Electronic Music Machines E-Book

Jean-Michel Reveillac

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 373

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Since 1960, with the advent of musical electronics, composers and musicians have been using ever more sophisticated machines to create sonic material that presents innovation, color and new styles: electro-acoustic, electro, house, techno, etc. music. The music of Pierre Henry, Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk and many others has introduced new sounds, improbable rhythms and a unique approach to composition and notation. Electronic machines have become essential: they have built and influenced the music of the most recent decades and set the trend for future productions. This book explores the theory and practice related to the different machines which constitute the universe of musical electronics, omitting synthesizers which are treated in other works. Sequencers, drum machines, samplers, groove machines and vocoders from 1960 to today are studied in their historical, physical and theoretical context. More detailed approaches to the Elektron Octatrack sequencer-sampler and the Korg Electribe 2 groove machine are also included.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

1 Electronic Music

1.1. Musique concrète

1.2. The beginnings of electronic music

1.3. Electroacoustic music

1.4. Acousmatic music

1.5. And much, much more

1.6. Maturity

1.7. Different paths to music

1.8. Today and tomorrow

1.9. Electronic music and counter-culturalism

1.10. Final remarks

2 When Revolution Holds Us in Its Grasp

2.1. From analog to digital

2.2. Popular music and electronic music

2.3. Final remarks

3 The MIDI Standard

3.1. History

3.2. How MIDI works

3.3. Examples of MIDI transmission

3.4. The MIDI implementation chart

3.5. The General MIDI standard

3.6. The General MIDI 2 standard

3.7. The GS format

3.8. The XG format

3.9. The structure of a MIDI file

3.10. MIDI devices

3.11. Conclusion

4 Sequencers

4.1. Mechanical and electrical machines

4.2. Analog sequencers

4.3. Digital sequencers

4.4. Software sequencers

4.5. Final remarks

5 Drum Machines

5.1. On the subject of electromechanical rhythm

5.2. Drum machines with presets

5.3. Programmable drum machines

5.4. The MIDI age

5.5. Drum machines with sampled sounds

5.6. Rhythms, software, and computers

5.7. Final remarks

6 Samplers

6.1. History of samplers

6.2. History of musical styles

6.3. Architecture and principles

6.4. Final remarks

7 Groove Machines

7.1. Structure

7.2. Famous groove machines

7.3. Software groove machines

7.4. Controllers and software

7.5. iGroove machines

7.6. Final remarks

8 Vocoders

8.1. History

8.2. Working principle of the vocoder

8.3. Machines and equipment

8.4. Software vocoders

8.5. One step further

8.6. Final remarks

9 Octatrack: Maintenance, Repairs, and Tips

9.1. Updating the software

9.2. Testing the OT

9.3. Hardware repairs

9.4. Final remarks

10 Octatrack: MIDI Sequences and Arpeggios

10.1. Setup and configuration

10.2. Creating a MIDI sequence using triggers

10.3. Creating a sequence with the arpeggiator

10.4. Creating a MIDI sequence with a drum machine

10.5. MIDI sequences, rhythms, and CC codes

11 Korg Electribe: Maintenance and Hardware Tips

11.1. Overview

11.2. MIDI cables

11.3. Updating the operating system

11.4. Electribe 2 to Electribe Sampler

11.5. Conclusion

12 Korg Electribe: Software Tips

12.1. Menu tree of the Electribe 2 and the Electribe Sampler

12.2. Shortcuts

12.3. Using the audio input

12.4. Extra tips

12.5. Final remarks

Conclusion

Appendices

Appendix 1: CV/Gate

A1.1. Introduction

A1.2. History

A1.3. Theoretical principle

A1.4. Calculating the voltages and frequencies of notes

A.1.5. Theoretical principle of the gate (or trigger)

Appendix 2: Digital Inputs/Outputs

A2.1. Introduction

A2.2. S/PDIF

A2.3. AES/EBU

A2.4. ADAT

A2.5. TDIF

A2.6. SMPTE

A2.7. SCSI

A2.8. IDE

A2.9. USB

A2.10. Conclusion

Appendix 3: The General MIDI (GM) Standard

A3.1. Introduction

A3.2. Instrument groups

A3.3. Instruments

A3.4. Percussion sounds

Appendix 4: Plugins

A4.1. Software plugins

Appendix 5: Control and MIDI Dump Software

A5.1. Introduction

A5.2. Software for Mac OS

A5.3. Software for Microsoft Windows

A5.4. Final remarks

Bibliography

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 1

Table 2.1. A few electronic music albums between 1970 and 2010

Chapter 3

Table 3.1. The commands in the family of channel messages

Table 3.2. The commands in the family of system messages

Table 3.3. Breakdown of the MIDI message generated when a user plays A2 on a key...

Table 3.4. Breakdown of the MIDI message generated when the user calls program 2...

