The Machine That Says No: 1-Bit Music on the ZX Spectrum (emf2026)

How do you make music with a computer that barely wants to make sound at all? The 1982 ZX Spectrum has no sound chip, no DAC, and only a single on/off signal connected to a speaker. On paper, it is a terrible instrument. But it can be pushed into strange, rhythmic, surprisingly rich musical territory. Part illustrated lecture, part live performance, this session will use original hardware to show how pitch, rhythm and timbre can emerge from timing alone. Expect raw clicks, tones, fake polyphony, pulse-width tricks, arpeggios, Z80 assembly, and data-as-noise, alongside examples of Andy’s work. The ZX Spectrum becomes instrument, demonstration tool and awkward collaborator, doing its best to sabotage the performance while somehow making music. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/157-the-machine-that-says-no-1-bit-music-on-the-zx-spectrum