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Telegraphone
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Triode vacuum tube
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Optical sound recording
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Electrical loudspeakers
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Formulation of the sampling (Nyquist) theorem establishes the theoretical foundation of digital sampling; Theremin
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Light-Tone Organ
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Magnetophon; magnetic tape recording (Germany)
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Singing Keyboard, ur-sampler designed for special-effects noises (Hollywood)
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Pulse Code Modulation (PCM), efficient digital information coding
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Pierre Schaeffer formulates Musique Concrète, Phonogene, proto-sampling using analog tape techniques (Paris)
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Hugh LeCaine invents the Special Purpose Tape Recorder (Ottawa)
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Max Matthews does first digital synthesis with the Music I and Music II programs at Bell Labs
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Lejaren Hiller experiments with algorithmic composition on a computer
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Music III-V software synthesis with unit generators; algorithmic composition programs by Iannis Xenakis (Stochastic Music Program) and G. M. Koenig (Project 1); Moog and Buchla synthesizers
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Experimental digital audio recorders; Mellotron; early algorithmic microprocessor-controlled synthesis systems (David Behrman, Martin Bartlett); algorithmic composition program by Barry Truax (POD)
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Xenakis publishes Formalized Music
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First commercial digital audio recording system, Sony PCM-1; Synclavier sampling instrument
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Fairlight Computer Music Instrument
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High-quality digital audio work stations for personal computers
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E-Mu Emulator
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Compact Disc
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MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface); Yamaha DX7, digital FM synthesis
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Cmix by Paul Lansky at Princeton University
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Csound by Barry Vercoe & R. Karstens at MIT
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Max created by Miller Puckette at IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique)
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Digital multitrack systems