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Texas Instruments Speak & Music

Date of introduction:  1986 Display technology:  
New price:   Display size:  n.a.
Size:  9.1" x 11.1" x  1.2" 
 231 x 282 x 30 mm3
    
Weight:  18.2 ounces, 515 grams Serial No:  
Batteries:  4*AA cells Date of manufacture:  wk 24 year 1987
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  USA
Precision:   Integrated circuits:  TMS50C40 (CM54129),
 CF60034
Memories:      
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner
    Download manuals: (US: 3.7M Bytes)
(US: 7.4M Bytes)

This funny synthesizer based product from Texas Instruments generates a lot of different sounds and stores them into internal memory. 

SpeaknMusic_PCB.jpg (69312 Byte)Compared with earlier products of the Speak & line this one uses a quite simple technology. 

This educational toy was rated by Texas Instruments for children aged between 7 and 11 years.

A similar product was introduced in the same year with the Little Maestro and two years later with the German speaking Music-Star. The Speak & Music sold in United Kingdom differs from the design, view it here

The La Musique Magique introduced a French speaking version, Fonillo Suonaparla an Italian voice.

Other products in the Speak & line cover spelling and reading words. Compare this Speak & Music with Speak & Math, Speak & Spell and Speak & Read.

Dismantling this Speak & Music manufactured in June 1987 by Texas Instruments in the United States reveals a compact design centered around just two Integrated Circuits:

TMS50C40/CM54129: TSP50C50 VSP (Voice Synthesis Processor) with with 8-bit microcontroller and 8k Bytes Mask ROM for both program and voice and 32 Bytes RAM
CF60034: Not yet discovered, probably a Port-Expander for the VSP




BlooMeanie.jpg (90324 Byte)
Developed for children, the Speak & Music found – like the Speak & Spell – its way into the Detroit area electronic music. Artist Dethany (tOYBREAKER :::) heavily modified this kids’ keyboard and created this wonderful “Bloo Meanie”. 

Learn more about “Circuit Bending”.

Press the Play button and listen Bloo Meanie.
Find more sound samples in the DOWNLOAD section.
Powered by Yahoo Media Player.

Blue Meanie Tunes

Path of Logical

Composer: tOYBREAKER :::
Contact info: dethany
Permission by: dethany

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If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.