Music In Video Games
Throughout the history of the video game industry, there has been many changes concerning music in video games. Music in video games progressed greatly within the life of the industry from 1972 to the present. These progressions can be seen as improvements in quality which includes an increase in the number of output channels, an increase in song length, a great improvement in the quality of timbres, and also a general shift from non- programmatic music to programmatic music which fits a game. If one takes a close look, one can see that all of these improvements are either directly or indirectly resulting from improvements in the technology which is used to produce video game music. These improvements in technology include the increase of the number of bits of a Sound Central Processing, the increase of Audio
Random-Access-Memory, the switch from the use of frequency modulation to digital sampling, and the use of compact discs for playing music during a game. By closely examining the contribution of the preceding technological advancements, one can see that technology has indeed caused great improvements for music in the video game industry.
The first technological enhancement which greatly enhanced the quality of music in video games is the number of bits which a sound Central Processing Unit
(CPU) has. The sound CPU is a component in a video game system which controls every single sound which a system produces. This, then, obviously includes music. Specifically, the CPU controls what sounds are to be played at what time, their volume and dynamics, and each sound's length and rhythm. In a sense, the sound CPU acts as a conductor who has absolute control over every single instrument in his orchestra. The increase of the number of bits serves to improve music quality by increasing the number of channels of sound which can be played at the same time. This will just be like increasing the number of instruments in an orchestra. As in the romantic period, an increase in the number of instruments can lead to a richer and more varied blend of sounds which can be used to cause effects of drama and human emotions during game play. This increase in emotional portrayal can also be seen as the first step towards the rise of programmatic music in video games.
Another technological improvement in the industry which imp...
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...t endless and unimaginable.
So, as one can now see, technological advancements were indeed the cause of most improvements in the field of music in the video game industry. These technological improvements, which are the increase of the number of bits of a
Sound Central Processing, the increase of Audio Random-Access-Memory, the switch from the use of frequency modulation to digital sampling, and the use of compact discs for playing music during a game, have now expanded the horizon of music in the industry and opened up many new possibilities. Even though the industry itself might not last as long as the mainstream musical or computer industries, one can see that it has clearly left a mark in the history of humankind's development and usage of music. To conclude, the words of Tommy Tallarico, another video game music composer and programmer, perfectly summarize what is happening in the video game industry:
When people think of video game music, they have always thought of little bleeps and blips. But now, the industry has changed so radically over the last couple of years as far as music is concerned that it has evolved beyond anyone's
expectations.3
Playing video games could make you feel mad because you rage. Games could make you feel happy if you do something you
is only a snapshot of one moment in history. It does not tell us about
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The Use of Electronic Technology in 20th and 21st Century Music In this essay, I have examined the use of electronic technology within 20th and 21st Century music. This has involved analysis of the development and continuing refinement of the computer in today’s music industry, as well as the theory of the synthesiser and the various pioneers of electronic technology, including Dr. Robert Moog and Les Paul. Also within the essay, I have discussed the increasing use of computers in the recording studio. The computer has become an indispensable tool in ensuring that both recording and playback sound quality is kept at the maximum possible level. Many positive ideas have come from the continued onslaught of computerisation.
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Music has been ingrained in the American heart for generations. From African American slaves singing songs to boost the overall happiness of the people they worked with (Songs in Slave Society, 2009) to the Beatles performance on The Ed Sullivan Show that was seen by 73 million people, or 40 percent of the U.S. population. (Lule, 2012) With the explosion in the popularity of owning a home radio, it has further shaped American culture and its values. In 1922 there were 60,000 households in the United States with radios; by 1929 the number had topped 10 million. (David Marc, 2000) When radio stations started, creating programming, it started breaking down racial bonds, not immediately there were still white only radio stations, yet Black radio became more common on the AM dial. (Lule, 2012) With varying musical styles that could be picked up on any radio by any race, enabling people to gain insight into different cultures, bringing with it, acceptance of those differences. Early Black disc jockeys even began improvising rhymes over the music, pioneering techniques that later became rap and hip-hop. This new personality-driven style helped bring early rock and roll to new audiences. (Lule, 2012) Between the years 1960 and 1966, the number of households capable of receiving FM transmissions grew from about 6.5 million to some 40 million. (Lule, 2012) During the sixties music was a platform for artists to share their feelings on many different social issues, including civil rights and race relations; drugs, affluence, and consumerism; the Cold War; Vietnam and the peace movement; the sexual revolution; women’s liberation; and ecological and environmental concerns. (Ward, 2002)
works that had emerged from it, has become a part of our lives. It's a
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I personally have always enjoyed the different and unique sounds of the instruments that the musicians in rock & roll bands could make using the synthesizer, their electric guitars, th...