Reviews

[Editor’s note: Selected reviews are erality enables: By exploring the con- plications of this map maintains for- posted on the Web. In some cases, sequences of empirically derived lim- ward momentum and underlines his they are either unpublished in the its of human perception of meter fundamental hypothesis that one Journal itself or published in an ab- exhaustively, Mr. London demon- cannot hear a beat as such without breviated form in the Journal. Visit strates that the many meters hypoth- the perceptual possibility of hearing http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi esis is more manageable than it might at least one level of subdivision. /comj and, under “Inside the Journal” seem. Like any work this ambitious, The next three chapters set rules of at the left, click on “CMJ’s Website.” Hearing in Time is not universally interaction between rhythm and me- Then click on “Reviews” at the top.] successful, but it is a well-weighed ter. Chapters 3 and 5 develop the hy- and unique monograph that brings pothesis that because meter is a the tradition of Lerdahl and Jackend- mode of attention and the human off (A Generative Theory of Tonal mind cannot attend simultaneously Publications Music, MIT Press, 1983) to a popular to phenomena in more than one topic in contemporary music theory mode, polymeter cannot exist as a by way of the most recent studies of perceptual phenomenon. Meter may metrical perception. occasionally be ambiguous or vague, Justin London: Hearing in Time: Setting the foundations for a the- but a listener will nonetheless need Psychological Aspects of Musical ory based on the experience of listen- to develop some single mode of at- Meter ers, the first chapter describes meter tending to it. Chapter 4 insists on a as a specialized form of entrainment continuous, cyclical model for meter, Hardcover, 2004, ISBN 0-19-516081- behavior that directs human attention outlining five well-formedness rules 9, 195 pages, illustrated, notes, bibli- to periodic stimuli. This behavior or- for these cycles. Mr. London deems ography, index, US$ 39.95; Oxford ganizes such stimuli hierarchically, preference rules unnecessary because University Press, 198 Madison Av- according to their context, and is ro- “very often, there is no single, cor- enue, New York, New York 10016, bust to local variations, such as syn- rect metrical construal for a given USA; telephone (+1) 800-451-7556; copation. The number of levels in rhythm” (p. 72). By virtue of the per- electronic mail [email protected]; this hierarchy can vary, and for Mr. ceptual limits stated in the second Web www.oup.com/. London, different depths of hierarchy chapter, however, the choice of constitute different meters—e.g., tempo can restrict the number of Reviewed by John Ashley Burgoyne slow 3/4 is not the same as fast 3/4. well-formed meters for a given per- Montreal, Quebec, Canada The chapter draws heavily on psy- formance considerably. Chapter 6 chological research in self-sustaining puts the principles from the preced- One might call Justin London’s Hear- oscillators and seeks to differentiate ing three chapters into practice in a ing in Time the Tonal Pitch Space cycling levels of listeners’ attentional narrative analysis of the first move- (Fred Lerdahl, Oxford University energy, which cannot bear musical ment of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Press, 2001) of meter. Attempting to accent meaningfully, from musical Symphony No. 5. formalize meter using perceptual phenomena, which can. No theory of meter can claim to be foundations, its grand conclusion is The second chapter continues to culturally universal without account- the “many meters hypothesis,” survey the psychological grounding ing for non-isochronous meters, as which states that we internalize as for the theory, focusing on the bounds the seventh and eighth chapters do distinct cognitive patterns not only of temporal perception: What are the here. The basic metric space accrues meters as conceived traditionally but fastest and slowest inter-onset inter- more subtlety in the form of a new also patterns of subdivision and ex- vals that humans can perceive as well-formedness rule that enforces pressive timing. At first, this hypoth- metrical, and which are preferred? maximal evenness. This notion is esis seems to be in conflict with the The most novel idea is the “basic borrowed from scale theory, and al- generalizing approach of the rest of space” of this theory, a hierarchical though well intentioned, it is fraught the book, which seeks to model me- map of meters that is organized spa- with uncomfortable conflicts of ter within a culturally universal tially in a fashion reminiscent of Got- metaphor between the pitch and time framework. Nonetheless, the ex- tfried Weber’s chart of the major and domains. Chapter 7 provides a plausi- treme specificity of the many meters minor keys. Mr. London’s Pythagori- ble hypothesis for a perceptual basis hypothesis is precisely what the gen- cal exploration of the perceptual im- of maximal evenness, but no empiri-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 consistent, if yet unproven, hypothe- the equally foundational assumption sis. The book concludes with a short of hierarchy is a more open question. “coda” that treats metric and rhyth- Hearing in Time is a valuable sur- mic complexity, Mr. London’s origi- vey of the work researchers in music nal goal in writing his book. cognition have written on meter from Overall, the book is well written the perspective of a music theorist, and researched. The text is dense and and it shows that these sometimes- scholarly without being ponderous separate communities still have (at only 195 pages, there is no room many ideas with which to inform for extraneous words); the pace is each other. The ambition of the work even and it reads well. The luminar- is commendable, and I can forgive its ies of 18th-century music theory fig- shortcomings for its novel and ure alongside the most current provocative ideas. Mr. London has a research in music perception and strong command of his most impor- rhythmic theory, and the bibliogra- tant sources in both music cognition phy alone is a valuable resource for and music theory and excels at com- anybody interested in meter. Mr. bining them. One should applaud London explains most of his theory him for engaging non-isochronous and in careful detail with ample and illus- non-Western meters, and although trative figures and examples, and the there remains work to be done, this text should be accessible to a wide book inspires one to undertake it. I audience. Much of the enjoyment in expect that before long, readers of reading the book comes from its this journal will have implemented cal research is cited that would prove clever presentation: Having accepted many components of the theory, and or disprove it, and the informal proof the surveys of relevant psychological I look forward to the results. that is presented relies on an assump- experiments, the reader is repeatedly tion about interpolation of shorter and pleasantly surprised at the conse- metric beats within longer rhythmic quences of their seemingly innocu- phenomena that is consistent with ous results. Recordings but not a direct consequence of the Despite Mr. London’s care, the for- first six chapters. Chapter 8 qualifies malisms in Hearing in Time lack the this tenuous new well-formedness rigor that an engineer or a mathemati- rule with a caveat that it need not al- cian would require. Although it ap- ways apply to metric subcycles after pears that it would be possible to : Flashbacks demonstrating that for several well- implement the theory in software or Compact disc, Bridge 9097, 2000; known timelines from non-Western hardware, this process would not be available from , Inc., music, its form from Chapter 7 does trivial and would likely uncover am- 200 Clinton Avenue, New Rochelle, not hold. There is much good reason- biguities and internal contradictions. New York 10801, USA; telephone ing in these chapters, but one cannot (In this regard, the book is also analo- (+1) 914-654-9270; fax (+1) 914-636- escape the feeling that despite its pop- gous to Tonal Pitch Space.) Likewise, 1383; electronic mail bridgerec@ ularity in contemporary music theory, the fascinating idea of tempo thresh- bridgerecords.com; Web www maximal evenness is not quite the olds between different metric inter- .bridgerecords.com/pages/catalog/ unifying rule that Mr. London was pretations of the same score is treated 9097.htm. seeking for non-isochronous meters. only briefly and without the careful Chapter 9 treats theories of expres- modeling that characterizes the rest sive timing in performance before of the book. Anthropologists would The Music of Mario Davidovsky, launching the many-meters hypothe- seek a more nuanced identification of Volume 3 sis. Here, Mr. London takes great care cultural universals: Whereas the com- to separate what is speculative from ponents of the theory that rest on em- Compact disc, Bridge 9171, 2005; what is not, yielding a plausible and pirical psychology are less debatable, available from Bridge Records, Inc.,

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 200 Clinton Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801, USA; telephone (+1) 914-654-9270; fax (+1) 914-636- 1383; electronic mail bridgerec@ bridgerecords.com; Web www .bridgerecords.com/pages/catalog/ 9171.htm.

