creative music tech

Week 12

chrisbd — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:58:22 +0000

This will be the last blog for Acousmatic composition. I have developed a great interest for this module as it has evolved and I feel my understanding of the style and possibilities has grown. I hope to continue using diffusion as a creative tool as well as a performance technique. The effect a room has on the music can be easily overlooked and I believe this is a mistake. If a piece of music is intended to fill a room and “wow” a listener the composer should give as much thought into the performance space as they might the music. Throughout the development of music the mixing desk has fast become an important and integral tool in the studio. The development and popularity of acousmatic music and diffusion techniques is set to make the mixing desk equally common place in a live environment.

Week 11

chrisbd — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:09:06 +0000

This week I have booked into the acousmatic room to mix and master the finished versions of my work. Working in that environment allows a much better feel for the sounds as well as being very helpful when placing the sounds spatially.To mix in the acousmatic room i set the channel strip to touch and worked with one track at a time to move around the speakers. I would do this many times adjusting the mix each time. Once i had done this for each track I then spent a few hours listening to the piece adding EQ and other effects. This will be the penultimate blog as next week I will upload the finished versions of both pieces.

Week 10

chrisbd — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:03:52 +0000

Over the easter break I have been working on the structuring of my piece using the format I created previously. As the piece developed I felt the sounds didn’t complement the structure I had in mind. The sound file attached is a skeleton version of the piece I hope to end up with.

week-10

edublogs is playing up!!!! Week 9

chrisbd — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:42:12 +0000

first things first i have written a few blog entries that would not publish but the problem seems to be fixed.

Week 9

In this weeks class we listened to different pieces of work from different members of the class. I found this very helpful because it allows me to gain an ever increasing knowledge of the sound system and diffusion tactics. I have some ideas I would like to try on the second composition after comments i received about the first piece in class. Over the easter break I plan to have sequenced the sounds I have created into a basic structure, providing I am happy with it I will then move onto designing the modulation, timbre and dynamics to develop and interesting piece for diffusion.

week 8

chrisbd — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:29:30 +0000

This week I began work on the second of my compositions. I have considered many ways to contrast this second piece from the first by structure, timbre and dynamics. The source material is the aspect I have chosen to contrast between the pieces. My first piece uses material sound to create atmosphere whereas this piece uses only FM synthesis. I recorded 10 different themes in Logic using the FM synth. I then bounced them down and started to create my piece with each of the sounds.
draft composition 2

Acousmatic planning

chrisbd — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:55:00 +0000

This is just an update to add a couple of graphs i used for reference while writing the first of my acousmatic pieces. I didnt stick to it very accurately and i dont think it really matters, however it was helpful if i found myself getting short of ideas. also the second graph i a plan for the second piece which i expect to use in the same way.

Ambient piece

chrisbd — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:32:01 +0000

just a post to show an ambient piece i am working on!!!!

comments please

ambient piece

friday lunchtime concert..

chrisbd — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:28:42 +0000

to whoever missed the concert with nick collins today you really did miss out!!!!!!!! i just wanted to post my thoughts on the performance. The first piece “noPia oConcert no.51g” composed by a Lan Klekturin… mmmmm i wonder who he is?? .. is for piano and computer and involves machine listenng. This piece is one of the most impressive uses of computer in a live situation i have ever seen. As the pianist plays through the piece, supercollider is used to play back parts recorded early in the piece. Overall when performed the sense of the players control over the piano and the computer shows an amazing symbiosis. The other piece that really stood out was a new composition called “Kinesics”. Supercollider is used to give performance instructions to the player in relation to the piano, for example it may give instruction to sit or stand and what areas to play on the piano. Aswell as this supercollider modulates the sound from the piano. Nick describes it as parasitic on the sound of the piano. When the piece is performed the sense of a battle between piano and computer is seen. As is listened and watched i felt as if the player and the piano where trying to perform in the natural way intended. The interference of the computer in this situation was stopping them from achieving this due to the performance instruction and the modulation. Overall i really enjoyed the show and would like to see more performances like this at uni. chris. x

draft composition part 3

chrisbd — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:21:48 +0000

new version hopefully improved…todays diffusion has given me some good ideas on what to change.. a few more dynamic elements and a bit more silence in the right places..as usual enjoy and comment please

thanksdraft-version-3

acousmatic week 5

chrisbd — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:10:54 +0000

this is just a draft version of the piece i have composed and would like to try out in the recital hall. i have made some brief notes of the diffusion process and when the are done I’ll post them as well. still needs work on the levels and panning but the idea is there. It uses only voice. i set up recording device in my kitchen and let it record for about half an hour as various people entered and left. From this a made 9 different samples and used them for the piece. I liked the idea that accent, gender, position from the recording device and the emotion behind the voice gives some much variation to the source material but also stays with a theme. My theme was the human voice in conversation (similar to the theme of a violin that julio mentioned in the blog). I have also structured the piece like this so a times many samples fight for attention in the same way people may do when in a conversation with a large group of people. Also a sample can be heard evolving from another much like the way topics of conversation grow from previous ones.

like i said just a draft version but please leave a comment i would like to hear what anyone thinks..draft-for-acousmatic-week-5