Music Technology

235 Pages·2012·6.023 MB·English

by  Julio d'Escriván

Cambridge Introductions to Music
Music Technology
Emphasisingthecreativeaspectofmusictechnology,thisIntroductionsets
outanoverviewofthefieldformusicstudentsinanon-scientificand
straightforwardway.Engaginganduser-friendly,thebookcoversstudio
concepts:basicaudioandthestudioworkflow,includingaudioandMIDI
recording.Itexploressynthesisers,samplersanddrummachinesaswellas
basicconceptsforelectronicperformance.Inconsideringtheroleofthe
DJ,thebookaddressesremixingandproduction,drawinguponmany
examplesfromthepopularmusicrepertoireaswellaslookingatthe
studioasanexperimentallaboratory.Thecreativeworkflowinvolvedin
musicformediaisdiscussed,aswellascontrollersforperformanceand
thebasicsofhackingelectronicsformusic.TheIntroductionasawhole
reflectsthemanyexcitingareasfoundtodayinmusictechnology,andaims
tosetaspiringmusiciansoffonajourneyofdiscoveryinelectronicmusic.
julio d’escriva´n isReaderinCreativeMusicTechnologyatAnglia
RuskinUniversity,Cambridge.
Cambridge Introductions to Music
‘CambridgeUniversityPressistobecongratulatedforformulatingtheideaof
an“IntroductionstoMusic”series.’NicholasJones,TheMusicalTimes
Eachbookinthisseriesfocusesonatopicfundamentaltothestudyofmusicat
undergraduateandgraduatelevel.Theintroductionswillalsoappealtoreaders
whowanttobroadentheirunderstandingofthemusictheyenjoy.
(cid:2)
Containtextboxeswhichhighlightandsummarisekeyinformation
(cid:2)
Providehelpfulguidanceonspecialisedmusicalterminology
(cid:2)
Thoroughguidestofurtherreadingassistthereaderininvestigatingthe
topicinmoredepth
Booksintheseries
GregorianChant DavidHiley
MusicTechnology Juliod’Escriva´n
Serialism ArnoldWhittall
TheSonata ThomasSchmidt-Beste
TheSongCycle LauraTunbridge
Cambridge Introductions to Music
Music Technology
´
JULIO D’ESCRIVAN
cambridgeuniversitypress
Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,
Singapore,Sa˜oPaulo,Delhi,Tokyo,MexicoCity
CambridgeUniversityPress
TheEdinburghBuilding,CambridgeCB28RU,UK
PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCambridgeUniversityPress,NewYork
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9780521170420
(cid:2)c Juliod’Escriva´n2012
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2012
PrintedintheUnitedKingdomattheUniversityPress,Cambridge
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Escriva´nRinco´n,Juliod’,1957–
Musictechnology/Juliod’Escriva´n.
p. cm.–(Cambridgeintroductionstomusic)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-107-00080-3(hardback)–ISBN978-0-521-17042-0(paperback)
1.Music–Dataprocessing. 2.Sound–Recordingandreproducing–
Digitaltechniques. I.Title. II.Series.
ML74.E83 2011
786.7–dc23 2011033056
ISBN978-1-107-00080-3Hardback
ISBN978-0-521-17042-0Paperback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceor
accuracyofURLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredto
inthispublication,anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuch
websitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate.
‘Ireallyknowverylittleaboutthetechnologyoftheseinstruments...butIdo
knowwhattheirbuttonsdo.Ihavealotofanaloginstrumentsinmysetupstill,
and I know if I turn this little button it gives me a little more brightness, for
instance. So, when I sit down to play – which I do almost every day – the first
thingIdoisfindmeasound.ThemomentIhaveasound,Ihavesomemusic.’
JosefZawinul,keyboardistandbandleaderforWeatherReport. (Mandel,1996)

