Comments for Ethan Hein's Blog http://www.ethanhein.com/wp Music, Technology, Evolution Fri, 18 May 2012 20:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Music theory and quantum mechanics by Quora http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2011/music-theory-and-quantum-mechanics/#comment-8747 Quora Fri, 18 May 2012 20:25:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=7903#comment-8747 <strong>How does one conceptualize an electron?...</strong> I can't improve on the answers by Leo C. Stein or Dana Ballinger, but I will add that if you're having trouble wrapping your head around the concept of electrons as waves, thinking about harmonics is a big help, especially if you're a musical type l... How does one conceptualize an electron?…

I can’t improve on the answers by Leo C. Stein or Dana Ballinger, but I will add that if you’re having trouble wrapping your head around the concept of electrons as waves, thinking about harmonics is a big help, especially if you’re a musical type l…

]]> Comment on My first foray into iOS music by ethanhein http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/my-first-foray-into-ios-music/#comment-8742 ethanhein Fri, 18 May 2012 02:03:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8636#comment-8742 Thanks Spike, I'll look into these. Thanks Spike, I’ll look into these.

]]> Comment on My first foray into iOS music by Mike Lynch http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/my-first-foray-into-ios-music/#comment-8741 Mike Lynch Fri, 18 May 2012 00:49:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8636#comment-8741 Moog's Filtatron is a great analog-effects toolkit - filter, delay line, overdrive, with a sampler as input and/or output. The iElectribe is a lot of fun: I'm not sure how well it emulates the original. Korg also have the 'iKaosscilator' which is a pad-controlled groovebox. Not as much scope to create original sounds but the presets are good and its interface is a really nice balance between composition and improv: you can record your gestures to lay down a loop and then play around with them. My favourite musical toy is Bebot - a synth aimed at kids but with a surprising amount of tweakability under the hood. Moog’s Filtatron is a great analog-effects toolkit – filter, delay line, overdrive, with a sampler as input and/or output.
The iElectribe is a lot of fun: I’m not sure how well it emulates the original.
Korg also have the ‘iKaosscilator’ which is a pad-controlled groovebox. Not as much scope to create original sounds but the presets are good and its interface is a really nice balance between composition and improv: you can record your gestures to lay down a loop and then play around with them.
My favourite musical toy is Bebot – a synth aimed at kids but with a surprising amount of tweakability under the hood.

]]> Comment on Sampling and semiotic democracy by It’s Been Over A Year Since I Ranted On About Sampling http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/sampling-and-semiotic-democracy/#comment-8720 It’s Been Over A Year Since I Ranted On About Sampling Sun, 13 May 2012 15:00:42 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8600#comment-8720 [...] I gotta end on a positive.  I did happen upon a really good in depth breakdown of sampling (far more level headed that I could ever be) by Ethan Hein.  It’s a good read.  What?  Oh [...] [...] I gotta end on a positive.  I did happen upon a really good in depth breakdown of sampling (far more level headed that I could ever be) by Ethan Hein.  It’s a good read.  What?  Oh [...]

]]> Comment on Inside Morton Subotnick’s studio by aunt_dracula http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/inside-morton-subotnicks-studio/#comment-8700 aunt_dracula Wed, 09 May 2012 11:19:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8643#comment-8700 Wow! I have been a Morton Subotnick fan since being introduced to the Nonesuch guide to electronic music and digging up some of his records. Cool to see into his studio and this video is rad! Wow! I have been a Morton Subotnick fan since being introduced to the Nonesuch guide to electronic music and digging up some of his records. Cool to see into his studio and this video is rad!

]]> Comment on Inside Morton Subotnick’s studio by Lux_seeker http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/inside-morton-subotnicks-studio/#comment-8698 Lux_seeker Tue, 08 May 2012 10:34:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8643#comment-8698 I have been a Morton Subotnick fan since I started getting interested in electronic music in high school and a record store employee recommended "Sidewinder". Love the inside look at the studio and Subotnick. Interesting that he plays classical music and uses Max 4 Live and of course the incomparable 200e. I have been a Morton Subotnick fan since I started getting interested in electronic music in high school and a record store employee recommended “Sidewinder”. Love the inside look at the studio and Subotnick. Interesting that he plays classical music and uses Max 4 Live and of course the incomparable 200e.

