of Microprocessors

would become a lot more sophisticated and expressive. Although quite a variety
of alternate controllers have been introduced, we're still using piano keyboards
with mono pressure (sometimes) and 2 wheels for the vast majority of instruments
with no signs of that changing.
Another prediction that's fallen short was that MIDI would be replaced by a LAN
type technology. A number of proposals have been offered and tried during the
intervening 16 years but we're still far from any general replacement for MIDI.
One accurate prediction though was that all-digital studios would become
common.
For the next 10 years? Well, by 2012 MIDI will be replaced, synthesizers will
become just virtual black boxes buried in the software architecture of the digital
studio, and alternate controllers and multi-dimensional keyboards will become
mainstream.
SONIK : Will you be writing another book in the future Hal?
HAL : I really get asked that a lot. The short answer is probably no, not as long as
I'm working at Young Chang/Kurzweil because its quite difficult to get enough
quiet time to do any really thoughtful writing.
The first edition of MAM took about 2-1/2 years of 3 hours per night and 8-12
hours on weekends but then I was just a common engineer at a fairly large
company designing high-resolution display monitors at the time. The update in
1985 took about a year while I was independent. The current schedule, which
seems to keep getting tighter, just doesn't allow the necessary time to even
contemplate another book.
However, if I hit the lottery and retired or began working for the government, I
don't think I'd try a comprehensive book again -- the field has simply grown too
big and diverse for that now.
Actually the most enduring interest over the years has been in the sections on
musical controllers like keyboards and ribbons. Even more so, the nonmathematical
treatment of fast Fourier transforms and digital signal processing
continues to be popular. So perhaps a title like "Musical Applications of Sensors"
or "Digital Signal Processing without the Mathaches" would be within my
knowledge sphere and do well in today's market.
SONIK : How do you find it now at Kurzweil as against working for the original
Kurzweil Music Systems in the 80's?
HAL : All companies must mature as they age and Kurzweil is no exception. I
read somewhere that a large majority of Fortune 500 companies don't last beyond
20 years. Not that Kurzweil is a Fortune 500 company but we are just months
away from that 20 year mark.