Here’s a contemporary television commercial for the introduction of the Mattel Optigan – a sample playback keyboard. It was introduced in 1971 and produced through 1976.
via chumrain, optigan.com
Here’s a contemporary television commercial for the introduction of the Mattel Optigan – a sample playback keyboard. It was introduced in 1971 and produced through 1976.
via chumrain, optigan.com
This used odd little optical discs for sample storage- quite amazing technology for the home market in the early 70’s!
Time for a diy revival i reckon!
Starting at $250?!?!?! Where’s my time machine.
Just recall that $250 in 1970 is equivalent to about 6 times as much today,
ie it would be closer to $1500.
Not sure how a time machine would affect inflation though.
Heh, what a tidal wave of cheese, but everything is fair game, because with the right kind of massaging or pervert-o-mento, even canned rhythms from the 60s have their charm. Its like the aged ancestor of glitch and a minor sub-style of its own. Its a fun challenge to hear the cheese-patterns and then build on the actual sounds, taking them out of that perception.
BTW, a precious few Optigan and even Birotron discs are made from time to time, but if you really want to use those instruments, I point you towards the expansions for M-Tron Pro, one of which is an Optigan library. SampleTron has similar muscle, so compare those two and see which one grabs you the most. They both deliver a full sound. The M-Tron even lets you reverse things, so you can emulate the effect of putting an Optigan disc in upside down, which made the patterns on it play backwards with a hilarious, cartoonish quality.
we wouldn’t be able to air this commercial today cause people without their “little finger” would be offended
Itchy, I don’t why, but I thought the same thing! It’s like the Ford commercial that talks about using your foot to activate the lift gate. What about people without feet who drive?:)