Restoring the first recording of computer music (2018)
This captivating article unveils the meticulous restoration of the world's earliest known computer music recording from 1951, correcting long-standing historical inaccuracies. It highlights Alan Turing's pioneering work in creating musical notes on the Manchester Mark II computer and the subsequent programming of full pieces. The narrative combines historical detective work with technical audio preservation, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in computing and music history.
The Lowdown
This story details the painstaking effort to restore the first-ever recording of computer-generated music, made by a BBC unit in 1951, featuring tunes played by Alan Turing's Manchester Mark II computer. The restoration not only revives these historic sounds but also corrects popular misconceptions about when and where computer music truly began.
- Historical Revision: The article debunks the common belief that computer music originated at Bell Labs in 1957 or in Sydney in late 1950, establishing that Turing's lab produced computer-generated notes as early as 1948.
- Turing's 'Hooter': Turing initially used a loudspeaker (which he called a 'hooter') that emitted short pulses, creating basic notes like C6, to audibly indicate computer states and errors.
- First Musical Program: Christopher Strachey, a talented pianist and programmer, utilized Turing's programming handbook to create what was then the longest computer program, enabling the Mark II to play the National Anthem in 1951.
- The Original Recording: The 1951 BBC recording captured the 'National Anthem,' 'Baa Baa Black Sheep,' and 'In the Mood' on a single acetate disc, which became the sole surviving artifact of these sounds.
- Restoration Challenge: The primary difficulty was that the recording played at an incorrect speed, likely due to a faulty mobile recorder, resulting in 'impossible pitches' that the Mark II could not have produced.
- The Restoration Process: Researchers used computer-assisted frequency analysis to identify the systematic pitch shifts, calculate the precise speed correction needed, filter out noise, and correct for speed wobbles, bringing the original sound back to life.
Through remarkable audio forensics and historical scholarship, the true sounds of early computer music have been recovered, offering an invaluable auditory glimpse into the foundational moments of both computing and electronic music.