Table 3.5. Structure of a data chunk

Table 3.6. Standard format of an MThd chunk

Table 3.7. Resolution in ticks

Table 3.8. Resolution in delta time units

Table 3.9. Standard format of a track chunk

Table 3.10. Standard format of an exclusive event

Table 3.11. A complex exclusive event

Table 3.12. An exclusive event

Table 3.13. Example of a MIDI file

Chapter 4

Table 4.1. Digital sequencers

Table 4.2. A few examples of modern hardware sequencers

Table 4.3. A few examples of software sequencers

Chapter 5

Table 5.1. A few examples of programmable drum machines

Table 5.2. Emulators and drum machine software

Chapter 6

Table 6.1. A few examples of samplers

Table 6.2. A few examples of sound cards

Table 6.3. A few examples of software samplers

Table 6.4. A few examples of digital audio editors

Chapter 7

Table 7.1. Devices and instruments added with each new release of Propellerhead ...

Table 7.2. A few examples of controllers and control surfaces

Table 7.3. A few examples of iGroove machines

Chapter 9

Table 9.1. The LEDs that light up when each button is pressed. The word “continu...

Chapter 10

Table 10.1. TR-808 rhythm ensemble on the SC-55 MKII

Table 10.2. Excerpt of the MIDI implementation chart of the SC-55 MKII. The CC c...

Table 10.3. Note assignments for the rhythm pattern

Chapter 11

Table 11.1. The three categories of filter available on the Electribe 2

Chapter 12

Table 12.1. Menu tree of the Electribe 2 – OS version 2.02

Table 12.2. Menu tree of the Electribe Sampler – OS version 2.02

Appendix 1

Table A1.1. Definition of each note in octaves 0 to 3 according to a volts-per-o...

Table A1.2. Definition of each note in octaves 0 to 3 according to a Hertz per v...

Appendix 3

Table A3.1. Assignment numbers of the instrument groups of the GM standard

Table A3.2. The 128 instruments defined by the GM standard

Table A3.3. The percussion sounds of the GM “drum kit”

Appendix 4

Table A4.1. The characteristics of certain plugins according to their file exten...

List of Illustrations

Introduction

Figure I.1. Fortepiano (left) and upright piano (right)

Figure I.2. The RCA Mark II synthesizer, dating from 1955

Figure I.3. A “home studio” in 1995

Figure I.4. EMS VCS3 synthesizer featuring an independent keyboard (1970)

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1. One of the logos of the RTF (used between 1959 and 1964)

Figure 1.2. The Cologne-based radio station WDR, one of the workplaces of Karl S...

Figure 1.3. An acousmonium with an orchestra of speakers

Figure 1.4. Example of a twelve-tone series (notes, dynamics, and rhythms), the ...

Figure 1.5. An AEG tape recorder from 1935

Figure 1.6. One of the earliest digital samplers, the Fairlight CM1 (1979 – sour...

Figure 1.7. Deezer, Spotify, YouTube, and DailyMotion – four of the most popular...

Figure 1.8. The different types of Creative Commons License (BY: attribution to ...

Chapter 2

Figure 2.1. Convergence of media, carriers, and platforms

Figure 2.2. The famous Commodore 64 microcomputer (1982) and its musical SID (So...

Figure 2.3. 5-pin DIN MIDI cable and ports

Figure 2.4. The famous DX-7 synthesizer by Yamaha (1983), which triggered an exp...

Figure 2.5. The evolution of audio media over time: vinyls (33⅓ rpm), CDs, DVDs,...

Figure 2.6. The Roland TR-808 drum machine (1980–1983)

Figure 2.7. The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) sampler

Figure 2.8. The logos historically used by MTV, the television channel that crea...

Figure 2.9. The first-ever web browser, NCSA Mosaic

Figure 2.10. The convergence of NBIC

Figure 2.11. The Novation Bass Station II (2013), an analog synthesizer. The MID...

Figure 2.12. Four new wave albums: Propaganda: “Secret Wish” (1985); Depeche Mod...

Figure 2.13. One of the first albums of house music, published by TRAX Records: ...

Figure 2.14. Two famous house music records: “Jack Your Body” (1987) and “Pump U...

Figure 2.15. The compilation “Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit” (1988). Th...

Figure 2.16. Two examples of new beat tracks: Bassline Boys, “Dechavanne, on se ...

Figure 2.17. The TB-303 synthesizer by Roland

Figure 2.18. The two albums credited as possible origins for the acid house styl...

Figure 2.19. The yellow smiley, the emblem of the acid house movement

Figure 2.20. “The Antidote” (1992), an album by the guitarist Ronny Jordan

Figure 2.21. A compilation album of acid jazz (1996). The tracklist features Gal...

Figure 2.22. The famous album “Ambient 1” (1978) by Brian Eno, widely credited w...

Figure 2.23. The album “Public Pressure” (1980) by YMO, a Japanese band and pion...

Figure 2.24. The trance album “Yaaah” (1990) by D-Shake

Figure 2.25. The album “Music for the Jilted Generation” (1994) by The Prodigy

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1. Pin configuration of the 5-pin DIN connectors used by the MIDI stand...

