Technologies related to electronic music production

Book excerpt: We will focus on the most outstanding technologies for modern electronic music production. Therefore, as in the previous book in which sections made the presentation of the instruments, this volume is made up of five of them for reasons of analytical practicality: 1. Audio recording and playback 2. Speakers 3. Communication protocols between electronic instruments 4. Modern electronic music production 5. DJing The first point will clarify how the ability to record sound in an analog mechanism was acquired just a moment ago if we compare that time with human existence. Therefore, since electronic music is intrinsically linked to the technique of sound recording and its playback, it is necessary to know about the technologies that have allowed this process since the 19th century. Subsequently, it will be explained what the speakers are and how their role and development in electronic music have been fundamental. As has already been elucidated throughout this series, it would be practically impossible for electronic music to exist without speakers. After that, we’ll see the two main protocols of communication between electronic instruments: MIDI and OSC, in addition to expressing my point of view about their transcendence because never, in the history of music in its entirety, the instruments had managed to sync through messages and time automation codes, under the master/ slave concept. Understanding the above, we will review all those technologies that facilitate modern electronic music production, such as a DAW, sound effects, sample manipulation, etc. Finally, we will explain the tools that the DJ uses to play, such as turntables, CD players, controllers, etc. Since each invention of these five points has its own story, I will limit myself to mentioning merely basic details so that the reader can investigate more for his account, topic by topic. As in the case of this series’ first and second volumes, the purpose is to establish a conceptual axis in which one can have a reference, not a detailed encyclopedia of each specific device.