---
title: NextCube, IRCAM Musical Workstation Demo @ Science Day
canonical: https://0110.be/posts/NextCube%2C_IRCAM_Musical_Workstation_Demo_%40_Science_Day
markdown_url: https://0110.be/posts/NextCube%2C_IRCAM_Musical_Workstation_Demo_%40_Science_Day.md
id: 533
published_at: '2023-11-13T00:00:00Z'
updated_at: '2025-11-29T13:50:08Z'
author: Joren
tags:
- name: IPEM
markdown_url: https://0110.be/tags/IPEM.md
- name: UGent
markdown_url: https://0110.be/tags/UGent.md
---
# NextCube, IRCAM Musical Workstation Demo @ Science Day
I will be demoing an early digital music workstation at the [Flanders 2023 Science Day](https://www.dagvandewetenschap.be/activiteiten/universiteit-gent-bespeelbare-erfgoed-synthesisers-op-locatie). During the Science Day there will be demonstrations of several of the [electronic music heritage instruments](https://asil.ugent.be/projects/#heritageinstruments) of the collection of IPEM, which used to be an early electronic music production studio. In the collection is a vintage analog synthesizer (an EMS Synthi 100), a Yamaha DX7, an analog plate reverb audio effect processor and, finally, a NeXTcube with a unique sound-card and early digital music workstation software.
The NeXTcube is an influential machine in computing history. The NeXTcube, with an additional soundcard, was also one of the first off-the-shelf devices for high-quality, real-time music applications. I have restored a NeXTcube to run an early version of MAX, an environment for interactive music applications. This combination of software and hardware was developed at [IRCAM](https://www.ircam.fr/) and was known as the IRCAM Musical Workstation or [IRCAM Signal Processing Workstation (ISPW)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISPW). See my previous blog posts on [Electronic Music and the NeXTcube](https://0110.be/posts/Electronic_Music_and_the_NeXTcube_-_Running_MAX_on_the_IRCAM_Musical_Workstation) and [USB MIDI interface for the NeXTCube](https://0110.be/posts/USB_MIDI_interface_for_the_NeXTCube_-_ISPW_board)
Fig: the NeXTcube's design stood out compared to the contemporary beige box PCs.`
The IPEM collection of electronic music instruments is unique with the aim to reintroduce the instruments into daily music practice an turn them into living heritage`. For example in 2020, the Dewaele Brothers released the [album made exclusively on the IPEM 'EMS Synthi 100' synthesizer](https://store.deeweestudio.com/products/deewee-sessions-vol-01). The NeXTcube demo will be hands-on as well. See you there!