Figure 3.2. Hardware links and MIDI ports. In this configuration, both devices B...

Figure 3.3. In this configuration, device A controls B and device B controls C, ...

Figure 3.4. Diagram of the IN to THRU connection within the MIDI interface

Figure 3.5. Representation of a status byte and a data byte

Figure 3.6. Families of MIDI messages and their members

Figure 3.7. The reference model of the MIDI implementation chart

Figure 3.8. The GM logo

Figure 3.9. Connections through a MIDI thru box

Figure 3.10. Connections through a MIDI merger

Figure 3.11. The A-880 MIDI router by Roland

Figure 3.12. A Yamaha KX-88 master keyboard with MIDI in and out ports

Figure 3.13. The MIDI ports of the Akai S6000 sampler

Figure 3.14. MIDI 3.5 mm jack port on a Korg Electribe 2 groove machine

Figure 3.15. The Yamaha SPX2000 sound effects processing rack with a USB port an...

Figure 3.16. The Lexicon PCM96 sound effects processor, with MIDI ports (center)...

Figure 3.17. The interface of the MOTU MIDI Express XT from 1996. The communicat...

Figure 3.18. The interface of the M-Audio MIDISport USB 8 × 8, with eight MIDI i...

Figure 3.19. The interface of the UltraLite MK3 Hybrid. The Firewire and USB 2.0...

Figure 3.20. The M-Audio MIDISport Hub 4 × 4 interface (2016) with its USB 3.0 p...

Figure 3.21. The interface of the Focusrite Clarett 2Pre with its Thunderbolt po...

Chapter 4

Figure 4.1. A simple music box mechanism (spring box, regulator, comb, and cylin...

Figure 4.2. A very sophisticated music box

Figure 4.3. Advertisement for Debain’s mechanical piano

Figure 4.4. A “pianola”

Figure 4.5. A music roll inside a G. Steik pneumatic piano

Figure 4.6. A barrel organ

Figure 4.7. Punched card fed into a barrel organ

Figure 4.8. The Limonaire fairground organ of a wooden-horse carousel

Figure 4.9. One of the earliest tape recorders, made by AEG/Telefunken

Figure 4.10. The sequencer by ARP

Figure 4.11. The Korg SQ-1 analog sequencer

Figure 4.12. The Yamaha QY-10, a digital MIDI sequencer

Figure 4.13. The CSQ-600 by Roland, a digital sequencer that also supports the C...

Figure 4.14. The Octatrack sampler–sequencer by Elektron, a device that offers a...

Figure 4.15. A session in Ableton Live

Chapter 5

Figure 5.1. The “Rhythmicon” by Léon Theremin

Figure 5.2. “Rhythmate 100” by Harry Chamberlin

Figure 5.3. An advertisement for the “Rhythmate 200”

Figure 5.4. A Wurlitzer electric piano

Figure 5.5. The Wurlitzer Side Man (left) and its control panel (right)

Figure 5.6. The mechanical sequencing system of the Wurlitzer Side Man

Figure 5.7. The “Rhythm Prince”, a drum machine by Gulbransen and Seeburg

Figure 5.8. The famous “Select-A-Rhythm” drum machine

Figure 5.9. The “Doncamatic DA-20” drum machine

Figure 5.10. The “Doncamatic DE-20”

Figure 5.11. The “Mini Pops MP-3” distributed under the brand Univox by the Unic...

Figure 5.12. The FR1-Rhythm Ace drum machine

Figure 5.13. Hammond Auto-Vari 64

Figure 5.14. The “ComputeRhythm” by Eko

Figure 5.15. The microprocessor-based Roland CR-78

Figure 5.16. Roland TR-808 (top), TR-8 (left), and TR-08 (right)

Figure 5.17. The “Programmable Drum Set” (left) and the “Drummer Boy” (right) by...

Figure 5.18. The three types of MIDI connectors (in, thru, and out) and a MIDI c...

Figure 5.19. The rear panel of the TR-909 by Roland. Its three MIDI connectors (...

Figure 5.20. Linn LM-1

Figure 5.21. The LinnDrum (left) and the Linn 9000 (right)

Figure 5.22. E-mu Drumulator (left), Sequential Circuits Drumtraks (center), and...

Figure 5.23. Akai MPC-60

Figure 5.24. An example of a virtual drum machine – Hydrogen by H2, in TR-808 em...

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1. Chamberlin’s dual-keyboard Model 600

Figure 6.2. Pierre Schaeffer’s chromatic phonogène, manufactured by Tolana

Figure 6.3. Working principle of the Mellotron when a key is pressed. 1 – key, 2...

Figure 6.4. The Mellotron M300

Figure 6.5. The Mellotron M400 and its control panel

Figure 6.6. The Mellotron Mark VII and its two keyboards

Figure 6.7. The Mellotron M4000 and its control panel

Figure 6.8. The Fairlight CMI-3 synthesizer, with its keyboard, monitor, and 8″ ...

