Posted on March 8th, 2010
The musical setting is important that we know today is that finally made instruments that have radically changed his way of thinking about music. But its history is short. It came with the development of numerical techniques: computer, initially accompanied by the creation of a symbolic language that is designed to develop, so a set of inventions in digital techniques. It is fairly early in its history, the data showed mature enough totake into account the concerns of all types of energy accounting for scientific research, but obviously in the interests of us or artistic creation.
It is not certain that it is necessary to distinguish, as arises from the processing of data, which belongs instead to the broader world of digital techniques. The music is largely drawn from these two areas are new resources. But since the area of the sound is played today in digital audio, the distinction is crucial.Music compilation of data is born by the meeting of music and concern for the environment as a result of numerical techniques and the specific type of computer, a hand, and scientific fields, where his research subjects to explain. If the musical composition, appears in a good position, almost all other activities of the music was found. Music research and covers parts of the cleared land of computers, acoustics, signal processing, includingCognitive psychology: said music data is the focus of several musical fields, scientific and technical.
But is the appeal for special contributions to the processing of data, which are characteristic of his steps. New planning tools regularly supplied by artificial intelligence, embodied by the language like Lisp and Prolog. They sit back on assistance musicologist or abstraction service for their composition. Research systems in real timeinteractive interface allows you to define a new relationship between instrumentalist and electronic universe.
Phases of processing music data
With the origins of the processing of music data, there are two types of activities independently. If these activities are carefully today, is another way that the original vision that has caused their birth can make it possible to predict. These two types of activities: The musical composition, andsound production. In both cases, the production of the desired result is ensured by the computer. These two activities are essentially contemporary. The first serious test of the song to the computer to go back to 1956, was in this period that Lejaren Hiller calculated using a partition of encoding rules in the form of algorithms in the computer, the ILLIAC at the University of Illinois. These ILLIAC Suite for String Quartet, whose three movements are performed in the yearsstring WQXR. In a structure known, which was published in 1959, and behind the title "Experimental Annual Electronic Music Composition with Computers," said Hiller Lejaren in detail the procedures to be used to produce computer-ILLIAC the distribution of his string quartet.
Traces of this period, as in 1956 when John McCarthy distorts the words of artificial intelligence. A year later, to Mathews, a researcher at Bell LaboratoriesTelephone, New Jersey, in the first program for digital sound synthesis of the IBM 704 computer, writing. Now known as the music itself, this is the first of a large family of compilers hearing, a psychologist, Newman Guttman, triggering the first 15 seconds of the study, in Silver Scale. It 'the same as in 1957 when the four movements of the String Quartet of ILLIAC Continuing Lejaren Hiller was published the same year came the first version of the famousProgram language FORTRAN (Formula Translator). We note that when you create a work of Hiller WQXR of the string, it's up to Mathews, who organized a recording, which has given space, then, with the release of this recording on a disc, released in 1960 by Bell Laboratories, and videos headed by mathematics: even if the paths of these two inventors, is not so well known is that you can not hide …
From these two almost simultaneousServices will continue to evolve gradually drawn areas: composition and sound production. We add a level of courses they've seen. But a third way is not much time to show that, born from the same observation was made Hiller: The computer is in the first place, the time, a formidable machine of calculation. Furthermore, the expression of selected computer series, before the advent of these machines, employees are required to use computers. But at the same timeNow, with a little 'of fear, a simple discourse for the moment in which the electronic brain. An artist can do on the computer, without a certain sense, which no doubt explains the attraction at times frightening, that the processing of data will artists the next decades. But the two researchers, the origin of these experiments: Hiller practiced chemistry, while Mathews was a famous scientist. It is certainly worthy of note that explainsmethods that reflect the place, for each of their hands, and totally independent.
