape is repeatedly rewound or fast forwarded, this time code allows a human operator or a digital electronic instrument to 'know' exactly where they are in the song. The most important use of this information is in synchronization of separate parts of a song, some recorded on the tape, others repeatedly generated by a MIDI digital musical instrument like a drum machine, sequencer or synthesizer. These instruments can be programmed to play and repeat sound patterns, which can constitute the percussion and rhythm parts that form the foundation for a song. The SBX-80 allows these external sound sources to play in synch with vocal or solo instrumental tracks being recorded on a multi-track tape recorder. When the tape is rewound or fast forwarded the SBX-80 will tell the external source when and where to begin playing. This means that, for example, drum tracks do not have to be stored on the multi-track tape, which frees up tracks for other instruments. For the final mixdown of all the parts, the drums are played 'live' in synchronization with the multi-track recordings. This is especially useful in a home studio where the number of tracks can be limited. Paul Hoffert used the SBX-80 in his home studio for a variety of composition projects, including the opera 'Hidden Channel'. One feature he found particularly useful was that he could set and change the tempo of a song by tapping the desired pattern on the unit's buttons. Roland Corporation was established in Osaka, Japan in 1972 and introduced its first synthesizer one year later. It has since become one of the dominant manufacturers of electronic musical instruments. According to Hoffert, the SBX-80 was designed in Vancouver. - Area Notes
-
Unknown
Details
- Markings
- red lettering on casing top reads '[logo] ROLAND'/ grey lettering on casing top reads 'SBX-80 SYNC BOX'/ black, grey and red lettering for control functions/ lettering on plate on underside reads 'AC 117V 50/60Hz 11W/ Roland Corporation/ MODEL SBX-80/ SERIAL NO. 460241/ MADE IN JAPAN'
- Missing
- appears complete
- Finish
- light grey painted casing with medium grey panel and end pieces/ light and medium grey controls/ black synthetic parts/ black synthetic display casing/ red lamps/ black feet
- Decoration
- N/A
CITE THIS OBJECT
If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:
Roland Corp., Synchronizer, circa 1984, Artifact no. 2005.0109, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/2005.0109.001/
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