There have been some mind-boggling advancements in technology over the last few decades. In fact, it has completely altered the way we interact with the world around us. We can hardly go five minutes without browsing Facebook, buying unneeded extra cutlery from Amazon, or Googling everything that ever gets into our heads. As a result, society is changing at a fast rate. And the music industry is no different, including emerging technology to completely change the way we consume and generate music. From streaming to software, we look at some of the most significant technological advances that have shaped today's music industry.
1. Multitrack Recording
Multitrack recording may be taken for granted these days, but when it first became available many years ago it was the musical equivalent of humanity’s first dabblings in aeronautics. Whereas earlier musicians and sound engineers had to record a track as a whole – in only ONE take – multitrack allowed them to record separate parts of a song and then piece them together. It also allowed specific tweaks to be made in particular sections of a song while adding many layers to a single device (i.e., vocal harmonies by the same singer, recorded individually and layered together). And just like that, the recording production was never the same again.
2. Digital Software
Arguably the most significant game-changer has been the introduction of digital software into music production, allowing musicians of all skills to write, record, and produce their songs to a consistent quality – often from their bedrooms. Programs such as Logic and Protools give a range of stimulating effects, plugins, and tools to help enhance the sonic quality of music. Many of today’s top artists and bands began their careers by producing music in this way, much like UK producer Kevin Gani.
3. Auto-Tune
No one is perfect, and our favorite artists are no different. Sometimes during vocal recordings, it’s common for the odd note to be slightly off-pitch. Just here-and-there, of course, and unusually anything major, but it happens. The invention of Auto-Tune, though, enabled pitch-faulty notes to be immediately and discreetly tweaked to the nearest semitone, making for pitch-perfect vocal performances every time.
4. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
Before MIDI came along, if you required a trumpet part on a track, you’d have to get a trumpet player into the studio to record it. That’s no longer the situation and hasn’t been for a long time – with songwriters composing extensive bodies of work through synthesizers and music production software. In a nutshell, MIDI is like identifying the code behind the music. It allows electronic tools and instruments to communicate with each other while also having the tools to change a track substantially without re-recording anything.
5. Digital Streaming Software
This was a great one. Out of pretty much nowhere – BAM – all of a sudden, we could listen to anything we needed, anytime. Websites such as YouTube and MySpace were among the early adopters of streaming, allowing musicians to upload their music for free and have it heard worldwide – at the click of a button. Kevin Gani has released some of his productions on Youtube entitles “Jin Sei”, “Swerve” and “No Choice”, which are currently free to download, however, a license is needed for commercial usage.
6. Smartphones / iPads / Apps
Music production isn’t the only domain new technology has shaped – the way we use music has changed massively as well. Smartphones and tablets have significantly impacted mass accessibility – from holding our music libraries to buying merchandise and concert tickets with just a few easy clicks. We’re not certain how it can get easier than this, but if the last 10 years are anything to go by, the next new stuff is just around the corner.
Comments
Post a Comment