AA1 Sem2 2007: Suburban Lullaby

The screenshot above shows the layed tracks in the MIDI phase of the project. The tracks on the bottom half of the screen are MIDI sequences created using Plogue and Ableton 'Live'. The shot below shows the volume adjustments I have made to the sequences in Cubase utilising Rewire and MIDI. You can also see where things are patched to the audio software.

This was early. I created a MIDI soundscape with Cubase and then turned this to real audio files. I picked out different features from tracks for cues in the event list and assembled sound montages, washes of traffic and weather and night buzz. I utilised 12 busses in Plogue and 8 from memory, in 'Live' in 'Live' to then do several more passes and split these washes up to individual section, occasionally experimenting further with the individual detail resulting in a new sound.

SuburbanLullabyMP3192.mp3

The cat is trombone taken from an Electromic session. Everything else is synthesised ...

Project Documentation:

SuburbanLullabyProcess.pdf

SuburbanLullubyAssets.pdf

What a learning curve. Thanks to staff and students at EMU for keeping me thinking and my mind open all year and to the people at Plogue for the marvellous multi-level monster.

* The final audio mixdown layout

Again, many thanks to 'trombone cat in the night' Lizzie Gregory.

CC1 Sem2 2007: Electromic

ELECTROMIC

The eventual performance model after a lot of prototypes. It will continue to evolve and this is just where time caught us in the process. I call this monster 'Electrom'. Looks harmless enough but is quite labyrinthine. Take a look inside ...

Part 1

Electromic, Parts 1A and 1B. After initially having everything at hand, I quickly realised that was way too much to handle, so I split the set-up with the score, which made a lot of sense as the role of the 'electro' element is different in each section; Part 1 - sound gathering, recording etc and Part 2 manipulation, looping and playback of the collected and processed sonic material. From the shot above, you can see that things are set up for a mic line in. I have a stereo pair at work here.

Part 2

Part 2 is setup for action! No need for any lines in as everything is heading out via the mixer. A selection of three sample playing and looping options, one you can play with the keyboard via MIDI. Boboche Sampler (may be looper?). That option had been working fine until the morning of the final recording when it seems the Plogue goblins had changed something overnight in the bowels of the beast. I investigated until the trombonist's car was pulling up outside. Oddly enough, got it working about 15 minutes after she left!

... and to finish for the year, a shot of the Ableton 'Live' setup. Used for processing, looping and adding one-off doctored samples to the mix. Bus 3-4 was used as an audition send to outboard monitoring via outputs 5-6 of my external audio interface (breakout box). If I was happy with what I heard, I'd drop the sample into a 'Live' track (volume down hopefully!) and bring up. I had the main mix (performance recording mix) in to another two tracks of the monitor mixer (hardware, external) and could therefore hear what my new sample would sound like with the full mix as well as alone.

This instrument is going to take some practice. Now it has reached a playable and stable version for awhile, it will be possible to become quite adept at playing it in time. Great fun until then. Work well with a dedicated MIDI controller keyboard.

Electromic - Sound Files

Electromic1A.mp3

Electromic1B.mp3

Electromic2A.mp3

Electromic2BC.mp3


Electromic - Documentation

ElectromicAnalysis.pdf

ElectromicProgramNote.pdf

ElectromicResearch.pdf



Enjoy the break ...

AA1 Semester 2 Project: Another Quiet Night in Suburbia

AQNiSLocation.mp3

The intention of 'Another Quiet Night in Suburbia' is to investigate the sounds that continue through the night as the world sleeps. But life goes on as can be heard from the continual flow of traffic on the three major arterial roads nearby. Sounds of nature mingle with this as the wind stirs the leaves in sudden gusts. In the distance, a dog protests a phantom of the night.

The features emerge from general traffic hum. At first seeminly a drone, but on closer listening as detailed as any symphony or syncopated jazz. At one moment, the low rumble of a semi-trailer slowly taking off from the lights, perspective changing slowly; the next, the strident tones of a motorbike whizzing through the early hours, sound moving rapidly right to left. Somewhere around the 4 o'clock direction, the distant beeping of a security alarm.

I want to create a hyper-real sonic canvas, drawing features and subtle detail from the rumbling, seething, ever changing and pervasive buzz of the early morning. Individual cars and trucks emerge for a moment then submerge; unique brake drum squeals, gearbox grumbles. Many sonic realities exsisting in the distance and the night.

Over the course of recording this, my ears became tuned as I listened more deeply in the darkness. I began to hear extreme detail until I could pick each individual vehicle and chassis, general body creaks, springs and potholes in the road. These are not audible on the recording, but they are in my mind and must surely influence the final outcome.

References:

Haines, Christian. "Sound Design." Audio Arts 1 Tutorials. Semester 2, 2007. University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Sonnenshein, David. Sound Design. Studio City, CA 91604: Michael Wiese Productions, 2001.

Schafer, R. Murray. A range of sound event maps from, The tuning of the world,1st edn, Knopf, New York, 1977.