With Bell Laboratories, Max Mathews, for his part, written in 1957 as the first number programmed to synthesize the sound of the IBM 704 computer with 4096 words in memory. Now known as the music itself, this is the first of a large family. Music Program III (1960) introduced the concept of modular systems. A model of fantasy inspired more than Mathewsas equipment for the laboratory or a study of electronic music of an acoustic string instruments of trade instrument. The program offers a variety of independent modules (generating units) to manage one of a basic function: oscillator with a programmable waveform, signs of adder, multiplier, and an envelope generator of random signals, etc. .. Fiddler build a "tool" for the attachment of a variety of forms between them. The signals of oscillatorsgenerators are driven to the other modules should be modified or mixed. Several instruments can be combined in a "gang", each instrument has its own identity. Unlike what happens in the physical universe, there is no limit to the number of useful modules at the same time, except perhaps the computer's memory. The result of the position of the instrument is a progressive calculation of the sound in the form of a series of numbers, made in tandem,represents a sound wave complex. These figures are called "monsters." Today, the number of samples was another of his 44 100 per channel has been established for questions from the audience, and 48 000 for the professional sector.
Given the relative slowness of the machines and free weights expected to play, time limit to create the sound wave is much longer than the duration of the proper functioning of these programs are known as "The difference in time." OriginatingSound waves are calculated numerically, a band infinite number stored procedures to a unit of account of monsters. This form of sound production is called "direct synthesis". So to create an audio "when it is completed, the musician asks another program raised reading the audio files in real time and send the samples to a digital-to – analog converter connected to an amplifier and speakers.
To activateorchestra, the composer must write a partition, where all the parameters required by the modules of the SET tools. This breakdown is presented in the form of a list of numbers or codes, telegraphy, all knowledge, or at least be covered by a specific list. These lists are ordered by time.
But in order to specify each parameter is a difficult task, especially when the musicians are not trained for the values measured on the dimensions to your sound card. Againstagainst this obstacle was the language support for writing wall conceived, the most famous is the score on the program, Leland Smith (1972). Saying is not automatic application of the composition: it allows to determine the circumstances because of the musical practice parameters (height, gradients, duration), the system automatically calculates the changes in the timing or the nuances, and even for different parts of it with Notes to complete a cycle, such as type-setter.
Modelinstrument of partition has been consolidated with the arrival of music IV (1962). This program is a lot of alternatives, some of which actually still exists today, was born. One of these mishaps, we mention Music 4BF (1966-67), now a Mac version (4C Music, 1989), and over 360 Music by Barry Vercoe (1968), this descendant of music as a feature to be offered in the form of IV a real programming language, which no doubt explains why it has become clear todayacoustic music with C-compiler no longer be used. E 'was originally adapted to the PDP-11 minicomputer from Digital in 1973 and then completely rewritten in C in 1985, is the name of C-Sound, and was quickly adapted to all types of computing platforms, at the micro level – as Atari computers, Macintosh and IBM. Music V appeared in 1969, a program developed for the development of musical instruments and the walls of today, Music V is still widely used,mostly in the form of adjustment Richard Moore, C-Music (1980).
The computer has also been an undeniable success in a highly speculative analysis Musicologists area. With the eyes of the public is interested in the early sixties, data processing, is still rather mysterious and inaccessible, the possibility for the remarkable work of musical composition, music, and we limit it to Bell Laboratories, the production of sound. A great musicalrevolution of this decade was to come from a world of electronics, with the advent in 1964 of the modular synthesizer, known as "equality" is because they contain digital electronics. Conceived independently Ketoff Paolo (Rome), Robert Moog and Donald Buchla (USA), synthesizers, the response to the technological ambitions of many musicians, especially after the popular success of a hard switched Bach by Walter Carlos, who have actually found that thisclose to a wide audience of instruments. During this time, knowing the program changes Mathews on other sites, such as the University of New York, Princeton and Stanford.
Another use of the computer shows the practical application of analogue instruments. The machine generates signals with a slow variation of the change in exchange for studio equipment: the oscillator frequency, gain of amplifiers, cut-off frequency of the filters. The first example of this system, which has a namehybrid synthesis was founded in 1970 in Elektron Music Studio in Stockholm, an independent foundation since 1969, funded by the Royal Academy of Music, and placed under the leadership of Knut Wiggen. A PDP 15/40 computer controlled twenty-four manufacturers Price is a generator for vibration white, two-thirds of octave filters, modulators: the ring size and reverb. The uniqueness of the system of Stockholm, situated in a large ergonomic comfort of the operator, with whichType-setter, the parameters for the synthesis of livestock, a group of figures by using a metal skewer in September Another seminar was quoted, namely Peter Zinoviev in London (1969), which was placed under the control of a mini DIGITAL PDP-8 for the one who wrote Peter grog Musys PILOT language.