Figure 6.9. The 6800, 6809, and 68000 microprocessors (top to bottom) made by Mo...

Figure 6.10. NED Synclavier II

Figure 6.11. The Emulator I by E-mu

Figure 6.12. An Emulator II with dual floppy disk drives

Figure 6.13. The Emulator III

Figure 6.14. The Emulator IV sampler rack

Figure 6.15. The MPC 60 by AKAI: 12-bit, 40 kHz, with 1.5 MB of memory, 32 percu...

Figure 6.16. The MPC 2000XL by AKAI: 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, with 2 MB to 32 MB of mem...

Figure 6.17. The AKAI S1000 sampler

Figure 6.18. The Digidesign SampleCell (Nubus) card for Apple Macintosh

Figure 6.19. The Emulator X studio system by E-mu with its cards and interface b...

Figure 6.20. The MachFive 3 software/virtual sampler by MOTU

Figure 6.21. The digital audio editor “WaveLab” by Steinberg

Figure 6.22. The Octatrack MKII sampler-sequencer by Elektron

Figure 6.23. Classical sampler architecture

Figure 6.24. The MPD 26, a USB/MIDI controller by AKAI

Figure 6.25. The stereo outputs (top left) and eight multi-outputs (bottom cente...

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1. Structure of a groovebox

Figure 7.2. E-mu SP12

Figure 7.3. AKAI MPC-60

Figure 7.4. The MC-303 by Roland

Figure 7.5. AKAI MPC 2000XL

Figure 7.6. The Roland MC-909

Figure 7.7. The Elektron Octatrack

Figure 7.8. The blue Korg Electribe 2

Figure 7.9. The Korg Electribe Sampler

Figure 7.10. The Novation Circuit

Figure 7.11. Teenage Electronics Pocket Operator 32 (Tonic)

Figure 7.12. ReBirth RB-338 by Propellerhead

Figure 7.13. Image Line Groove Machine

Figure 7.14. Ableton Live and IL Groove Machine

Figure 7.15. Screenshot of Propellerhead Reason 2 (top to bottom: Mixer, Redrum,...

Figure 7.16. An example of the wiring configuration on the rear panels of virtua...

Figure 7.17. Screenshot of Propellerhead Reason 10

Figure 7.18. Ableton Live in session view

Figure 7.19. Ableton Live in arrangement view

Figure 7.20. Ableton Live in session view with a Max for Live window open in the...

Figure 7.21. Native Instruments Maschine I

Figure 7.22. The Native Instruments Maschine I software, delivered together with...

Figure 7.23. One possible set-up for the Roland MPC Studio Black

Figure 7.24. The Roland MPC Studio Black

Figure 7.25. The AKAI MPC 2.0 software suite

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1. Helen Harper demonstrating the Vocoder at the Franklin Institute in ...

Figure 8.2. SIGGSALY terminal station

Figure 8.3. Vocoder HY-2 (1961), used by the U.S. military to transmit less band...

Figure 8.4. The two albums “The Electronic Record for Children” and “Clockwork O...

Figure 8.5. The album “Autobahn” by Kraftwerk

Figure 8.6. The VP-CP330 vocoder keyboard by Roland, one of the classics of the ...

Figure 8.7. Basic principle of the vocoder

Figure 8.8. The EMS Vocoder 2000

Figure 8.9. The EMS Vocoder 5000

Figure 8.10. The EMS Rehberg 3000

Figure 8.11. The VP-330 MK1 (top) and VP-330 MK2 (bottom) vocoders by Roland

Figure 8.12. Two clones of the Roland VP-330 – the Roland VP-03 and the Behringe...

Figure 8.13. The Korg VC-10 vocoder

Figure 8.14. The vocoder by Moog

Figure 8.15. The SVC-350 vocoder by Roland

Figure 8.16. The Electrix Warp Factory vocoder

Figure 8.17. The Korg MS2000 synthesizer-vocoder

Figure 8.18. Microkorg synthesizer-vocoder

Figure 8.19. The Roland VP-550

Figure 8.20. The VF11 vocoder by Music and More

Figure 8.21. The Novation Mininova synthesizer-vocoder

Figure 8.22. The Digitech Talker vocoder pedal

Figure 8.23. The analog V256 vocoder pedal by Electro-Harmonix

Figure 8.24. The Synton Syntovox 221, a 20-band analog synth-vocoder, and its sy...

Figure 8.25. The Sennheiser VSM 201 analog vocoder

Figure 8.26. The HT-1 Heil Talkbox by Dunlop

Figure 8.27. Talkbox with a synthesizer

Figure 8.28. Talkbox with a guitar

Figure 8.29. Version 8 of the Auto-Tune software plugin by Antares

Chapter 9

Figure 9.1. OT with the standard accessories

Figure 9.2. The notice in the manual stating the version of OT

Figure 9.3. The SYSTEM STATUS window, showing the OS version. Here, the OT is ru...

