raulmargaro-blog

[raulmargaro-blog]

John Cage: Williams Mix

In this composition, “chance” is used to trigger a random combination of raw recodings. It may have been composed, but it sounds more like improved due to its unpredictability. The only thing that seems to be consistent is the distortion in the background. 

[raulmargaro-blog]

Vladimir Ussachevsky “Of Wood and Brass,” Jean Claude Risset - Mutations (1969), Aphex Twin - Nannou

"Of wood and Brass" by Ussachevsky uses a lot of the elements of sounds such as pitch-shifting, dynamics, reverb and it can be very unpredictable. It seems to have a motive. In "Mutations" by Jean Claude Risset, we can hear elements of echo, reverb, and pitch-shifting. It has a dreamy motive enforce by the high pitch bells. There is a moment towards the end where it has an infinite rising frequency and then ends in distortion but ultimately end in the same technique. On the other hand, "Nannou" by Aphex Twin has a more rhythmic appeal and easy to follow. It's a true testament of music tech genre given this period.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Three artists

I like to listen to many genres, especially genre from different countries, I try to keep an open mind. Currently, Jain, The Dø, and G-Dragon are the three artists I like very much. Jain is a French artist, and the main reason why I admire her is that I enjoy watching her perform with Ableton live as her primary instrument. I was amazed by her diverse musical style but even more when I first saw her on YouTube making use of the Ableton Launchpad. The Dø is a French indie pop/alternative band, the first song I heard was “Dust it off,” it was effortless yet pleasing, especially the instrumentals. The band is composed of Olivia Merilahti who is the singer and Dan Levy who is a multi-instrumentalist. They do not have many albums out, there is a lot potential especially if they keep working together. In contrast, the third artist I like is G-Dragon who falls in the category of K-pop. I was very young when I was introduced to K-pop from South Korea. He is a singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion icon. He is one of the few artists I respect, especially from South Korea where bands are created for business only. He is credited for many hits in the music industry. Also, I realized K-pop as a genre has come a long way, they try to keep with the rest of the world. It’s noticeable based on the songs that are being produced. For instance, the song “Airplane Pt. 2” by BTS is a great example of how so many genres can be incorporated into one song.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Here is a small piece, I EQ many audios. 

[raulmargaro-blog]

Here’s my midterm composition, I merely built on my last piece.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Here’s a short and straightforward piece I prepared on logic. I played around with velocity, timber, and dynamics.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio wave. It’s used for wireless headphones, audio hardware and among other things such as wireless keyboards, mice, and game controllers. Now, Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard. It was presented in 2016, but it took a while to be incorporated into smartphones and wireless headphones. On the article of “Bluetooth 5.0: What’s Different, and Why It Matters” by Chris Hoffman, it explains the benefits of this new update. Some the updates include Bluetooth Low Energy which means it will “reduce the energy usage of Bluetooth peripherals.” Before this, wireless headphones had to use more power to communicate with other devices, but now, it can communicate with low energy, allowing the device to have longer battery life. Also, this update has improved speed and greater range. Another update is the dual audio, a feature that “allows you to play audio on two connected devices at the same time.” In other words, you could have two pairs of wireless headphones connected to one phone. I find this feature amazing and useful because as an Apple AirPods user, I find myself in a situation where I show someone a video on my phone through Bluetooth, and both can’t hear the audio simultaneously. Only new phones such as the iPhone X, the Samsung Galaxy S8, and other modern smartphone advertise support for “Bluetooth 5.0” on their specifications list. We definitely need more devices that support Bluetooth 5.0, especially in the wireless headphones industry.