Reviewed by alcides lanza Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Flashbacks is the first of a series of compact discs that Bridge Records is devoting to the music of Mario Davi- dovsky. Volume 2 in the collection, documenting pieces like Shulamit’s Dream, Scenes from Shir ha-Shirim, by Daniel Druckman. The ensemble The text for Romancero is included and Biblical Songs, with Susan delivers this piece with assurance in the original Old Spanish and in an Narucki and the Riverside Symphony and imagination under the effective English translation by the composer. (Bridge 9112), is not reviewed here be- leadership of . Bridge continues its releases of mu- cause it does not contain any electro- This mostly instrumental CD in- sic by this Argentinean composer in a acoustic elements. Volume 3, the most cludes one of the Synchronisms se- well-researched and well-presented recent release, is reviewed below. ries, the set of pieces for instrument(s) edition. Volume 3 begins with “vin- The composition that gives its and electronics for which Mr. Davi- tage” Mario Davidovsky, his Synchro- name to Volume 1 of the series, Flash- dovsky is renowned. Synchronisms nisms No. 5 for percussion ensemble backs, written in 1995, is scored for No. 10 (1992) is scored for guitar and and electronic sound (“sound” being flute (doubling piccolo and alto), clar- electronic sounds, and features a curiously singular for this one piece), inet (doubling bass clarinet), violin, stunning performance by David a stunning interplay between the cello, piano, and percussion. It was Starobin. The music is good, with realm of noise and clear pitched per- commissioned by Meet the Com- some magical moments, but it is also cussion on one hand, and a “percus- poser for the New York New Music a bit predictable due to some well- sive” electronic tape on the other. The Ensemble (NYNME), together with profiled phrases, attacks, or idioms in composer takes ensemble writing to the San Francisco Contemporary Mu- the Davidovskian style. new heights, perfectly matching his sic Players and California EAR Unit. Romancero (1983) is a song cycle acute sense of rhythm with a rich va- It was premiered in based on old Spanish texts, some re- riety of different textures. The Man- by NYNME, and is performed by lated to stories from the Old Testa- hattan School of Music Percussion them in this recording. Flashbacks is ment. Romancero, written for the Ensemble excels in this recording, un- instrumental music having all the Speculum Musicae ensemble, is sung der the leadership of Jeffrey Milarsky. angular aspects of : with conviction by soprano Susan More delicate is the writing in the quick, sudden changes in dynamics, Narucki. The ensemble, conducted Duo Capriccioso (2003). The very ar- fast appoggiatura passages, and a pro- by Donald Palma, provides an ideal ticulate exchanges between the vio- found exploration of the textural and accompaniment. The second and lin and piano include pizzicatti, rhythmic domains. Mr. Davidovsky third songs—!Arriba canes, arriba! staccato chords, and percussive at- succeeds with clever duplications of and Seguidillas—are splendid. tacks. More conventional tremolatos notes and decays between two or The accompanying booklet, written and arpegiattos are also interspersed more instruments, which together by composer Martin Brody, provides along the way. This is a good rendi- with a “percussive” approach in the valuable information on the composer tion by Curtis Macomber, violin, ac- writing for all instruments, achieves and his works. The comments are not companied by Aleck Karis on piano. this quasi-electronic atmosphere. The directly related to individual works, Mr. Karis also provides a stunning percussion part is brilliantly played and consequently are a bit obscure. version of another early Synchro-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 nisms, in this case the well-known 25e Concours International de Synchronisms No. 6 from 1970, Musique Electroacoustique, scored for piano and electronic Bourges: Prix Quadrivium sounds. This is a classic item in the Davidovskian catalogue, offering Compact discs (2), Cultures électron- some exciting moments in the writ- iques 11, LCD 278 065/66, 1998; ing for both instrument and tape. available from Institut International Some tightly synchronized exchanges de Musique Electroacoustique de between piano and tape makes one Bourges, Place André Malraux, B.P. think of a “super” hybrid-instrument. 39, 18001 Bourges Cedex, France; The Quartetto, written in 1987, is telephone (+33) 2-48-20-41-87; fax definitely more down to earth. The (+33) 2-48-20-45-51; electronic mail writing is strictly instrumental, and [email protected]; sounds expressive and lyrical, with Web www.imeb.asso.fr/. (non-electronic) excursions into the The renowned composer’s typical “precipitato quasi festival and competition held yearly percussive series of attacks” mode. Compendium International since 1973 in Bourges, France, con- In Synchronisms No. 9, written in Bourges 2001 tinues to provide a point of reference 1988 for violin and electronic sounds, for many practitioners of the sonic much that happens between the in- Compact discs (2), Chrysopée Elec- arts. From the early days of tape strument and the electronic media is tronique 20, LCD 278 11 22/23, 2001; works to the currently expanding cat- rather predicable—too many of the available from Institut International egories of programmatic work and usual trademarks. The violin sonori- de Musique Electroacoustique de work involving technology and live ties and modes of attack play a mod- Bourges, Place André Malraux, B.P. performance, the Institut Interna- est role compared with the richer 39, 18001 Bourges Cedex, France; tional de Musique Electroacoustique palette of electronics—a solo violin telephone (+33) 2-48-20-41-87; fax de Bourges (IMEB) has championed singing line sounds like a violin sing- (+33) 2-48-20-45-51; electronic mail experimental sonic art and has dili- ing line. However, good and ani- [email protected]; gently documented and promoted the mated exchanges do occur, the Web www.imeb.asso.fr/. activities of the institute, festival, writing is skillful, and there are and competition by means of jour- plenty of good things to hear. The nals, composer portraits, audio com- disc finishes with Chacona from 29e Concours International de pilations, and, of course, the 1971, scored for violin, cello, and pi- Musique et d’Art Sonore illustrious prizes awarded to each ano. The writing is more conven- Electroacoustiques, Bourges: year’s competition winners. The an- tional, although—even if idiomatic Lauréats du Magisterium et du nual CD compilation of prizewinners for the instruments—the composer is Trivium offers an overview of international still seeking novel sonorities. More compositional activity and has for a traditional in phrasing and structure, Compact discs (2), Cultures électron- number of years included a retrospec- Chacona is a good piece to wrap up iques 16, LCD 278 076/77, 2002; tive of works from the early years of this CD, and is well performed by the available from Institut International the competition and festival. This members of Speculum Musicae. de Musique Electroacoustique de format, with master composers of the The liner notes by composer Eric Bourges, Place André Malraux, B.P. genre placed beside young upstarts in Chasalow are well-researched and 39, 18001 Bourges Cedex, France; the prize categories and compilation written in a lucid and entertaining telephone (+33) 2-48-20-41-87; fax recordings, has fostered a sense of style. We can only agree with Mr. (+33) 2-48-20-45-51; electronic mail breadth and commitment with regard Chasalow: “it seems obvious that [email protected]; to its practitioners and offers evi- Mario Davidovsky is one of the truly Web www.imeb.asso.fr/. dence of the historical context and original voices to have emerged from development of the art form. post-war America.” This is a highly Reviewed by Laurie Radford Each year’s compilation is pre- recommended compact disc. London, UK sented as a double CD and includes

102 Computer Music Journal

Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 about and Voz Oculta by José Man- with warped and garbled reflections rique. Mr. Koonce’s work is a study of itself in a fervid series of call and in the juxtaposition of environmental response episodes, whereas the much and traditional musical sound mate- lengthier Games by Fabio Cifariello rials. It navigates an eclectic path of Ciardi ably offers a tantalizingly everyday sounds in collision or com- raspy, amplified contrabass part as a bination with materials and manner- capable contender amid a whirling isms of various musical traditions. storm of rich, eruptive sound events, Despite the dated sound of some of at times in conflict with, at others the synthetic materials and pro- supportive of, the solo instrument. cessing, it is an engaging work that The Programmatic Electroacoustic propels the listener with sharp con- Music category of the Bourges com- trasts and bold sonic images. Mr. petition offers a nod to the art form’s Manrique’s much shorter work radiophonic roots as well as provid- adopts a similar approach to combin- ing composers with the opportunity approximately ten to twelve works. ing environmental recordings with to explore the narrative strengths and (This is admittedly a small sampling studio-based sound generation and potential of electroacoustic art. of the more than 400 works typically transformation, but to a much more Prizewinners in 1998 in this category submitted to the festival and compe- abstract end result. Waves and im- include Jonas Broberg’s Conversation tition and reflects the decision of that pulses of sound carry the listener in a in Cadaqués and We, we the waves year’s jury.) This review will give a state of suspension, fractured briefly by Love Mangs. The distinction be- brief overview of some of the works by changes of texture and density, tween works submitted in the pro- that were deemed worthy of distinc- with only fleeting suggestions of the grammatic and studio categories is tion in the competitions of 1998, sources from which the sounds arise. rather vague with the criteria of a 2001, and 2002 as well as several of The Electroacoustic Music with program or narrative as the basis of the early works included in the Coda Instruments category is also repre- the programmatic work, whether Mémoire addenda of these recordings. sented on this compilation by three overtly present in the work or not, The 1998 compilation offers eight works. Vifs Instants by Gilles Racot being the only identifiable difference. works representing prize-winning combines a small instrumental en- (Given that many purely electro- composers from England, France, semble (here the Archeus Ensemble acoustic works rely on similar strate- Sweden, USA, Spain, and Italy, as from Bucharest) with carefully modi- gies, this distinction is somewhat well as winning works from the fied recordings of these same instru- suspect in all but the most blatant 1970s and 1980s. Natasha Barrett’s ments in a work that draws acoustic cases.) Nonetheless, Mr. Broberg’s Little Animals garnered an Electro- and electroacoustic sound worlds work is uplifting and suggestive of acoustic Music Studio prize in the into a highly convincing interplay movement and travel with a conver- 1998 competition and is a good ex- and exploration of “mobility, rapid- sational underpinning punctuating ample of this accomplished com- ity, suddenness, and impact.” Al- highly developed and constantly poser’s detailed, sensitive approach to though moments when the distance varying sound textures. Mr. Mangs’ sound and sonic design. The work is between acoustic and electroacoustic 20-min piece (subtitled “an acoustic at moments playful and boisterous, evaporate into pure spectral pulsation poem”) is more exemplary of a pro- at others reflective and serene, al- are frequent and alluring, there is evi- grammatic work. Its highly delin- ways animated by rich sound materi- dent and successful attention to the eated formal design admirably als and masterful unfurling of sonic balance of instrumental performance controls the emotional weight and textures. There is in this work an in- and sonic fusion with an insistent imagery of the August Strindberg fectious sense of curiosity and percussion solo staking out the en- poem upon which it is based. A few amazement at the glorious world of semble’s territory before the instru- words of the poem, hesitantly spo- sounds, their shapes and colors, their ments are subsumed in the massive ken, appear near the beginning of the trajectory and mass. Two other works textures and frenzy of the conclud- work and set the desolate tone of the offered from the Electroacoustic Stu- ing minutes of the work. Emanuel work which is made up predomi- dio category are Paul Koonce’s Walk- Casale’s 4-min Studio pits a solo horn nantly of swaths of undulating waves,

