Believe it or not, computers were being used to make music as long as 57 years ago. The oldest known recording is of a Ferranti Mark 1 computer at the University of Manchester – it played God Save The Queen, Baa Baa Black Sheep and In The Mood. The revolution had begun
Clockwork Orange, is an album of electronic music by Wendy Carlos. All the pieces in the collection were composed or performed for the film A Clockwork Orange
This was the instrument that introduced the world at large to sampling, though oddly enough, sampling itself was an afterthought to those who conceived the thing. Indeed, the Fairlight was intended as an advanced synthesis tool, wherein waveforms could be drawn using the attached light pen and monitor.
Standing for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, the introduction of MIDI was of crucial importance to high-tech music makers. This new protocol enabled computers, synths and other hardware to talk to each other, and is still in widespread use today. Without MIDI, computer music history would be very different indeed.
We might all be using PCs and Macs these days, but back in the 80s, the Atari ST was the machine that every computer musician wanted to own. The son of Atari's CEO had the genius idea of fitting it with MIDI ports, making it the perfect platform for those looking to bring external hardware under the control of their computer.
Steinberg had previously achieved recognition with the widely used Pro-24 sequencer, but Cubase is the software that made its name. The first version introduced the concept of the 'arrange page' with its vertical list of tracks and horizontal timeline – a design that quickly became the standard interface for all commercially developed sequencers.
With the launch of Steinberg's Cubase VST, it became possible not just to record multiple audio tracks on a computer, but also to process them with plug-in effects (previously, external hardware had been required). Other software developers soon started to equip their products with similar functionality.
Going on to become one of the most successful music apps of all time, the way Reason was presented – a virtual rack of recognisable studio gear – made even those who were sceptical about the potential of computer-based music production sit up and take notice. Suddenly, everything could be done in one application.
Live broke the mould when it was released, and quickly made both users and developers realise that there isn't just one way of making computer music. It looks and feels like no other software on the market, and is now used by musicians of all sorts around the world.
Music software developers continue to push the boundaries – Celemony has developed new technology (Direct Note Access) in a program called Melodyne that enables you to edit individual notes in mixed-down audio files. Meanwhile, new music applications are being released for handheld devices such as Apple's iPhone and Nintendo's DS. The future looks bright…
When you already know how to write great music. Logic Pro 9 streamlines the technical side of things, so you can record, edit and mix it on your own. Tap into a huge collection of instruments (VSTS/AU's), sounds and loops for inspiration. Get set up and start recording quickly. Perform complex edits in a fraction of the time. And mix down projects of any scale. Logic Studio brings together all the editing tools and content browsers you need in a single, beautifully designed window. So everything can happen faster. Your shortcut menus, toolbars and transport controls are right there for you, not spread across a maze of windows. And you can customise the toolbar and transport areas with the tools and controls you use most often.
Brand name used by Apple for liquid crystal displays which they claim have a high enough pixel density that the human eye is unable to notice pixelation at a typical viewing distance. The term is used for several Apple products, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and MacBook Pro
Before our next session together. I would like for you all to assess the developments in tech we have looked at today, & use you current knowledge & imagination to think about what may be the next groundbreaking development in sequencing which could help computer music musicians with their workflow. You may also look at your own sequencing needs & come up with a potential development in sequencing that would help with your own recording, sequencing & arrangement needs.
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