Exposition

Deconstructing the Beat Machine: A Study of the influence of Drum Machines and Samplers (2023)

Pat Stewart
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About this exposition

Advances in technology have always gone hand in hand with the development of artist expression, as more possibilities were exploited by artists to further their expression. In this study I look at the technological advances introduced with early Sampling drum machines in the 1980s and 90s (and the context surrounding these advances) and examine how these influenced the popular music of the time, carrying forward today. The research indicates that the flattening of the technological hierarchy curve brought different ideas of how de-contextualization could be used within music, through sampling and the continuing increased use of inorganic textures, which in turn lead to shifts in compositional and textual shifts in recorded music production, but also within live performance and instrumentalism. The research is presented as an analysis of the limitations and idiosyncrasies of a select number of highly influential drum machines, and some relevant musical releases related to them, then discussion around what changes these idiosyncrasies and other underlying concurrent shifts in technology brought about.
typeresearch exposition
keywordsMusic Production, Technology, Art of Sound, Drum Machines, Samplers, Sampling, Electronic Instruments, SamplingElectronic Instruments, technology, art of sound, sampling, drum machines, electronic instruments
date02/02/2023
published19/07/2023
last modified19/07/2023
statuslimited publication
share statusprivate
copyrightPat Stewart
licenseCC BY-NC-ND
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1932506/1932507
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue3. Internal publication


Simple Media

id name copyright license
1955742 roland_tr808 synth explorer Synthexplorer.com Public domain
1955746 roland_tr909 synth explorer Synthexplorer.com Public domain
1955752 ikutaro-kakehashi-and-don-lewis-slicing tomatoes slicing tomatoes Public domain
1955763 Linn-LM-1-2 oscidance oscidance.com Public domain
1955766 linn_lm2-e synth explorer VintageSynthexplorer.com Public domain
1955771 Roger Linn roger linn designs Roger linn Designs Public domain
1957261 emu_sp12 vintage synth explorer vintagesynth.com Public domain
1957264 emu_sp1200 vintage synth explorer vintagesynth.com Public domain
1957284 808 mambo:samba example Roland Public domain
1957285 808 mambo:samba example Roland Public domain
1957327 s1000 vintage synth vintagesynth.com Public domain
1957332 akai_mpc60 synth explorer vintagesynth.com Public domain
1957339 akai_mpc3000 synth explorer vintagesynth.com Public domain
1959459 dave_smith_at_namm_show_1983 Midi Organisation Public domain
1959487 clapstack-istanbul Istanbul cymbals Public domain
1963888 chase-bliss-audio-warped-vinyl-mkii - reverb Reverb.com Public domain
1963893 b2ap3_large_MIDI-by-Bob-Moog-Compressed_Page_2 keyboard magazine Public domain

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