Music production, technology, programming, and what else?
Low-level music production, what I call my expertise, needs some explanation.
Low-level is a concept from software development, where 'low' means closer to the core. A regular music producer needs to have good skills when it comes to music production devices and/or software, in order to be able to translate his or her ideas into well-sounding music. However, creativity is limited to the devices and software available at the market. The producer isn't necessarily the audio software programmer, the synthesizer designer, or the filter design mathematician. Actually, he or she usually isn't.
During my studies I focused on the area between many aspects of music technology, like composition, scales and tunings, both music theory and sound theory, digital audio and filters, and sound synthesis. That means, I'm not a typical audio software programmer or sound engineer, nor a typical composer or music producer. I am used to designing my own environments to create music, based on my background in music theory, composition, programming, sound synthesis, and mathematics.
What I can do for you
For example, you're a music producer, and you have some conceptual ideas you can't elaborate, because you don't know whether they're actually possible, or you just lack the skills to implement them. Whether you just need advice from someone who understands technological possibilities or you really need some programming or prototyping done, I might be the one you call.
Some concepts you might be thinking of:
- Non-linear ways to sequence your music or different sequences for individual tracks or instruments.
- Combining different patterns for controlling pitch and attack for the same instrument.
- A tuning system that adapts to the harmonic context, if you for example want to use mean tone tuning while modulating to any melodic key.
- The design of a digital instrument with certain parameters, which should sound innovative, but natural too.
- Any tonal system or scale you can think of, for example, when you're inspired by Harry Partch.
- Help with (less conventional) forms of sound synthesis, or anything you can't do with you favorite synthesizer software.
Important to understand is, for example, that compositions don't necessarily have to be written 100% by yourself or another human being (e.g. sitting behind a piano), but parts of it can be generative. If you understand the parameters you're using as a composer, it's possible to generate melodies while playing with these parameters. It's actually what many composers do, especially what baroque composers used to do, when writing counterpoint while copying and reusing existing patterns. However, nowadays, technology can help you with that.
The same applies to other aspects of your music production, like tuning or digital instrument design. But you might wonder what makes a certain tonal system or tuning more harmonic than another one.
Well, the possibilities seem infinite. Let's discuss your ideas! I'm willing to help you with my knowledge and experience.
How I work
Aside from being a music technology expert, I'm a software programmer, with knowledge of various programming languages. That said, for music production, I generally use an audio programming prototyping environment called Pure Data, which is very similar to the better known Max MSP. Personally, I used this environment as a basis for most of my (electronic) music productions, but, if needed, true software (plugins) can be created too, based on your ideas.
