Monday, February 3, 2014

MIDI, OSC, Granular Synthesis, and Noise Music

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a protocol or hardware device(s) that allow musical instruments and computers to communicate.  It does this by converting signals and sounds into binary numbers that are recreated as sounds and frequencies on computers and other hardware.  The most common approach is by using a MIDI controller, that looks like (or can be) a standard, but smaller keyboard.

Open Sounds Control (OSC) on the other hand, is a format of messaging sound to multimedia devices through binary numbers and other methods such as strings and floating point numbers.  OSC is a more modern approach to digital sound, and offers more flexibility and control than MIDI.  Despite this, MIDI is still the industry standard for professional recorded music.

Granular Synthesis is a method of sound synthesis that is comparable to sampling.  Sounds are split into multiple smaller pieces called grains.  These small pieces can then manipulated in any fashion, including: layering, repeating, tempo changes, etc.  Using this technique, an infinite number of sounds can be created to suit many different purposes.  Granular synthesis is often used to create a musical atmosphere, or even sounds for special effects.  Xenakis was the first known musician to use the technique, and did so in his composition "Analogique A-B."

Noise music is a broad genre of music that prominently features noise in its compositions.  It is created through many different means, and can feature noises created digitally, with live instruments, or with the use of unconventional sounds.  Feedback and static are common examples, and melody is often present with the combination of the noises.  Keiji Hano is a Japanese musician who is known for composing songs in many different genres, including noise music.  He uses a wide set of instrumentation and is influenced by Xenakis.  He also finds inspiration in the concept of "Ma," which refers to the spaces between the notes in music.

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