by Ann Warde
I have been working on composition in studio A which is a continuation of a project begun in the fall. Although it is yet untitled, The End of the Circus, seems appropriate as a working title.
My initial and continuing intent has been to create a multi-layered set of fragmented sounds, and I have accomplished this. The sound sources include the Buchla synthesizer, and sounds from sound effects CDs: elephants, birds, and a clearly melodic and tonal segment played by a nickelodeon. Also included were insect sounds which I recorded several years ago (and which presented me with an opportunity to begin an investigation of noise reduction techniques). Most of the sound has been processed using a number of techniques, including filtering and sampling using the Buchla and analog filters, "varispeed" processing using SoundHack (which was particularly effective), and "convolution" also using SoundHack. I also added reverb to some segments, and the whole was constructed using SoundDesigner to fragment and rearrange sounds.
Although originally I had intended to focus on the location of sound in space, particularly since I had decided to work with four channel sound, I ended up allowing myself less control over the precise locations of specific sounds. However, there is a sense of motion throughout the piece, and because of the complexity of the sound, listeners in various locations tend hear the composition differently.
I have a total of twelve channels of multi-layered sound. My initial mixes have focused on simply blending these layers together. This has been effective in that it provides a great deal of activity and change. However, I have found that some clarity of detail is lost due to the density of different sounds involved in the mix, and am pursuing a plan of altering the density of layers over the course of the composition.