Sound and music computing
Encyclopedia
Sound and Music Computing (SMC) is a research field that studies the whole sound
and music
communication chain from a multidisciplinary point of view. By combining scientific, technological and artistic methodologies it aims at understanding, modeling and generating sound and music through computational approaches.
and Music Technology
might be the terms that have been used the most, being Sound and Music Computing a more recent term. The research community established in 1974 the International Computer Music Association
and the International Computer Music Conference
. In 1977 the Computer Music Journal
was established. The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University
was created in the early 1970s and the Institute for Research and Coordination Acoustic/Music (IRCAM)
in Paris
in the late 1970s.
The Sound and Music Computing term was first proposed in the mid 1990s and it was included in the ACM Computing Classification System
. Using this name, in 2004 the Sound and Music Computing Conference
was started and also in 2004 a roadmapping initiative was funded by the European Commission
that resulted on the SMC Roadmap and on the Sound and Music Computing Summer School.
Given the increasing research specialization within the SMC field a number of focused conferences have been created. Particularly relevant are the International Conference on Digital Audio Effects
, established in 1998, the International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR)
, established in 2000, and the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
, established in 2001.
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
communication chain from a multidisciplinary point of view. By combining scientific, technological and artistic methodologies it aims at understanding, modeling and generating sound and music through computational approaches.
History
The Sound and Music Computing research field can be traced back to the 1950s, when a few experimental composers, together with some engineers and scientists, independently and in different parts of the world, began exploring the use of the new digital technologies for music applications. Since then the SMC research field has had a fruitful history and different terms have been used to identify it. Computer MusicComputer Music
Computer Music is a monthly magazine published in the UK. It covers the topic of creating digital music on a computer. Each issue includes a DVD-ROM with samples, plug-ins, software demos, tutorials, and other content related to the issue.-External links:*...
and Music Technology
Music technology
Music technology is a term that refers to all forms of technology involved with the musical arts, particularly the use of electronic devices and computer software to facilitate playback, recording, composition, storage and performance. This subject is taught at many different educational levels,...
might be the terms that have been used the most, being Sound and Music Computing a more recent term. The research community established in 1974 the International Computer Music Association
International Computer Music Association
The International Computer Music Association is an international affiliation of individuals and institutions involved in the technical, creative, and performance aspects of computer music. It serves composers, engineers, researchers and musicians who are interested in the integration of music and...
and the International Computer Music Conference
International Computer Music Conference
The International Computer Music Conference is a yearly international conference for computer music researchers and composers. It is the annual conference of the International Computer Music Association ....
. In 1977 the Computer Music Journal
Computer Music Journal
Computer Music Journal is an American academic journal that covers a wide range of topics related to digital audio signal processing and electroacoustic music. It is published on-line and in hard copy by MIT Press. The magazine is accompanied by an annual CD/DVD that collects audio and video work...
was established. The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
was created in the early 1970s and the Institute for Research and Coordination Acoustic/Music (IRCAM)
IRCAM
IRCAM is a European institute for science about music and sound and avant garde electro-acoustical art music. It is situated next to, and is organizationally linked with, the Centre Pompidou in Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the late 1970s.
The Sound and Music Computing term was first proposed in the mid 1990s and it was included in the ACM Computing Classification System
ACM Computing Classification System
The ACM Computing Classification System is a subject classification system for computer science devised by the Association for Computing Machinery...
. Using this name, in 2004 the Sound and Music Computing Conference
Sound and Music Computing Conference
The Sound and Music Computing Conference is the forum for international exchanges around the core interdisciplinary topics of Sound and Music Computing...
was started and also in 2004 a roadmapping initiative was funded by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
that resulted on the SMC Roadmap and on the Sound and Music Computing Summer School.
Given the increasing research specialization within the SMC field a number of focused conferences have been created. Particularly relevant are the International Conference on Digital Audio Effects
International Conference on Digital Audio Effects
DAFX is a synonym for digital audio effects. The DAFX conference is a meeting of all enthusiasts working in various research areas on audio signal processing, acoustics, and music related disciplines, who come together annually to present and discuss their scientific and practical findings.-Past...
, established in 1998, the International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR)
International Society for Music Information Retrieval
The International Society for Music Information Retrieval is international forum for research on the organization of music-related data. It began with a streeing committee in 2000, and was later incorporated in Canada on July 4, 2008.-Purpose:...
, established in 2000, and the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
New Interfaces for Musical Expression
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, also known as NIME, is an international conference dedicated to scientific research on the development of new technologies for musical expression and artistic performance...
