Zilog Z80 - Notable Uses - Embedded Systems and Consumer Electronics - Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments

  • MIDI sequencers such as E-mu 4060 Polyphonic Keyboard and Sequencer, Zyklus MPS, and Roland MSQ700 were built around the Z80,
  • MIDI controllers and switches such as Waldorf Midi-Bay MB-15 and others.
  • Several polyphonic analog synthesizers used it for keyboard-scanning (also wheels, knobs, displays...) and D/A or PWM control of analog levels; in newer designs, sometimes sequencing and/or MIDI-communication. The Z80 was also often involved in the sound generation itself; implementing LFOs, envelope generators and so on. Known examples include:
    • Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Prophet 10, Prophet 600, Six-Trak, Multitrak, MAX, and Split-8
    • MemoryMoog six-voice synthesizer
    • Oberheim OB-8 eight-voice synthesizer with MIDI
    • Roland Jupiter-8 eight-voice synthesizer
  • Digital sampling synthesizers such as the Emulator I, Emulator II, and Akai S700 12-bit Sampler,
  • as well as drum machines like the E-mu SP-12, E-mu SP-1200, E-mu Drumulator, and the Sequential Circuits Drumtraks, used Z80 processors.
  • Many Lexicon reverberators (PCM70, LXP15, LXP1, MPX100) used one or more Z80s for user interface and LFO generation where dedicated hardware provided DSP functions.
  • The ADA MP-1. A MIDI controlled, vacuum tube, guitar pre-amplifier.

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