Totseans

Author: GoingNowhere

  • The Historical Background of Music Technology

    The Historical Background of Music Technology

    The Historical Background of Music Technology

    By Nahum Bolt

    Throughout the history of music, its only limiting factor has been the technology that was available at that time. Rock was changed irreversibly by the solid body electric guitar, Classical music was changed by the addition of instruments such as the modern piano and clarinet, dance music by synthesizers etc. The role of music technology that I will be looking at is the way that recording studio software has developed, and how it has impacted on everyday music consumers. The development of recording software also ties in with the rise of do-it-yourself recording and the impact on live music. Home recording has been instrumental in allowing anybody to make a professional recording in the comfort of their own home, and gives the musician or band complete freedom to do what they like and create the music how they want it. For example, Rebecca Black released a track called Friday on YouTube, and at once people made many parodies of that song. That could not happen back then, as they would have needed a professional recording studio and that would have been too expensive. At the end of the day, music software was created because people were tired of writing music out by hand. As the software evolved, musicians and Studio engineers realized that you could do so much more with it like using it to mix and master tracks, and as a new way to edit the music without re-recording it. The midi interface made this all possible, as it allowed any instrument to interface with the sequencing or notation software so that musicians could directly play into the program without needing a mixing desk. Midi allowed the recording software to be used to its full extent, especially for home users who can go from midi to usb into their computer and record a music track, and then upload it the next day to a video sharing website where it will be viewed.

    The history of recording software runs parallel with the development of the personal computer, and eventually branched out to either software on the Microsoft Windows operating system or on the Macintosh operating system. When they were created, they were quite limited at that time mostly due to the limitations of the computer it was running on, however now that is changed and the only limitation is what hardware that you use. The 1980’s is a period of time where music production and recording was very important, and the first of these software applications were written for various popular micro-computers of the time like the Commodore C64, Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Apple II. Apple increased in in popularity because of its graphical user interface (windows with icons and mouse pointer), so the first sequencer for Mac was developed by Mark of the Unicorn and it was called performer. The Atari ST was also very popular as because it was a gaming computer it implemented the Midi interface, and at the same time it was cheaper than the Mac. Steinberg Cubase and Emagic Notator (now known as Logic) were developed for the Atari ST. Now unlike the Mac, the first Microsoft Windows were not that stable at that time but nonetheless Cakewalk MIDI sequencer and the SCORE music notation package were the first music software to be made for the Windows platform. At then end of the 1980’s, another key software program called Finale was created for the Mac (very very popular until Sibelius overtook it in recent years). In 1989 Digidesign introduced sound tools, a two-track recorder which provided mono or stereo recording/editing/playback as well as DSP effects like EQ, Gain Change, and noise reduction. In 1990 the first MIDI and audio sequencer was produced using Studio Vision and used Digidesign’s sound tools for the audio. Pro Tools was released in 1992. Later on in the 90s, Cubase and Steinberg both added score writing features after the program Sibelius was created for the not very popular microcomputer Acorn Archimedes. An entire new market was created when Steinberg created the VST plugin, and other companies quickly followed. Around 2002, Pro Tools became the standard software used in Studios. Apple took over Logic so now it is only available for the Apple platform.

    Impact on technology on music consumers

    Recording software has bridged the gap between the music maker and the music consumer. With a bit of knowledge anyone can re-mix any audio track to their liking, for an example many people create dance tracks out of popular music.

    Recording software has a massive impact on live music. No longer does a musician have to be inhibited by only a select range of sounds that he/she can use, but the VST plugins are endless and therefore the different sounds one can achieve are endless. Thus, there is a lot more variation with how tracks can be performed live because you can use a program like Ableton Live or any other sequencer to play any sound that you wish while you are performing. For an example, if you wanted a bass drop as some are fond of doing, then you can just hook it up to the computer.

    In Popular music, what the music consumer hears is such a radical difference to what they would actually hear if the technological advances in sequencing programs had not been made. Audio engineers are able to manipulate the audio in whatever way they wish, so they can make it absolutely perfect. If that means replacing the drum track then that is what they do, substituting a VST drum track that sounds perfect in its place and if a good master has been done then the audio engineer has made up for what is lacking in the environment and the instrument. Thus when the music consumer buys any cd of the shelf, the only complaint he/she makes is about the artist and not about the quality of the recording.

