Definite Time, Definite Place
hardware:
IBM 3081/(TSO/CMS) mainframe,
DEC PDP-11/34 (for digital audio conversion)
software:
MIX
I hope I can find a tape of this piece. It was the first major computer-music
piece I completed, about 15 minutes total in length if I recall. I did it
as part of the "General Examination" at Princeton, which functions as a
Masters exam and PhD. qualifier all rolled into one happy package.
The piece draws upon a lot of digitized sounds of violin, viola and
cello, using the performers who played in my string quartet Obligations
and who also played at my wedding. I used a lot of harmonics, etc. and
by 'folding' the recordings over and over digitally I was able to create
some interesting big-flock-of-birds-like textures, or at least that's
what I remember from the piece. I believe we were also working at
a sampling rate of 14K (high technology at the time!), so the
sound quality probably isn't all that terrific. Maybe it's better just
to hold it in memory.