|
Along with the timbre (sound quality) and the loudness level, comes a sense of drama and an artistically sensitive presentation of the music, that is communicated to the listener. Through performance intensity, louder sounds might be more urgent, more intense; softer sounds might be cause for relaxation of musical motion. Much dramatic impact can be created by sending conflicting loudness level and sound quality information; a loud whisper, a trumpet blast heard at pianissimo.
Modifying an existing sound source is a common way of creating a desired sound quality. Instruments, voices, or any other sound may be modified (while being recorded, or afterwards) to achieve a desired sound quality. Most often, this option for selecting a sound source is in the form of making detailed modifications to a recorded performance of a musical idea by a particular instrument. The final sound quality will still have the characteristic qualities of the original sound.
The extensive modification of an existing sound source, to the point where the characteristic qualities of the original sound are lost, is actually the creation of a sound source. The creation of new sound qualities (or inventing timbres) has become an important feature in many types of music. The recording process easily allows for the creation of new sound sources, with new sound qualities.
Sound qualities are created by either extensively modifying an existing sound (through sound sampling technologies) or by synthesizing a waveform. Sound synthesis techniques allow precise control over these two processes, and are having a widespread impact on recording practice and musical styles. Many specific techniques exist for synthesizing and sampling sounds; all with their own unique sound qualities and own unique ways of allowing the user to modify the sound source.
With the control of timbre by the recording process, has come a new sense of the importance of sound quality to communicate, as well as to enhance, the musical message. Sound quality has become a central element in a number of the primary decisions of recording of music, and in the creation of music through the recording process. In making these primary decisions, sound quality is conceptualized as an object.
The sound is thought of as a complete and individual entity.
In this way sound quality is considered as a sound object. While the sound object is comprised of component parts (as we have discussed above), it is perceived as a large unit, for its overall sound qualities.
Sound quality is perceived as a sound object:
(1) when the sound quality of the sound source itself is at the center of the listener's attention, or
(2) when the sound itself is the most important element of the musical texture.
For the sound object, the individual character of the sound source is significant. This is in contrast to the normal, primary significance of how the sound quality enhances the musical material, or how the sound sources relate to one another.
The entire sound of the music may also be conceptualized as a single entity, or overall quality. In this way, the overall musical sound is perceived as a large sound object, being comprised of any number of small, individualized sound objects.
This sound quality of the overall sound, or entire program is texture. As it is the composite of all sound objects present at any one time, over a span of time, texture has also been called sound structure or sound event.
Texture is perceived by the characteristics of its global sound quality. This concept of sound quality can be applied to groups of sound sources, in the same way as to individual sound objects or the entire program.
Texture will nearly always be comprised of any number or types of individual sound objects or groups of sound sources. Texture is perceived as an overall character that is comprised of the states and activities of its component parts. Pitch-register placements, rate of activities, dynamic contours, and spatial properties are primary factors in defining a texture by the states or values of its component parts.
|
9 