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 distant pulsations, and unsettling early work from 1979, El cuaderno string writing and electroacoustic de- turbulence. Vocal materials, now del alquimista. La noce . . . is an illu- sign that meet in a common territory stretched and shaped to bind with the sive, fleeting piece that teases the lis- of sonic impulse, contrapuntal tex- poem’s images of water, flames, tener with wisps of sound, isolated ture, delicate exploration of extreme wind, and waves reappear midway pulsations, slowly accumulating registers, and a confident regulation and drive the work to a stormy cli- masses of undulation and an ever- of harmonic and inharmonic, all ar- max and an appropriately desolate present disarming calm. Midway ticulated and shaped convincingly conclusion. through the work, a frantic, sus- over the piece’s 16-min duration. The The Coda Mémoire works included pended choir leads the piece towards other prize-winning work in this cat- with the 1998 Bourges compilation the first of two climatic moments. egory, To walk the night by Marco are Barry Truax’s Sonic Landscape Mr. Mandolini’s El cuaderno del Marinoni, integrates the performance No.3 (1977), Klaus Röder’s Mr alquimista clarifies the rarified char- of four instrumentalists seamlessly Frankenstein’s Babies (1982), Patrick acter of La noce . . . as a distinctive into the nervous, frenetic fabric of Kosk’s Nebula-Prospekt (1985), and compositional trait, already in evi- electroacoustic chatter and explosion. Ton Bruynel’s Chicharra’s (1986). Mr. dence and extensively explored in The sole work in the newly intro- Truax’s piece harkens back to the this earlier work. The voice appears duced Sonic Art category from the early days of computer music, having in this work as a favored source of 2002 competition is Vibratility.Mozaik garnered first prize in that fledgling sonic material and concept. Dense by Eric La Casa and Slavek Kwi, a category in 1977 with long evolving slabs of sound are abruptly juxta- collaborative work constructed from and short chattering FM materials posed with faltering particles, both many hours of recordings made in a distinctive of the time. Mr. Röder’s vying with a heavy, intervening si- bell foundry in France. Despite the piece is a tour de force of vocal lence that regulates the ponderous sequential nature of the collabora- recording manipulation with a hyper- pace of the work. tion (with each of the two artists pro- choir jumping from highly rhythmic, John Christopher Nelson’s Scatter viding independent versions of the chattering textures to abrupt, some- lives up to the implied energy and selected and transformed source ma- what cheesy synthesizer harmonic spatial concept of its title (and would terials which were subsequently com- blasts. Mr. Bruynel’s work is an ode surely be even more engaging in its bined and mixed), the work is a to Spain with the over-present buzz multi-channel version). The particu- coherent, rich aural voyage through and hum of cicadas wreathing the lar textures, grainy rasps, and careen- clouds of humming drones, industrial voice of Lino Calle de Segovia inton- ing punctuations fill the soundstage collage, and finely crafted punctua- ing an homage to this captivating in an impressive display of spatial tion. The temporal frame and propor- landscape. composition closely aligned to tem- tions are entirely convincing in this A change to the title for the com- poral and timbral function. Baoding grand fresco of soundscape capture petition in 2002 (International Com- by David Berezan is a highlight of married to skilled intervention. petition of Music and Electroacoustic this collection with its athletic, ges- Three lengthy works are included Sound Art) is reflected in the compi- tural character and bountiful timbral on this compilation as part of the lation Cultures électroniques 16, palette ably controlled and molded Coda Mémoire retrospective of ear- Bourges 2002 and indicates a reaction into a terse, engaging piece in three lier Bourges competition winners. on the part of the organizers to the short movements. Tim Souster’s The Transistor Radio growing diversity of styles and strate- All of the works cited so far were of St Narcissus (1984) is a 24-min gies in the sonic art community and winners in the Electroacoustic Music work for bugle, live electronics, and the need to acknowledge this at the category of the 2002 competition. electroacoustic component based on festival and competition. The 2002 Joao Pedro Oliveira’s Labirinto is one a passage from Thomas Pynchon’s compilation consists of six works of the two winners of the Electro- The Crying of Lot 49. The long arcs from that year’s competition and acoustic Music with Instruments cat- of this work are remarkably assured, four retrospective works from earlier egory featured on this compilation. exhibiting diverse timbral evolution competitions. This work features the Arditti String and demarcated by effective points of Two works by Ricardo Mandolini Quartet in combination with an articulation. The bugle is a motivat- figure here, La noce en que los peces electroacoustic component, the two ing force throughout the work serv- flotaron, which was awarded the closely allied in gestural energy and ing as soloist, instigator of cascades Magisterium Prize in 2002, and an character. Mr. Oliveira excels in of sound processes, and contempla-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 tive outsider reflecting upon the ties, and has established distinctive near stasis or when scurrying frag- sonic expanse of the work. An expul- studio and performance facilities that ments of sound dart through the dark sive bugle solo embellished by pitch- have attracted many composers from receding textures. Ms. Ferreyra’s La bent multi-tap delays hovering above around the world to work and per- ba-balle du chien-chien à la mè-mère an ominous drone appears prior to form in Bourges. In 2000, IMEB began takes the listener on a delightful the somber final section of the work. issuing a new series of compilations sonic exploration of the sounds of a Chile Fértil Provincia, also from under the title Compendium Interna- ball, a dog, and a grandmother. The 1984, by Gabriel Brncic, and also tional, a collection of recordings contributions of the source materials weighing in at just under 24 minutes, bringing together works that were are rich and varied in their many veers through numerous diverse composed in the same year at the stu- transformed guises and an ever- sound worlds, from barrages of elec- dios of IMEB. The Compendium from present poetic tension between origin tronic chattering to long sections of 2001 consists of eleven works by and destination provides a convinc- string orchestra accompanied by fal- composers from France, Sweden, ing framework for the gestural and tering drum punctuations, from the Spain, , and Poland, includ- formal design of the piece. 24 Varia- disassembling of a piano smothered ing Christian Clozier, Erik Mikael tions by Horacio Vaggione imagina- in the dripping of water to slowly di- Karlsson, Eduardo Polonio, Beatriz tively expands a small source verging glissando driven by beating Ferreyra, Jacky Merit, Elzbieta collection of sound materials into a drums and mumbling radio-like Sikora, Françoise Barriere, Horacio diverse but unified sonic universe, voices in its depiction of the epic Vaggione, Adolfo Nunez, Patrick As- the variations of the title referring poem, “La Araucana,” an account of cione, and Philippe Auclair. more to the wealth of subtle grada- the conquest of Chile. Without an in- With the accessibility of software tions of variance from one version of timate knowledge of the poem, the and the similarity of the architec- a sound to another than to distinct work tends to sound like a series of tures and interfaces of plug-in and formal units over its 10-min dura- unrelated episodes strung together mixing environments, there is in- tion. A similar energy and propulsion without any overriding formal design creasing interest of late concerning characterize the distinct sections of or attention to mechanisms of struc- the impact that particular environ- the work and lends another interpre- tural coherence. ments and technologies have on the tation to the variations at work in Ake Parmerud’s 1978 work creative act, the tools no longer this detailed composition. Patrick Närheter is a text-sound piece origi- viewed as transparent in considera- Ascione’s Divertissement is, as the nally destined for radiophonic diffu- tion of the work. The sound of cer- name implies, a light-hearted work sion. It consists of several long tain studios and the unique with buoyant timbres, a clearly artic- sections depicting firstly the story of instruments they often housed in the ulated formal design, and a sonic creation and subsequently the con- 1960s and 1970s left an indelible im- proposition that is deliberately nar- cept of dance. The relationship of print on many works composed in row in range of expression and explo- varying states of sleep to the main those facilities. Although the effect ration. The result is rather uneven structural concepts of the work ap- of certain tools available in the and rambling with a strained avoid- parently function as important links Bourges studios can be heard in some ance of more engaging use of certain to the (Swedish) text of the piece. of the works in this collection, the di- materials and an over-reliance on One obviously misses a great deal of versity of individual styles and ap- streams of pallid, pulsing materials the import of the work if one doesn’t proaches to technology and sound devoid of direction. Several other of understand the language that ani- materials guarantees that there isn’t the works on this compilation share mates much of its content. Nonethe- an overriding “Bourges” sound per se. this characteristic in regards to tem- less, there is a sonic interplay and Mr. Karlsson’s Lignage/Liaison is poral proportions. Nonetheless, it re- development between the spoken an evocative reflection in six move- mains an interesting overview of the word, modified voice materials, and ments on the poem “Chant Nocturne output of electroacoustic practition- electroacoustic design that propels d’un berger errant d’Asie” by the ers during a short period of time in a the work and makes clear its formal 19th-century poet Giacomo Leopardi. world-renowned studio facility. and expressive intentions. Contemplative and finely crafted in Compilations from festivals, com- From its inception, IMEB has de- shape and momentum, there is al- petitions, gallery curation, and spe- veloped research and compositional ways a sense of intense, clear purpose cial events afford the opportunity to components among its various activi- in this work, whether at moments of sample a cross-section of work from a

