Week 10 Creative Computing - Integrated setup - Ableton Sampler

I'm not sure if this was week 9 or 10.....

We (Jamie and I) tried to demonstrate the concepts taught in class by quickly creating a sampler instrument using some short snippets of clarinet that we recorded in class. 

As demonstrated, we used a haphazard approach, using any samples and processing as needed to make drum sounds within the sampler. It is interesting that the source material hardly matters as long as it's interesting. This philosophy even applied to rhythms to some extent. Many of them were created by randomly pasting midi data around and transposing it. 

The effects available in live also make it easy to do something obvious quickly. We used the 'grain delay' and the 'erosion' on a bus to add a pleasing layer of white noise to the sound. 

With two layers of drums, one proper tonal instrument, and a bit turning loops on and off, we made 1'28 of electronic music!

MP3 Link

Reference: Christian Haines. "Integrated Setup II." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 14 October 2008.

Audio Arts Major Project

Draft Mix MP3

I aimed to recreate the sound of the windy seaside staying quite faithful to the events of the recording I made. The main elements I included were wind, birds, cars, dog, rumble, rummaging, and footsteps. Part of the objective was for the final product to have a hyper-real sheen to it, which allows for some deviation from the original recording.

In order to achieve the hyper-real texture, synthesis was my main approach to sound creation. My main synthesizer was Plogue Bidule, as its flexible modules and routing options allow for a wide variety of timbres. I found some sounds far harder than others to generate.

Wind was a main focus, because it was dominant in the original recording. I created a Bidule patch with 8 channels of noise and independent filters. The frequency of the filters was determined by independent random oscillators, and also a master control, so that the 8 channels are independent but linked to some degree. A rumble adds depth and cinematic hyper-realism. While I have tried to evoke the sea using wind and rumble sounds, I think that the real ocean does make water sounds that my simulation lacks.

Glass was also tackled with Bidule, using an FM synthesis patch with modulation envelopes. After generating files of randomly varied glass sounds, I compiled them in logic to simulate the simultaneous clinking of many bottles. Many different sequences were bounced from separate logic session and later used in the main session.

Percussive hitting sounds proved to be some of the most difficult to recreate. I tried to process white noise, but my results were largely corny and reminiscent of poor films. In this case, I abandoned synthesis and quickly recorded myself hitting various objects on the desk in front of me. By taking small portions of this recording, timestretching them and using EQ, reverb and enveloping, I was able to create some marginally better foley sounds. I think that these percussive sounds are the weak point of the work – particularly the footsteps.

In the final mix, heavy EQ and short reverbs proved to increase the realism of many of the sounds. Pan automation allowed elements such as cars, bikes and dogs to move around.

I’m satisfied with my final product, however I think that improvement is possible, particularly with the rummaging sounds. Through this exersize, I have realised how difficult synthesizing real sounds is.

Creative Computing Major Project

Performance Recording Mix

This electroacoustic performance work for trumpet and computer builds from a gentle beginning by layering sound electronically. In order to explore a live improvisation aesthetic, the performance makes use of no pre-existing audio recordings, or rhythmic data. Only a basic form for the work was pre-decided, and the trumpet player largely improvised. This demonstrates that the musical outcome of electronic processing of sound relies little on the source material and more on the types of processes used. The work also explores what defines a piece of electronic performance music. The unique pre-existing aspect of this work is simply a particular processing and temporary recording array that has been configured to be interacted with in a particular way. One computer file, corresponding softwares, and any acoustic instrument are the only materials needed to reproduce the work. Thus, a file replaces a traditional music score.

Every sound that is heard originated from the instrumentalist at some point during the performance. The introduction contains a prominent pulsing that results from realtime processing of the trumpet. In order for the work to progress, the role of the software operator is largely in planning ahead by recording useful excerpts, which can later be creatively manipulated. Jamie was occupied with providing interesting source material through his self-taught trumpet style.

The relationship between the electronics and acoustic instrument are different in different parts of the work. In the gentle sections, Jamie was able to improvise with the setup and receive immediate feedback. In order to create the beat, he interacted with the equipment in a fixed, predecided way by making drum sounds. In louder sections, he is able to play over the music in a traditional manner as if it is separate musician.

Week 12 Forum - Stephen steers the university battleship through oceans of amusement

Basically we discussed the course (and anything else we that came up).

