Analogue Sound By Digital Means Toggle navigation

Summary

As digital music writing and production methods become more accessible, both on a consumer and creator level, artists are frequently turning to computer based synthesis and creation. Be it due a lack of access to full studios, instrument specific talent, or simply for the sake of convenience, digital based music writing and production is here to stay.
As with any production methods, there are both pros and cons to using a digital based form of audio content creation. Historically speaking, audio and music creation has existed within the realm of the analogue sound until very recently. As such, the collective audience ear is accustomed to a particular aural stimulation when listening to audio and audio playback. Accordingly, the introduction of digital elements into this aural stimulation which audiences have been conditioned to stands out against what has been established as a listening status quo and can easily be identified as “fake” or pigeon holed into specific genre constraints.

Project
Using a process of DAW based digital writing, multi source live mixing, and reamp recording methods, I will be attempting to bridge the aural uncanny valley between analog and digital sound, making it harder, if not impossible, for listening audiences to pinpoint digital or analogue sound sources. The successful execution of such holds particular importance as it can allow for a non-intrusive introduction of digital reinforcement methods into traditionally analogue music and performance realms.
The finalized tracks, written exclusively via digital tools such as VST and digital
Synthesis and reamplified and recorded through analogue amplifiers and speaker cabinets will be subject to FFT frequency analysis against their digital source material. These data sets will be able to provide the tangible differences between the digitally written and analogue recorded materials.

Method

The music being used for this project is written exclusively through digital means via VST use and digital synthesis. The completed digital tracks are then reamplified out of Ableton Live and a Focusrite Red 4 Pre interface into a selection of guitar and bass amplifiers. The digital tracks are routed to specifically assigned guitar and/or bass amplifiers and recorded with three microphones of varying frequency responses. Each combination of amplifier and speaker cabinet combination are tracked separately, as each rig is optimized for high (Blue Voodoo), Mid (Coliseum 300) and low (Microtubes 900) frequency responses. Finally, a full room recording utilizing all amplifier systems is logged. Each set of tracks are then combined and mixed together based on their respective reinforcement within the track.
Once the tracks are recorded and mixed appropriately, they will be run through FFT analysis against the original digitally written material. This will provide a tangible portrait of the frequency differences of the same materials which can be later used at a later point in conjunction with subjective qualitative surveying to either define or disprove a qualitative difference between digitally written and analogue recorded music.