Archival documents
...by key technologies

Back to home
Back to listing of technologies

FM Synthesis
23-May-1972 Chowning patent for moving sound
16-Jan-1974 Cal Quate invention disclosure and subsequnet Yamaha correspondence
18-Jun-1974 NEA proposal, "The computer music facility: A new musical medium"
13-Dec-1974 Letter to Yamaha regarding FM synthesis technique
26-Jan-1975 Letter to Yamaha regarding FM synthesis technique
19-Mar-1975 FM license agreement between Stanford and Yamaha
13-Jan-1976 Agreement between Stanford and Chowning re: Samson Box software
6-Feb-1976 Letter from Systems Concepts re: revisions to option agreement
19-Feb-1976 Invention disclosure and subsequent correspondence for Moorer FM improvement
26-Feb-1976 Amendment to option agreement between Systems Concepts and Stanford
18-Mar-1976 Letter to Yamaha regarding visit plans and technical developments
20-Mar-1976 Yamaha progress report for FM instrument
27-Apr-1976 Letter from Stanford to Yamaha re: Chowning visit and other inventions
1978 Article on FM by Hiro Kato (Yamaha) for Japan Acoustical Society meeting
15-Mar-1978 Yamaha progress report for FM instrument
1-Apr-1978 Cover letter from Yamaha to accompany FM MOS chips
14-Apr-1978 Letter from Yohei Nagai (Yamaha) to John Chowning re: trip to Japan and FM progress
18-Apr-1978 Letter from Chowning to Yasunori Mochida (Yamaha) re: planned visit to Japan
30-Aug-1978 Letter from Stanford to Yamaha regarding NED patent infringement
1979 Schedule for John Chowning visit to Japan
12 par 1979 Letter from Hiro Kato (Yamaha) to John Chowning re: FM product development
18-Jun-1979 Letter from Yamaha to Chowning re: visit logistics and plans
20-Jun-1979 Patent validity opinion and cover letter
1-Feb-1980 Memo re: status of various Stanford inventions
13-Feb-1980 Letter from Yamaha to Stanford regarding Kawai patent infringement
6-Mar-1980 Letter from Stanford to legal counsel regarding Kawai patent infringement
19-Mar-1980 Letter from Yamaha regarding visit plans and unwanted media coverage
15-Apr-1980 CCRMA current and pending NSF funding
16-Apr-1980 Letter from Chowning to Yamaha regarding unwanted media coverage
29-Apr-1980 Telex from Chowning to Yamaha re: requested tone parameters
4-Dec-1980 Funding proposal to Rockefeller Foundation
1-Mar-1981 Yamaha progress report for FM instrument
1-May-1981 License agreement with Yamaha
4-Aug-1981 Letter from Yamaha to Stanford regarding Crumar patent infringement
28-Oct-1981 Memo regarding Crumar information request for patent dispute
19-Dec-1981 Letter from Yamaha regarding availability of CE20 instrument
9-Feb-1982 Letter to Yamaha regarding Atari sublicense
3-Mar-1982 Letter from Yamaha to Niels Reimers re: Chowning visit and instrument development
7-Apr-1982 Letter from Yamaha patent chief to Niels Reimers re: Atari sublicense
1983 Professional services agreement between John Chowning and Yamaha
1983 Curtis Roads interview of John Chowning
18-Feb-1983 NSF summary and reviews, "An Intelligent System for the Knowledge-Driven Analysis of Acoustic Signals"
23-Apr-1983 Letter and memo from John Pierce to SDF re: observations of CCRMA
26-Aug-1983 Telex from Yamaha patent chief to Niels Reimers re: FM uses and royalties
17-Sep-1983 IEEE Spectrum article on electronic music
12-Oct-1983 Royalty chart for FM license
19-Oct-1983 Telex from Yamaha patent chief to Niels Reimers re: FM LSI sales and apparatuses
2-Nov-1983 Telex from Niels Reimers to Yamaha patent chief re: LSI markeging and trademark
30-Nov-1983 Stanford OTL memo and notes re: FM negotiation
Dec-1983 Stanford FM royalty payments schedule
2-Dec-1983 Notes from David Lovejoy telecon re: FM royalties
16-Mar-1984 Letter to Toa Electric Co. regarding FM technology license
17-Dec-1984 Letter from Yamaha to Stanford re: yen/dollar exchange rate
1985 YLEM Journal interview of John Chowning
15-Jan-1985 Letter from John Pierce to Dave Packard to follow up on visit from Packard's son
1-Mar-1985 Letter from Yamaha director to Niels Reimers re: FM progress and applications
18-Apr-1985 Letter from Yamaha to Niels Reimers re: sine summation technique
11-Sep-1985 Letter from Chowning to Yamaha to request equipment for digital recording studio
Nov-1985 Aftertouch Magazine interview of John Chowning
12-Nov-1985 Email from Chowning to Yamaha re: "X" series impact and planned composition
11-Dec-1985 Office memo regarding Gordon Getty visit
12-Feb-1986 Telex from Niels Reimers to Yamaha patent chief re: shifted payment schedule and extension of exclusivity