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 particular event and within a particu- music. Incandescence (2003) and De- lar time frame. The audio compila- fiant (2004) are EMC’s first two al- tions published by IMEB give us bums, and both are dedicated to tape access to a cross-section of this yearly music. activity of electroacoustic produc- The first release, Incandescence, is tion, presentation, and appreciation. a youthful, energetic, and eclectic IMEB and the Bourges festival and collection of pieces that showcases competition continue to provide op- the variety of different styles and portunities for electroacoustic com- compositional outlooks of the EMC posers to submit their work to the composers. This CD is engaging and greater sonic arts community for even endearing in places because it evaluation and dissemination. allows the young personalities of the composers to show. Chris Bailey ap- pears to be the joker of the group, as Electric Music Collective: his two pieces, Ow, My Head and Incandescence Duude, are both hilariously, laugh- out-loud funny. Ow, My Head, dedi- dio and TV programs too carefully as Compact disc, EMC1, 2003; available cated to the composer’s parents’ loaded motivic or overly program- from Electric Music Collective; elec- “pleasantly cookie-cutter suburban matic devices. Instead, he cooks up tronic mail [email protected] home,” contains enough creaks and these bonbons of sound, quickly de- .edu; Web www.emcollective.org/ konks, rattles and zips and zonks, vours them, and explodes the debris EMC1.html. flapping papers and na-na-na-poo-poo into other high-octane sonic morcels vocal stylings to put a smile on the (listen for the tasty Rice Krispie treat face of even the stodgiest academic in the middle of the piece). Timing Electric Music Collective: Defiant listener. To quote the words of an- this interchange and maintaining a other well-known critic, “This work tempo which consistently railroads a Compact disc, EMC2, 2004; available is a lot of fun and there isn’t much listener into thinking everything from Electric Music Collective; elec- fun in computer music” (Jon Apple- everywhere in the piece is funny all tronic mail [email protected] ton, in a Computer Music Journal re- the time is not easy, and Mr. Bailey .edu; Web www.emcollective.org/ view of ’s Ride, Vol. does it well. EMC2.html. 26/1). The pace of the piece is fast, The only seam I hear in these two frenetic, and frustrated, and can leave works is the use of pitch as a pacify- Reviewed by Corey Cheng the listener a little breathless by the ing, closing device at the end of both San Francisco, California, USA end. But all in all, it is fun music to pieces. An ear which is slightly tired listen to, as the piece has an “every- from the pace and musique concrete– What if one could have the thing but the kitchen sink, okay, style “wall-of-sound” which these whole world as an orchestra? what the heck, throw in the kitchen pieces create might welcome the ex- What if every sound-producing sink and record it too, it’s all hilari- tended references to a tonal V-I ca- object could be potentially used ous” style. dence at the end of Ow or the as a musical instrument? (Elec- Duude, dedicated to Mr. Bailey’s soothing string-like pads which de- tric Music Collective Web site) “ratty apartment [he] first inhabited scend by whole steps at the end of The Electric Music Collective (EMC) in Manhattan,” is just as fast and Duude. This application of pitch in a is a group of young, New York-based funny as Ow, My Head. The wit of genre that often rebels against pitch artists who compose live and com- the two pieces is very similar, and af- is an effective contrast, although it is puter music in the musique concrète, ter listening to both more closely, it’s a well-known compositional tool. or “cinema for the ear,” style. The obvious that Mr. Bailey is doing some Mr. Bailey does add his own signature group consists of Chris Bailey, Doug hard work to convince his audience to this device, as he introduces and Geers, Tim Polashek, Marcus Bitten- that these pieces appear funny all the weaves the timbres of the pitched court, and Fernando Gomez- time. He is careful not to use his ir- material in throughout the piece in Evelson—all graduates of Columbia reverent vocal sounds, random order to soften its full entry at the University’s program in computer pitches, and sound bites from old ra- end of the piece. A more wry, tongue-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 starts to strain, buckle, and ulti- bit more thoughtful in nature. The mately morph under the weight of quieter, yet slightly harsher and atonal material in the later works. noise-like sounds of the second al- Doug Geers, another of the EMC bum will invite you to learn more composers, is already well known for about the composers themselves, his compositions which pair acoustic some of their compositional thought instruments with live electronics. By processes, how their views might contrast, his compositions Ripples have changed in some ways, and why and Soft and Sky Melting, presented they write the way they do. on the Incandescence CD, are pro- Mr. Polashek’s A Miniature duced purely as computer music, Odyssey is a playful, minute-long in- and demonstrate Mr. Geers’s well- troduction to Defiant, written as a developed vocabulary along with his character piece using frequency virtuosity and additional versatility modulation (FM) and layered rever- as a computer musician. These two beration techniques popular in the pieces are constructed from delicate, electronic music of the 1950s and in-cheek humor is in the string pads exquisitely fine, painstakingly and 1960s. He pays tribute to a different at the end of Ow, where the sudden, microscopically detailed textures. electronic music tradition in Dry jerky volume increases say, “Oh What is special about these pieces is Weaves, a rhythmic, process-oriented yeah, it’s the end of the piece, I better that they are beautifully smooth: piece, which gradually and very effec- turn up the gain on this tonal part.” They are extremely well paced and tively introduces longer and longer Just as pitch can be a challenging make surprisingly good use of fairly fricative speech fragments at various element to blend into the free-form simple compositional devices mod- pan positions in an overall stereo world of electroacoustic tape music, eled on simple yet clearly identifiable stream that ebbs and flows over six so can the elements of form. In this sound processing tools. In this sense, and a half minutes. In this sense, the sense, Tim Polashek is the neo- these compositions are very well well-structured, process-oriented classicist of EMC. In many of his crafted and are, as a result, very en- form of the piece reminds me of works, he pays homage to the more joyable to listen to. Ripples is a ’s I am Sitting in a traditional forms in music, from the tonally oriented granular synthesis Room, and the use of spatialization classical Western canon, jazz idioms, piece which evolves clearly identifi- in the introduction and measured ex- and music from the electroacoustic able pitched grains into and out of pansion of the speech fragments re- genre. In Sonata, Mr. Polashek faster, more blended sounds. Pro- minds me of the slow, processing arranges carefully chosen and rela- cessing tools like reverberation, tim- phase effects found in Steve Reich’s tively sparsely spaced processed pi- bre changes in the sources used for Come Out. ano sounds into a clearly identifiable the granular synthesis engine, and Mr. Polashek has a personal inter- classical sonata form: first and sec- changes in grain density are simple est in, and brings a personal touch to, ond themes, development, recapitu- and straightforward, but are intro- the text/sound tradition. Listeners lation, coda. To me, in addition to duced subtly and at well-placed who understand this might better un- being a showcase of sounds derived points. Soft and Sky Melting is a derstand the title of the piece and ap- from a single piano, this piece is a more extended and varied piece that preciate why he chooses his forms witty satire on form. How much of a draws upon a wider palette of and subjects the way he does, both in classical structure, originally evolved sparkling, shimmering sounds. this and his other pieces, including out of the need to organize classical If Incandescence is a youthful in- Minute Percussion, another speech- sounds, should be imparted to non- troduction to EMC, then Defiant, the based miniature found at the end of classical, electroacoustic sounds? In second EMC album, is definitely a Defiant. As he recounts in a recent this sense, the subject, structure, and more considered, mature release. By article, he was born with a moderate satire of this piece remind me of the comparison, Incandescence explores hearing impairment that makes evolution of Alexander Scriabin’s ten a wider tessitura of sonic space, speech difficult for him to under- piano sonatas: Classical sonata form whereas Defiant, assembled from stand at times. However, rather than carries Chopinesque motifs in the works composed several years after evoking pity, being exploitative, or earlier works, whereas the form those included on Incandescence, is a being driven to the passionate ex-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 tremes of another well-known Ger- pieces is the careful blending and Music From SEAMUS, Volume 13 man classical composer having hear- transitioning which give the pieces ing loss, Mr. Polashek simply and an expertly balanced pace. Compact disc, 2004; available from gracefully incorporates into his mu- Mr. Bailey also shows another side SEAMUS Online; electronic mail sic the humor that the ambiguity of of himself on EMC’s second disc. His [email protected]; Web speech comprehension has brought to OOOGaah: Dungeony Specimen www.seamusonline.org/seamuscd his daily life: Spaceship has the same structure .html. and one-sound-tripping-over-the- For example, “Good morning next laughability as his earlier pieces, Reviewed by rachMiel Mr. Doolittle” might come across but the pacing in the second half of Rochester, New York, USA as “You’re warming me a little the piece is slower and more con- soup”; when I repeat such mis- trolled. His other piece on the album, SEAMUS, lovely acronym for the So- hearings aloud in puzzlement, I Conceptual Study, concentrates on ciety for Electro-Acoustic Music in often send my wife into hyster- delay loops and is more of a medita- the , was co-founded in ics of laughter. If I get too con- tive piece. Similarly, Fernando 1984 by Barry Schrader and nine other fused, I usually just “tune out” Gomez-Evelson’s 745-Bit Cycle, composers. Since then it has grown and stop trying to understand the composed with guest Jun Mizu- from a private, salon-like group of ten language. Musically inclined, I machi, is a quiet, serious piece that into an acclaimed national organiza- tend, instead, to listen solely to contains more noise-like, Xenakis- tion of over 500 members. SEAMUS the sound of the babbling voice. inspired sounds. promotes the development and dis- (Tim Polashek. 2005. “Beyond Marcus Bittencourt, another of semination of electroacoustic music Babble: A Text-Generation the EMC composers, produced the through its Web site, annual confer- Method and Computer Program industrial sounding Lupanar from ences, publications, performer data- for Composing Text, Music and “machine instruments” of “click- base, and CD series. Poetry.” Leonardo Music Jour- clacking-screaming monsters” for Once a year, at the SEAMUS Na- nal 15:17–22.) EMC’s first CD. On Defiant, his piece tional Conference, a vote is held for Mr. Geers presents two pieces on Chimaera is a less literal work the best compositions presented at Defiant that draw on radio noise and which, while sharing the same indus- the conference. The pieces with the radio frequency interference noise trial sound as Lupanar, reveals itself most votes are then released on a popular in 1960s electronic music. more slowly and deliberately. Both of compilation CD. The nine pieces on Atomic Tango updates this tradition Mr. Bittencourt’s works encourage an the SEAMUS, Volume 13, CD were by imparting the quickly varying vol- active imagination to conjure up presented at the 2003 SEAMUS con- ume changes characteristic of the vivid portraits of large creatures with ference at Arizona State University. static heard while tuning a radio to even larger egos and personalities. To Dreams in the Desert (2001) is an other, computer- or CPU- inspired RF me, Chimaera sounds like the sound- electroacoustic piece produced by interference sounds. Formally, the track from an old 1930s horror Elainie Lillios, music technology and piece works its way inward, from a movie, where, instead of King Kong, composition professor at Bowling veiled introduction toward a clear the monster of the film might be a Green State University. Ms. Lillios presentation of its source materials, 100-foot tall oboe which, with 20- sets out to explore the abstract and then outward again. Twisted Pair foot legs and arms, marches down essence of sound in her work, and to does not do as much up front to hide Fifth Avenue with heavy, leaden- take listeners on free-flowing audio- the harshness of the sounds and dis- sounding feet intent on terrorizing emotional journeys. Dreams in the tortions of RF noise, but does use the Manhattan . . . Desert is a finely nuanced piece, rich same wide-dynamic volume and Incandescence and Defiant are with electronically modified acoustic pitch change envelopes to sculpt good collections of electroacoustic sounds, some recognizable (sloshing distortion-inspired sounds through- music composed by a group of emerg- water), others not (abstract sound out the piece. Although these pieces ing young composers. The Electric essences). The flow is gentle, like wa- show a different, edgier side to Mr. Music Collective represents a diverse ter, inviting, understated, often beau- Geers than can be heard in the shim- set of styles, and it will be interesting tiful. The tactile sensuality of the mering works on Incandescence, to see how these composers continue sounds and the excellent sense of what is consistent in all of these their collaborations in the future. musical drama (tension, release)

