A sampler, in regard to audio, is an instrument capable of playing back and manipulating audio recordings. they have been developed to include increasingly versatile and impressive functions over the past seventy years. This essay will try to present and examine the notable historic developments that have led to the modern sampler.
Some of the earliest sampling can be heard in 'Wochenede' (1930) by German filmmaker Walter Ruttmann ^. Sounds were recorded using Tri-Ergon's sound-on-film system, which captured the audio as lines of varying translucence on photographic tape. He spliced and rearranged the film to create what he described as a "sound film without images"^. Ruttmann was in a rather fortunate position, sound-on-film systems were intended for recording synced audio to motion picture and would have been inaccessible to anybody outside the film making industry. #
By the 1940's a few others had began exploring recorded audio's potential for composition. French composer Pierre Schaeffer's work in this period was seminal. He was enthusiastic in sharing his ideas and techniques; encouraging other to experiment for themselves as discussed by Barry Schrader’s in his book 'Introduction to Electro-Acoustic Music' (1982):^.
Schaeffer developed a theory of composition [...] [and] documented his work in A la recherche d’une musique concrète [...] [allowing] others to study his work and repeat his experiments. [...] Schaeffer’s work led to the founding of the first institutionally sponsored musique concrète studio [...] [attracting] many composers, such as Pierre Boulez, Pierre Henry, Darius Milhaud, Oliver Messiaen and Karlheinz Stockhausen. (p.14.)
This is what set Schaeffer apart from his predecessors and contemporaries wh...
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...plies to drum machine sampler hybrids in general and affirms that they were strong production tool that transformed Hip hop. this was due to their capability to sequence entire instrumentals and their affordability.
In 1985 the Atari ST was released as the first micro computer to come with integrated midi. The Akai S series of sampler were designed to be controlled via midi, evident by its rack mount structure and lack of tactile controls. Via early DAW software the Atari ST was able to control these Akai S samplers, resulting in a setup resembling the fair light CMI in function, at a substantially cheaper price. The choice of samplers was very diversified as more manufactures developed similar products and more microcomputers integrated midi. The rack mount style of pc controlled sampler and the drum machine sampler were able to co exist as a matter of preference.
In this essay I am going to explore the unique collaboration between director and composer and how much a long-term collaborative process between the two can influence the establishment of the former as an author. An author, in this case, stands for an authority actively shaping the film’s story and message but at the same can be understood as an author of music, I will try to consider both factors. In this process I want to begin with filmmaker’s general relationship to music, then while answering the main question I will give examples of the European collaboration of Theo Angelopoulos and Eleni Karaindrou, focusing on their approach of using music in new ways, as well as examples from the more known collaborations between Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann and David Cronenberg’s collaboration with Howard Shore. Furthermore, I am going to include conclusions from my personal experience I have had with my friend and director Nuno Miguel Wong. Concurrently this Essay is not an analysis of the music in the films of the above-mentioned collaborations, but rather focuses on their distinct working relationship and how it might have affected their musical approach and productivity.
Next we come to a point in time where a great leap had to be made. Musicians had made positive steps forward in the way of pitch and time but of only one or two notes at a time. What was needed was an in instrument that gave players control of many pitches simultaneously. The mechanism ...
Willoughby, David. "Chapter 11." The World of Music. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 249-53. Print.
The social attitudes surrounding these subjects and purposes heavily influenced composers approaches to writing, use of modes to create moods, instrumentation for texture and even figuration for interest. The Development of instruments plays an important role in the composers work, brass instruments like the Trombone and the French Horn, woodwind like the flute or clarinet or string and plucked instruments like the lute and double bass. Each varying from culture to geographical origin to century. Recently a 500 year old instrument was finally built by Slawomir Zubrzycki, the Viola Organista designed by the great Leonardo Da Vinci who at the time simply did not pocess the means of constructing this magnificent instrument, for if he did we surely would of seen a significant cultural trend amongst the music composers of the era.
Music for Eighteen Musicians (MFEM) is a minimalist composition by Steve Reich written between 1974 and1976. Though this piece was a culmination of Reich’s previous minimalist work, it was also innovative in its elements of structure and harmony. Reich emphasizes this point in saying “there is more harmonic movement in the first five minutes of Music for Eighteen Musicians than in any complete work of mine to date.” It was also his first attempt at composing for a large ensemble building upon his frequent use of piano and pitched percussion with a violin, a cello and two clarinets. The context leading up to the composition of Music for Eighteen Musicians sheds light onto the reason why it was composed and in a greater sense why Minimalism as a whole was born.
