1. Various ways of playing files in PD:
1.playing_audiofiles (PD patch, right-click and save)
2. A Beat Slicer (using player ideas from above)
8.Beat-Slicer (PD patch as ZIP, including example audio)
Inspirations: The Good and the Bad
For the projects in this course, I took to heart the advice given in lecture: that we listen to music we like. I am a fan of video game music so that’s what I’ve listened to, but there’s a lot of diversity in video game music; my choices of inspiration had observable effects on my approaches to composing, and on my results.
Back during Project 1, I was nervous about composing and wanted to listen to basically everything I think is good music. I eventually settled on the soundtrack for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze because 1) I like the series’ composers and their music, and 2) I hadn’t heard it yet. This was a mistake; I should have focused on an earlier entry if anything because I’m more familiar with them and they do a good job sounding good with limited sound quality (which is important to be able to do, especially when you’re playing around with MIDI for the first time). More importantly, a lot of these songs are fairly melody-based, which I have found to be not my forte.
For Project 2 I was a little more careful. The style I focused on was the one used here: Sanctuary Fortress (Metroid Prime 2) . I found that focusing on making good sounds and then adding more good sounds at a constant but leisurely pace is an effective and really easy way to make a song, even without a melody in mind. This was definitely a big help.
Another thing I keyed in on is that Virtue’s Last Reward has a really good soundtrack. It all sounds like things any of us can make with the provided software alone if we really know what we’re doing. It’s also pretty unconventional while still being easy listening. The takeaway is that we can do really cool stuff if we can imagine it, and that it’s okay to make a song that sounds not like what one would expect. This isn’t even one of my favorite songs from it but it’s still great; I’m also most likely sampling it for my performance for reasons that will be covered in a future blog post:
As for what I’ve been listening to lately and how it’s affected me, the short answer is “Mass Effect 2 OST; good dynamic music, poorly interpreted by me.” The long answer will be in an upcoming blog post, along with my observations on dynamic music in general, a cautionary tale, and what I started doing earlier today to get back on track for the performance.
The last and final project for this class
Hi everyone, here is my project 3, which I haven’t thought of a title for. I composed this multi-track piece intended for the piano, violin, cello, etc. Let me know what you guys think about it.
Project 2
Here is my submission for Project 2:
I made it in Live with only MIDI, just like my first project. Originally I had planned on using Reason to make my instruments and playing them in Live, but I had more success finding the instruments I was looking for in Live than I did making them myself in Reason. I didn’t really like how my Project 1 came out, so this time around I focused on getting more layers of sound to add to what I already had rather than looking for ways to extend the melody. I used the vertical mode extensively; it was a big help. My biggest regret was that I should have lowered the volume on one of the tracks.
Project 2
https://soundcloud.com/jeffrey-wai/djfy-do-we-yiruma-remix
Please feel free to comment! (Attempting to beatbox while being sick definitely made me a little offbeat at times…). In addition, I’m looking for potential partners for the final project, please message me if you’re interested (I mainly beatbox and play the piano by ear). Thanks again!
Another trap project
I didn’t get to present this, but I would like feedback, so let me know what you think
DIY Synthesizer Workshop
Graduate student Taylan Cihan, along with Professors Kevin Ernste and Trevor Pinch and in conjunction with the Tompkins County History Center’s celebration of Ithaca’s rich history with the Moog Synthesizer (Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer) presented a series of hands-on synthesizer building workshops.
The most recent workshop, given on on Saturday, April 12th, 2014, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m, was open to all ages and skills. Participants left with a working synthesizer. The events were sponsored by Ithaca Underground and with support of Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center and Department of Science and Technology Studies.
Polyphonic 4093 NAND Synth (build project from 4/12 workshop)
Step-by-step instructions for breadboarding a polyphonic 4093 NAND synth with built-in amplifier and several modifications. This is a simple and fun project for those who would want to get their hands dirty with analog electronics for the first time or have very little experience. Having said that, it is possible to get highly interesting sonic results with the suggested modifications that appear mid-way through. This is a set of instructions that I have used in a public workshop that took place at the Tompkins History Centeron April 12 as a part of their ongoing exhibition, Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer
Project 1
Hey guys hope you take a listen to my first project. I played around with reverb, fading, and gating to try to get some cool sounds out of the guitar. I’m definitely open to any suggestions and comments!
Running Reason on CEMC systems
Reason (and Record) software is authorized on CEMC systems via a network licensing scheme. When you start Reason for the first time during your session, you will see a window, as below, asking you to authorize your use of Reason/Record.
Choose “Run with Multi License”.
Once open, I recommend using the CEMC Default template for new projects. Choose “File–>New from Template–>CEMC Default.”
Check out piece for project 1
Hi Everyone,
Let me know what you think of my piece, Hymn of the Forest. I composed this piano piece piano awhile ago, and I mixed in drums, wind-chimes and some other effects in it. Thank you.
Nicole