Another remarkable clear system of Groove (generated in real time the operations of a voltage-controlled devices, Ca 1969), at Bell Laboratories with more than Mathews andRichard Moore. Split is a tool to control the parameters for the interpretation of a unique synthesis. In this direction, bringing the music closer to a leadership position, what a type-setter or an instrument, although one might think that the type-setter of electronic music, we often put in the position of head directly interpret the music was established.
And 'mid-seventies, which marks the transition toA stop now expanding the musical life of data processing, with the emergence of the microprocessor. A computer-stringed instrument of trade will be gradual as possible with the design of a complete computer in a single integrated circuits: microprocessors. It will also require the interface with the user level and that the punch cards through a more interactive mode of input is changed, the keyboard and a cathode, which will helpit.
The principle of hybrid synthesis continue to be used anywhere in the seventies, before finally replaced by digital synthesizers in the early eighties. The U.S. company Intel markets since 1971, the first microprocessor, the circuit 4004, which allows the construction of a real miniature computer, microcomputer: intellectually 8 (designed as the 8008 microprocessor in 1972), Altair, Apple I (1975), will meet soon under the namemicro-computer.
The experimental music group Art and data processing of Vincennes (GAIV) illustrates this transition well. This team is based at the University of Paris 8, Patrick Greussay and a team of artists and architects who are known to publish a journal for the dissemination of research tasks, the most recent art and processing of data transferred to the type-Joseph Englert setter musical coordinator of its activities. E 'intellectually 8, micro computer with the wordeight bits, ordered by a strip of paper and a keyboard, which is compositional in the use and activities such as research on the formalization of the musical, English VCS3 EMS synthesizers controlled by the microcomputer via digital-to-analog converters are charged the power of clarity the exchange of binary data calculated by the interactive programs.
The second effect of the introduction of microcomputers was the design of the synthesis mixture, digital synthesizers, real computers that are adaptedin the calculation of the sound in real time, which was placed under the control of a computer. Since the second half of the seventies look more benefits of this type, we will continue to work with James Beauchamp, Jean-François Allouis, William Buxton, among others, as in Peter Samson (synthesizer systems for the design of the research center – CCRMA – Stanford University), was Synclavier New England Digital Corporation, the South Alonso and Cameron Jones pregnantimpulse-type-setter Jon Appleton, design, launched by Luciano Berio, a bank of oscillators in Naples in June by Joseph, who has continued his work at IRCAM (series 4A, 4B, 4C and 4X), under the guidance of Pierre Boulez, for recently, 30 of the musical Montana Recherche Center in Rome. We note that in the IRCAM 4X (1980), the term disappeared from a synthesizer, replaced by those of digital signal processor, which will undoubtedly shift the focus on the generalinformation from the machine.
The operation of the electronic tool will not take long to adapt to new developments. The first stage is to introduce microprocessors contain analog synthesizers (synthesizer Sequential Circuits Prophet Society), payable to control forms of tension, but the summary is still hybrid. The second phase will follow shortly: it is to design has been fully digital musical instruments. E 'Mark's arrival Synclavier II, and then from Fairlight.
The industrial area is initially composed of the introduction of synthesizers and audio processors, and software that allows their exploitation. Today, all digital synthesizers, and inevitably satisfy the southern part of the standard. The area of the synthesizer is twofold: first, the equipment, often with a keyboard, a choice of preset sounds that you can change someparameters through a simple process of development, in addition to machines that are designed to reproduce sounds pre-recorded and preserved, or stored in mass memory sampler, or "sampler".
It should be noted that all these technologies are available for private music, in the context of what is normally called "Personal Studio" (home study).
But not these machines, and one study even more personal work without software adaptation: thesequencer to control the execution of a document directly from a computer, the editors of the volume is designed for handling, editing and mixing sequences of sounds. The program makes it possible to write a partition which is now usually responsible for the musical version. Finally, the machine can also be controlled by further applications of the composition can be placed.
The most original character of the current computer-string instrument for trade"workplace". Imagine a job consists of a collection of programs intended for various kinds of analysis or synthesis of sound, noise control, or the composition. These programs are integrated into the development of an "environment" organized around a computer and its peripherals, designed to transform the noise on the line. This is the case with the plug-in that is connected to a software allows you to read the sounds "that are stored on a CD,vary the order, for example, comes from a source south. This system, when new they could not find a name that is usually referred to as "hard" or "direct-to-disk" disk.
