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TylerLent
DeBock
English4Honors
21March2016
HowTechnologyhasImpactedMusic
Technologyhaschangedmusic.Musicstartedoutasinstruments,andthenprogressedto
taperecordingsofinstrumentsbeingplayed,andfinally,digitalrecordingsofinstrumentsofall
sorts,bothrealanddigital.Computers,softwares,fadingandresurrectingtraditions,and
technologicalopportunitiesareallowingpeopletobemusiciansofthefuture.Toknowhow
technologyhaschangedhowmusicisproducedanddistributedistoknowwhatthefutureof
musicandsoundwillbelike.
Musictodayisoftenmadewithcomputers.AccordingtoDarrylCherry,Yougetfaster
resultswithcomputersandprogramsinsidethemandyoucandothesamethingsasananalog
synth.Digitalmusicstartswithdigitalsynthesizers,whichareinstrumentsinsideofamusic
softwarethatallowtheusertocreatesounds.Recordedsamplesofrealandsynthesizedsounds
areused,suchasdrums,percussion,SFX,etc,.Samplesandsynthelementsarebroughttogether
inaplaylistinthesoftware.Fromthere,theyaremixedtogetherthatis,thefrequencyand
volumelevelsareadjustedtobemoreevensotheyaremorepleasingtolistento.Onceatrackis
done,itisexporteddigitallythroughasoundfile,whetheritbe.wavor.mp3orsomeothertype.
Cherryalsosaysthatonecangetfasterresultswithcomputersandstillhavetheabilityto
replicatewhatthingsananalogsynthcando.Knowinghowmusicismadecanhelppeople
understandhowmusicandsoundhaschangedovertime.

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Technologyhasallowedmorepeopletojoininoncreatingmusic.AccordingtoMalcolm
Canada,Anyonecanbeaproducer.Inthepast,ittookarespectableamountofskilland
learningtomakemusicwithinstruments.Practice,practice,andmorepracticewasneeded.Now,
inthepresent,softwaresdonotrequiresuchintensivemusicalstudy,butsoftwaresstillrequire
tonsofpractice.Canadaalsostatedthattechnologystartedtochangethewaymusicwas
producedanddistributed.Knowingabouthowtechnologyopensupopportunitiescanhelpa
personunderstandmoreabouthowmusicandsoundhaschangedovertime.
Duetothechangesbroughtforthbynewtechnology,traditionsarefadingaway.Malcolm
Canadasaidthatnewtechnologyisputtingtheradiostationsoutofbusiness.Radiostationsare
notaspopularastheyusedtobebecausepeoplearegettingtheirmusicfromonline.Duetothis,
musicianswillneedtoadjust.Canadaalsosaysthatmusiciansofthefuturewillhavetofindnew
waystoconnectwiththeirlisteners.Whatthismeansis,musicianswillhavetogivetheir
audiencewhattheiraudiencewants.Musiciansmustbemoreinteractiveandpersonalwiththe
audience.Surprisingly,though,anoldtraditionisbecomingpopularonceagain.Accordingto
DarrylCherry,recordsarenowmakingacomeback.Recordswereanoldwaytoplaymusic.
Theywerelarge,blackdiscsmadeofvinylthatwereplayedwithaneedle.Theyaremakinga
comebacknow,aslistenersofmusicwanttohaveabetterrelationshipwiththeirfavorite
musicianormusicians.Acloserconnectionwiththeaudiencewillbringpeopletogetherwiththe
universallanguageofmusic.Knowinghowbusinessworkshelpsonetounderstandhowthe
futureofmusicandsoundwillbe.
Technologybringsopportunity.AccordingtoLouWeatherly,theadvancementof
technologyhasgivenpeopletheabilitytoexperiment.Technologycandothingsthatreal

