Music technology (electronic and digital)

Music Technology is a term that refers to all forms of technology involved with the musical arts, particulary the use of electronic devices and computer software to facilitate playback, recording, composition, storage, and performance. It's taught in many colleges and universities today. The subject involves the study of the creative aspects of music production and music performance and many people around the world this technology to playback on a portable hardware system with very creative features Furthermore, the technical, scientific aspects of the medium such as acoustic science, programming, music psychology & sociology, and music industry business practices are studied. ] The concept of music technology is intimately connected to both musical and technological creativity. People are constantly striving to devise new forms of expression through music, and physically creating new devices to enable them to do so. Because of this, our definition of what music technology encompasses must continually expand. Although the term is nowadays most commonly used in reference to modern electronic devices, such as a monome, it is worth noting that the piano and guitar are also examples of music technology. In the computer age, the ontological range of music technology has greatly increased. It may now be mechanical, electronic (firmware and hardware), software or indeed even purely conceptual.

Sequencer software is perhaps the most widely-used form of software music technology. Such programs allow the user to record audio or MIDI musical sequences, which then may be organised along a timeline. Musical segments can be copied and duplicated ad infinitum, edited and processed using a variety of audio effects. Music Technology includes many forms of music reproduction.

Music technology and sound technology both refer to the use of sound engineering in a commercial or leisurefull manner. The two may sometimes be classed as one in the same but actually refer to different fields of work, the names of which are self explanitory but where sound engineering may refer primarily to the use of sound technology for medialogical purposes.

Some Secondary schools teach Music Technology to students aged 14 - 16 as a pre-college course.

External links

• SoundPlan - Music Technology made easy
• The London College of Music (LCM) Video tutorials on Logic, ProTools, Reaktor and Abelton Live plus an extensive Forum on matters relating to music technology
• MusTech.net -MUSicTECHnology.net: Articles,Forums News and Resources about Music, Education and Technology
• Association for Technology in Music Instruction
• www.baudio.net An overview of audio and digital music on the world wide web.
• Digital Music Technology
• Music Technology Resources
• SoundTree
• TI:ME