Technological developments 5

Question 1

When was the electronic drumkit made/invented?

Answer 1

1976

Question 2

What is an electronic drumkit?

Answer 2

• The electronic drumkit usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand - similar to an acoustic instrument.
• The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like clothing.
• Each pad has a sensor that generates an electrical signal when struck.
• The electrical signal is transmitted through cables into an electronic module, which produces a sound associated to the selected pad.

Question 3

How the electronic drumkit was developed.

Answer 3

• 1976: Pollard Industries released the first commercial electronic drum.
  This was the Pollard Syndrum, invented by Mark Barton and Joe Pollard - it wasn’t met with great commercial success.
• 1978: The Simmons Company had more success releasing their electronic drumkit.
• 1980s: The electronic drum kit grew in popularity.

Question 4

Electronic Drum Kit key features

Answer 4

• All parts of an electronic drum kit are connected to a processor containing appropriate samples.
• The drum triggers are dynamically sensitive allowing for more variety of sound on/off.
• The sound must then be sent to a speaker or headphones.
• It is common for electronic drum kits to have their own MIDI sound module but they can also be used to trigger sound on a computer.

Question 5

When was the 8 Track Recording/Multi-track recording?

Answer 5

1943

Question 6

What is a 8 Track Recording/Multi-track recording?

Answer 6

• Multi-track recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a single recording.
• Multi-tracking became possible with the idea of simultaneously recording different audio channels audio channels to separate discrete tracks on the same tape - a track was simply a different channel recorded to its own area on tape which when played back gives the impression of one single recording.
• The most common number of track at this time was 4 but this would later expand.

Question 7

The History of Multi-track

Answer 7

-1940: Disney’s Fantasia is the first commercial motion picture released with a version of 8-track stereophonic sound.

• 1962: Record studios began using multi-track analog tape recording which soon became the industry standard.
• 1966: The 8-track was designed by the Lear Jet Corporation to be used in the new ‘66 Ford, as it’s easier to listen to vinyl at homes and cassettes on the go.

Question 8

How Multi-track recording developed?

Answer 8

• 1940s: The Ampex company started making magnetic tape recorders.
• 1950s: Magnetic tape recorders became the standard recording equipment through to the turn of the century.
• 1967: The Beatles had a big influence on the way recording technology developed, they started recording on two tracks and by the time Sgt Pepper was released in 1967 four track became available.
• 1968 : 8 track and 16 track followed, and then 24 track. Digital technology then developed to allow an unlimited number of tracks.
• 1969: A Japanese company developed their first digital stereo recorder. Denon noticed this and began developing this also.
• 1978: The first widely used digital multi-track recorder was made by a company call 3M.

Question 9

Multi-track recording key features.

Answer 9

• Multi-track recording devices have two or more tracks with the ability to monitor or cue one track while recording on the other.
• This allows the process known as overdubbing whereby a single musician can build up a song by performing each of the parts one after the other.
• Recording each track onto its own track also allows the sound engineer a great deal of control over each track.
• An equalization setting, for example, can be added to one track and another setting to another track and so on.
• Multi-track recorders come in many formats these days from 4-track devices to 24-track devices and computer-based hardware and software systems that feature almost infinite multi-track recording capabilities.

Question 10

When was the Electronic Organ made/invented?

Answer 10

1897

Question 11

What is an Electronic Organ?

Answer 11

• An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the pipe organ.
• Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds.
• It was popular due to it taking up less space than a pipe organ.

Question 12

How the Electronic Organ developed?

Answer 12

• One of most important and well-known organs is the Hammond organ, with two keyboards and feet pedals.
• It was patented by its American inventor Laurens Hammond in 1934.

Question 13

Electronic Organ key features?

Answer 13

• This is an electronic keyboard instrument with a double manual keyboard and pedals.
• Often different sounds and rhythms can be accessed in the same way as on an electronic keyboard.