I imagine the shortest possible event. I visualise it as a dot. Something that has no extension horizontally neither vertically.
•
I can then expand on this idea by degrees of variation.
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The vertical line above shows another version of the shortest event, but differentiating for it expands vertically. If I compare these to a musical structure, in the first case, I could imagine a short undistinguished burst of noise, and in the second a short burst of pitched tone.
Proceeding in this direction, this other representation
• • • • • • • •
shows a set of single short events grouped together with others of the same kind. Yet their repetition
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
perhaps suggests a very different musical structure, a continuous sound,resembling closer and closer to the following abstraction:
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a line.
Between these two extremes, the dot and the line (•, —) a series of musical structures can be recognised. A single short sound, a continuous infinite-like sound.
With Max samples modules for playback, a sound designer can precisely achieve these two important methods of sound production: a one shot sound, a continuous sound. Once these are achieved then it is about creating the proper algorithms to design more complex sonic structures, accordingly to the musical inclinations. A personal path between the rhetorical extremes can be designed.
A personal path between the rhetorical extremes can be designed.
Using abstractions helps us think of sonic structures and at how they can be refined. A gesture of a single shot sound:
could also be represented as:
The two events both happen in a very short moment of time, but the second contains three temporal and pitch differences if we consider the vertical and horizontal positions of the individual circles. The second event is richer for it presents more details than the first one. It carries more information, although being of the same kind.
To see this in Max, we can just simply use a click sound and evaluate the difference in texture if other three sounds are added shortly after:
In Max, we can use the function object in conjunction with time objects such as metro to transform single sound events into continuous ones. Consider the example in the following picture:
The sound generated with a cycle~ object and the function object is 85ms long, with a very short and percussive-like shape. When this particular sound is triggered every 250 ms repetitively by the metro object, it transforms into a steady pulse which has a different sonic function. It acquires a rhythm and can be considered, for example, as a texture component to layer on top or above other sounds.
These are simply general observations that should only stimulate reflection on the nature of sonic events that are created in Max. Sound is a temporal art, so referring to time factors, like when an event does occur, or how it evolves along time, are important sound design considerations.
How many degrees of variation can we have from an original model? How can we expand on a musical idea, how can we see it differently, from how many perspectives?
Some listening examples
Composer Luigi Nono worked extensively on the short event (what I have called earlier the point). He has used timbre to create variations and differentiations of individual short events, happening in time one after the other, without any particular emphasis or rhythm.
Pay attention to the different orchestral events and to what they differ. Timbre? Intervals? Dynamics? That is where his creativity is focussed on. The sound events being overall just long or short notes in groups.
I quote Morton Feldman’s Coptic Light here again for the fact that the repetition of its main melodic element (a descending 5th) over and over is realised by myriads of minimal variations in timbre, type of instruments, and orchestration. The same simple dot in many different variations.
Another interesting work that explores the energy relation between the point and the line abstraction is Con Lume Arsa by Mario Garuti.
Composers Alva Noto and Rioiji Ikeda played a lot on the method of creating lines with several minimal elements, or, to use the earlier metaphor, combinations of dots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYhXa3FLdQc
Other interesting composers developed different methods and logic for creating their sounds. The duo Icarus, in particular Ollie Bown, use research into neural network systems to make computers acquire the flexibility needed for musical improvisation. Try to explore the beats and sounds of Frogmatic (minute 28:00) and Dolphin Lylic.