]]> Comment on Björk thought she could organize freedom, how Scandinavian of her by Me http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2009/bjork/#comment-8671 Me Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:46:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=2023#comment-8671 The whole 'only major artist who understands that rocknroll is over' thing is pretty fucking deep.  XXXXXXXXXX The whole ‘only major artist who understands that rocknroll is over’ thing is pretty fucking deep.  XXXXXXXXXX

]]> Comment on Drum machine programming by Quora http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2010/drum-machine-programming/#comment-8665 Quora Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:47:47 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=4023#comment-8665 <strong>What's the best way to learn hip hop music production from scratch?...</strong> This is one of those situations where the best way to learn is just do it, do it, do it. The web is overflowing with tutorials and pointers, and those are helpful. But really, what you want to do is listen analytically to hip-hop tracks that you like, ... What’s the best way to learn hip hop music production from scratch?…

This is one of those situations where the best way to learn is just do it, do it, do it. The web is overflowing with tutorials and pointers, and those are helpful. But really, what you want to do is listen analytically to hip-hop tracks that you like, …

]]> Comment on What is the appeal of atonality and serialism in music? by ethanhein http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/what-is-the-appeal-of-atonality-and-serialism-in-music/#comment-8658 ethanhein Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:50:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8414#comment-8658 I guess I should have specified that *Western* listeners are always looking for a tonal center. I don't really know what goes on in the minds of people in other cultures. I know Serialism has a rule system, but it's not a good one. Rule systems like diatonic harmony and the blues form emerged over time because they were reliable tools for causing people pleasure. Serialism is a rule system for its own sake, designed to make a political point about equality, not for its musical results. I have yet to meet anyone who actually enjoys that stuff, though I know plenty of academics who feel obliged to pretend to. I guess I should have specified that *Western* listeners are always looking for a tonal center. I don’t really know what goes on in the minds of people in other cultures.

I know Serialism has a rule system, but it’s not a good one. Rule systems like diatonic harmony and the blues form emerged over time because they were reliable tools for causing people pleasure. Serialism is a rule system for its own sake, designed to make a political point about equality, not for its musical results. I have yet to meet anyone who actually enjoys that stuff, though I know plenty of academics who feel obliged to pretend to.

]]> Comment on What is the appeal of atonality and serialism in music? by Friedmonkey2003 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/what-is-the-appeal-of-atonality-and-serialism-in-music/#comment-8657 Friedmonkey2003 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:55:00 +0000 http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/?p=8414#comment-8657 I entirely disagree with your description of not only Serial music, but of the nature of human perceptual faculties in general. The mind is not constantly working to find tonal centers because the notion of tonality is not something which is in-born in any person. Different cultures have entirely different systems of music, many of which don't even employ anything which could be called tonality (or even tones at all). Although any blanket statement about any musical genre is always going to be inadequate in some way, Serialism is simply a different system of music which "works" by other rules than tonality. And by this I don't mean the composition is being "governed" by a row (which it may be), but that the way that one perceives and conceives of the music operates on a totally different level. It's like reading Japanese vs. English: both use vocal sounds to communicate things, but the use of those sounds and the way that they are ordered and parsed is entirely different. I entirely disagree with your description of not only Serial music, but of the nature of human perceptual faculties in general. The mind is not constantly working to find tonal centers because the notion of tonality is not something which is in-born in any person. Different cultures have entirely different systems of music, many of which don’t even employ anything which could be called tonality (or even tones at all). Although any blanket statement about any musical genre is always going to be inadequate in some way, Serialism is simply a different system of music which “works” by other rules than tonality. And by this I don’t mean the composition is being “governed” by a row (which it may be), but that the way that one perceives and conceives of the music operates on a totally different level. It’s like reading Japanese vs. English: both use vocal sounds to communicate things, but the use of those sounds and the way that they are ordered and parsed is entirely different.

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