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The program 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
153:
As a guitarist, pianist, and violin player, Kawasaki's earliest musical interests tended toward jazz and electronics. Alongside the development of his musical style, he tinkered with electronics like radios, televisions, amplifiers, and speakers. Experimental by nature, Kawasaki had already been
259:
was sold as a 2-disk package. The first disk, "The
Performer", is divided into 8 different screens including Demos like the synchronized graphics/music demo entitled "Kawasaki Space Dance Theatre", a Keyboard Mode allowing input from the Commodore keyboard (top two rows) or Sight & Sound's
269:
Space Dance
Theatre" which depicted The Kicker Brothers, a pair of Thai kick boxers who would kick in time to the music. The program was regarded as having a dream-like fairy-tale atmosphere, and as future programs were released the color schemes (for example in
335:
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 program featured space sounds and high-resolution graphics, a theme that would become common throughout
Kawasaki's programs.
29:
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further, Kawasaki expanded its capabilities and began to refine it into separate programs designed to highlight different aspects of the original program. Marketed through Sight & Sound Music
Software, the first two packages were
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was released in 1982, Kawasaki immediately bought one, paying $ 600 (equivalent to $ 1,894 in 2023) for it at an electronics store on 45th street in
Manhattan. Within two years he had taught himself to
264:
program), is divided into 4 different screens including a
Keyboard Page allowing Monophonic or Polyphonic mode, a Sound Editing Page, and options to perform multifile chaining and three-track recording.
260:"Incredible Musical Keyboard" (IMK) and selection of 21 preset instrumental/effects options and 13 pre-recorded songs with 2 LPs. The second disk, "The Composer" (an expansion of Kawasaki's original
728:
311:. The review noted that the Sound Editing Page in "The Composer" module was the most important of the two discs, that the documentation was superb, and concluded that
384:
was
Kawasaki's only work of professional software, and after finishing this program he founded Satellites Records in 1987 and returned to making music of his own.
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162:. Drawn to the possibilities afforded by this emerging technology, he began experimenting in the mid-1970s to develop and create a personal
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331:(developed in March 1984 and released in June of the same year) was noted to be considerably different from
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was designed to produce synth effects beyond that of his guitar synthesizer. Tinkering with
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93:
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Hunkins, Arthur B. "Reviews: Sight & Sound Music
Software - The Kawasaki Synthesizer".
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for $ 29.95–$ 49.95 (equivalent to $ 91.62–$ 152.8 in 2023) each as well as an unpublished
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299:(which was also released by Sight & Sound for Commodore 64), reviewers found that the
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235:. These synthesizers would be used in the development of a number of significant early
820:- C64 game display of Kawasaki's works on Satellites Records (Kawasaki's record label)
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in 1986 (his only software title intended for professional use instead of personal or
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performing electric-guitar jazz since the early 1970s when he became interested in
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Kaplan, Gary M, ed. "Home
Computer: Product News - Some New Sights & Sounds".
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190:. Taking full advantage of the computer's programmable filter and the onboard
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is "reasonably priced, brilliantly programmed, attractively packaged".
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Jazz-fusion pioneer and guitar synth inventor Ryo Kawasaki dies aged 73
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in 1980 which he featured in live performances and album releases.
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would most likely appeal to keyboard performers whereas the
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372:, designed as a serious work for professional studio use.
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Japanese synth pioneer Ryo Kawasaki has passed away at 73
182:(which he found to be too constraining), he switched to
125:. The first of four music programs created by Kawasaki,
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Yakal, Katchy. "Commodore 64 Music For Non-Musicians".
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Ryo Kawasaki, Guitarist and Synth Pioneer, Dead at 73
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Herrington, Peggy. "The 20th Century One-Man Band".
658:"Jim Butterfield: The Commodore Guru - An Interview"
569:. Issue 32 (Vol.5, No.5). Pp.54–57. November 1984.
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84:
72:
60:
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563:Milkowski, Bill. "Ryo Kawasaki: Sonic Innovator".
424:. Satellites Records. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
705:. Issue 32 (Vol.5, No.5). Pg.61. November 1984.
788:"One Voice/Satellites Records: About The Label"
291:as fast, intuitive, and spontaneous. Comparing
461:Darling, Sharon. "Inside View: Ryo Kawasaki".
360:The most colorful of Kawasaki's applications,
211:. In total, Kawasaki made four programs using
8:
364:was the last program Kawasaki designed as a
588:West, Michael J. "Ryo Kawasaki 1947–2020".
