Boards of Casio
A developer added support for 'Boards of Canada'-inspired patches to a browser-based Casio CZ-101 synthesizer by using Claude to convert legacy SysEx files to JSON.
summary is enough A short, entertaining blog post about quickly bridging vintage synth patch formats to the web using AI.
summary
The author of the browser-based CZP-1 synthesizer emulator wanted to use custom patches inspired by Boards of Canada for the vintage Casio CZ-101. By feeding raw MIDI System Exclusive patch data into Claude, they quickly generated a JSON parser for the web app. Users can now load these retro patches directly into the browser synth via files or encoded URLs without server storage.
key points
- The CZP-1 emulates the vintage Casio CZ-101 phase distortion synthesizer directly in the browser.
- Claude was used to automatically parse and convert legacy MIDI SysEx patch data into JSON within minutes.
- Sound banks and individual programs can be shared seamlessly using self-contained URLs.
who should read it
Web audio developers and electronic music enthusiasts interested in vintage synthesizers.
discussion warm
consensus
Commenters share deep nostalgia for the Casio CZ-101 and its classic preset sounds, while enthusiastically connecting the project to electronic music history.
>A Casio CZ-101 can be seen on one picture of their live performance, positioned on the drum stands in front of Michael Sandison. The Casio CZ-101 is visibly linked to other equipment solely through a MIDI cable, indicating its probable role as a MIDI keyboard within this live setup. Strikingly, the synth's audio output remains unutilized during the performance.
https://bocpages.org/wiki/Equipment#CZ-101
It confirms historical trivia by noting that Boards of Canada actually used a CZ-101 in their live setup.
Generated by an LLM from the article and thread. Check the sources before relying on it.