There were some really interesting points raised about the nature of education, particularly in an artistic field. Is it actually possible to have an argument with Stephen? I suspect not - even if you get close, he'll pull out a wise cooking metaphor and make you stop and consider.

I agree with David that studying art that you don't (yet) enjoy is a mind opening process that is always a good thing, particularly if it's very developed art.

The stuff I said in forum was kind of just a rant and wasn't very clear, so I don't think it was very helpful. But when I mentioned Year 12 Music Tech, what I actually had at the back of my mind was that it's kind of opposite to this course. Here, we are all taught a wide range of techniques, must analyse a wide range of fixed styles, and then have to create music that uses particular techniques in a particular style. Last year, it was entirely about thinking of a sound you like and then heading for it, and all the tuition was about developing your particular compositions.

Well the outcome is that I consider pretty much everything I've done musically before the last 6 months to be embarrassingly boring really... so I think it's better to learn techniques, then take a breath and quickly make some music every now and then. Maybe this is because in electronic mediums, much of the originality come in the techniques of creating sound, and there are limitless undiscovered methods.

Reference: Stephen Whittington. "Music Studies (Music Technology) Course Feedback." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 30 October 2008.

Week 9 Audio Arts - FM Synthesis

Audio Demo

Basic FM Synth
A simple FM synth based on the readings using one carrier and one modulator. The amplitude of the modulator is controlled in such a way that at 1.0, the frequency of the carrier moves between 0 and 2f (f is the note being played).

One envelope controls the overall output, while another controls the modulation depth.

I found that this simple FM setup was actually very effective for recreating real world sounds, particularly metallic percussion sounds. I was so proud of my gamelan emulation (reverb helped), that I had to design some upbeat gamlan elevator music (see audio demo). I think we should install this in the new Schulz elevator when no-one's looking.

Badass FM Synth
I tried expand the concept by using five oscillators linked in a chain so each oscillator modulates the next, so I suppose there are four modulators and one carrier. Each modulation stage has it's own modulation depth envelope. You can take audio feeds from the last three oscillators in the chain and mix them in stereo.

It did create some complex noisey textures, however I found it hard to create anything that was particularly real world by making use of the extra oscillators.

Reference: Christian Haines. "Additive Synthesis." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 14 October 2008.

Week 10 Audio Arts - Additive Synthesis

Can I have the award for artistic patching? Impressionism vs bidule layouts....

Audio Demo

Simple Additive Synth (link to bidule file)

It's a midi controlled additive synth. You get 6 oscillators, and you get to choose the ratio of their frequencies to the midi note, their amplitude, and their wave type. There is a simple amplitude envelope to control the shape of the sound. It's polyphonic.

More Extreme Additive Synth (pictured)
There are 16 oscillators, each contained in a group. The oscillators are automatically mapped as harmonics in relation to the defined fundamental, however if you want a rougher tone, they can be scattered slightly using the "Freq Freakout Factor".

The amplitude of each oscillator is determined by a set ratio of the previous oscillator, creating a decreasing exponential curve. For example, if the "amp taper factor" is at 0.5, then every harmonic will be half the value of the previous one.

The amplitude of odd and even harmonics can be boosted and cut.

Frequency, pan, and amplitude can be varied individually using random value generators for each oscillator, creating evolving textures.

It's all pretty processor intensive, cause there are a total of 64 oscillators running simultaneousy (including the random modulators).

Reference: Christian Haines. "Additive Synthesis." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 21 October 2008.

Week 8 Audio Arts - Amplitude/Ring Modulation

Audio Example

Ring Mod Bidule File

Amp Mod Bidule File

Image (it won't insert properly)

I created an amplitude modulation patch and a ring modulation patch.

The amplitude modulation patch is basically for modulating oscillators that process a carrier in series one after the other.

My second patch (pictured) uses three oscillator. In each "iteration", the three possible combinations of two signals are ring modulated, and three new signals are created. The process is performed 8 times, however there is rarely much signal left at this point. An iteration selector fades between the 8 different stages so you can dynamically move from slight modulation to grainy noise. The 3 outputs can be individually panned to create a true rich stereo signal where the different channels are different but related. 

I wasn't very successful in creating organic sounds, however many types of rich machine sounds were easily accessible. An engine noise from this patch should be usable for the major project. Putting noise through the system created some interesting buffeting wind. The stereo output should be useful in a soundscape.

Reference: Christian Haines. "Amplitude and Ring Modulation." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 7 October 2008.