T4.4 Radiophonics

I chose to complete this project using Cubase because my first radiophonics

track would use a recording I had already made using the software, and I felt

more comfortable using Cubases Groove Agent sampler than an equivalent in

Logic. Because the processes involved in producing my three tracks were very

similar, I will only talk about how I made one of them.

My tracks are: BoB Drop, Apple and Intersteller. BoB Drop is made from a

recording of an Air Cadet parade featuring samples from a marching band,

parade commands, and the roar of a Spitfire engine. Apple is made from a

variety of sounds made by an Apple Iphone, These were recorded using an

SM58, a DId Iphone and a Focusrite audio interface. And finally, Intersteller is

made using sounds from NASAs history, including rocket engines, Euston

commands and a mysterious clicking sound heard by the Rosetta spacecraft on

its recent mission.

The first process involved in making BoB Drop was to listen to the pre-recorded

track, in this case, the parades audio (which was then synced with visuals from

the parade) picking and cutting out the parts Id like in my sample track. These

included bass drum hits, snare roles, trumpet sounds, aircraft engines, parade

commands and marching feet.

I then imported these audio

files into Cubases Groove

Agent One sampler. The

sampler would allow me to

import audio onto allocated

keys and then edit each

sound as Id like it.

The front Play page offers

adjustments to: Volume,

Pan, Course (Pitch), Cut off, Q factor and output location. In the case of the

trumpet, the pitch alters at various points forming a melody. For each note a

new sampler was required and the course or pitch of the key needed to be

altered. Each value of course is one semi-tone, for example: the first trumpet

note heard is a Bb, the next trumpet note heard is a C#, 3 semi-tones above

the Bb and therefore 3 values of course.

The second page of adjustment

parameters is known as Voice.

On this page a keys sound can

be altered by: its mode

(Whether it is heard forward or

in reverse), its course or pitch,

fine (adjustment of pitch using

microtones), mute Gr, trigger

mode (one shot or key hold)

and output location. On this

page I needed to ensure every keys trigger mode was on key hold rather than

one shot. One shot lets the sound carry on until it stops when triggered where

as key hold stops the sound when the key is released. Ensuring all keys are on

key hold, I can begin drawing in the MIDI data because I know that when a

note is released, the sound wont be heard.

On the Groove Agents Filter page, the cut-off of a keys sound can be adjusted

and on the amplifier page its attack and release can be altered but I found the

samplers pre-set settings to work just fine.

The next process involved in the production of the track was to draw in the

MIDI Data which was made incredibly easy due to the fact that I had a sampler

featuring the sounds I required. In the final track, I had used 15 copies of the

Groove Agent Cadet Machine 2 but had altered each ones sounds slightly

using the VSTs adjustment parameters.