Polyphonic is operating on a “shoestring budget” of $150,000. The company is not helped by initial discussions about HSS with potential customers, which have resulted in cold receptions, at best, about the product’s potential application to the music processes despite its multiple strengths.
Mahler also showed great enthusiasm for new works and new composers. Although his own compositions were grounded in late romantic post-Wagnerism, the younger composers in Vienna's composition circle (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Zemlinsky, etc.) had a great appreciation for his music (Schoenberg, at least, taking a while to do so), and Mahler in turn encouraged their work.
When it comes to recording in a modern day environment DAW’s (digital audio workstation) are an essential piece of equipment if professional standard results are desired. Although DAW’s are considered a modern technological advancement the first attempt at a DAW was in 1977 and it came from Dr. Tom Stockham’s Soundstream (See references for full description) digital system. It had very powerful editing capabilities and for its time a very advanced crossfader but was still primitive compared to today’s standard. At this moment there are 100’s of DAW’s on the market but arguably there some obvious leaders. Avid’s Pro Tools has been the go to DAW for any professional studio for the past 20 years and although there have been rumors of Avid going out of business and the features in Pro Tools becoming dated, Pro Tools is still a viable option for studios worldwide. Logic Pro has risen to the fore-front of the industry in recent years due to its easy to use interface that is possible of producing professional results. Ableton Live strays away from a hardware instrument music environment to cater for electronic music users. Audio to MIDI is a main focus along with the critically acclaimed Max for Live used for live performances by many current EDM artists. Each individual DAW has its own pros and cons and comparing these can highlight which DAW is the best for what task.
Music has shaped the lives of people throughout history. Even in its earliest forms, music has included use of instruments. One of the oldest musical instruments known is a variation of the flute; the original flute is thought to date back nearly 67,000 years ago. Tonight we are going to move throughout the eras with a history of instrumental music. This concert will begin with the Renaissance Era and continue through time until we have reached modern instrumental music.
Elizabeth Weis, John Belton (1985) Theory and Practice Film Sound, New York: Columbia University Press, pp 346.
Edison decided to change the idea by using a tin foil wrapped metal cylinder instead of the paper. The final cylinder phonograph had 2 diaphragm and needle units. One would be for recording date and the other would be for playing it. For the machine to work, one would have to speak into a mouthpiece and the sound vibrations would be imprinted on the cylinder. Then the recording needle would create some sort of groove pattern on the cylinder. The data can then played by back by the data from the created grooves.
Many of the ethnic instruments they brought with them were adapted into the drum set: gongs, “Chinese” cymbals, tacked tom toms, Temple Blocks, Woodblocks and Cowbells. Greek immigrants contributed a small musical disc known as the “Greeko” cymbal, and a Turkish immigrant family named Zildjian brought with them an ancient technique for manufacturing high-quality, hand-hammered cymbals that would shortly make them a household name among drummers around the world. This early sit down “contraption” included a variety of percussion instruments including whistles, sand paper blocks, gongs, woodblocks, triangle, temple blocks, cowbells, and a goose neck style cymbal stand. By 1920, this set up became the standard. these early sets were known as “trap kits,” a name that’s still used occasionally to describe the drum
2013. The. Recording Manual - Construction. [online] Available at: http://www.johnlsayers.com/Recmanual/Titles/Acoustics3.htm [Accessed: 25 Nov 2013].
Wishart, Trevor. "From Sound Morphing to the Synthesis of Starlight. Musical experiences with the Phase Vocoder over 25 years." Musica/Tecnologia Music , 2013: 65-67.
The introduction of sound to film started in the 1920’s. By the 1930’s a vast majority of films were now talkies. ‘If you put a sound consistent to visual image and specifically human voice you make a “talkie”’ (Braun 1985 pg. 97). In 1926 Warner Brothers introduced sound to film but, other competing studios such as FOX, didn’t find it necessary to incorporate sound to their motion pictures production, as they were making enough money through their silent movies. Warner Brothers decided to take what was considered a risky move by adding sound to their motion picture, a risk taken, as they weren’t as successful in the silent movie department. But this risk paid off with the hit release of ‘The Jazz Singer’ in 1927. Though sound in films was then acceptable and successful it wasn’t until the 1950’s that it became feasible to the public as sound was introduced to cinema by the invention of Cinerama by Fred Waller. The Cinerama used 35mm film strip and seven channels of audio.