N.I. Sampling
(No Input Sampling)
The intention of no input sampling is to create a CD
album that is burnt directly to CD from the pure
sound of a computer’s internal workings. The restrictions I have given to
myself are as follows.
- No Inputs - The computer may be assigned to
record from any input (i.e the mic or line inputs). However no input
devices may be attached (like mics or line cables).
- No Synthesized sound – No internal soft synths
or purposely made tone creating devices may be used (like a modem phone
dialing program)
- Internal sampling is permitted – i.e. Soft Samplers and wave modification.
- Internal effects and sound affecting devices are also permitted – this includes
waveform Normalization (100% Internal Amplification), filters, equalizers,
delay loops and other general effects.
Internal
workings.WAV demonstrates how one can create sound with these restrictions,
and also gives a small insight as to the nature of the sounds that are hidden
away in the home computer. This sound is created by recording from the line
socket with no input (this has less interference than the NI mic socket). This
‘silence’ is then amplified to 100% of the waveform’s capability, creating a
very harsh white noise type sound. Filters, noise reduction and hiss reduction
are then applied to remove the high tones that drown out the more audible
internal workings of the computer. The result, is the sound that you hear in
the file, and a rather curious, waveform image.
Above – No
Input.WAV under a Spectral Wave form view
(if there is no image above, view “a02 - Internal Workings – Spectral
view.GIF”)
This waveview has a very unusual image when compared to
the waveview of any other regular recording.
Above - Spectral View of vocals and guitar recording
(if there is no image above, view
“a03 - Vocals & Guitar– Spectral view.GIF”)
Listening to this file raises certain issues over the
source of the final sound. Is the sound you hear, actually the hidden sound of
the computers internal workings? Or is it merely the influence of the applied
filters? I believe both of these to be somewhat true. Some of the sounds in
this can also be heard in other files with the same effects applied. However if
you run the silent sound of a computer through a powerful amplifier, you here a
lot of the same sounds (in particular, the low bass sound that occurs, when the
hard drive spins, and a strange judder when the mouse moves). This of course is
just the beginning fundamental, and an obvious example of how the sound
creation will take place in this album.
NoInput.WAV is my first attempt at a sampled and
sequenced piece under the given restrictions. The beats are made from 2 idle
waveforms (sections of silent sound) that are idling at different positions.
When these are pasted together, they create a nanosecond long click. These
clicks are usually edited and smoothed out of recordings. In this case, one has
been isolated as a wave sound of its own right, then equalized to produce the
different percussive sounds (low EQ amplification creates a Bass drum like
sound, high EQ creates a hi-hat and so on). The cuts of sound repression that
you hear, are the sound of a waveform that is always on one extreme side of the
waves capability (i.e. always up or always down). This gives the command for
the speaker to expand or retract to its extreme limit. When mixed into the
track, it can be faded in or out to alter the amount that the other sounds are
repressed. The interesting thing about this, is that it shows how digital audio
deals with sounds that are being drowned out, as in this example, they are in
effect being drowned out by silence.
The purpose of this piece was to isolate all of the
erroneous and unexpected outcomes in my sound experimentation. The melodic
instrument is the sound of a 2 sample (spit second) cut, that is looped to
create a very high (inaudible) tone. This tone is then slowed down to an
audible level, and imported into a soft sampler. This then allowed me to soften
the attack and release of the notes produced. It also allowed me to apply other
filters and effects, to create the organ like instrument that you hear at the
beginning. All the other sounds are samples of errors and unexpected outcomes,
which are played through controlled (soft) effects units.
Just a quick little jam using overlapping click
rhythms and a filtered and pitch bended white noise type sound. There was no
real further experimentation for this track. The intention was more to get used
to the environments of instruments that have already been created, and get
comfortable making music with more of a performed element (as opposed to
programmed)
This whole track is made from one (nanosecond long) click
sample. It’s been subject to a large array of effects and re recorded to make
new samples. It isn’t really worth hearing unless you have some SERIOUS bass
producing capabilities though (you’ll know what I mean when you hear it).
OK, Still no
official name for this track but I dunno what else to call it. The idea behind
this track was to make sound effects that reminded me of the seaside. There are
2 reasons behind this, firstly I wanted the challenge of making sound effects
using the no input formula, and secondly, I’d just had a nice day trip out in
Paginton.