    Because of the popularity of home studios, they allow musicians to record professional tracks at home rather than go to an expensive studio instead. This means that far more music is being made and listened to because of the convenience the artist has and the relative inexpensiveness. Also, when a music consumer listens to the track that has been made, they are listening to the track that has been recorded by them, mixed by them, mastered by them and played by them. Therefore, you are listening to something that is entirely who the band wants it to sound like and not the influence of a producer or engineer.
    In conclusion, I think that music software is one of the most important developments in recording, and I do believe that it has opened up the world of music to a whole new level. In this world where you may get famous from your music on the internet, recording at home plays an ever greater part in today’s society.

    http://www.hypnotic-audio-secrets.com/blog/466/recording-studio-software-history/

  • Using an Oscilloscope

    An Oscilloscope is a very useful piece of test equipment to have if you are working on electronic circuits or equipment. It can be used to find problems or check that everything is working correctly. For example, making sure the filtering in a DC power supply is filtering the output correctly or checking the output of a logic controller among other things.

    So lets take a look at an oscilloscope. You will find the controls are generally the same on all “scopes” but they may differ if they are a single or dual channel scope. The one below is a single channel scope which means you can only measure one point of a circuit at any one time. They come in either CRT or LCD display models, CRT based scopes are generally cheaper although the newer digital LCD based scopes allow you to record and save info displayed on screen.

    You have two main controls, these are the volts per division and time per division. Time on the X axis of the screen and voltage on the Y axis. On the screen there is a grid pattern, each square is one division. Generally most scopes are adjustable between 5 volts/div down to a few mV/div. Range of time/div is dependant on the frequency range of the scope, most cheap scopes only going up to 10-20 MHz max although more expensive ones will measure up to a few GHz or more.

    Below the time and voltage controls are the trace position controls. The trace is the line going across the screen and can be moved up and down, left and right. Also there are the calibration controls (var) and the level control.

    Below this is the AC/DC select button and Ground button (the inverted T)along with the Trigger controls and X/Y select button. The trigger can be left on auto as you won’t usually use it unless there is a need for it dependant on the circuit under test. The X/Y control allows you to connect a signal to the X/Y plates in the tube for instance by feeding two sine waves 180 degrees out of phase onto the X and Y inputs you will see a perfect circle appear on screen. Be very aware that you don’t leave the scope set to X/Y with no input as the resulting dot you will see on screen will permanently damage the phosphor on the CRT screen if left for length of time. LCD models obviously won’t have this issue. You can use this setting to centre the trace on the X axis but only do it with the brightness set low enough that you can just see the dot so the phosphor isn’t damaged while you make the adjustment. Just don’t leave the dot on one point of the screen for a long period of time.

    This will damage the phosphor very quickly.

    If you use the X/Y setting to centre the traces, set the brightness low like this.

    To the left of the display are the brightness and focus controls. The calibration output is a brass tab below these controls providing a 1 KHz square wave at 0.5 volts peak to peak. This is standard on all oscilloscopes. To calibrate the scope, take your probe and clip it to this tab leaving the ground lead disconnected. Set the volts/div to .5v/div and time/div to 1ms/div, adjust level control until you see a square wave on screen. Hit the ground button which is labelled “ground” or has a ground symbol on it, the square wave should disappear. Centre the trace on the centre line of the screen using the position controls and then hit the ground button again, the wave should reappear on screen. Adjust the Y axis so the top and bottom of the wave are half a division from the centre line. Adjust the X axis so the top right of the first peak and the second peak are one division apart. Disconnect the probe and you are done, your scope is now calibrated. I would suggest checking the calibration each time you use the scope just in case it has changed slightly.

    You should see something like this when calibrating the scope

    The Probe

    As you can see below we have a typical oscilloscope probe.

    On the end is a hook which if you pull the plastic end back, exposes it. This plastic hook end is generally detachable by simply sliding it off the end of the probe. The black lead is the ground clip which you connect generally to the ground point of the circuit. It is bonded to the scope ground and the grounding pin of the mains power cord. Be aware that if the circuit under test is mains powered or even connected by USB to a PC like an Arduino for instance, connecting the ground lead across the wrong point could create a short circuit damaging the circuit under test, the scope or your self. With a dual channel scope, connect the ground leads of the two probes to the same point in the circuit for the same reason. You can connect them to different points if you use a differential amplifier with the scope which is designed with this in mind. Never remove the ground pin from the mains lead as the scope needs this connection to operate correctly.

