This article examines the creative process of Diatope , a multimedia project created by Iannis Xenakis in 1978 for the inauguration of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, utilizing analytical research of sources found in several archives. By interpreting Xenakis's sketches and plans, the article elucidates for the first time the spatialization of La Légende d'Eer , the music featured in the Diatope . The findings of the research underline the importance of graphic and geometric representation for understanding Xenakis's thinking, and they highlight the continuity and evolution of his theory and practice over time. Furthermore, the research findings present the means by which this key work of electroacoustic music might be spatialized today, now that the original space of the Diatope no longer exists.

The invention of software in the mid-20th century was as big a breakthrough for modern humans as the mastery over fire was for our prehistoric ancestors; the addition of cognitive fluidity to hardware has resulted in an explosion of experimentation and creativity (which also poses some challenges). As is the case with any new technology, humans immediately set about using software to connect with one another and extend our networks of distributed cognition. Computer musicians are uniquely positioned to predict the future by composing it and coding it, because as a group we combine the imagination and daring of artists with the technology that can make the imaginary real.

In the mid 1970s, specialized hardware for synthesizing digital audio helped computer music research move beyond its early reliance on software synthesis running on slow mainframe computers. This hardware allowed for synthesis of complex musical scores in real time and for dynamic, interactive control of synthesis. Peter Samson developed one such device, the Systems Concepts Digital Synthesizer, for Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. The “Samson Box” addressed the classical problems of digital audio synthesis with an elegance that still rewards study. This article thoroughly examines the principles underlying the Box's design—while considering how it was actually employed by its users—and describes the architecture's advantages and disadvantages. An interview with Samson is included.

Peter Samson designed and built a real-time signal-processing computer for music applications in the 1970s. The Systems Concepts Digital Synthesizer (“Samson Box” for short) was installed at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University in 1977, where it served for over a decade as the principal music generation system. It was an important landmark in the transition from general-purpose computers to real-time systems for music and audio, and helped set the stage for the sea change in the music industry from analog to digital technologies that began in the 1980s and continues at a rapid pace today. This article focuses on the historical context of the Samson Box, its development, its impact on the culture of CCRMA and the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, its use for music research and composition at Stanford, and its role in the transformation of the music and audio industries from analog to digital practices. A list of compositions realized on the Samson Box is included, which shows that from 1978 to its decommissioning in 1992 it was used to create over 100 finished works, many of which were widely performed and were awarded prizes. A companion article provides a detailed architectural review and an interview with Pete Samson.