Technology is slowly incorporating itself into all aspects of our lives. You may not be aware of it but much of the music you listen to may not be created by traditional instruments but instead is actually created with a computer. Today synthesized music no longer sounds like computer beeps and bops but actually can mimic traditional instruments. Sometimes the synthesized sounds are so good that that the untrained ear no longer can tell the difference. Not only does technology help reproduce the instruments of old but people are creating new instruments as well.
One of the most well known instruments created by technology is the laser harp. The laser harp is a modern take on the traditional string harp. A single laser beam is split into several different parallel layers of light to create “strings” and connected to a synthesizer. In order to play the harp, you block the corresponding light string which activates the corresponding sound. The laser harp was made famous by the musician Jean-Michel Jarre. The laser harp itself makes no sound but Jarre has consistently uses the laser harp to create the same sounds which people have begin to associate with the technological instrument. Alternate designs of the laser harp are available and usually consist of multiple lasers. There are some concerns about the laser power needed to create a harp. Because the laser beam is split into many different beams of light, a class III or IV laser is generally necessary and there may be significant risk of eye or skin damage from these powerful lasers.
The Ball Bearing Beat Machine is an another intriguing method of creating music with technology. The beat machine is set up in a grid formation, different sounds are assigned to the horizontal axis and tempo is assigned to the vertical axis. Musical beats are created by placing the ball bearings into a holder on the grid. The balls can be placed close together to create a fast beat or spread apart to slow the tempo down. Entire songs can be created simply by moving the ball bearings around the machine as a the music is created. The Ball Bearing Beat Machine, can replace traditional drum sets and create temps and beat patterns that many drummers are unable to create themselves. Many designers have expanded upon the idea of the ball bearing beat machine to create beat machines that use blocks or other materials to lay out the sound patterns. The sounds and designs of these machines are only limited by their ability to create different sounds at varying speeds.
The Tenori-On Music Synthesizer consists of a screen that you hold in your hands. This synthesizer has been a hit of technology fans because it is the first mass produced music synthesizer that does not look like a piano. This sixteen by sixteen square grid houses LED switches representing different musical notes. You activate the switches in several different ways to create music. Anyone can create music with the Tenori-On Music Synthesizer simply by selecting the buttons you want to play. You can lay out a light pattern or program a sequence to play a melody. There are a total of 256 different built-in notes and you can extend the ability of the synthesizer through additional samples and customization options. With this portable synthesizer anyone can create music and once you create something worth saving, you can record up to 16 different tracks then edit the files on your computer.
Not only are musicians using technology to create new instruments but musicians are using technology to create new music as well. Many creative artists have produced songs from nothing but the sounds our computers make. Many of these are so well crafted that you are not able to tell the music is created entirely from computer sounds unless it is pointed out to you. Windows XP and Vista error sounds are very popular because of their varying patterns and variety sounds available in the operating systems.
In music, creativity has no boundary and technology only expands the possibilities. The only limit a musician will find is the limit of our imagination. While many manufacturers are focusing on using new technologies to create unusual music creation device, many artists like Jean-Michel Jarre are building new musical instruments from tools and equipment available today. There are some people who believe that many of these new music devices actually do not work as they have been portrayed and that all demonstrations are cleverly edited videos however even if the devices do not work exactly as they should every time it is played, these devices are still musical instruments. No musician is able to get their chosen device to work accurately every time it is played. Our musical instruments are changing as technology changes and advances and with each new day an artist will create another work of art from those advancements
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