3.0 Microphonic Instrumentaria
Building upon my analysis of the advent of the microphonic process, represented by Bing Crosby and early microphone singing, in this chapter I investigate how three artists divergently engaged with microphonic instrumentaria. First, I return to Karlheinz Stockhausen, who coined the term microphonic process, and his work Mikrophonie I. Then I discuss Hugh Davies’ Quintet (1968), a ground-breaking composition that explored indeterminate acoustic feedback between microphones and loudspeakers. Lastly, I examine electric guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), who revolutionized rock’n’roll through his use of “harmonic” feedback between his guitar and amplified loudspeaker. These analyses expand how the microphonic process can be understood and introduce differences between microphonic pieces and microphonic practices.