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 ries, the responses are played back the piece. In addition to creating the over a classic -based foreground layer, the clarinetist is re- background. In San Francisco Airport sponsible for most of the background Rock (1995), the responses overlap a sound, which he creates in real time quasi new-age MIDI soundtrack. In with the assistance of Max/MSP pro- Sheremetyevo Airport Rock, the re- cessing. Gerrymander is an engaging sponses (in Russian and Russian- and dramatically satisfying musical accented English) are combined with journey, marked throughout by sinu- a whimsical collection of vocals, ous melodic lines and, in the second sound effects, and Russian orchestral half, dynamic staccato rhythms. music. Sheremetyevo is a delightful The Sundering Seas (2002) is an little piece: fun, funny, short and electroacoustic tape piece composed sweet, homespun electroacoustic by Noel Paul, graduate student and storytelling with tongue firmly lecturer at DXARTS (Center for Digi- planted in cheek. tal Arts and Experimental Media) at De Ligno Chalybeque (2003) is an the University of Washington. Per- keeps one engaged, body and spirit, electroacoustic piece composed by haps the most abstract of the sound- throughout. Konstantinos Karathanasis, currently worlds on the CD, The Sundering Nocturne/Doubles (2001), for pi- completing a Ph.D. in composition at Seas uses a set of acoustic sounds as ano (played by Daniel Koppelman) the University at Buffalo (UB). Draw- its generative material, including and computer, was composed by Ben- ing upon the mythology of his Greek keys, bowed electric guitar, paper, jamin Broening, professor and Direc- homeland, Mr. Karathanasis cites and ambisonic recordings (a stereo tor of Music Technology at the several ingredients “necessary for the variant of 3-D surround sound). University of Richmond. It is the sec- recipe of the piece,” including: Fire, These sounds were processed using ond in a set of pieces built around the Sulfur, Quicksilver, Dionysus, Sisy- frequency and amplitude data derived notion of doubles, a type of musical phus, Chaos, and Katharsis. All from recorded samples of water; in- ornamentation popular in 17th–18th sounds were derived from cello and terestingly, the original water sounds century French works. Mr. Broening’s modified by custom Max/MSP algo- are clearly audible only in the last few algorithms respond in real time to rithms. De Ligno Chalybeque is a seconds of the track, an audio-ironic the music generated by the piano, in compelling piece, by turns medita- coda. The flow of the piece models his words, “confirming and summa- tive, explosive, lyrical, and, on occa- the flow of water: fluid, unpulsed, in- rizing, extending, altering or recon- sion, violent. The cello sounds are, evitable. Like many abstract elec- textualizing the melodic and for the most part, very abstracted, tronic pieces, this comes off as a rich harmonic material.” The slow and fodder for Max/MSP processing. Mr. study in shifting textures and tim- dreamy flow of the piece, together Karathanasis uses silence as an active bres, rather than an exploration of with its use of lush anachronistic presence, rather than an absence, in melody, rhythm, or counterpoint. tonality, effectively evoke a sense of keeping with the legacy left by long- Pre-Composition (2002) is an eight- hazy melancholic remembering in time UB composition teacher, Mor- channel tape piece (reduced to stereo keeping with the composition’s sense ton Feldman. for the CD) composed and performed of looking back in time. Gerrymander (2002), for B-flat clar- by Mark Applebaum, professor of Sheremetyevo Airport Rock (2002), inet (played by Gerard Errante) and composition and theory at Stanford for tape, was composed by Jon Apple- Max/MSP, was composed by Russell University, jazz pianist, and electro- ton, professor at Dartmouth College Pinkston, professor and Director of acoustic instrument builder. The and one of the true giants of electro- Electronic Music Studios at The Uni- piece is, in the composer’s words, “an acoustic music, prominent in the versity of Texas at Austin. The title ironic exorcism of the ‘council of eld- field for over 40 years. Sheremetyevo is a double pun, referring both to the ers’ in my head.” It consists of eight is the third in a series of pieces col- name of the person who commis- channels of spoken conversation be- laging recorded responses to the ques- sioned the piece, Gerry Errante, and tween multiple instances of Mr. tion: “What do you think of the new to the bizarre images created by polit- Applebaum’s voice. This council of electronic music?” In Newark Air- ical gerrymandering as reflected in Applebaums discusses, sometimes port Rock (1969), the first in the se- the unexpected turns in the flow of hilariously, the process of creating

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 the piece. Thus the piece’s composi- virtual bass clarinet, followed again member at New York University; and tional planning process becomes the by real bass clarinet, all over a haunt- founder and President of Electronic piece itself. Occasionally, Applebaum ingly sensuous chordal background Music Foundation (EMF). instances come together and perform drone. The piece is gorgeous and un- Mr. Chadabe’s compositions and synchronized phrases and passages; abashedly emotional, evoking the articles are published by EMF Media, these are welcome in that they sorrow of 9/11 in understated dark Deep Listening, Lovely Music, Opus underscore the musicality of the tones and plaintive melodic lines. One, Folkways, Computer Music piece. But, for the most part, Pre- Music from SEAMUS, Volume 13, Journal, Leonardo, Electronic Musi- Composition remains a talk piece, is an excellent CD, “must listening” cian, and others. His book Electric and a bit of an insider joke, some- for any fan of cutting-edge electro- Sound, a comprehensive historical thing that might appeal mostly to acoustic music. The quality of perfor- survey of electronic music, is pub- composers and artists. mances and audio is high, and the lished by Prentice Hall. He has been Ascension (1988), for the Univer- 8-page liner booklet is informative involved in the development of sev- sity of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) and well-written, with program notes eral seminal musical-processing Conservatory Wind Ensemble (con- and thumbnail composer bios for programs, including M, Max, and ducted by Gary Hill) and electro- each piece. 2003 must have been a TouchSurface, a touch-sensitive acoustic tape, was composed by good year, because all these pieces, computer input device. In 1977 he James Mobberley, professor and Di- culled from the 2003 SEAMUS Na- co-authored Play, the first software- rector of the Musica Nova Ensemble tional Conference, are engaging. And, based sequencer. In 1967 he and at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. perhaps best of all, the variety of co-designed CEMS (co- Mr. Mobberly dedicated Ascension to styles and moods makes for fascinat- ordinated electronic music studio), a his college roommate, who was ing, entertaining, and sometimes programmable analog music system. killed in action in the Persian Gulf in quite moving listening. Mr. Chadabe’s approach to musical 1988. His friend’s complex and enter- composition is process- and performer- tainingly volatile personality inspired oriented: the piece’s musical content, while : Many Times . . . When people ask me what I do Mr. Mobberly’s personal reaction to as a composer, I explain that I do the death shaped the structure. The Compact disc, EMF CD 050, 2004; not compose pieces, I compose result is a very energetic and com- available from CDeMUSIC/Elec- activities. A “piece,” whatever pelling roller coaster of a musical tronic Music Foundation, 116 North its content, is a construction ride, presenting idiomatically Ameri- Lake Avenue, Albany, New York with a beginning and end that can expressionistic wind-ensemble 12206, USA; telephone (+1) 888-749- exists independent of its listeners writing. 9998 or (+1) 518-434-4110; fax (+1) and within its own boundaries ’s Threnos (2001– 518-434-0308; electronic mail of time. An “activity” unfolds 2002) is a piece for real and virtual [email protected]; Web www.emfmedia because of the way people per- bass clarinets. Mr. Austin’s distin- .org/catalog/em150.html. form; and consequently, an ac- guished musical reputation precedes tivity happens in the time of him: composition student of Darius Reviewed by rachMiel living; and art comes closer to Milhaud and Andrew Imbrie, work- Rochester, New York, USA life. (“A Statement,” www ing colleague of , Karlheinz .chadabe.com/statement.html) Stockhausen, and David Tudor, Joel Chadabe, one of the founding fa- founding editor of avant-garde music thers of interactive electroacoustic The album Many Times . . . is very periodical Source, creator of the New music, has been active worldwide as much in keeping with this approach. Music Ensemble at the University of composer, performer, and writer It consists of a set of five solo inter- California. Mr. Austin is now retired, since the late 1960s. A student of El- pretations of the composition Many though seemingly active as ever. liott Carter, Mr. Chadabe is a very Times . . . , the ellipsis being a place- Threnos is a lament for the victims of busy man: Professor Emeritus at State holder for the name of the per- the 9/11 World Trade Center bomb- University of New York, Albany; Di- former: Many Times Chris (for Chris ings. It consists of three continuous rector of the Electronic Music Studios Mann), Many Times Jan (for Jan sections: real bass clarinet (played by at Bennington College and Manhattan Williams), Many Times Esther (for Michael Lowenstern), followed by College of Music; Adjunct Faculty Esther Lamneck), and so on. Many

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 (acoustic) and processed (electronic) Times Benjamin, suggesting that Mr. layers are “mutually influential.” Chadabe’s software processing might The soloist in the first track, Many lend itself to long, free-flowing lines. Times Benjamin, is percussionist and One striking difference is that Mr. video artist, Benjamin Chadabe. Gibson’s playing is filled with id- Through virtuosic bowing of cymbals iomatic and recognizable cello ges- and gongs, he manages to achieve a tures, which results in a more fluid study in complex, noise-rich clear-cut distinction between the timbres. Lines are long, as expected original and the processed sounds. with bowed metal, and there is no Many Times Jan is performed by counterpoint, no pulse. The result is percussionist , Professor oceanic and outside the strictures of Emeritus at the University of Buffalo. metronomic time. The audible Mr. Williams plays conga, djembé, boundary between acoustically gen- and assorted hand-held percussion in- erated (bowed) sounds and computer- struments in his interpretation of the processed versions of same is piece. The result is a delightfully tac- Times . . . is thus a kind of composi- minimal; in fact, it’s often difficult to tile field of percussive impulses and tional template to be filled in by the tell where one ends and the other be- rhythms, very welcome on the disc sounds and personalities of the per- gins. This is a hauntingly beautiful, as a foil to the lugubriousness of formers: spoken voice, percussion, if somewhat icy, piece (due to the tracks 1 and 3. Through his sparse woodwind, slow and dreamy, upbeat, bowed-metal timbres). and delicate playing, Mr. Williams kaleidoscopic, etc. Many Times Chris is performed by manages to create a soundworld that The title Many Times . . . contains Chris Mann of Machine for Making has a natural feel to it, a sense of a double entendre. It refers both to Sense fame. Mr. Mann is a composer electroacoustic rain forest. This is the succession of many performers and performer whose main realm of due, in no small measure, to the very who will interpret the composition compositional exploration is linguis- effective interplay between original and to the central techno-musical is- tics, the technology and philosophy and computer-processed sounds. sue the piece addresses: that of a live of human speech. In this track, he The final piece, Many Times Esther, performer interacting with several renders a highly idiosyncratic narra- is performed by clarinetist, Esther processed-sound images of him- or tion of his text piece, “Theories of Lamneck, director of Instrumental herself. Mr. Chadabe uses computer- Surplus Value III,” a wild and bril- Studies at New York University and driven electronics to realize this solo- liant stream-of-consciousness exege- director of the NYU New Music and driven polyphony. The performer sits sis on the potential of language. Mr. Dance Ensemble. On this track, Ms. at a microphone, and the sounds gen- Mann’s interpretation of his text is ir- Lamneck plays the tárogató, a Hun- erated are modified by a Kyma Sys- reverent and playful; his voice speeds garian single-reed woodwind instru- tem (Symbolic Sound Corporation) in up, slows down, chops apart, and ment with a rich, mournful sound, real time and are then distributed teases at the boundaries of his pitch part english horn and part saxophone. throughout the room through a ma- range. Combined with the Kyma- The soundworld and flow of Many trix of loudspeakers. processed images, the mix is dense Times Esther is similar to that of Along with the notion of the indi- and baroque, scherzo-like, dipping Many Times Benjamin and Many vidual being expanded electronically occasionally into full-blown, formant- Times David, resulting in a symmet- into an ensemble, two themes in- shifted chaos. ric “club sandwich” form for the CD: spired Mr. Chadabe’s composition of Cellist David Gibson is the inter- tracks 1, 3, and 5 are adagio-paced Many Times . . . . The first is the preter of Many Times David. Mr. timbral studies, tracks 2 and 4 are up- transformation of acoustica to elec- Gibson, who teaches cello at Mount beat rhythmic scherzos. The sounds tronica: playing an acoustic instru- Holyoke College and theory and in- Ms. Lamneck urges from the tárogató ment, the performer effectively plays strumental music at Rensselaer Poly- are lamentful and strikingly organ- an electronic instrument. The second technic Institute, creates a haunting like. In fact, the piece is strongly is the interactivity of this meta- soundworld: slow-motion, pulseless, reminiscent of György Ligeti’s eerie electronic instrument: to use the timbre-driven. It is similar in flow cluster-based organ solo, Volumina. composer’s words, the original and affect to the world of Many This is a very enjoyable album,

