ALF Products

ALF Products Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Computer hardware, Music synthesizers
Founded	1975
Founder	Rich Harman (incorporator), Philip Tubb, John Ridges
Headquarters	Colorado , United States
Products	Computer-driven music synthesizers, floppy disk duplication devices

ALF Products Inc. (ALF), a Colorado-based enterprise, derived its name from an assembly language command meaning "rotate the A register Left by Four bits." The company specialized in computer-driven music synthesizers and devices for duplicating floppy disks.

History

In 1971, Tim Gill, then attending Wheat Ridge High School, encountered Philip Tubb at the computer terminal room of Lakewood High School. Philip had established the Jefferson County Computer Club, a distinctive inter-school student organization, and utilized his strong ties within the school district to organize programming workshops and club meetings countywide, employing Hewlett-Packard’s time-sharing computer systems.

Within this club, Philip collaborated with John Ridges, an electronics hobbyist who engineered one of the earliest computer-controlled polyphonic synthesizers, known as "Mesmerelda." This instrument was operated using ASCII serial data transmitted from a remotely connected computer, allowing musical compositions to be input as text and played without requiring traditional instrumental expertise. Demonstrations conducted in music classes revealed a wider commercial opportunity for such synthesizers.

Following graduation, Philip enrolled at the University of Colorado alongside fellow club members Tim Gill and Rich Harman but left after one semester to focus on independent programming projects. By 1975, Philip and John intended to launch a company; however, due to age restrictions on legal contracts, Rich became the official incorporator. The trio established "ALF Products Inc.," with all serving on its board until 1992. The company name was inspired by an HP assembly instruction chosen for its straightforward graphical representation.

Initially offering a variety of products, ALF soon concentrated on computer-controlled music synthesizers. Several former club associates joined ALF, including Tim Gill, who resigned from Hewlett-Packard to participate but eventually left to create Quark, Inc. Despite this separation, ALF maintained collaborative ties with Quark.

ALF became known for its clever marketing and product literature. Its "Rock Star" advertisement cleverly critiqued competitors while promoting ALF’s own products. Another notable campaign, the "Craftsman" ad, appeared in Creative Computing’s April Fools’ edition in 1980, reflecting ALF’s inventive promotional style.

As larger corporations entered the computer-controlled music space, ALF shifted focus toward floppy disk duplication hardware—a market segment with fewer competitors—emerging as a leading supplier. With the rise of compact discs replacing floppy disks, ALF sought a strategic alliance and was subsequently acquired by Rimage Corporation shortly after Rimage’s initial public offering. Following this acquisition, most ALF staff left; founders Philip Tubb and John Ridges continued working with Rimage for several years.

Early products

ALF’s first offerings included enhancements for the punched tape reader within the Model 33ASR Teletype, increasing its throughput from 10 to 30 characters per second when used alongside display terminals. This interface card was primarily marketed to local educational institutions without broader distribution. Another version raised speeds to 55 characters per second; however, modems capable of operating at that rate were rare at the time.

The company also produced multiple S-100 components: a card extender designed for testing S-100 cards; an S-100 motherboard; a testing card for motherboards distributed through local hobby retailers; and a random number generator device. The motherboard design was eventually incorporated into the AD8 synthesizer system.

AD8 Music Synthesizer

Developed between 1976 and 1977, ALF's inaugural computer-driven music synthesizer, the AD8—named for the 88 keys of a piano—was designed for S-100 bus computers or any system equipped with a parallel bus. This device featured a single-voice synthesizer card that could be expanded up to eight voices to achieve polyphony. A dedicated controller card, powered by its own 6502 microprocessor, facilitated communication between the user's computer and the synthesizer cards.

Each voice card included the following capabilities:

• Coverage of an 8-octave pitch range (totaling 96 notes)
• Volume control with 256 discrete levels
• Dual programmable waveform generators utilizing scanned-RAM digital-to-analog converters (64 elements per waveform, each with 256 amplitude gradations)
• A low-pass filter offering 16 distinct levels
• An ADSR envelope generator featuring precise rise/fall timing and sustain parameters
• Stereo channel output selection

Additionally, the AD8 was capable of producing white noise effects suitable for percussion by loading random data into waveform RAMs.