    On the probe is generally a switch which in this case is marked X1-X10. This is an attenuator probe, what this means is that say for instance you want to measure a 50 volt AC supply. The scope only goes up to 5v/div so 20 volts max. What you do is flick that switch from X1 to X10, now each 5 volt division is 50 volts. It lowers the volts/div by a factor of 10 allowing the measurement of high voltages using the scope. You can get different probes with differing attenuating values.

    http://totseans.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_0648.jpg

    The oscilloscope is a pretty handy piece of equipment and once you learn the basics, very easy to use particularly the CRT models at the expense of some modes and the ability to pause and analyse events. A single channel, 10 MHz CRT scope will set you back around $150 – 200 at the most and will be more than enough to do basic testing.

    Written by Dakologist

  • Make Ghetto Krink (GK)

    This guide is for informational purposes only. TheWitchDoctor is not responsible if you go and vandalize you neighborhood or whatever.

    I’m sure all you graff-heads have heard about krink, but that shit is expensive as fuck. This guide will teach you how to make your own Krink on a budget, or without a budget if you’re an &T G.

    You will need:

    • Rustoleum OIL BASED paint (the silver/aluminum color)
    • Paint thinner
    • Container

    Steps:

    1. Go outside and put on some gloves. Trust me, its a bitch to get this stuff out of your carpet.

    2. Mix your paint and painter thinner in your container. 2/3 paint to 1/3 paint thinner.

    3. Stir it up.

    4. You’re done. That was easy wasn’t it?

    How to use:

    You’re going to want to use this stuff in a mop as it won’t flow properly out of a valve marker. Bingo daubers or window markers work good. Make sure you take the flow regulator out of the nib of the mop, it’s a little springy piece of plastic, just pry it out with a knife or something. This will let the paint flow better. Also, some people like to add BB’s in their mop to help mix the paint when you shake it, I’ve never done this and never had any problems with the paint not mixing.

    Once you have your mop filled up go stand in front of whatever you plan to write on, give your mop a good shake, and then proceed to write. You don’t need to squeeze much unless you want a ton of drips.

    Discuss http://www.totse.info/bbs/showthread.php/18014-Make-ghetto-Krink-%28GK%29

  • Math You’ll Never Need Part 1: Intro to Groups/Abstract Algebra

    No one likes higher math on totse? Well anyway here’s something I wrote up for T2:

    Before we talk about groups, we must talk about sets and binary operations. A set is a collection of well defined elements which can be finite or infinite. For example, a set S could be {1, 2, 3} or the set of all integers. A binary operation on a set S is a function mapping S x S into S. What this means is you take two elements from some set, perform some kind of operation with them, and the result is a single element from the same set.

    Addition and multiplication are binary operations, but since this is Abstract Algebra, we use the symbol * to represent any binary operation. The whole idea is basically that the usual mathematical operations you’re familiar with are human constructs. * could represent anything. For example, we could define a * b to mean a – 2b.

    A group is a set closed on a binary operation. This is usually denoted as (G, *), where G is the set and * is the binary operation. Groups have other properties, namely:

    1. The binary operation is associative. This means for any a, b, c in a group G, a*(b*c) = (a*b)*c. You’re really just shifting the parenthesis. This is often taken for granted, but consider a * b to mean a ^ b. Now, let a = 2, b = 3, and c = 4. 2 * (3 * 4) = 2 ^ (3 ^ 4) = 2 ^ 81, but (2 * 3) * 4 = (2 ^ 3) ^ 4 = 8 ^ 4. The results are not equal, so * is not associative in this example.

    2. The group G contains an identity element. In G, there must exist some element, usually denoted as e, such that a * e = e * a = a for any a in G. In other words, there must exist a unique element in the set that when you take that element and any other element a, the result is a under the binary operation. The identity element must work on both sides of a (communative). For addition, the identity element is usually zero, i.e. zero added to anything will yield the original value. For multiplication, it is usually one.