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instrumentscannot,suchasdigitalsounds,fasterorslowertempos,audioediting,and
resynthesis(amonglotsofotherthings).LouWeatherlyalsosaysthatthebiggestcontributorin
musicisthepossibilitiesthatthedigitalworldbrings.Thepossibilitiesbroughtforthby
technologyareinfinite.Technologyallowsmusicianstocustomizetheirsongsonamicroscopic
level.Technologyalsoallowscontroloverhoweachmusicalelementsounds,suchasreverb
amount,equalization,effects,pitch,andphasealthoughmanymorewaysmusicianscanbetter
controlthesoundsintheirsongsdoexist.Learningabouttechnologysopportunitiescanhelp
onetounderstandthefutureofmusicandsoundbybeingabletoknowwhattechnologyhas
doneforusasfarasmusicandsoundgoes.
Onetypeofinstrumentthathasbeencommonlyusedbothinthepastandpresent,and
mostlikelythefuture,isthepiano.AccordingtoTomGrogan,changesmadepianoshavebeen
fairlystatic.Lateron,TomGroganstatesthatmostpianostodayarefactorymadeandthat
Yamaha,acompanythatproducespianos,makeseverythingthatgoesintotheirpianos.
Steinwaypianos,producedfromanothercompany,areusuallyhandcrafted.Althoughmost
pianosarethesame,witheightyeightkeysandthesamebasicfunctionality,digitalpianosallow
moreinstrumentsandsamplestobeplayed.Sometimes,adigitalpianowillhaveapitchbend
wheelsothemusiciancanslidethepitchupordownwhenplayingasong,andmightalsoa
modulationwheeltocontrolspecificparameterssetonthedigitalpianos.Pianosaretimeless
theyhavealwaysbeenpopular,and,so,itisgoodtoknowaboutthemtobetterlearnaboutthe
futureofsoundandmusic.
Softwareisanimportantthinginmodernmusic.TwopopularDAWs(DigitalAudio
Workstations)areFLStudioandAbletonLive.Theyprovideaplacetoworkontracks,where

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notes,samples,andautomationcanbesettothemusicianslikinginsidewhatisnormallycalled
aplaylist.AccordingtoAiken,FLStudiopresentsthreeoptionsforautomation:recordthe
mousemovingaparameterwithinavirtualinstrument,recordthemovementofaparameteron
thehardware,orsimplycreateanautomationclipbyrightclickingonaparameterandselecting
thecreateautomationclipoption.Aikenalsosaysthattheuserhastheabilitytoeditthecreated
automationclips.

Jim."ImagelineFLStudio11:addandeditautomationenvelopes."Itis
importanttoknowwhatmusictodayismadein,sothatonecanbepreparedforthemusicof
tomorrow.
InsideofthecomputersoftwareslikeFLStudioandAbletonLive,theinstrumentsusedto
createsoundswitharecalleddigitalsynthesizers,althoughsometimesmusicianswillhookup
analogormodularsynthesizers.AnexampleofasynthesizerisSytrus,whichcomeswithFL
Studio.AikensaysthatSytrushassixoperatorsandtwotypesofsynthesis:RM,orRing
Modulation,andFM,orFrequencyModulation.Sytrusallowstheusertocustomizethe
waveformsineachoperator.Inadditiontothis,Sytrusprovidesawideselectionoffiltertypes
(Aiken,
ImageLineSytrus2SoftSynth
).Lateron,Aikenaddstothis,sayingthattherearealso
effectsinsideofSytrussuchaschorus,delay,andreverb.Sytrusisratedasarathergoodplugin
anddeservestostandoutinthecrowd.("ImageLineSytrus2SoftSynth).Itisimportantto
knowsomethingsaboutsynthesizerstohelponetobeabletounderstandhowtomakethemusic
ofthefuture.
Technologyhasmadeasignificantimpactonmusic.Musicfirststartedoutasinstruments.
Musicthenprogressedtotaperecordingsofinstrumentsbeingplayed.Finally,now,thereare
digitalrecordingsofbothrealandsyntheticinstruments.Computersandsoftwaresandfading

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andreturningtraditionsaswellastheopportunitiesbroughttotheworldbytechnologyare
allowingmusiciansofthefuturetoshine,tohavetheirdreamscometrue.Toknowhow
technologyhasmodulatedthewaymusiciswillhelponetobecomeamusicianofthefuture.
allowingpeopletobemusiciansofthefuture.Toknowhowtechnologyhaschangedhowmusic
isproducedanddistributedistoknowwhatthefutureofmusicandsoundwillbelike.

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WorksCited
Aikin,Jim."ImagelineFLStudio11:AddandEditAutomationEnvelopes."
Electronic
llllllllll
Musician
2013:76.
AcademicOneFile
.Web.15Mar.2016.
Aikin,Jim."ImageLineSytrus2SoftSynth."
Mix
30.2(2006):108.
BusinessSourcePremier
.
llllllllll
Web.15Mar.2016.
Cherry,Darryl.PersonalInterview.March2016.
Canada,Malcolm.PersonalInterview.March2016.
Grogan,Tom.PersonalInterview.March2016.
Weatherly,Lou.PersonalInterview.March2016.