Musical representation
Since the computer, as opposed to study electronic music, said a specific database, and therefore require that the issue of musical representation is a constant concern for the area. We will see two answers. The first section describes a step in advancecompositionnelle: a Xenakis. The second, more generally, is South-standard.
Iannis Xenakis innovate in the design of Úpice (Unit Polyagogique Informatique of CEMAMu). Conceived in the mid-seventies, the system naturally arises from the method of sound synthesis of this type-setter: the team that put together, first served Emamu (Span Mathematics and Musical Automatic, 1966), and with support from the Gulbenkian FundXenakis had made the construction of a digital-to-analog converter of high quality. The Úpice represent an entire region of composition, with the result that the sound synthesis of the page in the existing music. It was in 1971 CEMAMu (Center for Mathematics and Musical Automatic) following the creation of a site intended to make its research, the team gathered around Xenakis imagine a system that allows you to write – to tap into a setter large table with the architect of time "height curve" ofchoices for each span of a course, a form of golf, a shadow. The music is primarily represented in graphical form. The programs Úpice first was written for a mini Solar 16/65, connects two bodies of magnetic tape to store programs and samples, a digital-to-analog converter, a cathode allows the message in the form of waves, but also Subtracting these waves using a pencil graphics. To listen to the page where they have just learned, type setter mustwait until the computer is ready to calculate all the samples, the generation of sound is guaranteed by a digital-to-analog converter of high quality. Recently, the Úpice is redrawn to the microcomputer, functions, and without delay.
To represent the sound in the form of altered image is the purpose of the program of phonograms designed by University of Paris 8 for Lesbros Vincent. Using an ultrasound, jobs program for spectral analysis as a framework that canmodify the new representation can then be synthesized using Midi, in the form of an audio file, or even changes in the south-file.
The accusations are often heard today is that new generations of musicians that technology approach through the environment created for South-standard is not satisfactory knowledge of music is not far from the processing of data and its problems. But it is to forget that in one direction, the birth of the South stand was made without proper branchwith the previous phases of the field that will give a musical treatment. The phenomenon of Midi is not a disaster of this area.
South of the 1983 standard was developed for the practical application of different synthesizers from one keyboard, messages are sent in digital format, according to a well-defined protocol. Origins, is good Midi based musical gesture controls: this is not a method to represent the sound, butThe gesture of the musician who plays an instrument in the south. In 1983 the first synthesizer to leave a MIDI interface for sequential circuits prophet 600. What has not been defined, is not, on the other hand, it is a success that this rule may move quickly to do that today is used to inter-connect all the machines in a study of electronic music, and also in view of the lights scene.
Cinta Research
Work from 1956 by Hiller Lejaren doneThe composition of the ILLIAC Suite for String Quartet, at the same time, marks the real birth of musical processing and anchoring of this research, in this case is used for automatic dialing. The computer then appears as a device for the treatment of complex continuation of the activities that characterize the composition of the ambitious musical works. This will be reinforced by 1958 according to the French type-setter Pierre Barbaud, which melts in ParisAlgorithms Group in connection with his Bull-General Electric and began his quest for automatic dialing, as next year, becoming the first job algorithmic Barbaud to:
Unpredictable developments (Algorithm 1), in collaboration with Pierre Blanchard. The program Musicomp Lejaren Hiller and Robert Baker, at the same time, the computer ILLIAC ILLIAC pregnant after the composition of Continuation, University of Illinois, one of the centersmusical data processing at the moment. And since it was in 1962, Iannis Xenakis creates ST/10, 080,262, the work was written because of the random-ST program developed since 1958 on an IBM 7090, the composition of computer users, the golden years. In the Netherlands, wrote Gottfried Michael Koenig, in 1964 the program for the preparation of the project I (1964), followed quickly by Project II (1970). The composition of computer-assisted rest of mathematics and a stochastic, drawing largely fromresources processes, Markov (Hiller, Barbaud, Xenakis, Chadabe, Manoury).