To demonstrate the AD8’s functionality, ALF released a record titled "Computer Controlled Synthesizer Performances." Despite its advanced features, the AD8’s price was nearly double that of contemporary machines like the Altair 8800, making it financially inaccessible for most hobbyists and leading to limited commercial success.

Quad Chromatic Pitch Generator

Coinciding with the AD8’s release period, ALF introduced a pitch generator card available in two variants: one tailored for S-100 systems and another featuring a parallel interface compatible with any computer. Each card generated four simultaneous pitches, and multiple units could be integrated within an S-100 setup. This device provided pitch control across an 8-octave span and functioned as a computer-controlled sequencer when connected to external analog synthesizers or audio equipment.

Apple Music Synthesizer / Music Card MC16

The wide variety of S-100 computer configurations posed challenges for developing software compatible with ALF’s hardware. The launch of the Apple II in 1977—with its standardized keyboard and display—offered ALF an opportunity to create more accessible software despite the Apple II’s comparatively lower performance and smaller peripheral cards than those of S-100 systems. Consequently, this led to the design of a simpler synthesizer than the complex AD8.

ALF leveraged real-time simulations on the AD8 to explore multiple design options balancing features against manufacturing costs, aiming for a Relative Enjoyment Factor (REF) exceeding 80. The finalized design preserved an 8-octave range, precise tuning accuracy, and an ADSR envelope with volume control but excluded programmable waveform generation and filtering components, achieving an REF above 82.

Initially marketed as "ALF's Apple Music Synthesizer," the product was later renamed "Music Card MC16" to emphasize its compatibility with Apple computers without implying Apple branding. It became the first hardware synthesizer available for the Apple II and ranked as one of its best-selling accessories after Apple's disk drive. Demonstrations took place in late 1978, with widespread sales commencing in June 1979.

John Ridges authored advanced software featuring the earliest graphical music entry system on a personal computer. Written in assembly language, this program exceeded the size of Apple's BASIC interpreter and utilized the Apple II’s hi-resolution graphics capabilities. It incorporated a pioneering graphical user interface (GUI) that employed icons and pointer controls managed via game paddles—preceding Apple's Macintosh GUI by several years. Users could visually select notes while simultaneously hearing them played back to verify pitch accuracy.

The software offered sophisticated functions such as looping music sections without re-entering notes and multi-voice playback supporting additive synthesis through square waves—since waveform generators like those in the AD8 were omitted. Although square waves lack some tonal qualities of sine waves, varied ADSR envelopes combined with timing offsets enabled creative sound design; thus, MC16 provided detailed ADSR manipulation.

Each MC16 card supported three voices simultaneously over an 8-octave range with tuning precision within two cents and featured 256 exponential volume steps covering a dynamic range of 78 dB. Voices were capable of producing quarter-tone intervals between standard piano pitches. Multiple cards could be combined to deliver six or nine voices with stereo sound output.

Apple Music II / Music Card MC1

Following the strong sales performance of the initial Music Card MC16, engineers at ALF discovered that Texas Instruments (TI) had consolidated the MC16’s circuitry into a single integrated chip, the SN76489N. This TI chip featured a narrower pitch range and reduced tuning precision compared to the MC16, lowering envelope and volume resolution from 256 levels down to 16, and diminishing dynamic range from 78 dB to 28 dB. It also incorporated a pseudorandom number generator designed to produce white noise effects, mainly intended for sound effects rather than emulating percussion instruments.

ALF created an expansion card equipped with three SN76489N chips, allowing for nine concurrent voices—equivalent to the capability of three MC16 cards combined. Originally called "ALF's Apple Music II," Apple requested a name change, resulting in the rebranding as "Music Card MC1." Unlike the MC16’s starting note of A0 with an eight-octave span, the MC1 began at C2 and offered six octaves. Software developed for the MC16 was modified to ensure compatibility with the MC1.

MC16/MC1 accessories

ALF distributed disks containing musical compositions compatible with both MC16 and MC1 synthesizers. Many pieces were contributed by customers, who received licensing payments in return.

They also produced a "Basic Ear Training Skills" disk aimed at chord recognition; however, due to the lower tuning precision of the MC1, this educational program was limited exclusively to use with the MC16.

Additional peripherals included the "Timing Mode Input Board," which allowed one voice on the MC16 to control playback tempo, as well as "Process," a collection of editing utilities designed for music entry software.