Link: https://www.howtogeek.com/343718/whats-different-in-bluetooth-5.0/

[raulmargaro-blog]

This is a small excerpt from one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s composition. There was a lot of 32 notes, to produce the feel of a slower tempo, I replace them for quarter notes and to bring out those quarter notes on some of the baselines and soprano; I decided to add 4th and 5th intervals above. Also, to add a little more variation, I reversed and brought down two measure of the baseline 4 intervals lower.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 vs. Behringer U-PHORIA

The two audio interfaces I am considering buying for my workstation setup are the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 and Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820. I selected these two based on my needs; at least two mic input, two headphone output and a budget of $300. So, starting with Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 at $270 on Sweetwater, it only has 2 built-in mic preamps (XLR ¼ cable) with a total of 6 available inputs to hook up additional preamps and UBS computer connectivity. This is good because it's compatible with my MacBook Pro. And the Behringer is quite similar to Scarlett, but Behringer, on the other hand, provides 18 inputs and 20 outputs with a price of $280. You get 8 mic preamps built in and ADAT expansion for up to another 8 preamps. While Scarlett has a 192kHz resolution and Behringer 96kHz. Behringer is more than adequate since a person can't hear anything above 20 kHz anyway, but it is best to use the highest sample rate and bit depth. For now, all I need is an interface to connect a piano, launchpad, monitors, microphone, and maybe a Dj controller. Therefore, Scarlett might be enough, and it seems to be the most popular, but I might need more channels in the future so it would be wise to spend the extra $10 on the Behringer. 

[raulmargaro-blog]

What's next after streaming music?

       I found an article called “What's next after streaming music? Look to the tech industry for clues,” by Alan Gross on Global News to be very interesting and pondered about the future of music consumption. To think just twenty years ago, people bought music from record stores and had a tangible product on their hands in the form of discs. Now, almost every music is streamed through platforms like Apple music and Spotify without having ownership of it.        This article tries to foretell the future of music consumption by looking into the tech industry. It briefly introduces the history of music distribution starting with the compact disc in late 1982, somewhat perfecting music storage and playback technology. “With their clear sound, the absence of hiss, crackles, and pops, and excellent portability, there was no more room for improvement.” As we know, it didn’t stop there because for the next 20 years, many more formats came along like “DAT and DCC (both using digital signals on magnetic tape), Sony’s MiniDisc (essentially music on a special floppy disc), HDCDs and DVD-Audio (evolutions of the CD), and the stillborn DataPlay disc.” Then, MP3 changed everything in the early 90s with the digital format which later led to iTunes and eventually today’s streaming music services. The question becomes whether streaming services are the final form of music consumption.        Tech trends like virtual realm may have an impact on music consumption. Artists have performed through the virtual realm and thousands tuned in to watch. Thus if ticket concerts are sold out, virtual reality would allow people to be “transported to an actual concert in the real world.” The biggest concerns right now are the sound and visual quality, there’s need to be more improve, and this technology is still somewhat new. I am a bit skeptical about this technology; I don’t see myself using for concerts. There’s another similar tech that’s being used in the game industry, Fortnite. This online game seems to have better technology, and “on Feb. 2, DJ Marshmello appeared in the game’s Pleasant Park and staged a virtual set for everyone who has in the game at the time. They were all able to witness the show and dance in front of Marshmello’s avatar.” This technology might be premature for concerts but it would good to see “portions of Lady Gaga’s jazz routine she’s currently doing in Las Vegas. Ed Sheeran seems like a natural because much of what he does requires just a guitar.” In these circumstances, it may be valuable since it's a manageable environment. There are doubts whether this technology will ever replace real-world experience in the music industry; I doubt it will, but it’s too early to know what more can this technology contribute to the industry.

[raulmargaro-blog]

Music Production

Something that interests me the most in Music Technolgy is the technicality and process of music production, from start to finish — learning how and what equipment to use during the process, such as microphones, software, mixing and mastering to get the best sound possible. Technology is an essential part of being a musician and getting your music out there to the public. We as musicians, spend time mastering our techniques and knowledge on an instrument, forgetting what it requires to record a song or an album on our own while trying to make a living out of it. Nowadays, with the help of technology, musicians can create and publish their pieces of music with a laptop, eliminating the middleman but that's if they have the knowledge and skills to do so. I want to learn how to use Logic Pro X and other music programs properly. With this knowledge, I am looking forward to creating my music and possibly becoming a music producer. I have some experience as a DJ; therefore I know how to assemble pieces of equipment, use Serato, and Virtual DJ. Taking a music technology course would help me further nurture my knowledge and possibly take DJ more seriously as a career. Again, I am interested in becoming a producer and making music, although I have not found my musical style yet, this course will provide the necessary skills to produce and start.