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 well produced with generous liner talists, two involve real-time com- the fusion seems to be more specifi- notes: composer remarks, performer puter processing and two are for cally about the sound created by the bios, and the full text to Chris pre-recorded computer realized fusing/separating, while in the real- Mann’s “Theories of Surplus Value sound—instrument and “tape.” In time pieces, it is more about the sound III.” It’s fascinating to hear five differ- his liner notes, Mr. Karpen acknowl- of the performance of the merging of ent interpretations of the same com- edges that the genre of instrument human/instrument/electronics. position, or perhaps more accurately, and tape is a thing unto itself, not to The first piece on the disc, Solo/ of the same set of software algo- be replaced by interactive or real- Tutti, is for amplified viola and real- rithms as developed by Mr. Chadabe. time systems. It is refreshing to see time computer processing, and is The performers are all top-notch and this recognized: it has always seemed magnificently performed by virtuoso bring their idiosyncratic musical per- to me that the use of pre-recorded Garth Knox. It opens with a vast, ag- sonalities to bear in their interpreta- sound can produce sonic landscapes gressive flurry of viola, out of which tions. The aforementioned five-track that give the temporal aspect of mu- emerges electronic haloes. Gradually, symmetry lends a sense of complete- sic an almost spatial quality. A lot of the music settles on the low open- ness to the experience of listening to interesting possibilities can be cre- string double stop, getting slower and the entire CD, a sense of being pre- ated by then placing live instrumen- slower, repeatedly pulled back to the sented with five movements of a talists within this space. On the fifth as if by gravity, until the fifth be- single long piece. My only reserva- other hand, real-time processing is comes sustained in both viola and tions are that there is not a 5.1 sur- sometimes, unfortunately, treated as electronics, with subtle harmonic round sound version of the CD an end in itself. There seems to be an shifts appearing in the electronic available to convey the sense of dif- assumption that it is necessarily bet- part. This is a very powerful stasis— ferent processed sound images sur- ter than the tape model, and that it is it has the effect of inevitability, that rounding the listener, and that tracks inevitably more capable of true hu- this is where the music is fated to be. 1, 3, and 5 sound a bit too similar. man expression because it is modeled For me, this stillness becomes the on the way instrumental music crux of the piece. Because it is so pro- works. This assumption strikes me longed, it has an extreme quality, an Richard Karpen: Solo/Tutti as somewhat old-fashioned: Can’t uncompromising insistence on being (and shouldn’t) electronic music try exactly what it is, unadorned. Here is Compact disc, Centaur Records CRC to explore and encompass new ways a composer who has the courage to 2716, 2004; available from Centaur of thinking about what it means to do nothing! (It can be difficult to Records, Inc., 136 St. Joseph Street, produce expressive music? avoid the urge to “keep things inter- Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, USA; Mr. Karpen’s approach to “real- esting,” and all too often this urge telephone (+1) (225-336-4877; fax (+1) time” has a unique and poetic muddles perfectly good composi- 225-336-9678; electronic mail strength: It seems to be based on the tions.) This section ends in a brief si- [email protected]; Web idea of creating human/instrument/ lence, which is then followed by a www.centaurrecords.com/. electronic musical hybrids. This is a new character, a sharp pizzicato at- beautiful and haunting image, as if tack. A quiet pizzicato section fol- Reviewed by Frances White the performer, the instrument, and lows, with delicate electronic sound Princeton, New Jersey, USA the electronics are all merging into a surrounding the live player. As the new being. Disturbing too, perhaps, viola returns to arco, shadowed by Richard Karpen has one of the most but really only an extension of what images of itself, the delicate elec- individual and powerful voices in the great instrumentalists already seem tronic sounds become huge and the world of computer music today. The to do. The roots of this idea can cer- whole texture crescendos, achieving compact disc Solo/Tutti presents a tainly be heard in his earlier “tape- a kind of terrifying mass, as if ready collection of his works, selected from and” pieces. In both of these works, to explode. It culminates in a repeat a span of 15 years. The CD consists of the sound world encompasses the of the pizzicato attack and a chaotic four pieces for electronic sound with idea of the live instrumentalist peri- flurry, which here becomes genuinely live performers, and one for electronic odically fusing with the sonic land- ferocious before returning to silence. sound alone. All are beautifully scape created by the tape, then The viola comes back, inevitably, recorded, performed, and mastered. separating from and contrasting with to the double stop. This time, it is Of the pieces including instrumen- it. However, in the tape-and pieces, surrounded by the delicate electronic

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 sounds—a truly beautiful texture. Mr. Karpen explains that there is no play, where different sonic spaces are Here, the viola edges toward a more score for the piece, but rather a the events of the narrative, which we singing tone. The piece ends in this “script,” worked out with the trom- are able to follow and understand in space, which has a dark, mysterious bonist, Stuart Dempster, during a se- an intuitive way. character. It is almost as if the viola ries of rehearsals. The fourth piece on the disc, Life were trying to resist the inevitability The resulting work is much richer Study # 5, is the only piece on the of the double stop: This ends the and more dramatic than this rather disc that is for computer-realized piece with a very moving sense of hu- dry explanation might suggest. It sound without an instrumentalist. man struggle. opens with a mesmerizing, other- Mr. Karpen places this piece in the The next piece, Exchange, is for worldly “wind” sound, that is actu- genre of “aural cinema,” and it is an flute and tape. It is the earliest piece ally the trombonist snoring and apt term for this music. The piece on the disc, composed in 1987, and in whistling into the instrument. This contains hyper-realistic real-world his liner notes, Mr. Karpen describes passage has an ethereal, timeless sounds, along with various synthetic the electronic sound as a complex of quality that ends with clouds of and processed sounds. As the work spectral components that sometimes trombone sound, from which text ap- unfolds, it is impossible not to get “unfuse and are perceived subtly as pears: Richard Feynman’s “Introduc- the sense that there is some kind of separate moving parts” while the tion to Physics” lecture. The speech an unspoken narrative beneath the flute “rides on the surface of this am- is heavily inflected with trombone sounds, that you can almost, but not biguous sonic texture . . . sometimes timbre and other processing, so that quite, touch an underlying story. The dissolving into the computer-realized it cannot be clearly understood. It is sharply presented real-world sound.” The result is a beautifully followed by a deep drone-like sound sounds—a flag in the wind, footsteps, evolving kind of landscape, where reminiscent of the harmonically rich a car starting, etc.—have a rather multiphonics in the flute really do chanting of Tibetan monks, along strange effect on the listener: you fuse with the electronic sound in a with a reference to the opening tex- find yourself, almost inevitably, magical way. At other points, lovely ture: a beautiful, mysterious, and “naming” the sounds as they appear melodic writing or virtuosic passage- powerful moment. Long trombone (“those are footsteps”; “there’s a dog work puts the flute in the foreground, tones take over, and a dark, almost barking”). After a while, more explic- almost like a line drawing in ink choral texture begins to evolve. itly “musical” sounds begin to sur- against a rich painted background. When speech returns, it is com- face. This trend toward the musical The flute comes across as a kind of pletely garbled, so although there is culminates in the appearance of an entity that sometimes morphs into such a strong vocal feeling, it is as if excerpt from J. S. Bach’s Art of the being part of the setting it finds itself language has been completely super- Fugue: It is a very strong moment, in, then re-emerges: The setting and seded by sound. And then, dramati- made perhaps even more so by the the protagonist not only changing cally, the speech by itself comes fact that the Bach is abruptly cut off, places, but becoming part of each through more clearly, followed by leaving the sound of a squeaking other, then separating. low vocal/trombone drones from door, dripping water, and a distant The human/instrumental/elec- which beautiful harmonics emerge. dog barking to end the piece. It is al- tronic hybridization is perhaps at its But it is only towards the end of the most like a journey from reality, to most unmistakable in Anterior View piece that the speech, particularly the music, and back to reality. One fasci- of an Interior with Reclining Trom- phrase “the conservation of energy,” nating aspect of this piece is the way bonist: The Conservation of Energy, is completely comprehensible. A the real-world sounds go together— for amplified trombone with photore- haunting return to the otherworldly why do they work so well in conjunc- sistor slide and real-time computer “wind” space of the opening, this tion with each other, since they don’t processing. Here the instrument it- time accompanied by sounds that have any specific relationship? (What self is extended by attaching photore- evoke crickets or other insects, closes do the chattering monkeys have to do sistors and LEDs to the slide of the the work. with the car engine?) Although you trombone. This allows its position to Mr. Karpen mentions that in live can’t cite clear reasons for why this be tracked, and its position, speed, performance there is a strong dra- works, the fact that it does is myste- and direction are all used in real time matic element to the piece. I feel that rious and engaging. Also, the total to create and process the electronic this element also comes across in the lack of repetition of materials gives sounds that are heard in the piece. recording. It is almost like an abstract the piece a kind of forward-moving