Figure 9.4. The OS version displayed in the OT start-up window

Figure 9.5. The contents of the two ZIP files (OS files and C6 SysEx Manager)

Figure 9.6. The OT is ready to receive a sysex MIDI message

Figure 9.7. The message indicating that the USB is ready for access by the compu...

Figure 9.8. The root directory of the CF card after copying the .bin file

Figure 9.9. The five options in the OT menu

Figure 9.10. The window shown after selecting TESTMODE

Figure 9.11. The screen with pixels at maximum contrast

Figure 9.12. The screen with pixels at minimum contrast

Figure 9.13. The OT with all green LEDs turned on

Figure 9.14. Numbering of the OT buttons for the testing mode

Figure 9.15. M2 BTR and T10 TORX screwdriver tips

Figure 9.16. The six BTR screws to be removed

Figure 9.17. Ribbon cables 1 and 2 on the left and ribbon cable 3 on the right

Figure 9.18. The two pieces obtained after opening up the OT. The top image show...

Figure 9.19. A soldering/desoldering station

Figure 9.20. The 16 TORX screws that need to be removed from the back of the con...

Figure 9.21. The ribbon cable of the x-fader with its two keyed connectors (x-fa...

Figure 9.22. The front panel with the x-fader board still attached, the 16 TORX ...

Figure 9.23. The control board, showing the five buttons being replaced. The cap...

Figure 9.24. The empty positions of the five buttons after desoldering and remov...

Figure 9.25. Working principle of the OT ball-bearing push buttons

Figure 9.26. Injecting a special contact product into a push button

Figure 9.27. A battery holder for 25 mm 2430 or 2450 button cells

Figure 9.28. The opened-up case of the OT, showing the motherboard with its batt...

Figure 9.29. The x-fader of the OT

Figure 9.30. The two BTR screws on either side of the x-fader

Figure 9.31. The x-fader circuit board with its printed model number

Figure 9.32. A blown-up view of the x-fader

Figure 9.33. One of the parabolic reflectors (left) and the incremental shutter ...

Figure 9.34. Part of the x-fader printed circuit board, showing the mount of the...

Figure 9.35. The encoder by Bourns

Figure 9.36. The metal plate holding the encoders, present in some models of the...

Figure 9.37. The seven solder points of an encoder (on the back of the control b...

Figure 9.38. The four clasps of the encoder, after being opened (on the left)

Figure 9.39. The seven holes after desoldering the encoder

Chapter 10

Figure 10.1. The hardware setup

Figure 10.2. The famous DX7 synthesizer by Yamaha

Figure 10.3. The CHOOSE PROJECT window with the <CREATE EMPTY PROJECT> option

Figure 10.4. The PLAYBACK SETUP window with the THRU machine option selected

Figure 10.5. The settings window of the THRU machine

Figure 10.6. Track 1 in MIDI mode

Figure 10.7. The MIDI NOTE SETUP window showing the MIDI channel settings

Figure 10.8. Track 1 configured on the MIDI channel 1 (top left)

Figure 10.9. The pixels indicating the receipt and transmission of MIDI data

Figure 10.10. The window of a MIDI track and its parameters

Figure 10.11. The musical score that we will reproduce on the sequencer (“Das Mo...

Figure 10.12. The tempo input window

Figure 10.13. The trigger sequence for the first two measures of “Das Model”

Figure 10.14. The trigger sequence for the third and fourth measures of “Das Mod...

Figure 10.15. The trigger sequence for the fifth and sixth measures of “Das Mode...

Figure 10.16. The arpeggiator window

Figure 10.17. The keyboard, with a chord defined on trigger 1

Figure 10.18. The PATTERN SCALE window with the scale parameter, currently set t...

Figure 10.19. The MIDI ARP SETUP window for creating a 6-note arpeggio

Figure 10.20. The arpeggiator in shuffle mode on four octaves at 4 × speed

Figure 10.21. Hardware setup for recording a MIDI sequence from the DX7

Figure 10.22. The MIDI CHANNELS window and the AUTO CH parameter

Figure 10.23. The PERSONAL SETTINGS window with the QUANTIZE LIVE REC setting

Figure 10.24. The PATTERN SCALE window, which allows you to manage the number of...

Figure 10.25. Hardware setup for creating a rhythm sequence with a drum machine

Figure 10.26. The TR-505 drum machine by Roland

Figure 10.27. MIDI channel 10 on the Roland TR-505 ready to receive data (top), ...

Figure 10.28. An example rhythm pattern

Figure 10.29. The triggers of each instrument on the Roland TR-505 drum machine

Figure 10.30. The assignments of the instruments on the TR-505 and their MIDI co...

Figure 10.31. Hardware setup with an expander

Figure 10.32. The SC-55 MKII expander by Roland

Figure 10.33. The rhythm pattern for the example

Figure 10.34. The MIDI CTRL 1 SETUP window. The CC1 code is set to 7 by default

Figure 10.35. The CC1 code is still set to its default value of 7. The CC2 and C...

