EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 4, Number 2 Today's Topics: Ensoniq EPS sequencer question (2 messages) Compositional technique (3 messages) HMSL Request for digital piano recommendations (2 messages) Info on new Alesis products Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 89 16:28:00 CST From: Hard On The Beaver Subject: Equipment Hello, I have an Ensoniq EPS with 2x expansion. If anyone else has one this question is to you. When you create a Song from sequences, then create a Song track on an un used instrument do you have any problems with the timeing of the tracks? For some reason my song track starts before the sequence built track. (I think it starts first, but I KNOW it ends first and is all out of place). Also does any1 know about anything Alessis' new Drum Machiene? I have the HR-16 but I heard there is supposed to be a new one out? -- Thanks In Advance -- Jacque ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Apr 89 09:55:18 EDT From: "Kurt A. Geisel" Subject: Re: Equipment >Also does any1 know about anything Alessis' new Drum Machiene? I have >the HR-16 but I heard there is supposed to be a new one out? The HR-16B is supposed to be an HR-16 with "more stylized, agressive sounds." - Kurt Kurt Geisel SNAIL : Carnegie Mellon University 65 Lambeth Dr. ARPA : kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu Pittsburgh, PA 15241 UUCP : uunet!nfsun!kgeisel "I will not be pushed, filed, indexed, stamped, BIX : kgeisel briefed, debriefed, or numbered!" - The Prisoner ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Apr 89 22:15:11 CDT From: "David M. Stowell (312) 996-7990" Subject: Compositional technique Our digression into atonal music was a good start, but I had some trouble getting into it. The reason is simple: I understand atonal music from a theoretical, academic point of view, but I do not actually use those techniques. My own work tends to have a shifting tonal center, though there is a definite pattern in those changing centers. So let's go to the general question: What is the primary compositional technique that each of you use? Do you work entirely on paper, adding textures (on instruments) only after the piece has been finished? Or do you hunt down neat-sounding patches/samples and let the sounds inspire what notes should be played, without regard toward the theoretical "correctness" of the pitches and structure? Or some combination of the above? Or something I may have missed? Let me give an example of mine; a piece that I am currently working on in my current band. (This doesn't really count as "electronic" music---I'm playing bass---but this methodology still applies.) Being an experimental kind of person, I try to find techniques on bass that produce sounds that are both natural and unusual. In this vein, I've developed a method of extracting harmonics from the bass that creates quite an unusual timbre, yet is facile enough that melodies and simple chords can be played. Furthermore, with some thought toward left-hand position, I found that I could even maintain a bass line along with everything else (shades of Chapman Stick playing!). So, as I discovered what I could and could not reach using this method, I began constructing a progression out of it all. Knowing what could be done, I sat down with pencil and music paper and filled out the progression with useful passing chords. Eventually, I wrote out other sections and the piece is now nearly done. Note that the entire harmonic content was written "formally" (on paper), since bass is limited in its harmony (four strings will do that to you), but the inspiration for the structure of the piece was based on the timbres of the bass (as well at the lyric content). I write in a similar way when the context is more electonic. (whew!) So what about you? We can always use more varied insights on this... |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | David M. Stowell \|/ | | University of Illinois at Chicago \ / | | BITNET: U17227@UICVM.BITNET = = | | Internet: U17227@UICVM.UIC.EDU /|\ | | <=> | | \ = / | | The optimist laughed \ = / | | And the pessimist cried in his wine = | | And the madman said "Son, = | | Take a word--they'll all wake, given time" = | | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Apr 89 01:22:00 CST From: Hard On The Beaver Subject: RE: Compositional technique I am not a seasoned keyboardist. In fact I taught myself and I mostly play by ear. (although I do read music) I like to play what sounds good. I try to imagine what would go good in a certain run then I try to play it the way I remember it using samples and combintaions of samples. Its a hard way to go but when I finish I am usually totally satisfied! -- Jacque *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Apr 89 09:16:31 CST From: jAYSON tIPP Subject: Re: Compositional technique David Stowell recently asked for responses concerning composition approaches: I find it very difficult to begin on paper. I simply sit down with the guitar at the keyboard (usually piano- I find that it brings out even greater creativity in composition & a good piano patch doesn't work- I think it's in the wood) and play. Usually not intending to play anything in particular, I begin by practicing my technique, and looking for new "things" (I don't know what these are). After awhile, I find something interesting and stick with it. Ninety percent of the time, I drop it and forget it, another six percent of the time I play it out (till it's etched in my memory), the last four percent I write down to work out. Mostly, I develop harmonic backdrops for an instrument alist to paint on. I like to work with jazz oriented guitarists, I think they tend to be freer. I like to work with them to flesh out the melodic content. Usually, that is difficult because I think of everything in terms of one key. Despite the chord changes, I'll say "basically work in A-flat major, here add the flat 9, there the sharp 9, and there the emphasize the 2nd, and flat 5." Most of the guitarists I work with respond, "you can't do that there, these type of songs are supposed to be........" I think they prefer to deal with progressions, and shifting progressions, and anything else seems too out of the ordinary. More directly, I prefer to see what is going to come out than to rely on convention, or practice. I think adherence to rules in an artistic setting limits creativity and one's ability to develop. - Jayson ____________________________________________________ I I I Jayson E. Tipp I I Statistical Data Analyst I I Dept. of Psychiatry 4940 Audubon Ave. I I Washington University St. Louis, MO 63110 I I School of Medicine (314) 362-2455 I I I I BITNET: C90533JT@WUVMD I I__________________________________________________I ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 89 21:43 EST From: GUEST4@YUSol Subject: here's the info missing from my earlier note on HMSL HMSL on the Mac is still the same price. $150 for HMSL + $99.95 for Mach2 We are about to release a minor upgrade on the Mac that has a few MIDI changes, better clock resolution, a CAUSE function like MOXIE (sp?), sensible file I/O routines, etc. It may be out by the time York orders. If not then free or $10 upgrade since manual is unchanged! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 89 08:01:58 MET From: Oebele Dijkstra Subject: Good digital piano -- Hi folks, I'm looking for a good digital piano. Any suggestions ? I own a Roland D-50 (and an atariST). I know that it is possible to program nice E-piano (Fender Rhodes) sounds on it. The problem is how ? What are the specifics of that kind of sounds ? Thanks in advance. -- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Apr 89 11:53:00 CST From: 312 Ron Thielen 702-7612 Subject: Re: Good digital piano I just purchased a Korg 2500 digital piano. The keys are fully weighted and have a nice feel. It comes with two piano voices, electric piano, harpsichord, and vibes. Korg also makes piano modules, one of which is reviewed in one of this month's keyboard or electronic music magazines (I don't remember which). ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Apr 89 08:19:00 CDT From: UUCJEFF@ECNCDC Subject: alesis Yes, there are 3 new Alesis products coming out. A 16 track mixer for $800, a 30 Band EQ for $200, and the HR-16B $500. Not bad....... The HR-16B can be used as a standalone, has new sounds, and included a new OS ROM for the HR-16 to use it as a front end for the HR-16B. This allows you to create patterns for 32 sounds on your HR16, and you will also have 32 pads to enter the patterns in. Jeff Beer, UUCJEFF@ECNCDC.BITNET ---------------------- End of EMUSIC-L Digest **********************