    3. The group G must contain inverses. For any a in G, there must be an element, usually represented as a’, such that a * a’ = a’ * a = e. In other words, every element must have some kind of compliment in the set that yields the identity element under the binary operation. This inverse of a must work on both sides of a. For addition, it’s a and -a. For example, 5 + -5 = 0, which is the identity element in integer addition. For multiplication, it’s a and 1/a. For example, 7 x 1/7 = 1, the identity element in multiplication.

    Now let’s think of some group examples. Consider the integers and addition. Addition is associative, zero acts the identity element, and each integer a has an inverse in the form -a, so it is a group. However, think of the integers under multiplication. Multiplication is associative, one acts the identity element, but what about inverses? The number 10 is an integer, and 1/10 is its multiplicative inverse. But 1/10 isn’t an integer, so this isn’t a group because there’s no inverses. What if we extended our multiplication example to all real numbers? Each real number a would have an inverse in the form 1/a. But zero is a real number, and there’s no real number you can multiply by zero and get the multiplicative identity, one. Thus, only the real numbers excluding zero is a group under multiplication.

    Having fun yet?

    Discuss http://www.totse.info/bbs/showthread.php?t=15778

  • Reference in a Smartarse Way

    So you want to be a smart-arse? Or have an assignment due in a few hours, yet have 1 book you cited from? Well don’t despair.

    1) Turn to a page in the book that relates to your area or study. In this example, the page is on the Mujahideen. Herp.

    2) See that reference number by the word or sentence? Well that means the Author of this book has cited from them. And so can you!

    3) Make a note of the page number and reference number, in this case you don’t need to as the references are organized by Chapter.

    4) Turn to the “References” page at either the end of the chapter, or end of the book and find the corresponding page and reference number. Here we go. The chapter on “Mujihadeen” and it was reference 31 we wanted to look at.

    5) If you only see something like this…

    Where the writing is either “Ibid”, “Op Cit” or just the Name of the Author with no name of a book then keep the surname in mind. Remember it!

    6) Turn to the Bibliography page and look up the Author’s name, and then the book. correspond that with the page numbers on the original reference/footnote, and voila! The reference in this case, when complete, is as so.

    So now you can see that in the original reference, the Author had actually got their facts/whatever from a book called “The Political Fragmentation of Afghanistan“.
    Now you can reference the Author’s source and look as though you’ve done even more work! You can also use it to read further on in your subject area.

    But what does “Ibid” and “Op Cit” mean?
    I know Academics and Lecturers like to come across as Latin-speaking fuckers…and they do, so basically, Ibid is, simply put “As above”, so is usually put if the same work is referenced twice in a row. Like so:

    You can see that footnote 23 was where the Author referenced:-

    Quote:
    Arthur Ruppin, “Die Sozialen Verhaltnisse der Juden in Preussen und Deutschland”, Jarbrucker fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik, vol 78, part 1 (1902), 383

    So we can deduce from this, that the source was published in 1902, and that the page number in question is 383. Not all referenced will have “p.” for pages, y’know. Also I could have chosen a
    much easier one, but I’m pretty baked so whatever.

    Anyway, notice the “Ibid., part 2, 762” under it? Well that means the Author is saving time and from looking a dumbass by typing out “Ibid” instead of the long-winded, Germanic title of the publication, volume number of the work etc.

    Op Cit means the work has already been referenced (or if you’re a Latin freak – “The work has been cited”), but not immediately above the work like in “Ibid”. In this case, you put the Author’s name and place/date of Publication as well as page number. It’s not that common so I have not got an example of it in a book, but all you have to know (until I get said picture) is that it will be like so

    Quote:
    Author, A., Op Cit, Publisher:Place (2000), pp. x – x

    You then look at the Author and go back in the reference pages until you find the book..

    Quote:
    Author, A., This is The Book Title you Student Cunt, Publisher:Place (2000), p. y

    What about “pp.” and “p.”?
    Even I was confused by this and I’m more than halfway through my University life. Basically, “p.” means a page. A singular page. “pp.” refers to either 2 pages (eg. “pp. 100 – 1” or “pp. 100 – 101”) whereas “p.” refers to just 1 page (eg. “p. 100”)
    *****

    Download original .txt file
    V 1.0 (as of 12/4/2011)

    Discuss http://www.totse.info/bbs/showthread.php?t=13771