The sounds of technology
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe and identify the most common uses of music technology, including electronic sound production, sound effects and others.
Key learning points
- Technology has hugely influenced the way that music is produced, edited and manipulated.
- Synth pads, leads, basses and drum machines are common tools for producing sounds electronically.
- Effects can be applied either live or after recording.
- Some common effects are delay, reverb, chorus, auto-tune, distortion, panning and equalisation.
- Overdubbing and DJing are two other important ways that technology has shaped modern music.
Keywords
Drum machine - an instrument that synthesises drum sounds; the TR-808 is an example
Reverb - an effect that creates the impression of a sound being played in a more ‘echoey’ space
Delay - an effect that ‘echoes’ sounds back after a specific time
Overdubbing - adding new recorded sound to a pre-existing recording to create a combined effect
Scratching - a DJing technique where the DJ creates a ‘wika wika’ sound by touching the record
Common misconception
Music technology consists solely of DAWs and computer-based technology.
For modern musicians, computer-based tools such as DAWs are a brilliant way of using technology. However, music technology is much broader than this - synthesisers, amplification, turntables and drum machines are just a few examples.
Teacher tip
To embed pupils' understanding of effects, consider using DAWs. Ask pupils to record a simple melody, set of chords, or drum groove, then encourage them to play with the different effects to explore their parameters. All DAWs have easy-to-access distortion, delay, reverb, EQ and panning tools.
Licence
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