Overview of the Collection
James W Beauchamp Harmonic Tone Generator and Papers 1963-1966
12/5/69
Beauchamp, James W., 1937-2022
5.25
English
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
236 Harding Band Building
1103 South 6th Street
Champaign, IL, 61820-6223
URL: http://archives.library.illinois.edu
Email: schwrtzs@illinois.edu
Phone: 217-244-93093
Fax: 217-244-8695
Biographical Information:
James Warren Beauchamp (1937-2022) was Professor Emeritus in both the School of Music and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. Dr. Beauchamp received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan, in 1960 and 1961 respectively. In 1965, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a PhD in electrical engineering. His dissertation was entitled Electronic Instrumentation for the Synthesis, Control, and Analysis of Harmonic Musical Tones. He worked closely with his mentor, composition professor Lejaren Hiller during his PhD studies to create the Harmonic Tone Generator, among the first voltage-controlled electronic music synthesizers. The HTG was used in a number of electronic music projects staged at the University of Illinois, including Salvatore Martirano's Underworld. He joined the electrical engineering faculty in 1965. Shortly after, he took a leave of absence which he spent working in Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He returned in 1969 to his joint appoitment in electrical engineering and music. During his tenure at Illinois, he served as director of the School of Music's Experimental Music Studios, during which time he headed the Hybrid Computer Project and the Computer Music Project. Dr. Beauchamp was a fellow of both the Audio Engineering Society and the Acoustical Society of America. He was also a visiting scholar at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics and a visiting researcher at the Institut de recherche et coordination in acoustique musique (IRCAM) in Paris.
Access Terms
This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Topical Term:
Electrical Engineering Department
Music, School of
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information:
Gift
Accruals:
Folder of news-clippings donated on 11/16/2017.
Related Materials:
For further information about other Lejaren Hiller sound recordings and personal papers please visit the University at Buffalo's Lejaren Hiller Papers.
Information about related materials is available at https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/hiller
Arrangement of Materials:
Organized in one series - Series 1: Harmonic Tone Generator Components and Papers.
Scope and Contents
The James W. Beauchamp Harmonic Tone Generator and Papers, 1963-1966 includes materials concerning Dr. James W. Beauchamp's research in acoustics, electronics, and music during his time at the University of Illinois. Includes the Harmonic Tone Generator, a voltage-controlled electronic music synthesizer, a bound copy of his dissertation, photographs, and professional publications.
Detailed List of Contents
id177812
Harmonic Tone Generator Components and Papers
1963-1966
id177814
1
1
"The Harmonic Tone Generator, A Voltage-Controlled Device for Additive Synthesis of Audio Harmonic Spectra"
1964
Scope and Contents
Presented at the 16th annual Audio Engineering Society meeting, October 12-16, 1964.
id177815
1
2
"Research in Music With Electronics" from Science, Vol. 150, No. 3693, pgs. 161-169
1965
id177816
1
3
"Additive Synthesis of Harmonic Musical Tones," Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol. 14, No. 4
1966
id177817
1
4
Photographs, 8 x 10 black and white (2)
ca. 1963
Scope and Contents
Includes photo of James Beauchamp tuning the Harmonic Tone Generator at Stiven House, University of Illinois and photo of Magnavox grant being presented to Lejaren Hiller and group.
id177818
1
5
Electronic Instrumentation for the Synthesis, Control, and Analysis of Harmonic Musical Tones, bound dissertation
1965
id196218
1
6
Beauchamp News Clippings
1963 and 1966
Scope and Contents
News clippings from September 1963 and May 1966 from the Champaign-Urbana Courier and the News Gazette newspapers.
id177819
Harmonic Tone Generator Module
1963-1966
Scope and Contents
Accession number: 2015.1205069.001
id177820
Time Delay Network Module
1963-1966
Scope and Contents
Accession number: 2015.1205069.002
id177821
Time Envelope Network Module
1963-1966
Scope and Contents
Accession number: 2015.1205069.003