Back in 1986, the idea of using computers for music composition was revolutionary, and this Micro Live segment gives us a fantastic peek at the cutting edge! Imagine trying to make music with just a computer, like the Atari ST running Steinberg Pro24 (0:46) – it was basically the great-grandparent of today’s Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Logic Pro or Ableton Live. Instead of clicking and dragging MIDI notes on a screen like we do now, they were working with what they called a “music processor,” a fancy term for sequencing.
Even humble 8-bit machines like the Commodore 64 (4:38) and ZX Spectrum (4:51) were getting in on the action with add-on keyboards and MIDI interfaces, showing the early push for accessible home music production. And check out the BBC Micro’s Music 5000 (5:51), where you’d literally code your music! It’s wild to think that instead of a user-friendly piano roll, musicians were typing out notes and lengths.
This video really highlights how far music tech has come. What was once a niche, expensive, and often code-heavy pursuit for dedicated enthusiasts has evolved into incredibly powerful, intuitive, and widely accessible software that empowers anyone to compose, produce, and even perform music from their laptop or tablet. It truly shows the foundations of today’s music creation tools!