A Prospective Analysis of In a nutshell Analog Audio Recording with - PDF document

A Prospective Analysis of In a nutshell… Analog Audio Recording with • To access an analog synthesizer online, for high-quality recording Web Servers • With batched access, it optimizes user and system time Lucas Zawacki • A prototype is running, a paper under review Marcelo Johann • That leads to ubiquitous access to analog • Goal of this paper: to check what else can and The Third Workshop on Ubiquitous Music: Ubiquitous and Mobile Computing for Education and Creative Industries cannot be done: analog and acoustical processes III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 2 Outline Motivation • Digital is convenient, flexible, opens up lots of • Motivation new possibilities - “there’s an app for that” • Our Proposal • But Analog has unmistakable character, will • Working Prototype not be replaced soon • Analysis • And so does acoustical, in fact, easier to • Possibilities understand how much • Collecting analog synths is difficult, expensive, Synthesizers, acoustical, soundscapes, mixing, as it is renting, studio time effects • Final Remarks • Online access in real-time is *inefficient*, like renting, plus networking problems • Discussion III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 3 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 4 The Proposal Architecture • An analog system (server, farm) online, to render the sound of a performance • Batched operation: users submit MIDI files and retrieve audio sometime after • Initially thought as a commercial system, but there are many options • Architecture: front-end, server-side, hardware (computer, synth, MIDI, Audio) III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 5 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 6 1

First Working Prototype Analysis - summary • Studio Electronics ATC-1, Moog-type filter • The main challenge: sound prediction • Typical usage and possibilities • Recorded using a custom A/D converter • Economics: cost estimate • PHP, JavaServer for queue and MIDI filter • Options for service operation: commercial, • Cubase 6 Elements with key shortcuts networked, associated to plug-ins, etc… • AppleScript for GUI automation (delays) • Options for sound preview: samples, • Check it: ask for address calibrated plug-ins, user database… • Question: what other analog processes could be operated as servers? III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 7 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 8 Advantages What is possible and what is not • In the studio, most equipment is idle most of • Microphones are not an option the time. The same at home, so collecting • Pre-amplifiers are not an option instruments does not pay off (as you have to feed them) • High usage (batched) leads to low cost • Guitar amplifiers? No. (they are pres) • We are applying the concept of sound This is a big part of a studio… rendering: plan first, render better at the end • Effect chains are questionable (later) • As a service, instead of a cost-compromised • But many things can be considered for product, a higher quality can be attained analog server implementation: our goal • Custom recording and different sound flavors III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 9 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 10 Sinthesizers Acoustical Instruments • In production, MIDI-equipped analog • Pianos, organs, xylophones, stringed (guitar, bass)... • Synthesizers from the past, MIDI-equipped • Sound is captured with microphones • MIDI-retrofitted • Need automation (mechanical, some • Controlled with MIDI-to-CV converters electromagnetic) • Modified, or automated, allowing sound • No problem with parameter preview programming • Needs a treated room • Custom instruments, special projects • Restored, recriated (like vacuum tube synth) III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 11 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 12 2

Robotic Instruments Issues • Pat Metheny’s • Pianos, organs, xylophones, stringed (guitar, bass)... • Each instrument may have a particularity • Ex: piano: tuning - software, hardware • Ex: strings: articulation, fingering? • Ex: electric guitar: effects path • There are works addressing most of these issues III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 13 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 14 Miking leads to… soundscapes? Analog Mixing • Rain • Analog mixing, out-of-the box summing • Streets • Traditionally done in a mixing console • People • Mixing consoles have sound signatures • Forest • Can be done • Microphone movements • All tracks must be transferred • room acoustics (or is it an effect?) • The automation must be transferred to the analog domain • Server could remember tracks recorded on it III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 15 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 16 Effects? Main Conclusion • During recording, usually avoid effects • This was a prospective paper • After recording, need additional D/A and A/D • Motivated by a working prototype conversion • It was found that many other analog / acoustic • All this is being modeled today processes can be implemented remotely as audio servers • Dynamics, e.g., compression • There is already available technology for most • Reverb, delay, all others of them • Makes more sense when mixing down • Promissing possibilities arise III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 17 III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 18 3

Questions? Final Remarks • High usage (batched) leads to low cost • The system opens up a lot of possibilities • We can keep iconic historical instruments alive • We can create new unique instruments • Will promote the knowledge and use of the original instruments • Future works? Let us discuss, there are many III UbiMus, São Paulo 2012 - Zawacki, Johann - Analog Audio Web Servers - Slide 19 A Prospective Analysis of Analog Audio Recording with ! u o y Web Servers k n a h T Lucas Zawacki Marcelo Johann {lfzawacki,johann}@inf.ufrgs.br The Third Workshop on Ubiquitous Music: Ubiquitous and Mobile Computing for Education and Creative Industries 4