Category Archives: Microtonal

music with notes, but outside of equal temperament

Train Filter

[play] Train Filter (2005)

This piece uses GrainPIC to control filters over a sample of Broadway mid-morning traffic in NYC. Each filter is described by a cloud, which sets a resonant high pass filter and a resonant low pass filter, creating a resonant bandpass filter. The 1/q of each filter moves towards 1 as the cloud is played. The pitches of the filters move towards pitches in the Bohlen-Piece scale. The envelopes on each moment of filtering obscure the traffic sounds, so instead a train sound is evident.

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Beep

Beep
2005

This piece moves through undertones of (2^x)/y. It starts with 32/21 and then adds in 32/19 and then 32/17 to create a triad. Then 32/21 drops out and 16/15 enters. As the farthest out note finishes, a closer one comes in so that the piece migrates from 32/21 to 2/2, always playing a triad.

These triads are AM modulated by low frequency pulse waves, starting at 2 Hz. As the piece progresses, faster pulse waves are added to modify new pitches. The pulse introduced are the base pulse times 2, then 3, then 4, then 5 and finally 6. They do not reach the audio range, although they flirt with the idea. The hard cutoffs of the pulse create interference patterns of clicking.

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Bell Tolls

Bell Tolls
2004

This piece plays triads with a sound that resembles wind chimes. It uses a spatialization algorithm so that each “chime” sounds like it is coming from a different location. The pitch of each new set of chimes is based on the pitch of the chimes that precede it. The pitches come from a 21-limit tuning table.

I wrote this piece while going through a divorce. It was intended to sound angry, but instead seems sad.

Des triades des cloches fausses.

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UPIC Impressions of Paris

UPIC Impressions of Paris
2005

This is my first UPIC piece at CCMIX. UPIC (plus bonne version française) is a graphical, glissando-oriented system designed by Xenakis. This piece uses all sine tones and all glissandos are straight lines (no vibrato)

This piece contains extremely low frequencies that may be difficult to hear on some speakers. The sounds are inspired by the surprising, different and wonderful mechanical noises made by the appliances in my kitchen here.

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Morpheus’ Snare

Morpehus’ Snare
2005

In this piece, I have detuned the left and the right channels. As the piece starts, the detuning falls randomly in between 2 Hz and 20Hz. As it progresses, the range narrows until the left and the right always differ by 10Hz. Alpha brain waves are generally around 10Hz. There are rumors that listening to pitches detuned between the left and right ear at 10Hz will make the listener sleepy and cause them to enter an alpha state.

Dans cette pièce la droite et la gauche ne sont pas en accord. Au début, il y a un écart de 2 à 20 Hz d’accord. Dans la conclusion, l’écart est toujours de 10 Hz, la même fréquence des ondes alpha dans le cerveau.

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