Figure 10.36. The window displayed by pressing EFFECT 1. The parameters CC1, CC2...

Figure 10.37. The values of CC1, CC2, and CC3 displayed both on the Octatrack an...

Chapter 11

Figure 11.1. The two models of the Electribe 2

Figure 11.2. The two models of the Electribe Sampler

Figure 11.3. The two adapters delivered with the Electribe

Figure 11.4. Male 3.5 mm jack to female 5-pin DIN adapter for the Electribe

Figure 11.5. MIDI cable to connect the Electribe directly to a hardware device

Figure 11.6. The OS update files for the Electribe 2 available for download from...

Figure 11.7. The OS update files for the Electribe Sampler available for downloa...

Figure 11.8. Example of the unzipped folder containing the “SYSTEM.VSB” file, in...

Figure 11.9. Procedure for formatting an SD card on the Electribe (left to right...

Figure 11.10. The “System” subfolder on the SD card after copying “SYSTEM.VSB”

Figure 11.11. Procedure for updating the OS of the Electribe (left to right and ...

Figure 11.12. The AM1802 microprocessor (300 MHz – RISC Architecture) by Texas I...

Figure 11.13. The file tree of a newly formatted SD card, showing the “System” s...

Figure 11.14. The first few lines of the hexadecimal code in the “SYSTEM.VSB” fi...

Figure 11.15. The 3 bytes to be edited and their new values (00, 0A, and 23)

Figure 11.16. The first few lines of code in the “SYSTEM.VSB” file of the Electr...

Figure 11.17. The 3 bytes to be edited and their new values (53, 06, and 24)

Chapter 12

Figure 12.1. The shortcuts (in bold) of the Electribe 2 and the Electribe Sample...

Figure 12.2. Hardware setup of the Electribe

Figure 12.3. The AUDIO IN THRU submenu after selecting the option ON

Figure 12.4. The level indicator (top, to the right of the tempo, 120) on the di...

Figure 12.5. The clipping indicator (CLIP) on the display of the Electribe

Figure 12.6. GLOBAL PARAMETER, AUDIO IN THRU set to OFF

Figure 12.7. Pattern 210, SAW oscillator

Figure 12.8. Pad 1 is selected (purple)

Figure 12.9. TRIGGER + recording

Figure 12.10. All 16 pads are active

Figure 12.11. AUDIO IN oscillator (409) selected with the current pattern (210)

Figure 12.12. Volume of the input signal (here, 77) selected with the EDIT butto...

Figure 12.13. FILTER: CUTOFF set to 127

Figure 12.14. MODULATION: MOD. TYPE 01 EG+ FILTER

Figure 12.15. AMP/EG: LEVEL 64

Figure 12.16. Hardware setup of the Electribe

Figure 12.17. The AUDIO IN THRU submenu. This parameter is currently set to ON

Figure 12.18. AUDIO IN oscillator (409)

Figure 12.19. Selecting the MG LPF filter

Figure 12.20. The trigger sequence 1-2-4-6-7-11-13-15 in SEQUENCER mode

Appendix 2

Figure A2.1. S/PDIF connectors, from left to right: RCA, Toslink, and Mini-Tosli...

Figure A2.2. Different types of AES/PDIF connectors, 3-pin XLR (left) and BNC (r...

Figure A2.3. An example of an ADAT interface board made by Yamaha. The two visib...

Figure A2.4. A 16-channel TDIF board made by Yamaha. The two 25-pin connectors (...

Figure A2.5. The two SMPTE connectors on the rear panel of the MPC 2000XL by AKA...

Figure A2.6. The two 50-pin SCSI ports on the rear panel of the S6000 sampler by...

Figure A2.7. Examples of SCSI terminator plugs

Figure A2.8. A few examples of SCSI connectors

Figure A2.9. IDE/ATA cables and connectors (left to right: hard drive, floppy di...

Figure A2.10. Different types of USB connectors

Appendix 5

Figure A5.1. The main screen of MIDI Loupe

Figure A5.2. The main screen of the MIDI Monitor

Figure A5.3. The main screen of SysEx Librarian

Figure A5.4. MIDI-OX with several windows open

Figure A5.5. The main screen of MIDI Monitor with a prompt to save the SysEx fil...

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

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Electronic Music Machines

The New Musical Instruments

Jean-Michel Réveillac

First published 2019 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address:

ISTE Ltd

27-37 St George’s Road

London SW19 4EU

UK

www.iste.co.uk

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

111 River Street

Hoboken, NJ 07030

USA

www.wiley.com

© ISTE Ltd 2019

The rights of Jean-Michel Réveillac to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019932201

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-78630-325-7

Foreword

By the dawn of the new millennium, digital technology was no longer a miracle but a reality.

From electronic instrument-making to software applications, a new world of flourishing expertise swept across the globe within the sound sphere. This wave of nascent technologies began to weave cultural and counter-cultural influences together.

