LAB NINE

REVIEW
Understand some methods of moving from sound object to gesture,
such as combining forward and backward sound objects;
combining similar transformations; and creating and varying a
rhythmic loop.

DYNAMIC PROCESSING
By now, you will have begun to realize the importance of variation
and change in maintaining a listeners attention. This concept has
been presented in relation to different processing methods, gestural
shaping, and larger-scale compositional form and structure.
The importance of variation also extends to processing, even
when it is applied to a given sound object. This is one of the big differences between the way processing is considered in commercial
music and the way composers of electroacoustic music think about
it. Take the application of a filter, for example: in most commercial
music, the only reason you use a filter is to remove some unwanted
frequency, such as hiss or rumble. This unwanted frequency would
most likely be found throughout the recording, and changing the
parameters during the audio file is not considered necessary. But
recognizing that a change in time, including change of a parameter
such as a cut-off frequency, creates interest, electroacoustic
composers often desire such dynamic variation.
Lab Eleven will introduce the way ProTools and Audition
handle dynamic processing. Both use rather complicated methods
that require a fairly thorough understanding of signal routing. An
easier, but more limited, way to achieve dynamic processing uses
parallel processing.

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Lab Nine

TASK: PARALLEL PROCESSING

In parallel processing, you apply one or more processes to a sound
object at the same time. In the classic analogue tape studio, it
amounted to splitting a signal, sending the split signals to various
signal processors, and then routing these signals back to the mixer.
The various levels of the different processes were then controlled
dynamically during mixing.
The actual processing was, in fact, not dynamic; no change was
made to any parameters in any of the processes. What was dynamic
was the volume relationships between the different processes.
To do parallel processing in ProTools, you simply use two
tracks, one that contains the original file and one that contains the
processed file.
Setting Up a Session/Project

In a new session/project, import from the Soundscapes and

Sound Materials CD track 48, Subway, (which was used in
Lab Six).

Process the File

Use a High Pass Filter (or Low Shelf with cut) to remove most
of the frequencies below 2 kHz. You might have to normalize
the region to regain the amplitude lost through the filtering
process.

Applying a Second Process

In a second track, process another copy of the original file.

This time use a bandpass filter (preferably with resonance) to
boost the frequencies around 400 Hz.

Because this process boosted frequencies, there is no need to

normalize the file. In fact, it might be verging on distortion.
Applying a Third Process

In a third track, process another copy of the original file. This

will be your original track.

All three regions should begin at time zero, and they all
should be the same length.

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Lab Nine

Create a dynamic volume relationship between the three

tracks.

Here is one possible example (notice that I never have all three
versions playing at full amplitude at the same time can you figure
out why?):

Parallel presentation of multiple processes.

In the example, the original and the two processed versions
cross fade amongst themselves. The result is a continually changing
sound that balances variation (the changing filters) and unity (only
a single sound object is actually heard).

TO DO THIS WEEK
After finishing Creative Project One, relax for a few days. The
next project will build upon this one, so you will need a break.

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