The requito jarocho (also known as guitarra de son or javalina) is a stringed instrument originating in south eastern Mexico. The instrument resembles a small classical guitar with only four nylon strings and a standard tuning of ADGc, although other tunings are sometimes used. It is generally made from a single piece of wood.
The requinto jarocho is traditionally used to accompany the son jarocho, a style of Mexican folk music. The instrument can be found in the song La Bamba by Los Lobos.
The Finnish kantele (also known as the harppu in Sami) is a stringed instrument in the zither family. It is traditionally made of a single piece of wood with five or six horse hair strings that run from wooden tuning pegs to a metal bar in wooden brackets. Modern kanteles are often made from multiple pieces of wood and have between 5 and 40 metal strings. Although the tuning varies depending on the size, the five string kantele is traditionally tuned to the first five notes of either a major or minor scale.
The exact origins of the kantele are unknown. It is debated whether the instrument originated in Byzantium (now Istanbul) or in Uralic – Altaic antiquity and was taken to Finland by the Slavs, whether it originated in FInland (as per the epic Kalevala), or whether it originated in Asia. It is believed to be 2000 – 3000 years old.
The kantele was traditionally used to accompany Rune singers and in folk music. Though it’s had limited use in pop music, it can be found in the jazz music of Karelia and an electric version is sometimes used by the heavy metal band Amorphis. It can be found in the song Salt in Our Wounds by HIM.
The caxixi is a percussion instrument originating in Africa. It consists of a bell shaped wicker basket that is filled with seeds, shells, pebbles or beads and closed with a flat piece of gourd. Some modern caxixis are made of sheet metal, filled with plastic pellets, and closed with fiberglass.
The instrument is played by shaking it so that the seeds inside hit either the sides of the basket or the gourd. the caxixi is often used to accompany the berimbau to provide music for capoeira.
The Mbira (also known as the thumb piano and the sanza, or the marimbula or kalimba in the Caribbean) is a percussion instrument originating somewhere along the west coast of Africa around 3000 years ago. The instrument consists of 20 – 28 flattened metal or bamboo tines of varied length, with each length being a different pitch, attatched to a soundboard. It is sometimes placed inside a calabash resonator and played by stroking the tines with the thumbs and right index finger.
Traditionally, the mbira is used for ceremonies, such as weddings and funerals, for religious events, and for attracting spirits to those seeking their advice. Though its use in pop music is sparse, it can be found in the music of David Bowie, Wilco, King Crimson, Tinashe, and Nine Inch Nails to name a few. It can also be found in the songs Broken Drum by Beck and Evil by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Propagation
Propagation of sound is the transmission of sound waves (or the travel of sound) through a medium. The speed of sound is usually around 340 meters per second (or 1 mile per five seconds) but it can vary based on the type of medium it passes through, the temperature, the air pressure, and the altitude.
Amplitude
Amplitude is the size of a sound wave, it affects the volume of a sound. Amplitude is measured in decibels. Amplitude of sound in the air is measured in dBSPL (or decibel Sound Pressure Level), with 0dBSPL being the quietest, while amplitude of sound in a computer is measured in dBFS (or decibel Full Scale), with 0dBFS being the loudest.
Amplitude vs Loudness
The terms amplitude and loudness are often used interchangeably, however, they are not the same thing. Amplitude is a set level that can be measured. Loudness is how the individual perceives volume. For example, one person may perceive the volume level of a television to be barely audible while another person perceives the same level to be too loud, this would be loudness. The volume range of the television would be the amplitude.
Frequency
The frequency of a sound is how many times per second the sound wave pulses. The higher the frequency is the higher the amount of pulses per second will be, the lower the frequency is the lower the amount of pulses per second will be. Frequency is measured in hertz, with one Hz being equal to one pulse. The human hearing range is generally between 20Hz and 20kHz.
Timber
Timber is what enables us to differentiate between notes played on different instruments at the same pitch and amplitude. Also referred to as tone color or tone quality, timber is the collection of sound in multiple frequencies.
To summarize: Propagation is the transmission of sound waves through a medium. Amplitude is the size of a sound wave and affects the volume of a sound. Frequency is the amount of times per second a sound wave pulses and timbre is the collection of sound in multiple frequencies.
I’m Peyton Haynie from Bay City, Tx. This is for week seven of Introduction to Music Production at Coursera.org. I will be talking about the usage of the five most important synthesis modules.
Synthesis is described as the manner in which instruments are imitated by synthesizers and timber is defined. It is the process of defining the differences in timber between instruments and defining the beginning and ending of musical notes. The five most important modules of synthesis are: the oscillator, the filter, the amplifier, the envelope, and the LFO.
