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Playing Music on the PDP-10
Playing Music on the PDP-10
In 1979, Laurie Barram built a MK10 "Music Kludge" device which allowed the PDP-10 to play music. The MK10 plugged into the console lamp drivers, so that instead of driving the display lamps, the signal went into a simple smoothing and level setting circuit. Up to six "voices" - each a modulated single bit - were used in this way, and mixed to a stereo signal. This was then fed into an amplifier and then to speakers.Some music was provided from DECUS Tapes, other music was produced by Will Gout.
![](./07%20-%20Laurie%20Barram%20plays%20DJ%20(200).jpg)
![](./08%20-%20Laurie%20adjusts%20the%20mixing%20on%20the%20MK10%20(200).jpg)
The six voices are mixed into a stereo signal. Here, the balance is adjusted to give a satisfying result.
![](./09%20-%20Sharon%20Oberhardt%20and%20Colin%20Lythall%20discuss%20technical%20matters%20(200).jpg)
![](./10%20-%20Wilber%20Williams%20and%20Laurie%20Barram%20(200).jpg)
![](./11%20-%20Recording%20equipment%20-%20KA10,%20MK10,%20and%20Aiwa%20AD-1250%20Cassette%20Deck%20(200).jpg)
![](./12%20-%20Sharon%20and%20Laurie%20listen%20to%20the%20music%20(200).jpg)
![](./13%20-%20Laurie%20conducts%20as%20the%20KA%20plays%20(200).jpg)
![](./14%20-%20Sharon%20and%20Chris%20Lythall%20watch%20as%20Wilber%20sets%20up%20speakers%20(200).jpg)
![](./15%20-%20Laurie%20conducts%20whilst%20others%20watch%20(200).jpg)
![](./16%20-%20Laurie,%20Sharon,%20Chris,%20Colin,%20Wilber%20and%20possibly%20Bryan%20Claire%20(200).jpg)
![](./17%20-%20Checking%20the%20console%20lights%20(200).jpg)
![](./18%20-%20MK10%20on%20the%20PDP-10%20console%20(200).jpg)
![](./19%20-%20Wilber%20reports%20on%20progress%20to%20another%20crew%20member%20(200).jpg)
![](./20%20-%20Wilber%20checks%20levels%20and%20waveforms%20on%20the%20Tektronix%20453%20(200).jpg)
![](./21%20-%20Intense%20concentration%20on%20the%20faces%20of%20Laurie%20&%20Sharon%20(200).jpg)
![](./22%20-%20Colin,%20Wilber%20&%20Sharon%20controlling%20the%20equipment%20(200).jpg)
![](./23%20-%20Sharon,%20Colin%20&%20Laurie%20monitoring%20a%20recoding%20(200).jpg)
![](./24%20-%20Wilber,%20Sharon,%20Laurie%20&%20Colin%20in%20action%20(200).jpg)
![](./25%20-%20Laurie,%20Colin%20&%20Wilber%20after%20a%20successful%20recording%20session%20(200).jpg)
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