23-Apr-1986 Telex from Niels Reimers to Yamaha patent chief re: exclusivity period and royalty ceiling
Jun-1986 Text of speech by Mr. Mochida in honor of John Chowning
27-Aug-1986 Letter from Yamaha re: omitted royalites
12-Oct-1986 Letter from Chowning to Sony on physical modeling of singing voice
15-Oct-1986 Letter from Niels Reimers to Yamaha re: possible Casio patent infringement
4-Nov-1986 Notes for use in FM license negotiation
14-Nov-1986 Letter to Yamaha regarding LSI negotiation and chip availability
15-Nov-1986 Letter from Yamaha Music Foundation to Chowning re: a potential new book
17-Nov-1986 Letter from Yamaha regarding LSI negotiation
18-Nov-1986 Letter to John Chowning regarding LSI negotiation
26-Nov-1986 Letter to Hiro Kato regarding LSI negotiation
27-Nov-1986 Letter from Yamaha Music Foundation to Chowning re: "Exploring Music Sound with X Synthesizers"
19-Dec-1986 Letter from Chowning to Yamaha Music Foundation re: book schedule
1987 Keyboard Magazine article about CCRMA
23-Feb-1987 Cover letter from Yamaha to Chowning to accompany YCAMS recordings
3-Mar-1987 Amendment to Stanford/Yamaha license agreement
12-Nov-1987 Memo regarding possibility of Yamaha endowing a Stanford professorship
Dec-1987 Keyboard magazine article on CCRMA
1988? NSF Project Summary, "Intelligent Analysis of Composite Acoustic Signals"
8-Feb-1988 Letter to Yamaha regarding ITC action against Casio
10-Feb-1988 Stanford Campus Report article on patent royalties
23-Feb-1988 Royalty payment from NED (Synclavier)
26-Feb-1988 Letter to Yamaha regarding FM chip availability for Marquis Music
29-Feb-1988 Draft of article on computer music and CCRMA
24-Oct-1988 Memo from Stanford OTL to Office of Development re: digital waveguide
15-May-1989 Letter from Gordon Bell to John Chowning regarding Titan
6-Sep-1989 Concept paper on digital music instrument algorithms, proposed to UTTI
23-Jan-1991 Letter from Media Vision regarding FM chip availability
6-Feb-1991 Letter to Yamaha regarding FM chip availability for Media Vision
1992 Excerpt from 1992 OTL publication on top inventions
7-May-1993 Letter from Masatada Wachi (Yamaha) to Chowning re: FM
14-May-1993 Reply letter from Chowning to Masatada Wachi (Yamaha)
29-Oct-1993 Music department vision statement
Mar-1994 Wired article on Stanford, CCRMA, and Yamaha
7-Jun-1994 Stanford press release on CCRMA
26-Aug-1994 Email re: patent income and endowment
10-Nov-1994 Email re: patent income and endowment
10-Nov-1994 CCRMA endowment fund detail and notes
1995 Stanford OTL newsletter article on top inventions
1995 Stanford OTL newsletter article on Max Mathews and the radio baton
8-May-1995 News article about Yamaha/ESS patent dispute (FM)
6-Nov-1995 Emails from Simon Ellis (Intel) and Pat Scandalis re: waveguide synthesis
1996 Stanford OTL newsletter article on OTL 25th anniversary and history
1997 Stanford OTL newsletter article on Sondius XG
16-Jul-1997 Stanford Report article on Sondius XG
1-Apr-2000 Electronic Musician article on computers and analog synthesizers
Mar-2001 Letters to the Editor (CMJ) in response to CCRMA critique
Aug-2001 Sound On Sound article on the Yamaha GS1 and DX1
27-Mar-2003 Snapshot of webpage on top 10 Stanford inventions
2005 Excerpt from Stanford OTL 2004-2005 annual report
May-2008 CMJ interview of Max Mathews
2009 JIMA article on Yamaha/Stanford relationship by Hiro Kato (Yamaha)
17-Feb-2009 U.S.O. Project interview of Andy Moorer
4-Aug-2009 Hiro Kato (Yamaha) presentation on FM technology history and significance
no date MISSING
no date List of compositions/works realized at CCRMA since 1968
no date News article on CCRMA developments and DX7
no date FM royalty chart, forecasts, and Yamaha market data
no date Notes re: FM royalty rates
no date FM article (in Japanese) and notes from Hiro Kato (Yamaha)
This archive is maintained by Andrew Nelson. Please email updates and corrections to aj (at) ccrma.stanford.edu. Please note that archival materials are intended for non-commercial purposes and may be protected by copyright laws that prohibit further duplication or distribution.

These documents stem largely from the personal collections of various CCRMA-lites. The Special Collections at the Stanford University Libraries (SUL) contain 40 linear feet of additional archival materials. For contents and access, please see the SUL catalog entry and the Online Archive of California collection guide.