Review article
The Interplay of Technical and Artistic Aspects in Contemporary Music Production
Robert Logožar
orcid.org/0000-0003-3303-2271
; University North
Ivan Farkaš
; University North
Abstract
In this paper, the authors first define contemporary music production (CMP) and describe it through the standard and hybrid production chains. The standard chain consists of the recording, editing, mixing, and mastering phases. The hybrid chain adds to these phases the preparation of sounds, additional composing and arranging, and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) programming and composing. Today, the stages of these chains are mainly realized in Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). To implement the abovementioned phases, music producers use the following general technical aids: multitrack recording, MIDI prog-ramming, recording and editing, and modern DAW capabilities. Each technical aid can contri-bute to the CMP process and ease the needed work for musicians and producers. However, they are also a potential source of diminution of the achieved artistic level and expression. In certain music genres, some of these aids may be unacceptable — like the MIDI performance and recording in classical or jazz music. These aids, together with their advantages and disad-vantages, are summarized in a table. Additionally, the authors present and discuss examples of the several CMPs they have actively participated in. They deliberate the technical aids used and the artistic level achieved regarding the genre of the musical pieces, among which there are many student works. The general conclusion is that—particularly today—the contributions of proficient (human) musicians and their good live performances greatly enhance the attained artistry of the final soundtracks. Even in the modern pop and electro genres, where the usage of MIDI and advanced DAW technologies is omnipresent, it is desirable to spice and enrich music production with audio recordings of various humanly performed musical lines.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
311817
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2023.
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