Homework + Sequencer Links

Homework:
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1. Compose a song with an existing sequencer
2. Create an interesting sequencer (with code).

Sequencer Notes:
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sound notation separate from sound. some control of tone, but not organic control

–Music Boxes–
origins in the 14th century will bell makers, got big in the 18th century with musical snuff boxes built by watchmakers. essentially pins on a revolving cylinder that pluck teeth of a steel comb when they can poke through holes in a paper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI9DsV2LlEc&feature=related

–late 1800’s and the advent of advanced mechanics and pneumatics led to player pianos–

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p33aKW9A-tw

also from this period was the invention of the telegraph and tickertape, although not used for music, it was essentially a character sequencer used for transmitting data, and many early models looked like actual pianos. it’s interesting to think how we still call what we type on keyboards, but this was a term that once came from music (and in fact still refers to electronic pianos as well).

1870 – 1960 : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticker_tape
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Hughes_telegraph.jpg

–electric organs – 1930s
while i would only say these were not really sequencers since they didn’t record and playback, they paved the way to:

–the 60’s – 80’s where we start to see the first of what i would say is a modern definition of sequencers, starting with:

–drum machines: Wurlitzer – sideman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55DnnMWm5Tg

–70’s standalone sequencers (thanks Brett Burton)
This was before the advent of MIDI and made use of Control Voltage to communicate with an electronic organ or synthesizer. It made no sounds of it’s own and was solely for the purpose of composing and performing music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_MC-4_Microcomposer

–1974 – computer hums own music article: electronic organs and music programed by punch cards through a computer. now the definition of sequencers is starting to get a little abstract.
http://www.exoticsciences.com/ra_scrpbk/musicx.htm

–1980’s casio pt-1
buttons on the right are a one step, tap alternatively to let you step through the sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPlURhoPJsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TLuSrHWIOc

–MOD –
1987 – Ultimate Soundtracker for Amiga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ywaCR5Tg4A

Milkytracker – http://www.milkytracker.org/

we also see the advent of various other computer music formats like midi and o/c.

we also start to see sequencers that are based not just on linear steps forward, but also all sorts of other things like spacial systems, or various natural phenomena

2008 – maywa denki – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKk1OLOBap4&feature=related&t=250

tenori-on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGwDhKTrwU

http://www.whitevinyldesign.com/solarbeat/
http://vimeo.com/10557321 – rain
http://vimeo.com/10228476 – sws
http://lab.andre-michelle.com/pulsate – pulsate

http://www.synthpond.com – synthpond

http://www.colorcave.com/january.html – january
http://www.mta.me – mta.me

– electroplankton –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28UDxIQiaIY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x75DsDqeJZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKjlR9mqQBw&feature=related

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