PAL9000 radio direction finder

In 1981, ALF introduced the PAL9000, a radio direction finding device engineered to detect signals within the 144 to 148 MHz frequency band. The system utilized an array of eight antennas mounted on vehicles alongside a control unit featuring LED indicators that provided immediate directional information. Initially targeted at amateur radio enthusiasts engaged in direction finding activities, notable users included the US Border Patrol for tracking radio-collared animals and taxi companies monitoring for radio interference issues.

The PAL9000 leveraged sophisticated digital FIR filtering techniques to ascertain signal direction by examining interactions between antennas. While effective in operation, its accuracy could be compromised by signal reflections from large objects rather than originating directly from the transmitter.

Copy System CS3 / Total Accuracy Copy Program

At first, ALF distributed music software for the Apple II platform using cassette tapes and partnered with a local duplication firm to modify equipment suitable for data cassette duplication. As floppy disks became more prevalent, ALF recognized shortcomings in existing disk copying methods and embarked on developing proprietary hardware and software solutions for disk duplication.

This expertise attracted other software developers facing similar challenges, prompting ALF to offer commercial disk copying services advertised in industry publications. Subsequently, ALF released two products: a faster and more dependable software-only duplicator named "Total Accuracy Copy Program" (initially called "PenultiCopy") and a hardware-assisted system known as "Copy System," which evolved into "Copy System CS3" featuring multiple hardware variants.

The CS3 incorporated a high-capacity power supply that replaced the Apple II’s original unit to enable simultaneous operation of multiple disk drives. This allowed copying speeds of roughly 200 disks per hour with comprehensive verification. Both products included utilities for adjusting drive motor speed, advanced maintenance capabilities, and extensive technical manuals. Additionally, the CS3 contained circuitry designed to stabilize the Apple II’s clock signal, permitting maintenance tasks without specialized diagnostic equipment.

AD8088 Processor Card and AD128K Memory Expansion

In June 1982, ALF introduced the AD8088 processor card designed for the Apple II, incorporating the Intel 8088 CPU—the same microprocessor powering the IBM PC released nine months prior. This 16-bit CPU running at 5 MHz represented a substantial upgrade compared to the Apple II’s original 8-bit, 1.023 MHz processor. The companion AD128K memory card expanded system RAM up to 128K and optionally included an Intel 8087 floating-point coprocessor for enhanced mathematical operations.

Much like Microsoft’s Z-80 SoftCard, which enabled Apple II machines to execute CP/M software, ALF’s AD8088 card provided compatibility with IBM PC applications and operating systems such as CP/M-86 and MS-DOS. Distinctively, it allowed concurrent functioning of both the Apple II’s native processor and the AD8088 CPU. The AD8088 could access the Apple II’s slower main memory alongside faster onboard RAM ranging from 2K to 8K bytes, additional accessory card memory of either 64K or 128K bytes, plus a 4K-byte ROM.

Included with the hardware were three primary software tools: FTL, MET, and MEMDISK.

FTL

FTL (Formula Transfer Link) enhanced floating-point arithmetic performance within Applesoft BASIC by delegating calculations to the AD8088’s 16-bit processor, thereby increasing computational speed and precision without requiring changes to existing user programs. This acceleration was further amplified when combined with the optional 8087 coprocessor. Enabling FTL was straightforward—users simply ran an installation routine after system startup. The tool was compatible with widely used BASIC compilers such as Microsoft TASC and On-Line Systems Expediter II.

A similar enhancement product named "The Pascal Patch" by Micro Magic provided comparable floating-point acceleration for Apple Pascal using the AD8088 processor.

MET

MET (Multiple Event Timer) served as a profiling utility that leveraged the AD8088 processor card to perform detailed software timing analysis. Programmers inserted specific write commands at critical code points to measure execution durations, facilitating performance tuning. MET was capable of timing intervals as brief as 50 microseconds.

MEMDISK

Provided alongside the AD128K memory card, MEMDISK enabled loading an entire floppy disk’s data—excluding boot sectors—into the memory card’s solid-state storage. This mechanism offered faster data retrieval compared to mechanical disk drives. However, since this memory was volatile, any changes needed to be saved back onto floppy disks to preserve data integrity.