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 urgency, and pulls the listener in Products signed to reduce various kinds of solidly as we inevitably try to infer noises. This review is not intended as connections between the sounds. Mr. a point-by-point shoot-out, but given Karpen states that while Life Study the close match of features, it is im- #5 is an abstract work, it has a narra- Waves Audio Restoration and possible to avoid comparison. tive quality. I agree with this assess- Noise Reduction Toolkit The Waves Restoration Toolkit ment: I hear in it a kind of implied comes in two versions: for TDM (de- drama that is particularly effective Waves Restoration TDM version, signed exclusively for Digidesign Pro because it is not explicit. US$ 2,400; Native version, Tools systems, including the new HD The disc ends with Life Study #1, US$ 1,200; available from Waves, standard), where the signal pro- for clarinet and computer-realized Inc., 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite cessing is carried out on dedicated sound, from 1993. This piece, like 100, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, DSP chips; and for Native systems Exchange, is a piece in the “tape and USA; telephone (+1) 865-909-9200; (Macintosh or , in conjunc- instrument” genre. Mr. Karpen de- fax (+1) 865-909-9245; Web tion with any audio editing software scribes it as “a single frame of a nar- waves.com/content.asp?id=59. supporting RTAS, AudioSuite, VST, rative which, in its frozen state, MAS, or DirectX plug-in protocols), highlights perspective and context.” where the signal processing is carried Thus we might think of this as a BIAS SoundSoap Pro Pro-Audio out on the host computer. The host single frame of aural cinema. And in- Restoration Software requirements are not particularly in- deed it is the most static piece on the tensive: The software will run on disc, which makes it a rather medita- SoundSoap Pro, US$ 599; available Macintosh G3 computers or on Win- tive place to end. Mr. Karpen states from BIAS, Inc., 140 Keller Street, dows Pentium machines (266 MHz or that the piece is a departure from his Petaluma, California 94952, USA; faster). For this review, the software previous compositions: However, to telephone (+1) 707-782-1866; fax (+1) was tested on a Macintosh G4 Power- me there is a certain resemblance to 707-782-1874; electronic mail Book (1 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM), run- Exchange in the way that clarinet [email protected]; Web www ning Peak 4 as the host application. multiphonics appear to fuse with the .bias-inc.com/products/soundsoappro/. Installation of the software is electronic sound. This texture opens straightforward, with the installer the work, and predominates through- Reviewed by James Harley placing the plug-ins into the appro- out the piece, sometimes contrasted Guelph, Ontario, Canada priate folder to be recognized by host by sections of multiphonic-like applications. Authorization can be sounds in the tape while the clarinet Both Waves, Inc., and BIAS, Inc., are undertaken either by means of a plays simple phrases which juxtapose companies known for producing challenge-and-response process or by angular leaps with extended held high-quality audio software. Waves registering the software to an iLok tones. Because the clarinet and the has concentrated on signal processing key. If loading the software as VST electronic part share so much of the suites of plug-ins and stand-alone ap- plug-ins, one accesses the toolkit by same sound world, this piece might plications, and BIAS has developed opening the WaveShell and selecting also be thought of in terms of the fus- what has become the primary audio individual applications from the ing of instrument/instrumentalist editor for the Macintosh, Peak, along menu of available utilities (each is and electronic sound. with Deck, a multi-track audio given with the option of choosing Mr. Karpen frequently refers to sci- recording/editing application (and, to mono or stereo formats). If accessing entific research in relation to compo- be fair, signal processing utilities to them through Audio Units format, sition, stating for example, that “just go along with these, such as equaliz- the list of individual plug-ins is im- as scientists and other scholars and ers and compressors). To complement mediately available for selection. thinkers create new knowledge these products, both companies have Different plug-ins can be applied si- through innovation and discovery, released restoration and noise reduc- multaneously, either by selecting artists must also add to the body of tion software suites. As it happens, them through the BIAS Vbox appli- human knowledge and experience.” BIAS SoundSoap Pro and Waves cation for loading a chain of VST ef- The complex, beautiful, and thought- Restoration Toolkit are quite similar fects, or by loading them as Inserts provoking works on Solo/Tutti surely (aside from the price): Both suites under the Plug-ins menu in Peak (in fulfill this requirement. contain four individual plug-ins de- multi-track applications such as Pro

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 1. User interface for X-Click tool from Waves Restoration Toolkit.

Tools, Digital Performer, Cubase, etc., plug-ins are normally loaded as a chain of Inserts in the Mix window). Waves plug-ins all conform to a similar interface design that works well and will likely be familiar to many readers. Suffice it to say that each interface presents a graphic dis- play of the signal (where appropriate), often with input and output signals both being represented in order to see how the processor affects the signal. The various parameters are labeled and can be adjusted, either by click- ing, dragging, or typing in numerical values. Settings can be saved, presets can be loaded, and A/B comparisons can be quickly accessed. In multi- track software environments, all fea- tures of the plug-ins can be automated. from 0 to 100 (this scale does not transient content. Although the set- The Restoration Toolkit comprises seem to correspond to milliseconds). tings may be applied for a whole four individual utilities: X-Click, The software apparently interpolates track, the manual also provides a X-Crackle, X-Hum, and X-Noise. amplitude values from neighboring method for Manual Click Removal, Each is designed to remove some un- regions of the signal to patch over the which could be handy for situations wanted element from an audio signal. spots where noise has been removed. where any noise removal must be For this review, I applied the software The graphic window included with handled with extreme care. In this to a couple of recordings: 1) a transfer the X-Click interface shows an am- case, one would set the levels high, of an old vinyl recording; 2) a casually plitude display of the audio as it switch the output to the noise re- produced cassette recording done on streams through, with “clicks” being moved from the signal, then save this a cheap, portable deck. The user’s shown in red (this feature didn’t output as a separate audio file. Bring- manual (clearly written and well pro- prove to be particularly useful). The ing it into a multi-track environment duced) recommends that the plug-ins Attenuator meter indicates ampli- in tandem with the unaltered original be applied in the order as listed tude reduction for transients that track, one can look/listen for the ma- above, using whichever of them is have been removed. The interface jor noises, carefully select them indi- necessary and/or applicable to the also includes output meters and, vidually in the original track, then restoration project being undertaken. most usefully, a selector to switch apply the noise reduction to only that X-Click is intended to, as the man- output to just the material that has excerpt using settings that remove ual states, “reduce strong, impulsive, been removed. This provides an aural only the unwanted transients. transient noise.” When cleaning up check on how much of the signal has X-Crackle is designed to remove vinyl transfers, X-Click is intended to been affected by the processing. low-level transients that may be in- remove the noise of larger scratches, In the recording I was working terspersed in the audio. The interface and X-Crackle can then clean up with (a solo string instrument), I for this plug-in is very similar to subtler, unwanted transients. X-Click could detect no artifacts in the signal, X-Click (see Figure 2): there is the is very simple to use, as it contains even when choosing high values for Threshold control, for setting the am- just two controls (see Figure 1). The Threshold and Shape. The manual plitude level for transients targeted Threshold parameter sets the ampli- warns, however, that with material for removal and, instead of Shape, a tude of the targeted clicks, and is containing lots of transient sound (as Reduction control (again, with a scale scaled from 0 (no effect) to 100 (maxi- would be found with music contain- of 0 to 100), which sets the attenua- mum effect). The Shape parameter ing drumset, for example), the user tion applied to the detected noises. sets the width (time window) of the may need to find levels that interfere The graphic display shows the ampli- clicks to be removed, again scaled as little as possible with the desirable tude display, but also includes a sono-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 2. User interface for Figure 3. User interface for X-Crackle tool from Waves X-Noise tool from Waves Restoration Toolkit. Restoration Toolkit.

complementary encode/decode sys- tems such as Dolby Noise Reduction. The plug-in works by first “learning” the noise in the material. To do this, the user must find a segment of the recording containing nothing but the broadband noise needing to be re- moved. This profile is then used as input to the “multilevel decision” al- gorithms contained in X-Noise. It is shown in white in the visual display window (as a spectrum contour), with the input signal being shown in red and the output signal in green (see Figure 3). The Threshold control represents the level of the noise pro- file (scaled from –20 to +50, 0 being the original level of the noise profile Figure 2 as analyzed). X-Noise removes the signal below the noise profile, while the signal at levels above the profile is not processed. The Reduction con- trol enables the user to set how much noise reduction is applied to the sig- nal below the Threshold. X-Noise contains some additional controls, similar to dynamics-based plug-ins such as compressors. The Attack parameter sets the time from when the noise is first detected to the noise reduction’s peak level, the noise reduction being smoothly in- creased over the course of the attack time. Sounds with sharp attacks may require a shorter Attack setting. Sim- ilarly, the Release control sets the time in which the noise reduction is decreased from the peak setting to Figure 3 none. The High Shelf filter contains two controls: The Frequency sets the point above with the noise profile can gram display below, showing the tifacts. For me, it came down to a be modified; the Gain controls the at- spectrum of the signal (removed matter of taste how much transient tenuation applied to the frequencies transients being indicated in green). noise to leave in, to preserve the en- above the cut-off set by Frequency. X-Crackle comes with a few pre-sets, ergy of the bowing while removing Decreasing the gain will result in less and the Normal Crackle Reduction the “dust” of the LP. noise reduction being applied to the sets the Threshold at 50 and the Re- X-Noise is designed to remove higher frequencies, and increasing duction at 60. In the case of my broadband background noise. The the gain will result in more noise re- recording, X-Click and X-Crackle manual states that the algorithm it is duction applied to that range. The cleaned up my vinyl transfer very based on is “single-ended,” meaning Resolution setting controls the sensi- nicely indeed, with no detectable ar- that the processing does not rely on bility of the algorithms, enabling the

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 4. User interface for X-Hum tool from Waves Restoration Toolkit.

