Sunlight
- Music Playkeys!
This was possibly a direct hardware predecessor of the famous My
Music Center. Despite similar functions it lacks the chorus timbre
because the sound generator here lacks the 2 subvoices. But by a matrix
easteregg it can be switched into a monophonic chorus mode that layers
both polyphony channels to form the chorus effect. Nasty is that this thing
originally includes no volume control and plays its harsh digital tones
for a toy unbearable loud. Interesting is the rhythm section with programmable
rhythm and the impulsive "cluck" sound. There is also an optional fixed
key accompaniment.
This instrument came out in 2 model variants; the white/ red one is technically
identical with My Music Center
(including the nasty keyboard bug). The white/ blue one (that I describe
here) is different and more interesting, although its hardware is still
more like My Music Center than like Stereo
Playkeys! (despite similar name).
main features:
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32 mini keys
-
no power switch but an "On/Off" standby button with auto power off which
plays a short jingle at start-up and power down.
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2 note polyphony (even with rhythm on). A keyboard bug cause random pitched
notes when accidentally more than 2 keys are pressed simultaneously; this
limits intuitive playability.
-
8 OBS preset sounds {piano, vibe, oboe, trumpet, saxophone, banjo, violin,
guitar}
-
8 OBS preset rhythms (PCM drums with switchable fixed- key accompaniment)
{march, swing, country, rock&roll, disco, rhumba, slow rock, waltz}
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4 drum pad + selection button to switch them between drum or animal samples
{Snare Drum/ Cluck, Hi hat close/ Duck, Kick/ Dog, Tom/ Pig} The "cluck"
(hen) sound is very impulsive, and in combination with the drumrolls of
the "march" rhythm this one sounds really great.
-
monophonic sequencer for 32(?) note events exists (rather useless because
it is always recording and contents is erased as soon "stop" is pressed
(e. g. to stop a rhythm)).
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custom drummer to program a 16 slot rhythm pattern. It can also be combined
with accompaniment by selecting a rhythm with accompaniment and than pressing
"Null/ Play" to start the custom drummer rhythm. Great is that the custom
drummer and even the sequencer data don't get erased by switching power
off (so far the CPU stays connected with batteries or other power supplies).
-
no volume control and earbleeding loud default volume. :-6
-
The sound generator seems to be technically identical with My
Music Center, but unlike there, here the melody voices don't consist
of 2 sub-oscillators. This makes the tones sound quite thin, but permits
to play two channels even with rhythm on. The instrument sounds of this
instrument are very basic waveform samples with a simple envelope; they
sound really harsh and rather boring. Only the banjo sounds natural. Besides
the 4 drum pad percussions, the rhumba rhythm contains a 5th "bongo/ parrot"(?)
sound. The CPU contains a time slice DAC, which outputs polyphony channels
time multiplexed as a comb-shaped signal that is turned into analogue waveforms
by a capacitor. The output frequency intermodulates higher notes and gives
them an unusual glassy timbre.
-
CPU= "S13909, 1ARIN(?), HT3650" (26 pin COB, identified as Holtek HT3650B)
with DC voltage controllable clock oscillator
-
8 demo melodies (no great compositions, but at least rhythm varies)
eastereggs:
-
chorus button to combine both voices to a richer sounding monophonic voice.
(In sequencer playback mode chorus is generally always on.) The chorus
can greatly simulate the timbre of a German police car siren ("Martinshorn").
-
individual OBS buttons for each demo melody addable.
modifications:
-
cinch sound output, speaker mute switch and AC adapter jack with regulator
added.
-
volume control and pitch pot added.
-
chorus button added.
notes:
The Music Playkeys! may have been the direct predecessor of the
famous and widespread My Music Center,
because despite many common features it has simpler sounds and lacks the
crucial volume control. The drums sound better than in "My Music Center".
The accompaniment always plays the same instrument sound like the melody
voice. Rhythms (except custom drummer) always start with default tempo,
which limits the use of the OBS controls for live performance. I later
found the datasheet of its CPU of 1996-08-16, the Holtek HT3650B, which
is an application of the "3 Channels Ad-lib
Micro®" Holtek HT3650 - a microcontroller with 2 channel static
waveform "ETS" synth (7 bit, 64 steps, ADSR), 1 channel PCM playback (16K*5
bit voice ROM with 8 to 5 µ-law compression), 8 bit DAC, 96 byte
RAM and 4K*15bit ROM.
Since there is no real power switch, the added pitch pot must be used
carefully during battery operation, because an undiscovered crash by overclocking
can prevent the hardware from powering down properly, which may result
in excessive battery discharge and battery leaking. Although the hardware
resembles My Music Center (see
there), shitshooting the program by overclocking causes no really interesting
effects, but only continuous tones or no response. (Don't forget to reset
afterwards, because there is no power switch.)
The 8 demo melodies of this instrument are (according to the manual):
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Old McDonald Had a Farm
-
This Old Man
-
The More We Get Together
-
Itis a Small World
-
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
-
Yankee Doodle
-
Do Your Ears Hang Low [That does the missing volume control... ;-)
]
-
Frere Jaque
A case variant of this instrument was released as LICA - Super Sound
Keyboard (bigger black oval case, 2 yellow speakers - seen on eBay).
| removal
of these screws voids warranty... |
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