With the advent of micro-computer to a new trend has developed with the assistance of the composition, the composition of computer-aided design (CAD). The creator of this program as a composition throughout the model of an environment of software tools to be successful, is accused of precise musical problem. Let us quote one of the most important: HMSL (Hierarchical Music Specification Language, 1985)with Mills College in California, characters, Xavier Messy, Drawing & Collage in IRCAM developed under the guidance of Jean-Baptiste wheelchair Experiment in Musical Intelligence David Cope, created at the University of Santa Cruz, California. These programs are open to dialogue with the type-setter in interactive mode, and is connected with the population of units south. Except for M and Jam Factory Chadabe Joel and David Zicarelli, structured through languagebecause of non-numeric field of artificial intelligence, such as Forth, Lisp, and more, which is why they are not based on mathematics, as was the case with the first generation of computer-assisted composition, but the formal language and generative grammar.
Real Time: Computers and instrumental universe
Eighties, such as the development of computer use in situations in concert, for the advent of digital synthesizers in real time, or;More generally, numerical processing of sound, and the language of time management, it is time to revise this field of early music, music of the twentieth century electronics online (live electronic music). In most cases, it is primarily a matter of imagination, a way to connect your computer and its computing power for the unit of synthesis or processing of an audio recording, it is possible that the interaction between the musicians. Answer (1981) of Pierre Swell,through the integration of procedures in the treatment of the script itself, the computer has become a tool fully integrated in the orchestra. After this work, the work published on the continuation of the computer, playing instruments, which operate under the name of "number of known separation. Mention contributions Roger Dannenberg of automatic guidance and language that the content of a communication tool that the computerMax Mathews, initially with the Groove system so recently, his work on "Radio Operator Drum" and the simulation of the stick by the same band leader, Max Miller Puckette to program.
This is why you are interested, in addition to instruments in the orchestra this capability by providing sensors, so that the computer to monitor the implementation of (flute, vibraphone, etc. ..). All of the music industry is concerned about this development, although the process must beused, still undecided, you Electromechanical (optic material is located in strategic positions for the instrument, the export of the membrane, etc. ..) or will be necessary to use the analysis of sounds stolen to know if it is the height, the spectral structure and how to play?
Society to organize
The maturing of the music data processing to a takeover of responsibilities with the society in which musicians and scientists throughitself. Gradually consciousness belonging to an area that day. The international congress appeared, followed later regional conferences. The message is marked published in collections that are available for the entire community. These meetings also provide space for the presentation of concerts, which tend to be stronger together of their consciousness of a new field of scientific and artistic. This is the beginning of the International Computer MusicConference (ICMC). In 1978 he was born, an organization that seeks to increase communication and to help conduct the conference, "Computer Music Association in 1991," International Computer Music Association (ICMA). The organizers want to keep the Congress on an annual basis in North America, and the following year in another continent. These conferences see ICMA playing an ever more care has led to the organizers, as in the diffusionpublications resulting from these meetings back to the point where the requirements of the works to be executed at ICMC (ICMA Commission Awards, 1991).
Another vehicle that joins the consciousness of belonging to a single field is Computer Music Journal. Appeared in California in 1977, has done it again by MIT Press, volume 4 (1980). The journal is an essential reference for scientific publications in the field. ICMA Association publishes aBulletin Array, which has become a highly regarded body of information and discussions on current issues of transformation music. Consideration Interface Netherlands, since 1994, Journal of New Music Research, regularly for the development of music. Canada, Music Works, headed by Gayle Young, provides information on a wide range of problems in new music. In France, opened InHarmonique IRCAM publications, so the books in their columns with IRCAMaesthetic, theoretical and critical comments that accompany the sudden appearance of new technologies in art.
In 1991, the journal Leonardo, published by the International Association of Arts, Science and Technology, which was founded in 1968 by Frank Malina, spear headed by Roger Malina, Leonardo Music Journal, which gives a comprehensive picture of musical practice in new technologies, thanks to the publication of each number, from a CD. More theory,Examination of the draft language, under the guidance of Raymond Lauzzana are interested in formalizing the procedures of art, and offers a position of maximum for music processing. With this traditional support from data on direct communication between the musicians and scientists through the center of the computer network is added so that the instantaneous mail. Finally, it is necessary to increase the communication speed, which gave birth to electronic journals, distributed bynetworks like the Internet, issued by the structure of production, delivery and routing, yield the same kind of access to information, while the databases, which are multiplying for the processing of music data.
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