Contents
Preface pagexiii
Acknowledgements xv
Listoffigures xvi
Chapter 1 Representing and storing sound 1
Physicsofsound:theaudiosignal 1
Whatissound? 1
Howdowemeasuresound? 3
Theaudiosignal 7
Digitalrecording 9
Soundrepresentedgraphically 11
Representingsoundamplitude 11
Representingsoundfrequency 13
Otherrepresentations 14
Actuallyperceivingsound 15
Soundascomputerdata 16
Formatsforstoringsoundfiles 16
Standardsforcarryingdigitalaudio 19
Chapter 2 A studio overview 21
Themixer 22
Sectionsofthemixingdesk 23
Themixerinputsection 26
Themixerchannelstrips 27
Themixercontrolsection 31
Themixeroutputsection 32
Audiosignalpaths 33
Tracking,mixingandmastering 34
Effects 34
Mixing 38
vii
viii Contents
Mastering 39
Listeningandeditingenvironments 40
Noise,absorptionanddiffusion 40
Speakerchoice,positionandseating 41
Headphoneeditingandmixing 42
Onchoosingtherightheadphones 43
Theheadphonestereoimage 44
Headphonefrequencyresponse 44
Soundrecording 45
Polardiagrams:representinghowamicrophone‘listens’ 48
Microphoneplacement 53
Envelopingthelistener 56
MIDIandrecording 61
WhyandhowdidMIDIcomeabout? 62
MIDIisnotsound 63
MIDIisindifferenttotimbre 64
and...MIDIhaslowresolution! 64
WhatdoestheMIDIprotocolactuallyspecify? 64
Channelvoicemessages 65
WorkingwithMIDIcontrolmessages 66
CombiningaudioandMIDI 69
Chapter 3 Synthesisers, samplers and drum machines 72
Soundsynthesis 72
Synthesismethods 72
Synthsignalflowandmodules 74
Soundgeneratormodules 75
Filtermodules 79
Controlmodules(envelopes) 80
Amplifiermodules 82
LowFrequencyOscillators(LFOs)module 82
Routingmodules(modulation) 83
Samplers 83
Originalpitchandrootkey 84
Start,loopandendpoints 85
Zonesorkey-groups 85
Groups 85
Filters,envelopes,amplifiersandmodulationmatrixes 86
Warpingandtemposyncing 86
Drummachines 86
Realisticornot? 88
Contents ix
Chapter 4 Live music technology (the FAQs) 89
Whatissoundreinforcement? 89
WhatisaPA? 89
Whatissounddiffusionorsoundprojection? 89
IsthereastandardsetupforaPAorforsoundreinforcement? 91
HowmuchsoundreinforcementdoIneed? 91
WhereshouldIsetupmylaptoponstage? 92
WhichcablesshouldIuse? 92
Howwillmyinstrumentsbeconnectedtothevenue’sPA? 94
Howmanymixers/consolesdosoundsystemsuse? 94
HowmanymonitorswillIneedtobeabletohearmyselfon
stage? 94
CanIconnectmyconsumersoundcardwithphonoconnectors
(cid:3)(cid:3)
(RCA)ora1/8 mini-jackfrommycomputertothemixer? 95
Whatistheidealwaytooutputaudiofrommylaptop? 95
WhataudioprocessingdevicescanIexpecttofindinaPA? 96
HowdoIsetupforlivemixing,captureandlooping? 96
Whatsortofmicrophoneisbestforliveperformance? 96
WhatdoIneedtoknowaboutimpedanceandnominallevelsand
howdotheyaffectmysoundinliveperformance? 98
CanIconnectmyelectricguitarintoamicrophoneinputifit
acceptsa1/(cid:3)(cid:3)plug? 100
4
WhatcanIdowhentherearehums,buzzes,hissorstaticcrackle
soundsthatIdonotactuallyintendaspartofmymusic? 100
Chapter 5 Select, remix, mashup 103
ThequestionoftheDeejay 103
DigitalDJing 105
Vinylemulationsetups 107
Controllersetups 108
Sequencingenvironments 108
DJ-styleworkflow 111
Selectingmusic 111
Sampling 112
Developingagroove 113
Voiceandstructure 113
Performanceconsiderations 115
Remix,mashup... 116
...intellectualproperty 117