CMI/IUPUI Speaker Restoration Project: Electronic Music

In case you’ve missed them, the performance team released demos for some of their songs for the final exhibition. Links can be found below:

Careless: https://bit.ly/2pRJgi2

Wireless: https://bit.ly/2GqkVGy

If you watched the videos, you may have noticed all the equipment being used by Dr. Doug and Christian. Though more commonplace in classical performance these days, it’s possible that some people have never encountered the on-stage musical controllers and interfaces that students and faculty at the Department of Music Technology as well as musicians around the world have incorporated into their music performance. I thought it might be a good idea to describe how an electronic musician performs for those who’ve aren’t familiar with the medium.

Sometimes it’s a little tricky to make an engaging performance as an electronic music producer. The reality is that the bulk of the music is produced before the actual concert; it’s entirely possible to just press “play” and have the music play itself when you’re on stage. This results in a perfect, well groomed performance, but it lacks any of kind of “human touch” that makes it fun and engaging to watch. Therefore, it’s important for the musician themself to balance prepared electronic elements and live music performance when on stage.

This is where a music controller can be a useful tool. Not only does it give an artist an easy way to control their sound as it plays, but it also keeps them away from their laptop keyboard to maintain their professional image. Music controllers come in all shapes and sizes, but often feature a drum pad interface and dials to adjust level and other parameters. You can see Christian using one of these in the background of our demos; he is able to set up the tracks about to be played as well as improvise himself.

You might also notice that Eric’s clarinet playing sounds a little different from what you expect out of the speaker; as opposed to a drier, acoustic sound, you hear the clarinet as if it was played in an echo chamber. This is due to the microphone being fed directly into Dr. Doug’s audio interface, which allows him to modify the signal before outputting it into the speakers. In the demos, he’s probably running plug-ins (programs that add audio effects  digitally) that add reverb and delay to the clarinet sound. This prevents Eric from ever sounding “off” from the rest of the groove. This is also how Dr. Doug is making his lapsteel, which functions similar to an electric guitar that you lay horizontally, sound the way it does. Without these plug-ins, the “chill vibe” that this group is able to produce would not be possible.

While this isn’t exactly new technology, much of what is going on here has been often hidden backstage in a concert setting because of the focus on the live sound coming from actual instruments. This is changing, however, with the rise of acceptance of electronic music as a medium over the past few decades. More and more performances are also incorporating the mix of electronic and acoustic music, such as the one we’ll be showcasing next month. Now all we need is the last piece of the puzzle: the speaker itself, hopefully starting next week!

See ya then!

-Kat