Title: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: joren on May 08, 2023, 03:20:27 PM
Post by: joren on May 08, 2023, 03:20:27 PM
I have been lucky to get my hands on a NeXTcube Turbo with a very rare soundcard (DSP coprocessor): the Ariel inc. ISPW board. Due to an unfortunate time to market this board never really made it into production. It appeared right when the end of cube board hardware was announced (+-1992?).
Also thanks to the knowledge base on this forum and the resources found here, I have been able to restore it and run an early version of MAX: a music programming environment made for the ISPW board. I have some details on my blog: Electronic Music and the NeXTcube - Running MAX on the IRCAM Musical Workstation (https://0110.be/posts/Electronic_Music_and_the_NeXTcube_-_Running_MAX_on_the_IRCAM_Musical_Workstation)
Additionally I have been building a MIDI interface to communicate with the RS-422 serial port found on the NeXTcube and on the ISPW board and MIDI instruments such as keyboards and synths: USB MIDI interface for the NeXTCube - ISPW board (https://0110.be/posts/USB_MIDI_interface_for_the_NeXTCube_-_ISPW_board)
Also thanks to the knowledge base on this forum and the resources found here, I have been able to restore it and run an early version of MAX: a music programming environment made for the ISPW board. I have some details on my blog: Electronic Music and the NeXTcube - Running MAX on the IRCAM Musical Workstation (https://0110.be/posts/Electronic_Music_and_the_NeXTcube_-_Running_MAX_on_the_IRCAM_Musical_Workstation)
Additionally I have been building a MIDI interface to communicate with the RS-422 serial port found on the NeXTcube and on the ISPW board and MIDI instruments such as keyboards and synths: USB MIDI interface for the NeXTCube - ISPW board (https://0110.be/posts/USB_MIDI_interface_for_the_NeXTCube_-_ISPW_board)
Title: Re: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: joren on May 09, 2023, 01:24:54 AM
Post by: joren on May 09, 2023, 01:24:54 AM
FYI I have attached additional material. Pictures of the hardware, software and manuals, promotional material and screenshots.
Title: Re: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: NeXTnewbe on May 10, 2023, 08:03:46 AM
Post by: NeXTnewbe on May 10, 2023, 08:03:46 AM
Are there any blueprints for the schematics and PCBs, parts, etc
It will be grate to get a replica
It will be grate to get a replica
Title: Re: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: joren on May 10, 2023, 02:38:44 PM
Post by: joren on May 10, 2023, 02:38:44 PM
Quote from: NeXTnewbe on May 10, 2023, 08:03:46 AMAre there any blueprints for the schematics and PCBs, parts, etc
It will be grate to get a replica
No pcb blueprints but there the only thing that comes remotely close ar timing diagrams for the DSP port on the ISPW board.
Title: Re: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: emond on July 18, 2024, 09:05:13 AM
Post by: emond on July 18, 2024, 09:05:13 AM
Quote from: joren on May 08, 2023, 03:20:27 PMI have been lucky to get my hands on a NeXTcube Turbo with a very rare soundcard (DSP coprocessor): the Ariel inc. ISPW board. Due to an unfortunate time to market this board never really made it into production. It appeared right when the end of cube board hardware was announced (+-1992?).Well over 100 have been made and sold.
I know that there were easily 80 at IRCAM alone, and a bunch at other research centers around the world.
And this card was designed at IRCAM and manufactured by Ariel, and IRCAM gave Ariel a license to sell it.
Title: Re: NeXTcube Turbo with ISPW sound card
Post by: stepleton on July 18, 2024, 03:38:48 PM
Post by: stepleton on July 18, 2024, 03:38:48 PM
If anyone has one of these (evidently abundant ;) ) boards spare, I have a friend who is a professor here in London who studies the design of electronic and computer-based tools for music-making and music production. He's hoped to stumble across one of these to take a very close look at MAX/MSP (or its NeXT predecessor) in its early years. I'd of course lend him one of my NeXT cubes for the project, but the IRCAM board seems a bit harder to find.