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186:and wrote his first program that he titled
121:created in 1983 by Japanese jazz musician,
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243:performance and on Kawasaki's 1983 album,
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511:"One Voice/Satellites Records: Kawasaki"
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437:Artifact Details - Kawasaki Synthesizer
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239:singles, and would feature in his 1984
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178:and after some initial experiments in
729:"hMaestro De Nationale Spel Tor Tien"
467:. Pp.38–42. Issue 20. February 1985.
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368:for children, with his next release,
7:
790:. Satellites Records. Archived from
513:. Satellites Records. Archived from
273:) became increasingly psychedelic.
219:) that he released commercially on
352:, and to record his compositions.
14:
817:One Voice/Satellites Records: C64
764:. P.87. Issue 20. February 1985.
683:. P.36. Issue 20. February 1985.
421:One Voice/Satellites Records: C64
56:Sight & Sound Music Software
307:would be better appreciated by
727:Heffels, 'J-Mat (March 1985).
1:
786:Kawasaki, Ryo (2008-11-19).
487:. Vol.5, No.4. Pg.67. 1985.
340:allowed the player to alter
192:Sound Interface Device (SID)
738:(in German). Archived from
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362:Kawasaki Magical Musiquill
356:Kawasaki Magical Musiquill
271:Kawasaki Magical Musiquill
135:Kawasaki Magical Musiquill
382:Kawasaki MIDI Workstation
376:Kawasaki MIDI Workstation
370:Kawasaki MIDI Workstation
139:Kawasaki MIDI Workstation
26:
702:Commodore Microcomputers
566:Commodore Microcomputers
441:Computer History Museum
129:(1983) was followed by
485:Home Computer Magazine
338:Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
329:Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
324:Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
295:to Peter Englebrite's
209:Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
131:Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker
839:Commodore 64 software
534:Bienstock, Richard. "
333:Kawasaki Synthesizer
313:Kawasaki Synthesizer
301:Kawasaki Synthesizer
293:Kawasaki Synthesizer
289:Kawasaki Synthesizer
257:Kawasaki Synthesizer
205:Kawasaki Synthesizer
127:Kawasaki Synthesizer
107:Kawasaki Synthesizer
22:Kawasaki Synthesizer
380:Developed in 1986,
215:(a tool created by
149:Development history
761:Compute!'s Gazette
680:Compute!'s Gazette
610:Hussey, Allison. "
464:Compute!'s Gazette
319:Later synthesizers
284:Compute!'s Gazette
164:guitar synthesizer
736:Commodore Dossier
662:Commodore Hacking
639:. 16 April 2020.
594:. 17 April 2020.
544:. 15 April 2020.
309:musical arrangers
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98:Music composition
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509:Davis, Randall.
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233:Midi-Workstation
231:recorder called
158:and purchased a
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305:Music Processor
297:Music Processor
281:Reviewers from
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217:Jim Butterfield
169:As soon as the
156:music synthesis
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143:educational use
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16:1983 video game
12:
11:
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810:External links
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745:on 2011-07-16.
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664:. No. 14.
656:Lawless, Jim.
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629:Chow, Rylee. "
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794:on 2009-02-03
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517:on 2009-02-02
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796:. Retrieved
792:the original
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740:the original
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541:Guitar World
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519:. Retrieved
515:the original
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393:Ryo Kawasaki
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262:The Composer
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200:The Composer
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196:The Composer
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188:The Composer
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184:machine code
171:Commodore 64
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137:(1985), and
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123:Ryo Kawasaki
119:Commodore 64
106:
105:
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79:Commodore 64
67:Ryo Kawasaki
52:Publisher(s)
45:Ryo Kawasaki
40:Developer(s)
74:Platform(s)
62:Designer(s)
828:Categories
798:2009-01-07
521:2008-12-10
398:References
287:described
245:Lucky Lady
227:real-time
770:0737-3716
689:0737-3716
645:0957-6622
617:Pitchfork
600:0272-572X
591:JazzTimes
550:1045-6295
493:0747-055X
473:0737-3716
277:Reception
33:Cover art
388:See also
366:non-game
213:SuperMon
133:(1984),
117:for the
94:Genre(s)
443:. 2020.
225:8-track
176:program
112:musical
85:Release
768:
709:
687:
643:
636:Mixmag
598:
573:
548:
491:
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348:, and
743:(PDF)
732:(PDF)
342:tempo
251:Usage
237:house
180:BASIC
110:is a
766:ISSN
707:ISBN
685:ISSN
641:ISSN
596:ISSN
571:ISBN
546:ISSN
489:ISSN
469:ISSN
350:bass
255:The
229:MIDI
207:and
104:The
88:1983
614:".
538:".
346:dub
241:CES
145:).
830::
776:^
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734:.
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344:,
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
