25. MUSIC AND ITS ALLIANCE WITH TECHNOLOGY

 25. MUSIC AND ITS ALLIANCE WITH TECHNOLOGY

The electronic or digital instruments, computers, electronic effects units, software, or digital audio equipment is widely used by a musician, composer, sound engineer, DJ or record producer to make, perform, or record music nowadays. Music technology links both artistic and technological creativity. Musicians and music technology experts are persistently striving to devise new forms of expression through music, and new devices and software are created.

In the 1980s, Digital sampling technology was introduced and became essential to music production in the 2000s. Devices that use sampling, record a sound digitally (often a musical instrument, such as a piano or flute being played), and replay it when a key or pad on a controller device is pressed or triggered (e.g., an electronic keyboard, electronic drum pad, etc.). Samplers can alter the sound using various audio effects and audio processing. In the 1980s, when the technology was still in its infancy, digital samplers were expensive and they were only used by the top recording studios and musicians. The first sampler released was the 8-bit Emulator I in 1981.  

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) was introduced in 1983 in Los Angeles. A demonstration at the convention showed two previously incompatible analog synthesizers communicating with each other, enabling a player to play one keyboard while getting the output from both of them. This was a massive breakthrough in the 1980s, as it allowed synths to be accurately layered in live shows and studio recordings. MIDI enables different electronic instruments and electronic music devices to communicate with each other and with computers. The advent of MIDI spurred a rapid expansion of the sales and production of electronic instruments and music software. In 1985, several of the top keyboard manufacturers created the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA).

Since the 1980s, personal computers developed and became the ideal system for utilizing the vast potential of MIDI. This has created a large consumer market for software such as MIDI-equipped electronic keyboards, MIDI sequencers, and Digital Audio Workstations. With universal MIDI protocols, electronic keyboards, sequencers, and drum machines can all be connected together. Some universally accepted varieties of MIDI software applications include music instruction software, MIDI sequencing software, music notation software, hard disk recording/editing software, patch editor/sound library software, computer-assisted composition software, and virtual instruments. Current developments in computer hardware and specialized software continue to expand MIDI applications.

Computer and synthesizer technology joining together changed the way music is made and is one of the fastest-changing aspects of music technology today. The first generation of professional commercially available computer music instruments, or workstations as some companies later called them, were very sophisticated elaborate systems which is much costly. Reduced prices in personal computers caused the masses to turn away from the more expensive workstations. Advancements in technology have increased the speed of hardware processing and the capacity of memory units. Software developers write new and more powerful programs for sequencing, recording, notating, and mastering music.

Music sequencer software allows the user to record acoustic sounds with a microphone, mix tracks record or MIDI musical sequences, which may then be organized along a timeline and edited on a flat-panel display of a computer or Digital Audio Workstation. Many musicians and artists use 'patcher' type programs, such as Pd, Bidule, Max/MSP, and Audiomulch as well as digital audio workstations or sequencers and there are still a significant number of people using more "traditional" software approaches such as CSound or the Composers Desktop Project.

Music technology includes many forms of music reproduction. Music and sound technology refer to the use of sound engineering in a commercial, experimental, or amateur hobbyist manner. Music technology and sound technology may sometimes be classed as the same thing, but they actually refer to different fields of work. Sound engineering refers primarily to the use of sound technology for sound recording or in sound reinforcement systems used in concerts and live shows.

25.1.  MUSIC COMPOSITION SOFTWAREs:

We can use software to drag and drop notes, make quick changes and revisions, which provide easy access and quicksaves using the computers. Composing on the computer is increasingly popular among contemporary composers, saving them time and effort in writing music.

Ø  MuseScore is a popular software, easy-to-use and compatible with either freestyle composition or MIDI inputs. We can record directly onto the staves or work by building your piece up note-by-note. Most composition software also features MIDI playback, so we can hear what you've just written in the digital version.

Ø  GarageBand also comes standard on most new Macs, and can be used to write sheet music by selecting a "Songwriting" project. We can record live sounds or input an instrument directly to transcribe into musical notation, then click on the Scissor icon in the bottom left corner to check out the notes.

Ø  Noteflight is a good online site to use for those who don't want to spend a lot of money on software as the first ten scores are free when you make an account.

If we input a MIDI keyboard into the computer with a USB cable, we will be able to play the melody directly onto the keyboard and the software will chart your music on the staff. It's as easy as it gets. We can even layer parts, assigning them to different instruments, to get started on that symphony.

Innovative music has always been inextricably linked to technology. Today we live in a world of nearly unlimited computing power and connectivity, and, in light of this technological landscape, it should come as no surprise that the most vibrant field of musical creativity lies in the world of electronic music. There are two critical developments that have created this musical revolution. First, computers have become so powerful that there is essentially no creative limit to produce music digitally and there is literally an infinite sound set available to electronic producers, and this power is available to everyone in the world with even the most modest modern machine. Second, the complete integration of social networking has fostered music sharing on a global scale. In essence, the Computer is capable of perfectly emulating or creating any sound in the world, real or imaginary. A generation ago, this could only be described as magical.

Today there is no limit to the number of tracks a computer can mix. Songs of more than 200 tracks and virtual instruments were composed, each with many effects. Electronic music producers have sparked an explosion of innovation and creativity.