Creators, engineers, and developers lost no time in seizing the revolution for themselves.

Each to their own craft. “Home Studios” have undeniably transformed both the work and the environment of composers. The parameter of time springs to mind, a newfound freedom to experiment with the timescales of the creative process. Some might see an intimate quality in working at their computers and electronic hardware, armed with unbounded experiences that might seem endless and lawless; others might find the infinite choice disorienting.

Technological progress has unquestionably amplified the impact of new timbres.

Most instruments of computer-assisted music (CAM) are simply more elaborate versions of their very first generations.

Consider, for instance, hip-hop – more specifically, the recent variant known as “trap music.” Would this style ever find its way into music if the legendary TR-808 beatbox had never been invented?

As electronics developed in the 1990s, tubes were superseded by transistors. The Japanese inventor Ikutaro Kakehashi, a former watch manufacturer who became an electronic instrument-maker, launched the TR-808 in 1980. Four years later, he was forced to abandon production due to a shortage of components and the arrival of the MIDI format. The 12,000 existing copies of his drum machine gradually found their way onto the secondhand market. Now finally affordable, Ikutaro’s TR-808 established itself as the ultimate weapon in the two greatest musical movements of the late 20th Century, techno and hip-hop. Before long, it was the emblem of an entire generation.

The same principle also applies at larger scales. Communication between technology and creators has an extraordinary impact on learning and experience-sharing.

This sets the scene for Jean-Michel Réveillac’s research into the many historical facets of electronic music, Electronic Music Machines: The New Musical Instruments, a unique source of information that delves even deeper into the reflections of his previous book, Musical Sound Effects, published by ISTE Ltd (2018).

Both books explore and illuminate the creative landscapes of these musical worlds, making a statement about technological progress that highlights the timeless diversity of innovators and their instruments.

This book contains a diverse series of chapters that transport the reader to new heights in understanding musical movements. We are gently encouraged to think about how the machines of the past and the present can be described and categorized, gradually working toward the invention of modern standards and tools. Exploring these pages reveals a prodigious maelstrom of knowledge, strongly centered around the practical aspects of making music. The second part of the book focuses on two recently developed machines: the “Octatrack” by the Swedish manufacturer Elektron and the “Electribe” by the Japanese manufacturer Korg. Jean-Michel Réveillac has a few surprises about these instruments for his readers.

Let us end by pondering a few words by researcher John C. Lilly (1915–2001).

“The true miracle is that the Universe created one part of itself to study another, and that this part, by studying itself, is ultimately able to discover the natural and inner reality of the rest of the Universe.”

Léo PAOLETTI (Leo Virgile)

Composer and audio designer

Preface

If you would like to find out whether this book is right for you, how it is organized, and which conventions are used, you are in the right place.

Target audience

This book is for anybody who is passionate about sound, whether hobbyist or professional, whether primarily interested in sound recording, mixing, or broadcasting, whether a musician, performer, or composer.

A few sections require some basic knowledge of digital audio, computers, and electronics.

Organization and contents of this book

This book is divided into two focus areas. Chapters 1–8 are devoted to theory, whereas Chapters 9–12 are more practically oriented.

Theory:

– 1. Electronic Music;

– 2. When Revolution Holds Us in Its Grasp;

– 3. The MIDI Standard;

– 4. Sequencers;

– 5. Drum Machines;

– 6. Samplers;

– 7. Groove Machines;

– 8. Vocoders.

Practice:

– 9. Octatrack: Maintenance, Repairs, and Tips;

– 10. Octatrack: MIDI Sequences and Arpeggios;

– 11. Korg Electribe: Maintenance and Hardware Tips;

– 12. Korg Electribe: Software Tips.

Each chapter can be read separately. Whenever there are concepts that build on other chapters, references to the relevant sections will be included. The first two chapters are devoted to the topic of electronic music in general. These chapters provide a rudimentary background that may help to understand the other chapters.

If you are completely new to the subject, I highly recommend that you start by reading the first two chapters – everything else will be a lot clearer.

If you are a more experienced reader, I hope that you still discover new concepts that will expand your knowledge.

Appendices 1–5 contain some additional information and summaries. You will find, in the following order:

– CV/Gate;

– Digital Inputs/Outputs;

– The General MIDI (GM) Standard;

– Plugins;

– Control and MIDI Dump Software.

The book ends with a bibliography and a list of useful Internet links.

Conventions

This book uses the following typographical conventions:

–

italics:

reserved for important keywords, mathematical terminology, comments, equations, expressions, and variables when they are used for the first time. Some words and expressions borrowed from other languages are also indicated in italics.

– UPPERCASE: reserved for the names of windows, icons, buttons, folders, directories, menus, and submenus. Also used for any elements, options, or commands used in the window of a software program.

Comments are indicated as follows: NOTE.– They complement the explanations given in the main body of the text.

Each figure or table has a caption that may help to understand its contents.

