Just ordered one of these. For less than 100 dollars you get and open-source music computer running lightweight Python with a touch-screen. I was absolutely triggered by the concept - ticking many of my boxes.
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This looks very cool but an honest nightmare for someone like me. I have enough trouble finding motivation to work on gear that’s ready to go as soon as you flip a switch.
If you’re looking for something custom, you already have a certain skillset, a clear idea about what you want and how to achieve it, then this seems to give an excellent platform from which to work.
Price is incredibly forgiving, I can’t imagine that they’re making much (if anything) on the transaction. Probably looking to get it out and into people’s hands to spur on further development which ultimately lends value to the original project.
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This is really cool as an educational device. Schools should buy them.
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Very cool. I hadn’t heard about this project. The tulip library looks really accessible, with some nice complete examples:
And the AMY synth library looks fun and runs on many platforms:
I don’t think I need another computer, but I might try AMY out on a regular computer. It’s fun to play with sounds in code when you don’t have to program all the low level stuff
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Python is ok… but if it were PureData or SuperCollider it could compete with the other famous devices
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Got real excited thinking it was a reboot of this. Alas.
Love these projects popping up and hope it gets great support. My own constitutional aversion to python will keep me out of the running, but I’ll be cheering from the sidelines.
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Awesome, thank you so much fpr sharing 
It surfaced a while back and, to be honest, I didn’t think it would see the light of day. Then the dev popped up very recenty on r/synthdiy announcing it was available for purchase. I think the first run is already sold out though.
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Maybe they chose python to make it easier to use, since it’s an educational product. It’s such a beginner-friendly and easy language. I mean, you can do super advanced stuff in python too, but I could even see children getting into this and making cool stuff with those APIs right away. Python is such a general purpose language that it could be really great to get people to learn it in a fun context like this, and then have that tool added to their toolbox — lots of python jobs out there, in pretty much all industries.
Or maybe they chose it simply because micropython is tiny and fits in that microcontroller :))
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Haha, a little of both I suspect 
Or maybe they chose it simply because micropython is tiny and fits in that microcontroller
99% sure!
Not that I’m a big fan of aforementioned sound programming languages, but at least they have a built-in primitives that are directly related to sound generation - oscillator, envelope, etc.
Working in Python even with a dedicated library is a bit weird to me. Let’s copy some byte arrays like in the good old times 
array1 = bytearray(1024)
array2 = bytearray(1024)
# copy array2 to array1
array1[:] = array2
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fair enough…
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Don’t hate the Python, it’s a lovely language to learn.
An application I can imagine for the Tulip computer is that of a hub for a small music theory class. Each student would have their own dedicated usb qwerty keyboard, plugged into the central hub. The teacher would have access to the screen and other administrative privileges. The students would work collaboratively to create music. For example, if there were eight students, each one could be responsible for entering a corresponding scale degree of a scale. Or, each student could have access to a single sequencer lane, and the group would collaboratively create a musical loop or beat. Also, drilling of music theory concepts could be accomplished at a fast pace. Since students in the same class would likely have different music theory skill levels, they would be encouraged to help one another. The idea of ensemble, where everyone is necessary and where teamwork in necessary, would be integral to the experience.
Music theory is pointless, imo, without music practice. Information without a direct application is going to go right over the head of all but the most nerdy students (or the ones preparing for the AP theory examination).
I have done a beginner’s amount of coding in Python. Implementing the above idea is likely above my programming ability.
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