The Oscillator
The oscillator is used to generate sounds based on waveforms such as sawtooth waves, square waves, sine waves, etc. The sounds are usually described as bright and aggressive and are generally not fit to be used in recordings as is.
The Filter
The filter (or Voltage Controlled Filter) is used to get rid of unwanted frequencies. Depending on the complexity of the synth, it might have one or multiple filters. Low pass filters are considered the most important as they eliminate high frequencies and allow low frequencies through, dulling the sound.
The Amplifier
The amplifier (or Voltage Controlled Amplifier) controls the volume of sounds as well as the way they develop over time. Because synthesized sounds are not static and have potential for change over time, time is an essential factor when considering synthesis.
The Envelope
Envelopes are modulators used to control the main amplifier, allowing you to change the amplitude over time. Envelopes can also be used to manage pitches and filters.
The LFO
Also modulators, LFOs (or Low Frequency Oscillators) are used to control the pitches of oscillators. As they are cyclic in nature, LFOs are perfect for representing vibrato. They are termed “low frequency” oscillators because they are usually used in the 0 – 20 Hz range, although they can go up to 100 Hz or more.
To summarize: The oscillator is used to create sounds based on waveforms. The filter is used to eliminate unwanted frequencies. The amplifier is used to control the volume of sounds and how they develop over time. Envelopes are modulators used to control the main amplifier and LFOs are modulators used to control the pitch of oscillators.
I’m Peyton Haynie from Bay City, Tx. This is for week six of Introduction to Music Production at Coursera.org. I will be talking about configuring an EQ plugin to function like a large format mixing console EQ section. For this assignment I will be using the settings shown in the lesson and SONAR Professional.
First, to get to the EQ plugin, right click on the audio track, select process effect, audio effects, directx, sonitus:fx, and finally equalizer.
The first EQ setting is the highpass filter (just highpass on this plugin). It should be set to 75 hertz and 18 decibels per octave. In this plugin you can set the decibels before selecting the highpass filter, but I do not believe it will take it into account.
Next is the low shelving filter (shown as shelving low). It should be set at 80 hertz. I also set mine with a Q factor of 1.
Up next is the low mid range filter (shown as peak/dip). It can be set from 100 – 2000 hertz and between negative 15 – 15 decibels with a Q factor of 1.
Next is the high mid range filter (also shown as peak/dip). It can be set between 400 – 8000 hertz and negative 15 – 15 decibels, also with a Q factor of 1.
The final EQ setting is the high shelving filter (shown as shelving high). It should be set at 12000 hertz and between negative 15 – 15 decibels.
Any of these settings can be enabled or disabled by clicking the yellow box next to it. Clicking the “flat” button will take everything back to zero.
To save this configuration as a preset, simply name it in the preset box and select save.
To summarize: High pass filter, 75 Hz, 18 dB. Low shelving filter, 80 Hz. Low mid range filter, 100 – 2000 Hz, neg 15 – 15 dB, Q factor of 1. High mid range filter, 400 – 8000 Hz, neg 15 – 15 dB, Q factor of 1. High shelving filter, 12000 Hz, neg 15 – 15 dB.
I will be talking about the different kinds of studio cables and what they do.
There are two main types of cables, balanced and unbalanced. When combining multiple cables it is best to use shorter unbalanced cables and longer balanced cables as balanced cables won’t pick up as much noise along the way as an unbalanced cable will.
TS Cables
An instrument (or TS) cable is exactly that, a cable that connects your instrument to its amp. They are typically used for unbalanced mono signals. The end of a TS cable consist of a tip, a sleeve, and a single ring.
TRS Cables
A TRS cable is typically used as the output line in an audio interface. They can be used for both balanced mono signals and stereo signals. The TRS cable looks almost exactly like the TS cable, the main difference being the end. The end of a TRS cable consists of a tip, a sleeve, and two rings.
XLR Cables
XLR cables are balanced and are mainly used for microphones. The output (or male) end consists of a shield and three holes. The input (or female) end consists of a shield and three pins.
RCA Cables
We all know RCA cables, they’re the cables that run from the DVD player to the TV or from the stereo to the speakers. In recording studios, however, they are used to connect the recording interface to the studio monitor. On one end there is a single black connector, this end is plugged into the line out of the recording interface. On the other end there is a yellow video connector, a white left audio connector, and a red right audio connector.
To summarize: A TS cable is used to connect an instrument to an amp. A TRS cable is used as an output line in an audio interface. An XLR cable is used to connect microphones and RCA cables are used to connect the recording interface to the studio monitors.
phaynie 