Acknowledgments

I would especially like to thank the team over at ISTE, as well as my editor Chantal Menascé, for placing their trust in me, as well as the composer and sound designer Léo Paletti (Leo Virgile) for writing the Foreword of this book and for his time, attention, and patience.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Vanna, who supported me from the very first page of this book until the very last.

Jean-Michel RÉVEILLACFebruary 2019

Introduction

For centuries, musical instruments were largely frozen in time, except for a few major technical evolutions, such as the transition from the fortepiano to the traditional piano (simply known as the piano), to cite just one example.

Figure I.1.Fortepiano (left) and upright piano (right)

A purist might remind you that there were significant changes in the design, shape, and mechanics of wood, strings, and brass instruments, as well as keyboards and percussions, between the Renaissance (17th Century) and the early 20th Century.

They would, of course, be correct, but these changes pale in comparison to the upheaval created by electricity in the musical world. The term “electricity” is somewhat of a generalization here – it encompasses the multiple more specific revolutions of electromechanics, electronics, computers, and so on.

The second half of the 20th Century was packed with musical innovations: the popularization of tape recorders, the invention of the first oscillators and the first sound effects (reverb, echo, filters, etc.), the introduction of transistors and later integrated circuits, the analog-to-digital revolution, the advent of computers, the first-ever synthesizers, and so on and so forth.

Figure I.2.The RCA Mark II synthesizer, dating from 1955

(source: https://encyclotronic.com)

Uncountably many technological devices – some highly sophisticated, others less so – quickly became indispensable in studios, both for composers and performers.

As for the creative aspects of musical compositions, new styles of music were unleashed upon the planet as musicians did not hesitate to take advantage of their new means of expression and creation.

Tape recorders were one of the key catalysts of the style of musique concrète, alongside electroacoustic, acousmatic, and experimental music1. They were also an essential factor in the formation of new genres of popular music2 that shook the deeply entrenched norms of music to their very core. Techno, hip-hop, new wave, dance, house, ambient, acid jazz, electro, and much more: new anthems for the electronic music generation. In just a few decades, so many new styles were born, and it has become difficult to keep track of them. But the steamroller of technological progress continued full speed ahead nonetheless, unearthing inventive and creative treasures to seed the next generations of musical craftsmen in turn.

The appearance of electronics and the first synthesizers at around the same time supplied a vast new palette of sounds to work with. Traditional instrument-making was forced to accept and merge with electronics; this fruitful union produced new ways of writing music. New professions with nebulous-seeming titles emerged to reinforce the newfound technicity: sound designers, disk jockeys, ghost producers, sound creators, digital communication experts, etc.

Over time, the concept of a “home studio” began to take shape, empowering new generations of musicians to work without relying on the classical infrastructure of traditional sound creation. The lion’s share of composing music could now be done at home, working independently. For the first time ever, composers could dispense with third parties (recording studios, mastering, engineers, technicians, producers, classical musicians and instruments, etc.) until the final stages of the creative process.

Figure I.3.A “home studio” in 1995

(source: https://www.soundonsound.com)

By the turn of the 21st Century, home studios were everywhere. Today, the same phenomenon has intensified further; not only do modern musicians have the means to design their own music, but they can also distribute and even promote it, subverting the musical production infrastructure that had previously reigned supreme for decades. Online music, Web 2.0 and social networks, crowdsourcing3, the cloud, shared networks, and so on have disrupted the musical economy. The major industry players have their work cut out for them; they must adapt and offer new services, or they will not survive. Their monopoly has crumbled; the modern digital economy is driven by individuals, copyright is under threat, and legislation has lost its sharp focus.

Modern technology plays a primordial role in the great shipyard of contemporary music. New ideas and concepts appear and disappear every day at the whim of engineers, inventors, designers, manufacturers, or even marketing trends.

This book attempts to paint a simple picture of the machines scattered throughout the modern electronic music community. Standing proud against their constantly changing environments, these devices, tools, and equipment have become the pillars of the musical world. They have become inescapable for composers, persistent markers that are immutable and indispensable for any serious musical endeavors. Whether on the radio, on TV, at the movies, at a concert, in a studio, or at home, sound engineers, artists, and composers are now both the primary consumers and the primary contributors.

Synthesizers, digital recorders, electronic sound effects, drum machines, groove machines, vocoders, samplers, sequencers, control surfaces, tablets, and computers are the foundational components of modern electronic instrument-making, invading every inch of the contemporary musical space.

Figure I.4.EMS VCS3 synthesizer featuring an independent keyboard (1970)

In this book, I have deliberately chosen to focus primarily on peripherals, largely avoiding the topic of synthesizers, since these instruments have been discussed at great length in many other books, as well as the topic of sound effects hardware, which is explored in my previous book, Musical Sound Effects, also published by ISTE.

My hope is that these chapters will leave you with a broader and more refined knowledge of the electronic instruments that have enchanted the modern musical community, to the delight of anyone as passionate as myself about the magical and sometimes mysterious universe of electronic music.

1

See

Chapter 1

of this book.

2