The Tulip Creative Computer: Retro Future Nostalgia

• by Petabite
hardwareretrocomputingdesignsynthesizers

The Tulip Creative Computer: Retro Future Nostalgia

The Tulip Creative Computer is a modern device designed to look and feel like a 1980s home computer—but with modern capabilities. It’s weird, charming, and exactly the kind of project I love.

What Is It?

The Tulip CC is:

  • A synthesizer: 32-voice polyphonic, MIDI support
  • A computer: Runs MicroPython, has GPIO pins
  • A screen: 7” touchscreen (1024x600)
  • A case: Molded plastic in retro-futuristic colors
  • An aesthetic: Pure 1985 vibes

It’s like someone from 1985 imagined what computers would look like in 2025, and then someone in 2025 built that vision.

The Hardware

CPU: ESP32-S3 (dual-core 240MHz)
RAM: 8MB PSRAM
Storage: 16GB flash
Audio: I2S DAC, stereo line out
Display: 7" IPS touchscreen
Input: Keyboard (mechanical!), touch
Ports: MIDI in/out, USB-C, GPIO header
Power: USB-C (5V)

Not powerful by modern standards. But for what it does? Perfect.

What It’s For

1. Music Making

The built-in synthesizer is surprisingly capable:

  • FM synthesis (think DX7)
  • Wavetable synthesis
  • Sample playback
  • Effects (reverb, delay, filter)
  • MIDI in/out for controlling other gear
# Python code running on the device
import tulip

# Play a chord
tulip.play_notes([60, 64, 67], velocity=100)

# Load a patch
tulip.load_patch("electric_piano.json")

2. Creative Coding

MicroPython with custom libraries:

import tulip

# Draw graphics
tulip.screen.circle(x=512, y=300, r=100, color=0xFF00FF)

# Animate
while True:
    tulip.screen.clear()
    x = int(tulip.time() * 50) % tulip.screen.width
    tulip.screen.rect(x, 200, 50, 50, color=0x00FFFF)
    tulip.screen.refresh()

It’s like a modern take on the Commodore 64’s BASIC, but with Python.

3. Hardware Hacking

GPIO pins on the back:

  • 3.3V digital I/O
  • I2C, SPI, UART
  • Analog input (ADC)

Build MIDI controllers, sensor arrays, art installations.

The Aesthetic

This is what sold me. The Tulip CC looks like a Teenage Engineering product had a baby with an Amiga 500.

Design choices:

  • Pastel colors: Pink, blue, yellow, mint green cases
  • Retro fonts: Pixel-perfect bitmap fonts
  • Physical buttons: Clicky mechanical keyboard
  • No branding: Minimal, clean case design

It’s deliberately anachronistic. And that’s the point.

Why I Love This

1. Constraints Are Liberating

The Tulip CC is not powerful. It can’t run Chrome. It can’t play videos. It can’t multitask.

And that’s freeing.

When you open a modern laptop, the possibilities are infinite. Analysis paralysis sets in.

When you turn on a Tulip, you can:

  • Make music
  • Write code
  • Control hardware

That’s it. Pick one and go.

2. Immediate Feedback

From pressing power to making sound: ~2 seconds.

No boot screen. No login. No updates. No distractions.

The entire UI is designed for creation, not consumption.

3. Hackable

Everything is open:

  • Hardware schematics: MIT license
  • Firmware: GPL
  • Examples and docs: Creative Commons

You can:

  • Modify the synth engine
  • Add new features
  • Port software from other platforms
  • Design your own case

It’s a platform, not a product.

Comparisons

vs. Teenage Engineering OP-1

  • OP-1: $2000, closed-source, iOS-style UX
  • Tulip CC: $300, open-source, retro UX

The OP-1 is more polished. The Tulip is more hackable.

vs. Raspberry Pi

  • Pi: General-purpose computer, no dedicated I/O
  • Tulip: Purpose-built for audio/creative work

The Pi is more versatile. The Tulip is more focused.

vs. Arduino

  • Arduino: Low-level, C++, no screen/audio by default
  • Tulip: High-level, Python, integrated screen/audio

Arduino is for control systems. Tulip is for interactive projects.

Projects I Want To Build

1. Algorithmic Music Box

import tulip
import random

# Generative melody
scale = [60, 62, 64, 65, 67, 69, 71, 72]  # C major

while True:
    note = random.choice(scale)
    tulip.play_note(note, velocity=80, duration=200)
    tulip.delay(250)

2. MIDI Visualizer

import tulip

def on_midi(note, velocity):
    x = (note - 60) * 20
    y = tulip.screen.height - velocity * 4
    tulip.screen.circle(x, y, r=velocity//2, color=0x00FFFF)

tulip.midi.on_note(on_midi)

3. Environmental Monitor

import tulip

sensor = tulip.Sensor(pin=34)

while True:
    temp = sensor.read_temperature()
    tulip.screen.text(f"Temp: {temp}°C", x=50, y=50)
    if temp > 25:
        tulip.play_note(72, velocity=100, duration=100)
    tulip.delay(1000)

The Market

Who is this for?

  • Musicians who want a hackable groovebox
  • Hackers who want audio/visual feedback
  • Educators teaching physical computing
  • Retro enthusiasts who miss 1980s aesthetics

It’s niche. But that’s okay. Niche is where interesting things happen.

Should You Buy One?

Yes if:

  • You love retro aesthetics
  • You want to learn music programming
  • You’re into hardware hacking
  • You miss simple, focused devices

No if:

  • You want professional music production (get a DAW)
  • You need general computing (get a laptop)
  • You’re not into DIY/hacking culture

The Bigger Trend

The Tulip is part of a movement: constrained computing.

Other examples:

  • Panic Playdate: Handheld game console with crank
  • reMarkable: E-ink tablet for writing only
  • Teenage Engineering devices: Focused music/video tools
  • Pine64: Privacy-focused, Linux phones/laptops

The theme: do less, do it better, make it beautiful.

An antidote to the everything-machine smartphone.

Where To Get One

  • Official site: tulipcc.com
  • DIY kits: Available with 3D-printable cases
  • Pre-built: $300-400 depending on options

Or build your own:

  • ESP32-S3 dev board
  • 7” display
  • Audio DAC
  • 3D-printed case
  • Flash the Tulip firmware

Final Thoughts

The Tulip Creative Computer is not for everyone. It’s deliberately weird, willfully limited, and unapologetically retro.

And that’s exactly why I love it.

In a world of infinite-capability, zero-focus devices, the Tulip is refreshingly specific.

Want to make music with code? Here’s a beautiful tool for that.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Sometimes constraint is the best feature.