The Use of Electronic Technology in 20th and 21st Century Music

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The Use of Electronic Technology in 20th and 21st Century Music

In this essay, I have examined the use of electronic technology within

20th and 21st Century music. This has involved analysis of the

development and continuing refinement of the computer in today’s music

industry, as well as the theory of the synthesiser and the various

pioneers of electronic technology, including Dr. Robert Moog and Les

Paul.

Also within the essay, I have discussed the increasing use of

computers in the recording studio. The computer has become an

indispensable tool in ensuring that both recording and playback sound

quality is kept at the maximum possible level. Many positive ideas

have come from the continued onslaught of computerisation. For

example, music is becoming more widely available to the general public

with the introduction of mp3 players and the growth of the online

music industry.

The essay is concluded with my personal feelings towards the use of

electronic technology within the live music industry, as well as the

recording studio environment. This conclusion reveals that while the

use of electronic technology has become crucial in the modern music

market, it should not detract from the quality of live music produced.

In this way, I feel that the use of electronic technology – namely

drum machines and computerised backing tracks – have had a negative

effect on the live music industry, because the majority of artists

within the ‘pop’ genre now use computer-generated backing for live

performances.

Contents

Page

Section

3

……………………………………

Introduction

3

……………………………………

The Pioneers of the Electronic Age

4

……………………………………

The Theory of the Synthesiser

5

……………………………………

Other Changes Due to Electronic Technology

6

……………………………………

Early Commercial Applications of the Computer Within Music

6

…………………………………….

The Application of Music Programming

7

……………………………………

The Digital Revolution

8

……………………………………

My Conclusion

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