Radio Phonics Project T4.

4 Evaluation

This is my evaluation for the Radio

Phonics Project T4.4. The first track I will
be analysing is called Sample 1. This
track consists of two sounds; the first
sound that is heard is similar to that of a
brass instrument. However, this is actually
a car horn which I have edited. To make
the car horn sound more like a brass
instrument it required me lowering the
pitch and adding reverb to the sound, and this allowed it to resonate like a
brass instrument. In order to make the car horn melodic, I had to insert it
into a sampler. The sampler which was used was the EX24. After the
sample was inserted into the EX24 it needed to be trimmed in length to
allow no empty space between the beginning and the end of the sample.
After I had done this I needed to establish the note played by the sample
and assign that to the relevant keys on a midi keyboard. This is played as
the melody line throughout the entire song, and appears to be constantly
evolving to keep the listener engaged in the track.
This is complemented by the
second sound which is a sample of
Big Ben. I decided to use this
sample as the baseline due to it
having a naturally low frequency
sound. The sample was also
inserted into the EX24 and
assigned to the relevant note on
the midi keyboard. After doing this
decided to edit the sample to
make it sound more like a baseline. The addition of reverb, compression
and distortion supplemented each other to achieve the baseline sound I
was after as well as remaining a constant throughout the track.

The second track which I will be analysing is called Sample 2. The first
sound used in this track is percussion. I achieved the percussion heard in
this track by taking a sample of a gunshot and inserting it into the EX24. I
then trimmed the sample to remove empty space from the audio file. I
then lowered the samples original tone by one octave in order to establish
a more percussion like sound. After this I added a compression and a noise
gate to reduce any unwanted background noise. It is kept constant
throughout the track whilst playing a basic 4/4 rhythm.

To create the second sound in Sample 2, I sampled a church pipe organ. I

used the EX24 to modify this sample and assigned it to the relevant note
on the midi keyboard. I then added an effect using a peddle board to
attempt to make the pipe organ sound more like a synthesiser. I used this
as the melody line for Sample 2 which constantly evolves, and also acts
as a baseline as it plays the bass notes one octave lowers than the
melody line. The third sound in this track is a sample from an arcade
game taken from the 1980s. To obtain this sample I found a relevant audio
file and removed a sample section where only one note could be heard. I
then inserted the sample into the EX24. During the track this sound is
played as a chord to attempt to add harmony to the track.
Sample 3 is composed from only one sample. The sample which is used
is a bell and it is alone the only element to the track. The first sound that
is heard in the track resembles the sound of an electric guitar. This sound
has been created by me inserting the sound to the EX24 and assigning the
sample to the relevant note on the midi keyboard. I then lowered the tone
of the sample and increased the gain. I have also used EQ to increase the
treble and high-frequency noises in the sample whilst reducing any
unwanted low-frequency sounds. This sound is used as a constantly
evolving melody line and is played through the majority of the track.
The second sound
which is heard is used
as the baseline. I have
created the baseline
by using a pitch shifter
to lower the pitch of
the sample. I have
also used an EQ to
reduce most of the
high-frequency sounds
and increase the low-frequency sounds, allowing the sound to be similar
to a resonating bass. This baseline is played throughout the track as it
maintains an element of continuity. To create the third sound I have
looped a small section of the original bell sample to create a pulsating
tone. I have also added a ring shifter to add an element of modulation to
the sound. A peddle board effect has been used to change the general
tone of the sample. The third sound adds an element of diversity to the
track. It is most prominent when the guitar drops out as it creates a new
section to the song.
In conclusion, Sample 1 appears the most engaging and diverse of the
three samples and it is effective in engaging the listener throughout. This

is not only done by using sampling but many different techniques such as
adding a key change and this changes the depth of the sample. The car
horn and big ben appear to complement each other in this sample and
produce a track that appeases the listeners attention.