Unusual Instrument and Recording Equipment Gallery
OK, so I bought this Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard for two bucks at a yard sale. Maybe there’s a manual out there on the ‘Net, you never know. After all, I sunk four dollars in batteries in this baby, but with my non-existent musical skill, I’m hoping to have some fun anyway. I couldn’t find a manual, but his odd little page turned up. It’s a collection of pictures of some strange musical instruments, such as the Acoustic Dress, a collection of speakers and such attached to a clear plastic skirt. Apparently, you wear this on the street and annoy the hell out of people without the bother of lugging a boom box around. Or maybe it’s a performance artist thing, and you wear it around the gallery and annoy the hell out of people without the bother of lugging a boom box around. Any way, the model is cute.
There’s a fine collection of old tape recorders, wire recorders, and electronic musical toys that blur the line between toy and tool, including my surprisingly versatile SK-1. Well, you know, Ian Anderson wouldn’t use one, but with two octaves, a drum machine, and a sampler, you can do an awful lot with that 1985 stocking stuffer. The site has other interesting things you may never have heard of: Omnichords (an electronic autoharp), the Optigon (a cross between a shopping mall organ and a drum machine), and a number of early looping devices based on 8-track technology. Sure they’re dinosaurs today, but when Peter Frampton ruled, the 8-track gave your Plymouth Fury an unreliable and tinny sound system to listen to while swilling cheap beer with your buddies and hoping to find chicks. But I digress.
This is a small site, suitable for cruising when the boss isn’t looking, and is run by a bunch of people who seem to be serious musicians. Drop by, and if you have something to add to the collection, they are glad to hear from you.
