Improvising Songwriting and Composition Within A Hybrid Modular Synthesis System
Boon, H. 2019. Improvising Songwriting and Composition Within A Hybrid Modular Synthesis System. InMusic19. University of West London 05 - 07 Dec 2019
Boon, H. 2019. Improvising Songwriting and Composition Within A Hybrid Modular Synthesis System. InMusic19. University of West London 05 - 07 Dec 2019
| Title | Improvising Songwriting and Composition Within A Hybrid Modular Synthesis System |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boon, H. |
| Type | Conference paper |
| Abstract | This paper discusses a semi-improvised compositional approach, within a hybridised electroacoustic music context. It will feature a live presentation and discussion of a novel form of professional application to expand contemporary, artistic practice. A central component of this approach is a discussion of the Analogue Shift Register (ASR) including its various digital representations. Historically the ASR emerged during the early 70s with the first example by Serge Tcherepnin, described as a '.. sequential sample and hold module for producing arabesque-like forms in musical space'. A contemporary realisation of the ASR can be found in devices such as Ornament and Crime's (O&C) CopierMaschine and Turing Machine (Music Thing Modular/Tom Whitwell). The Shift Register, whether analogue or digital, as part of a composing/writing practice can be a potentially more engaging vehicle, due to its self-generative capabilities, than perhaps a sequencer would be for many practitioners. Whilst it is a slightly more 'esoteric' device, the lines or patterns developed using these systems can in turn be resampled and integrated into various types of composition. As a practical aid the device can seed results applicable to any electroacoustic medium whether for stage, recording studio or live performance. Outputs can be managed with varying levels of granularity and artists can produce innovative results when combined with knowledge of harmony, oscillator tuning, cv quantisation, alongside the exploration of various generative algorithms. Assisted by these devices, the performer/composer would be able to extend their practice to generate structurally complex pieces using a novel approach that hasn’t previously been realised or considerably experimented with alongside contemporary music making tools The presentation will demonstrate some approaches that allow for original work to be devised using a modular synthesiser as part of the compositional/songwriting process and will enable discussion of the relative merits of this novel form of professional application. |
| Keywords | Performance, Composition, Songwriting, Modular Synthesis, Analog Shift Register, Innovation |
| Year | 2019 |
| Conference | InMusic19 |