> John Chowning actually first licensed his FM synthesis patent to Yamaha
Did he? Wasn't there New England Digital (NED) with the Synclavier which had FM on the market before Yamaha? Are you sure Chowning gave licenses? I would rather expect that this was the Standford administration's business, not Chowning's.
They offered the patent to all the American synth companies, and they all declined. Multiplying sounds just sounded too ridiculous.
Then came Yamaha, who saw its potential, and made a fortune with it. So did Stanford. That patent became the second most successful patent Stanford ever had until it expired in 1996 (by now obv the university has had way more financially successful patents).
It secured Chowning his tenure; the university probably wouldn’t have prolonged it otherwise. Quite an incredible story the whole thing.
> Quite an incredible story the whole thing.
Even more with Chowning's background as a musician, not an engineer.
> Multiplying sounds just sounded too ridiculous
Is this really the "official" reason, or your interpretation?