about
This music was created using the Oscine Tract program, developed by XOXOS. It creates bird sounds using modeling methods. If you are a musician, you may be familiar with this from effects units like the POD, which recreate the sound physics of various amplifiers, effects, speakers and cabinets, microphones, miking distance, room ambience, etc. The Oscine Tract includes controls for things like the bird's syringeal membrane (balance, tension, etc.), bronchia (area, length), trachea (area and length again), beak (open, lpf, feedback). In addition there are a great many controls for the controller- key pressure/velocity, step, etc. If I am to be honest, much of it is still way beyond me, and it will probably be years before I have anything like a solid understanding of the total program. But regardless, it's great fun! So back to simplicity- all the sounds originated from this program, played with a keyboard and several virtual controls which can be set or worked with a mouse.
Because I'm an impatient bastard, and also because I happen to have a good working knowledge of how to apply musique concrete techniques in a digital recording setup, I've used those techniques to supplement where my knowledge of the program is deficient. Which is pretty much everywhere. Also, I'd have done it anyway, because I like musique concrete and its possibilities! Chop chop slow fast pitch up down multiple harmonies etc. And don't forget reverb.
I've done my best to make this a musical as well as sonic experience, and have managed to work a few different ideas into this one gargantuan piece, thus satisfying most of the "what if" compositional concepts I currently have for the program. Don't be surprised if I use it again though, it's too cool to leave alone! It is a wonderful program, and I give large thanks to those responsible for it. As of this writing it is available as a free download.
-GS, 2/25/16
credits
from
Birds,
released February 26, 2016
Recorded 1/27/16 - 2/25/16 at Phantom Airship Seven, Portland, OR, USA, using the Oscine Tract modeling synthesizer (sound source) and musique concrete techniques (manipulations).
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