the other plug-ins of this suite (ac- cording to the manual, this control is added here because of the non-phase linear nature of the filters, which in certain cases may cause phase shift- ing and add energy to specific fre- quencies, causing high-level signals to potentially exceed the limit). Given the potentially steep slopes of eight or nine filters, artifacts can cer- tainly be produced with this proces- sor, so care must be taken to adjust the controls so that just enough fil- tering is applied and not more. Altogether, the Waves Restoration Toolkit is a powerful suite for apply- ing a range of noise reduction tech- niques. The plug-ins are relatively user to control CPU usage. A High The Frequency control sets the cen- easy to use, the manual is helpful, setting will produce the finest resolu- ter frequency of the first filter (the and the results can be excellent. It is tion in the frequency domain (but fundamental). The other filters are no real caveat to underscore that this may result in a “smearing” of integer multiples of this one. Most great care must be taken in applying sharp transients), and will utilize the commonly, this fundamental setting these processors to audio material: most computational resources. will be 50 Hz or 60 Hz, but the filter The algorithms are powerful and act Medium is the default setting. As can in fact be set anywhere from 20 deeply on the signal, and this may re- with the other plug-ins, X-Noise en- to 400 Hz. The Global Q control sets sult in unwanted artifacts. It also ables the user to set the removed ma- the width of the filters. The Cut Gain should go without saying that these terial as the audio output, to check controls enable the notch depth to plug-ins are not intended to be ap- aurally how much of the signal is be- be set for all the filters. This gain set- plied in real-time when synchroniza- ing removed. ting is controlled by a Link button: tion to other tracks is crucial. The This plug-in worked very well on Linked ensures that altering one fil- “look-ahead” nature of the analyses cleaning up my old cassette record- ter adjusts all of the filters while pre- inherent to these processors means ing. It is a bit tricky to avoid artifacts, serving their relative offsets; Odd/ that there is some latency inherent to however. Lengthening the Attack Even links the gain of the odd and the plug-ins (each one works with a and/or Release settings can help with even filter sets, while preserving the delay of 2,624 samples). If one wanted this, though, as can experimenting relative offsets within each; and Un- to clean up the output of a turntable with the Threshold and Reduction linked enables each filter’s notch being performed live, for example, settings. There is a trade-off between depth to be adjusted individually. one would have to compensate for degree of noise removal and signal- X-Hum also includes a high-pass this timing offset. processing artifacts that one must filter to eliminate DC-offset energy More recently, Waves has come grapple with, taste and intent usually and very low rumble. The Frequency out with Z-Noise, an all-in-one tool being the deciding factors. (slope cut-off) of this filter can be set for cleaning up audio signals. Al- X-Hum is the last plug-in of the anywhere from 4 to 100 Hz, and the though easier to use (and cheaper, at Restoration Toolkit. It has a number Slope can be switched between –12 or US$ 800, Native only), it has incorpo- of uses, and is designed primarily to –24 dB/octave. A lower setting of the rated a number of the features of the remove the hum most often caused Frequency will take care of DC offset, Restoration Toolkit (and added a few by faulty ground-loop circuits (adding and a higher setting will eliminate others). What it lacks, however, is the energy at 50 or 60 Hz and harmonic rumble. An Output gain control en- Toolkit’s refined ability to apply multiples). The plug-in does this ables the user to bring down the lev- noise reduction techniques to spe- through a series of eight harmoni- els of the signal passing through cific audio restoration needs. cally related notch filters (see Figure 4). X-Hum, and is not present in any of BIAS SoundSoap Pro (SSP) is in

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 5. User interface for Hum & Rumble Reduction tool from BIAS SoundSoap Pro.

many ways a similar set of tools for restoration and noise reduction, al- though there are significant differ- ences as well. Although SSP is not produced in a TDM version for Pro Tools systems, all the various native plug-in formats are supported: RTAS, AudioSuite, VST, Audio Units, Di- rectX. System requirement mini- mums ask for a Macintosh G4 (500 MHz, 128 MB RAM) or a Windows Pentium III (800 MHz, 128 MB RAM). BIAS supplies a USB key for authorizing and running the soft- ware, which is simple enough to reg- ister and set up. As an aside, I would prefer that BIAS enable the software to be optionally authorized to run on an iLok key—it would save having to monopolize all available USB ports just to run software. When first at- tempting to load SSP in Peak, I had trouble getting the playback to run at the correct sampling rate (I had no trouble with this when running SSP in Cubase SX 3); ensuring that the bit The four components of SSP are: Waves is contradicted by BIAS. One rate and sampling rate were compat- Hum & Rumble Reduction, Click & potential problem with SSP is that ible throughout the components of Crackle, Broadband, and Noise Gate. one is not easily able to re-order the my setup (within Peak, Audio MIDI When the plug-in is first launched, application of the plug-ins (the user Setup, and the digital audio interface) the user is presented with a Getting would have to either open multiple cleared up the problem. Started window, which gives a basic instances of SSP or render the sound- What’s really handy about SSP is introduction to each of the interfaces file with one tool, then apply a sec- that there is one main interface con- and the general tools such as the ond one, render it, and so forth). In taining graphic buttons connecting to spectrogram of the signal that is my experience, the “hardwiring” of each of the four components of the shown in each of the tool windows the signal path in SSP did not pose software. This is in contrast to the (in white for input, red for output, any problems. Waves Restoration Toolkit, where along with features for scrolling and Looking at the individual pro- one has to load each component as a zooming). As one would expect, set- cessing tools, Hum & Rumble Reduc- separate plug-in. The main graphic tings may be saved, up to four pre- tion is quite similar to the Waves interface presents whichever of the sets may be loaded at a time for X-Hum plug-in (see Figure 5). Al- plug-ins is selected from the “but- comparison, and all controls are able though the user will mainly be inter- tons” shown along the bottom of the to be automated when working ested in removing “hum” energy at interface window, and the smaller within appropriate audio software en- 50 or 60 Hz (and harmonic multiples links along the bottom show the vironments. As with the Waves set, of these), the Hum Frequency Slider main settings for each of the proces- an order of application is recom- enables a fundamental frequency to sors, along with whether they are ac- mended, and in this case, that order be selected anywhere between 20 and tive or not. All of them can be is set so that the user works through 200 Hz. The Harmonics slider desig- “active,” even if not selected for ad- the plug-in buttons arrayed across the nates the number of harmonics that justment of settings, or the Bypass bottom of the plug-in window from will also be filtered, up to nine. Indi- button can remove any of them from left to right. Interestingly, the recom- vidual adjustments of these notch fil- the signal path. mended chain of processors given by ters are not possible, but a Tilt knob

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 6. User interface for Figure 7. User interface for Click & Crackle tool from Broadband tool from BIAS BIAS SoundSoap Pro. SoundSoap Pro.

at least provides for adjusting the ra- tios of amplitude depth for the notch filters of the set of harmonics acti- vated by the Harmonics slider (e.g., setting the Tilt knob to 0.50 will re- duce the depth of each successive notch filter above the fundamental by half). The Q (Bandwidth) slider provides control over the tightness of the notch filters, and the Depth slider sets the amplitude reduction of the notch filters, anywhere from 0 dB to 120 dB. The Rumble Reduction slider provides control of a high-pass filter, with settings from 20 to 500 Hz. The manual states that the filter has a fixed slope of –12 dB/octave. (Note: The manual, otherwise extremely clear and useful, provides ranges for some of the sliders that differ, at times substantially, from the limits shown in the software itself.) The Click & Crackle tool is very simple, containing just two controls: Click Threshold, and Crackle Figure 6 Threshold (see Figure 6). The range of the Click Threshold slider runs from 1 to 30 (dB), and the lower the num- ber, the higher the threshold and the more transient noise is removed. The Crackle Threshold slider ranges from 10 to 30, and the principle is the same. Again, it is important to listen very carefully when choosing set- tings for these controls: depending on the material being restored, drastic noise reduction can affect content and produce audible artifacts. The Broadband tool contains some interesting differences from the Waves X-Noise tool (see Figure 7). It has the capacity to “learn” a noise profile, either by taking a “snapshot” of a portion of the soundfile where (presumably) only noise is present, or by enabling the user to play back a portion of the soundfile for analysis (providing the algorithm with a longer sample). The noise profile is then applied to the twelve bands of what resembles a graphic equalizer Figure 7

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.4.110 by guest on 28 September 2021 Figure 8. User interface for Noise Gate tool from BIAS SoundSoap Pro.

(built with quite wideband filters, ob- viously). Each band shows a Thresh- old marking and a Reduction marking. By default, the bands are locked, so that adjusting one will ad- just all the others proportionately. But, both sets of controls may be un- locked so that more refined, fre- quency band-specific adjustments may be applied. There are dynamics- type controls for Attack and Release, and a Tilt knob for each of these con- trols, enabling the timing to be ad- justed proportionately as a function of frequency. In use, this is a difficult tool to work with, as it is very easy to obtain artifacts, even while reducing tape hiss or other broadband noise. There is a great deal of flexibility in the various controls, however, which makes it possible to experiment to find the best settings for the job. The fourth plug-in of the SSP set is the Noise Gate, a tool not included in the Waves Restoration set (see Figure 8). This plug-in is similar to noise nipulating gating effects). However, tential users. In addition, I appreciate gates included in other sets of dy- for basic restoration needs, this tool the tutorials that BIAS has prepared, namic processors. It contains a is useable as it is. with specific instructions and se- Threshold slider, a Reduction slider In conclusion, both Waves Restora- lected soundfiles to work on. It (giving a range of ratios from 1.0 to tion Toolkit and BIAS SoundSoap Pro should be noted that BIAS, like 5.0), and Attack and Release controls. are powerful suites of software signal Waves, also has a scaled-down ver- This tool can be useful for cleaning processors for cleaning up unwanted sion of its software: SoundSoap is an up extraneous or background sounds noise from audio content. Whether all-in-one application that packages in certain audio applications (dia- one is working on vinyl or analog many of the features of SSP into one logue editing is one such situation tape transfers, field recordings, or screen. There are fewer controls over where this Noise Gate could be very post-production for film/video, these the different elements, but this is a handy). Given the Tilt knobs added tools will be very handy. The Waves handy, more affordable utility for en- to the Attack and Release controls software provides greater control for hancing audio. The new version, Broadband plug-in, it is odd they are expert use, and to my ears, produces SoundSoap 2, can operate as a stand- not added to the Noise Gate tool higher quality results. However, the alone utility for preparing audio for (anyone who has worked with Tom Restoration Toolkit is twice as ex- multimedia applications (e.g., using Erbe’s Spectral Shaper tools knows pensive as SoundSoap Pro; this will iMovie and iDVD in the Mac OS X how useful this feature can be for ma- be an important factor for many po- environment).

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