, established in 2001.
Subfields
The current SMC research field can be grouped into a number of subfields that focus on specific aspects of the sound and music communication chain.- Processing of sound and music signals: This subfield focuses on audio signal processingAudio signal processingAudio signal processing, sometimes referred to as audio processing, is the intentional alteration of auditory signals, or sound. As audio signals may be electronically represented in either digital or analog format, signal processing may occur in either domain...
techniques for the analysis, transformation and resynthesis of sound and music signals.
- Understanding and modeling sound and music: This subfield focuses on understanding and modeling sound and music using computational approaches. Here we can include Computational musicologyComputational musicologyComputational musicology is defined as the study of music with computational modelling and simulation. It saw its beginning in the 1950s and originally did not utilize computers, but more of statistical and mathematical methods...
, Music information retrievalMusic information retrievalMusic information retrieval is the interdisciplinary science of retrieving information from music. MIR is a small but growing field of research with many real-world applications...
, and the more computational approaches of Music cognitionMusic cognitionMusic cognition is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the mental processes that support musical behaviors, including perception, comprehension, memory, attention, and performance...
.
- Interfaces for sound and music: This subfield focuses on the design and implementation of computer interfaces for sound and music. This is basically related to Human Computer Interaction.
- Assisted sound and music creation: This subfield focuses on the development of computer tools for assisting Sound designSound designSound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
and Music composition. Here we can include traditional fields like Algorithmic compositionAlgorithmic compositionAlgorithmic composition is the technique of using algorithms to create music.Algorithms have been used to compose music for centuries; the procedures used to plot voice-leading in Western counterpoint, for example, can often be reduced to algorithmic determinacy...
.
Areas of Application
SMC research is a field driven by applications. Examples of applications are:- Digital music instruments: This application focuses on musical sound generation and processing devices. It encompasses simulation of traditional instruments, transformation of sound in recording studios or at live performances and musical interfaces for augmented or collaborative instruments.
- Music production: This application domain focuses on technologies and tools for music composition. Applications range from music modeling and generation to tools for music post–production and audio editing.
- Music information retrieval: This application domain focuses on retrieval technologies for music (both audio and symbolic data). Applications range from music audio–identification and broadcast monitoring to higher–level semantic descriptions and all associated tools for search and retrieval.
- Digital music libraries: This application places particular emphasis on preservation, conservation and archiving and the integration of musical audio content and meta–data descriptions, with a focus on flexible access. Applications range from large distributed libraries to mobile access platforms.
- Interactive multimedia systems: These are for use in everyday appliances and in artistic and entertainment applications. They aim to facilitate music–related human–machine interaction involving various modalities of action and perception (e.g. auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile, haptic, and all kinds of body movements) which can be captured through the use of audio/visual, kinematic and bioparametric (skin conduction, temperature) devices.
- Auditory interfaces: These include all applications where non–verbal sound is employed in the communication channel between the user and the computing device. Auditory displays are used in applications and objects that require monitoring of some type of information. SonificationSonificationSonification, a form of auditory display, is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data. Auditory perception has high temporal and pressure resolution, which opens up possibilities for it as an alternative or complement to visualization techniques.For example, the...
is used as a method for data display in a wide range of application domains where auditory inspection, analysis and summarisation can be more efficient than traditional visual display. Sonic interaction designSonic interaction designSonic interaction design is the study and exploitation of sound as one of the principal channels conveying information, meaning, and aesthetic/emotional qualities in interactive contexts. Sonic interaction design is at the intersection of interaction design and sound and music computing...
emphasizes the role of sound in interactive contexts.
- Augmented action and perception: This refers to tools that increase the normal action and perception capabilities of humans. The system adds virtual information to a user’s sensory perception by merging real images, sounds, and haptic sensation with virtual ones. This has the effect of augmenting the user’s sense of presence, and of making possible a symbiosis between her view of the world and the computer interface. Possible applications are in the medical domain, manufacturing and repair, entertainment, annotation and visualization, and robot tele-operation.
Research Centers
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) Montreal, Canada
- Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) Paris, France
- GRAME - National Center for Music Creation, Lyon, France
- Music Technology Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
- Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) Stanford University, USA
- The Music Computing Lab, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
- Laboratorio di Informatica Musicale (LIM), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, IT
Associations
- International Society for Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR)
- International Computer Music Association (ICMA)
Journals
Conferences
- Sound and Music Computing Conference (SMC)
- International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR)
- International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
- International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFX)
- International Computer Music Conference (ICMC)