CS5 Turbo / CS6 Turbo II Diskette Duplication Systems

ALF’s Turbo line of disk duplication systems utilized Apple II computers but replaced their standard disk hardware with proprietary controller cards that supported multiple external drives outfitted with independent power supplies. This configuration allowed simultaneous operation of up to eight drives.

The CS5 Turbo model released in 1984 supported disk formats from Apple, Atari, Commodore, TRS-80, as well as standard FM-encoded 5.25" disks. Its successor, the CS6 Turbo II, expanded compatibility by adding IBM PC disk formats along with most MFM-encoded 5.25" disks. These controller cards also integrated with the AD8088 Processor Card to enable handling of CP/M-86 and MS-DOS disks; however, their primary market was high-volume disk copying.

With eight active drives, the Turbo II system could duplicate hundreds of disks per hour across diverse platforms including Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari, Kaypro, TRS-80, and IBM PC media—all featuring comprehensive verification processes.

Additionally, the CS6 Turbo II supported automated disk loaders such as the Mountain Computer model 3200, which facilitated automated feeding and sorting of blank and defective disks. Variants of these systems included quad-density drives offering 96 tracks per inch for DEC Rainbow and Tandy 2000 formats, as well as a version equipped with a 3.5" drive compatible with Amiga, Macintosh Unidisk, IBM PC Convertible, and other standard disk formats.

Pre-formatted disks

Capitalizing on its extensive disk duplication capabilities, ALF acquired blank disks at minimal expense and began distributing them in bulk packaging, rapidly establishing itself as a leading supplier. To stand out in a crowded marketplace, ALF introduced disks that were pre-formatted, eliminating the need for users to perform the often tedious formatting step before use. Leveraging its proficiency in disk duplication technology, ALF efficiently produced millions of these pre-formatted disks each year and offered formatting services to prominent manufacturers such as Nashua Corporation.

Quick Copy disk duplicators

Introduced in 1987, the Quick Copy line represented ALF's inaugural standalone disk duplicator equipped with an integrated computer, removing the dependency on an Apple II system. Initially compatible with FM and MFM 5.25" disks, these devices featured dual drives and user-friendly operation. Operators would insert a master disk, which the unit would load into memory while simultaneously allowing blank disks to be inserted for copying. Visual indicators displayed successful reads and copying status, facilitating uninterrupted high-volume duplication without requiring synchronization between drives.

An LCD screen provided information on copy counts and progress, complemented by menu navigation buttons for additional options. A single operator could manage several units concurrently, achieving output rates near 2,000 copies per hour.

Starting in 1988, the 800-series models delivered upgraded internal electronics while preserving the external design of previous versions. These models supported a range of 5.25" and 3.5" drives, enabling compatibility with nearly all personal computer disk formats. The final iteration, model 832 (released in 1992), incorporated both drive types within each unit, offering versatile copying capabilities across multiple disk formats.

100-Series autoloader controllers

In 1989, ALF introduced the 100-series controllers designed for automatic disk loaders, building upon the electronics foundation of the 800-series. Each controller managed a single loader but was capable of simultaneously duplicating both sides of double-sided disks—an industry first—as well as operating drives at twice their standard rotational speeds. This advancement provided ALF with a distinct competitive edge; nearly every U.S.-based automatic loader manufacturer—including Ashby Industries, CopyMaster, Costas Systems, MissionSix, Rimage Corporation, Trace Corporation, and Victory Enterprises—offered products incorporating the 100-series technology. While most manufacturers embedded the electronics inside their loaders, ALF also supplied a compact metal enclosure option for flexible installation.

Pro-Series autoloader controllers

During the 1990s, as floppy disks began to decline in popularity and large-scale disk duplication services matured, ALF adjusted its business focus by developing the Pro-Series—an advanced yet cost-effective controller designed to oversee multiple high-speed automatic loaders simultaneously. A single Pro-Series controller could manage eight loaders equipped with high-speed double-sided drives; furthermore, multiple units could be interconnected through Ethernet-style twisted-pair cables to control hundreds of loaders from a single interface. Employing large-scale field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) allowed ALF to deliver superior performance while reducing costs, with plans for potential conversion to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) contingent upon sales growth.

Most of the Pro-Series design was completed prior to ALF’s acquisition by Rimage Corporation in October 1993. Following the acquisition, former ALF engineers finalized the design under Rimage’s corporate umbrella, integrating it into their product lineup to enhance market presence and support expansion within disk duplication technology.