Soundflakes

Granular synthesis is a fundamental sound synthesis or rather sound processing method. Working on a new composition, Electroclarinet 3 for basset-horn and live electronics, I've been studying Native Instruments Reaktor's take on granulation.

When teaching sound granulation, I like to use two engines based in cycling74's Max MSP:

1. granularized, available in the Max examples
2. Nobuyasu Sakonda's granular synthesis patch

Granularized, a Max MSP example

The interesting approach in Reaktor's Grainstates FX consists in eight "scenes" that can be recalled at will, and in the presence of a rotating buffer easy to freeze. The main adaptation I needed to do was to increase the buffer size from 8 to 60 seconds to record my whole "theme" when it's first played. But I'll let you know more about the composition next year (coming soon!)

Grainstates, one of Reaktor's granular instruments.

If you want to know and experiment more, one of the reference books on grains of sound (I call them soundflakes during the winter) is Curtis Roads's Microsound (link to amazon store) or the relevant chapters in his essential Computer Music Tutorial.

Armand Angster on France Musique

Armand Angster is my clarinet master. Listen to him talk (in French!) about his ensemble Accroche Note, improvisation, and working with composers. He was the guest of Anne Montaron in the program Le Portrait (France Musique radio) on November 22nd. You can stream the half hour program until December 22nd: Armand Angster on France Musique.

Armand Angster and his contrabass clarinet

Mary Lou Williams: the Zodiac Suite at Harvard

My friend Michael Heller is the new leader of the Harvard Dudley House Jazz Bands. He is brilliant both as an ethnomusicologist and as a musician. I am thrilled to announce the wonderful program he created for this winter concert: the big band is performing Mary Lou Williams's Zodiac Suite on December 17th at 8 p.m. in Harvard's Paine Hall (Harvard Music Building).

This is the first large ensemble performance of the work in 65 years: I hope you can attend!

More details on the Dudley House web site.

Electroclarinet 1 Score

At the beginning of November, I told you almost everything about the multiphonic sounds in Electroclarinet 1. Here are two excerpts of the score, far easier to read than my manuscript!

It starts like this:

On the following excerpt, the framed melodies are turned into chords, harmonies:

Well, given the recent weather in France, it makes sense that I speak about frozen sounds.