Music technology
  • Ally
    Posts: 227
    Hello all,
    My brother is an engineering physics student, nearing the end of his degree. He is in a group looking for a project idea...he asked me about some music software development, for example, something that you can play into, it will notate it, and possibly teach you how to play it. Well, since I have seen demonstrations of variations on this idea at music ed conferences, they probably will not do this as their project.

    So, I thought I might ask all of you: is there some sort of music technology you think is missing? Something that hasn't been developed that you have thought of but don't know how to do it? Remember that this is really an academic/lab sort of project they are looking for.

    For example, in the past, they constructed a small robot that would drive and programmed it so it could follow lane lines, pass other robot-cars, etc. Pretty neat.

    If you are interested, please send me your info so I can put you in contact with him.
    Thanks!
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,508
    I would love to have some kind of hand held instrument that gives all sorts of acoustical information. Think of all the things we rely on hearing for: blend, pitch, volume, reverb. A lot of folks probably have better setups than I do, but even the dials on the sound system don't tell what is heard in the body of the church. I'd love to know how much white noise there is to overcome during the various Sunday Masses, for example. In the age of the ipad 3, couldn't there be something that you can have anywhere in the church that tells you in real time everything that is going on with the sound?
  • PMulholland
    Posts: 120
    Currently there are many hardware devices and software packages that handle music, digital signal processing, sound samples and subtractive synthesis and modulation.
    ProTools, Nuendo, Logic, Qbase are all examples of sequencer programs that handle midi entry, sound editing, mixing and DSP. There are many other programs as well as third party programs that run on programs like ProTools. Hardware is also in abundance and is constantly progressing and refining. This area is highly competitive.
    Music composition from a traditional score point of view is dominated by Sibelius and Finale. The former working directly into ProTools.
    In the audio world we tend to say that audio is very much "in the box" now, meaning the computer. Whereas less than 20 years ago we were using large racks of outboard gear that was very expensive (but lots of fun) and took up lots of space (but worked very well).

    I have a few ideas and will give some thought. Will drop you a line once a well formed idea takes shape.

    Peter
  • PMulholland
    Posts: 120
    Currently there are many hardware devices and software packages that handle music, digital signal processing, sound samples and subtractive synthesis and modulation.
    ProTools, Nuendo, Logic, Qbase are all examples of sequencer programs that handle midi entry, sound editing, mixing and DSP. There are many other programs as well as third party programs that run on programs like ProTools. Hardware is also in abundance and is constantly progressing and refining. This area is highly competitive.
    Music composition from a traditional score point of view is dominated by Sibelius and Finale. The former working directly into ProTools.
    In the audio world we tend to say that audio is very much "in the box" now, meaning the computer. Whereas less than 20 years ago we were using large racks of outboard gear that was very expensive (but lots of fun) and took up lots of space (but worked very well).

    I have a few ideas and will give some thought. Will drop you a line once a well formed idea takes shape.

    Peter
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,478
    portable midi-driven acoustic piano

    like a diskclavier, but in disassembly-friendly sections
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    You mean, like cut up by a chainsaw? I saw this organ and had dinner with this organist when he flew to the USA for a final test of the organ before it was shipped to Austria to Graz University where he is on teh faculty, where the console was cut into pieces so the it becomes small, portable bundles - it tours outside the university but also in the university where it can be placed in two different halls and a third hall where it plays pipe divisions as well as the digital stops.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyWjEbP7n14
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,478
    well a piano doesn't need a giant console, just a decently-weighted keyboard controller, which is already portable. So what I'm looking for is rather than having the keyboard control an electronic synthesizer attached to speakers, it would control a real hammers attached to real strings, but with the acoustic action built into pieces which could be disassembled (or, for a weird effect, I guess, staggered around a room).

    Like a piano version of the Anywhere Organ
    http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/featured-creator-the-anywhere-organs-matthew-borga
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Have they legalized ________________ in your state? Have you checked your office for possible muffler gases coing up from a basement garage below? Seen any funny colors in the sky?

    Or do you mean little 88 tiny 3" wide soundboards with resonating chambers built underneath, a tiny pinblock, 88 full cast iron plates for the string and hammer mechanism actually being triggered by MIDI....I bet that's what you mean and it bizarre and tremendously expensive, sort of like taking a chain saw to a grand piano lengthwise and the patching up each side....let's do it! Its; one good way to blow money in a parish budget!
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,478
    it was just an idea...
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    And a good one! When working for a pipe builder I suggested doing a 37 note remote trompette en chamade with one little independent squirrel cage fan for each pipe - play note, fan fires up and plays note. This builder, who believes he is the reincarnation of Ernest M. Skinner (his words, not mine) just stood there and turned all different colors of red. I suppose it's time to bring this up again:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0d_ynApcJo
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