Category: writing
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Sound Synthesis with Physical Models (1996)
Introduction “The dynamic behavior of a mechanically produced sound is determined by the physical structure of the instrument that created it” (DePoli 223). The device of production is fundamental to the character of a sound. Nevertheless, most forms of synthesis function without regard to the physical attributes of the sound creation mechanism. Traditional synthesis algorithms…
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Granular Synthesis (1995)
Introduction “Granular synthesis is an innovative approach to the representation and generation of musical sounds” (DePoli 139). The conception of a granular method of sonic analysis may have been first proposed by Isaac Beekman in his article Quantifying Music (Cohen). This late Nineteenth Century document discusses the organization of music into “corpuscles of sound”. Unfortunately,…
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A Brief History of Computer Music (1994)
“I dream of instruments obedient to my thought and which with their contribution of a whole new world of unsuspected sounds, will lend themselves to the exigencies of my inner rhythm.” (Hansen, 316) When Edgard Varese spoke these words in 1937, he had no idea that he was presaging one of the greatest movements in…