Don't know if you ever ran across this in your search for ever-more-obscure instruments:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/pastforward-feb2024

Ok, got 'em now.

I'm getting an error when attempting download using Chrome (all three links):
"secure1.storegate.com redirected you too many times".

I would think the "ultimate" synth is one that would be capable of ear-indistinguishable emulation of any other arbitrary synth/patch/sound. The problem of course is that the GUI will be well-nigh opaque.

CSound comes to mind, as does Synthmaster, both of which (IMHO) are absolute horrors to work ...

Any idea why that needs to be on for Direct Sound to function?
Wonder if it's related to something I saw/heard shortly after installing FS. Initially, I was getting horrible noise from FS: turns out it doesn't like an open mic input. Had to plug in a cheap earbud/mic widget from an old phone. This ...

For live music I think it’s best to have the players at the front and be surrounded by ambience and crowd noises for best effect. I like that.
I recently tried the 'Pulse' live Pink Floyd DVD on the pseudo-5.1 setup on our TV (soundbar/sub/tiny back speakers). It's extremely immersive, but the ...

In supreme ignorance of any relevant science, I took a much simpler approach. Shortly after the aforementioned Lafayette quad amp ended its short and unhappy life, I moved into a house with a large family room (20x22ft). I still had the four speakers connected to a new 2-channel amp, but they ...

AFAIK you needed a special decode box to unscramble a redirect signals to the speakers.
Or a 4-channel amp with the matrix decoder built-in. The 1974-vintage Lafayette I bought sort of worked on some material (Santana's 'Barboletta' and Herbie Hancock's 'Headhunters' IIRC), but it was usually ...

I thought with all these super building blocks, one could come up with a truly immersive sound for a room . That was the aim of the Quadrophonic systems of the 70's. It failed cos the technology was not available to process 4 independent channels and code them onto a CD.
A minor nit: as I recall ...

billv wrote:It looks like an abstract tarot card for those people who are "flying in a blue dream"

It's the hookup schematic for Joe Satriani's effects rack.
Or at least part of it...