General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

synthetic and metal/ paper label

Dimensions

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

Length

9.5 cm

Width

9.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Communications

Category

Music

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Passport

Country

United States of America

State/Province

California

City

Half Moon Bay

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

late 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 computer programme that acts as an 8-voice MIDI synthesizer, emulating musical instruments.

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. This is a MIDI application developed by Mr. Hoffert and his business partner Barry Silverman between 1986 and 1992. It is essentially a software "Studio in a box" that incorporates an 8-voice MIDI synthesizer. Designed for use on a Macintosh computer, Hoffert and Silverman sold this product to Passport Designs. Commercial production failed after Apple introduced a reverse-engineered version as a Mac accessory.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

teal and white lettering on label reads 'Sound Exciter/ For Macintosh/ Passport/ 625 Miramontes St. Half Moon Bat, CA 94019/ (415) 726-0280/ (c) 1989 Passport Designs, Inc. All Rights Reserved.'

Missing

complete

Finish

black casing/ brushed metal/ grey and black label

Decoration

N/A