| Description |
| SAMPLING |
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| At one time the most controversial subject in the music industry,sampling has now become commonplace,though questions of performers rights and copyright infringment continue to arise.The first practical sampling system was the Fairlight,and all samplers work on the same general principle;converting an analogue sound signal from a microphone or line input into a digital form in a computer memory.The pitch of the sound can then be changed by speeding up or slowing down the rate of |
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| sampling - continuation |
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| digital-to-analogue playback,making it possible to play a tune using the sound of a dog barking,a window breaking,or even an acoustic instrument.What's become more important is the range of editing facilities available on a sampling keyboard or module.These allow you to trim the start and end points of a sample;to create a click-free loop point in order to make the sound sustain;to add amplitude and filter envelopes,to splice two sounds end-to-end,assign different samples to different notes of |
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| sampling - continuation |
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| the keyboard,add velocity response,and so on-the list is practically endless.One of the most popular usesfor samplers is in replacing bulky,troublesome drum kits with sequencer-controlled percussion noises,but they can be used for anything you can imagine from orchestral hits to film sound effects.The price breakthrough came when Akai launched the S612 MIDI-controlled rack-mounting sampler,and indeed the company is still strong in this market with the twelve bit S900/950,and the sisteen bit |
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| sampling - continuation |
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| S1000.But there's plenty of competition,from Ensoniq's Mirage and EPS,Roland's S-Series,Casio's FZ1,Yamaha's TX16W,Korg's DSS1 and others.A recent new development is Roland's Differential Interpolation system which enables 16 bit quality to be obtained from 12 bit technology.Sampling can only get cheaper and more flexible;but it will always remain just one of many tools in the studio because it's inherently unable to create completely new sounds. |
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| SEQUENCER |
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| The first sequencers were voltage-control devices using potentiometers to create short,repeating patterns on analogue synths.Models such as the Roland 104 and ARP Sequencer became quite sophisticated in their control capabilities,but were inevitably superceded by digital sequencers such as the Roland MC-4 and CSQ600,which stored hundreds of notes in digital form.Modern MIDI sequencers are hugely flexible,allowing recording in real-time or step-time,complex editing functions,and storage on Continue |
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