I can tell you that I just started working at Columbia U as audio 
archivist, and two weeks ago I was at the Computer Music Center, "the first 
in its hemisphere". Albeit not an expert in the history of computer music, 
I was still blown away by the RCA Mark II synthesiser (taking up two walls 
of a large room), and the several (working!!) Buchla modules. Yesterday's 
cutting edge machines are today's revered antiques.
<http://www.music.columbia.edu/cmc/>

Musique concrète was more of a CIRC thing in France, while the work here at 
Columbia was more in electronic synthesis. Nevertheless, they do have an 
amazing collection of tapes at the CMC that they seem to be taking good 
care of.  They used to issue CDs, but that project has slowed down a bit. 
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000006OIB/104-6328291-8767162?v=glance&n=5174>.

Marcos

--On Monday, March 13, 2006 9:36 AM -0600 Karl Miller 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> On Sat, 11 Mar 2006, Marie Azile O'Connell wrote:
>
>> There was something comforting about editing the 'old' way.  I used to
>> love moving both reels back and forth to get the exact position, mark
>> it, cut and splice, and have it as perfect as can be.  But, I love a
>> challenge!  The learning curve was digital, and it did take longer, and
>> at times I would despair!  But, 'seeing' the waveform was so cool, and
>> after a while that came easy to do.  I almost feel like I am cheating.
>> Progress......
>
> As for nostalgia..."when I was a kid" my first semester of electronic
> music, c.1970, was devoted exclusively to the techniques of musique
> concrete. I still recall splicing blocks where the edit would be spread
> out over a foot...which was the only way to get a long attack on the
> initial envelope. Talk about needing sharp razor blades...and of course we
> used acetate tape...
>
> I have often wondered about all of those tapes that
> still probably reside in the electronic music labs...I am reminded of all
> of the different formats we used over the years...8 channel pieces on 1/2
> inch tape, dbx encoded, etc. I wonder if anyone has been doing work with
> these artifacts.
>
> And speaking of nostalgia...at a wedding on Friday night I was seated next
> to some "kid" (probably in his early 30s) who had an interest in the
> history of electronic music. He quizzed me like I was some relic from the
> ancient past.
>
> I keep my 8 inch floppies (Fairlight), old reels (Music V) etc as a
> reminder of how quickly things change...well for me, it seems "like it was
> only yesterday..."
>
> Indeed, I do feel like I am cheating today. It also makes me appreciate
> all that much more the craft of those engineers of the past. At times I
> think that as the technology improved, the number of edits increased...
>
> Karl (feeling old at just 58)
>



Marcos