Schedule

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

This panel discussion will explore the opportunities and challenges in developing mobile electronic instruments.

Panelists:

• Richard Boulanger
• Steve O'Connell
• Jordan Rudess
• Pat Scandalis

Moderator: Ben Houge

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

David Rosenthal '81, keyboardist and musical director for Billy Joel, takes you on a photo journey through all of the live keyboard rigs spanning his illustrious 36-year career. He started with Rainbow in the early 1980s with a pre-MIDI keyboard rig that included two Mini Moogs, Clavinet, Roland String Synth, Oberheim OBXa, Taurus Pedals, and a B3, continued through the introduction of polyphony and patch memory, MIDI, synth modules, MIDI processors, software editing, and eventually arrived at the current state-of-the-art keyboard rig that he uses with Billy Joel, which is completely powered by Mainstage and software instruments. Rosenthal will discuss each of the evolutions his innovative keyboard rigs have taken through tours with Rainbow, Cyndi Lauper, Robert Palmer, Enrique Iglesias, and the many different generations of keyboard rigs he has used with Billy Joel during his 24 years of performing with him. Rosenthal was recently featured on the cover of Keyboard Magazine.

Presenter: David Rosenthal '81

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

11:30 a.m.—Interconnected Instruments
This session will explore some of the latest music technology innovations and how they are used together in an electronic music studio. This will include Roli Seaboard, Roli Blocks, Ableton Link, and the Novation Circuit. The focus will be on how new technology allows musicians to increase their expression, interconnect many devices, and create music, no matter where they are.

Presenter: Loudon Stearns

12:15 p.m.—Software and Hardware Integration in Sound Design
Sound designer and Ableton's own Huston Singletary will conduct a hands-on look into the creation process and methodology of sound design by creating drums and retro synth, wave-oriented patch design in a step-by-step process. The session will focus on the process and techniques of sampling, virtual and hardware synth preset design, and drum rack creation with Live, Push, and the Roland System 8. 

Presenter: Huston Singletary

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

As musical instruments embrace the digital age, the potential exists to enhance human creativity and ability with smartly designed performance and interactive systems. For years, interactive designers have blurred the lines between closed systems (video games) and open systems (music)—from music games like Rock Band to the expressive, dynamic compositions that underscore blockbuster first-person shooters—in search of ways to maintain the illusion of utter control while providing a guided experience. This panel explores learnings and best practices from across the gaming spectrum and suggests methods of implementing “smart” systems within instruments of all kinds.

Panelists:

• Eran Egozy
• Ben Houge
• Grace Leslie
• Steve Pardo

Moderator: Dan Lehrich

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

12:00 p.m.—Machine Learning and MIR in the Audio Industry

Advances in machine learning technology are increasingly transforming our lives, from labeling the faces in our social streams to navigating hazards faced by self-driving vehicles. How can this same technology transform our experience as musicians? This presentation will focus on recent innovations using techniques from machine learning and music information retrieval (MIR) at iZotope. We’ll showcase several working examples of machine learning technology in iZotope products like Ozone, Neutron, and BreakTweaker—revealing how the underlying algorithms work and how we bring together technology, user interfaces, and sound design to inspire and enable creativity. 

Presenter: Jonathan Bailey

12:30 p.m.—Next Generation Sound Synthesis

The NESS project (Next Generation Sound Synthesis), funded through a starting grant from the European Research Council for five years beginning in 2012, is an exploratory project concerned entirely with synthetic sound—and in particular, numerical simulation techniques for physical modeling sound synthesis in parallel hardware. It is a joint project between the Acoustics and Audio Group and the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, both at the University of Edinburgh. The models developed in the course of the project span a large set of systems, including brass, cymbals and gongs, percussion, guitar/fretboard interaction, bowed strings, and large 3D room acoustics simulations. In this talk, an overview of the project will be given, with an emphasis on plate and string synthesis. Music pieces composed entirely with the project's systems will also be played, as well as productions that feature output from the algorithms within a broader studio practice, accompanied by a discussion and brief demonstration of the creative potential of the parameter space.

Presenters: Michele Ducceschi and Gadi Sassoon

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

Software synthesizers have become an essential part of every electronic musician's palette. This panel will explore some of the directions key manufacturers have taken in developing new instruments and how the future is shaping up for new designs.

Panelists:

• Mark Ethier, CEO of iZotope
• Mate Galic, CTO of Native Instruments
• Chris Halaby, CEO of KVR Audio
• Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO of Propellerhead

Moderator: Richard Boulanger

This presentation will end at 4 p.m.

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

This presentation will be a journey through time with the Hellertion, Theremin, Ondes Martenot, Trautonium, Moog Ribbon, Moog Trazor, and the Haken Continuum.

Presenter: Tom Rhea

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

Synthesizer designs have come full circle from modular to monophonic, polyphonic, hybrid workstations and now back to analog and modular designs. What has endured, and what is innovative?

Panelists:

• Amos Gaynes
• Jack Hotop
• David Rosenthal '81
• Dave Smith
• Scott Tibbs

Moderator: Daniel Fisher

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

The grid has always had a place in musical representation. Just about all forms of music notation represent events on a grid, and that structure has endured into the digital age with the ubiquitous grid editor in MIDI sequencers. The grid is also the basis for the user interface in many hardware production and performance devices, starting with the drum machine. This session will explore three current models of grid control—the open-source hardware monome, the Ableton Live Push controller, and the self-contained Novation Circuit—covering the background and development of each and offering short performance examples of how they are used.

Presenters:

• Brian Crabtree and Kelli Cain
• Huston Singletary
• Daniel Clarke

Moderator: Rishabh Rajan

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B54

Years ago, Leon Gruenbaum created a keyboard MIDI controller called the samChillian wherein individual keypresses stood for relative changes in pitch rather than fixed pitches. In recent years, a number of musical interfaces have been created to exploit the original samChillian relativistic concept. These are the kidChillian, miniChillian, lilChillian, euroChillian, iChillian, and drumChillian.

Presenters: Leon Gruenbaum and Joe Waltz

Location: William Davis Room, 136 Massachusetts Avenue

Berklee alumni are invited to join us for a preconcert reception.

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B51

What does it take to map a performance onto a blank slate? Using the ROLI Lightblocks as an adaptive canvas, Darwin Grosse designs an instrument influenced by the limitations (size, visual resolution, communications) and capabilities (multi-touch, multidimensionality, modularity) of the Blocks hardware. This exercise takes advantage of the recent development partnership between ROLI and Cycling ’74 that includes Blocks functions not otherwise available.

Presenter: Darwin Grosse

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD lab B54

This is a master class by computer music pioneer and Csound guru Richard Boulanger in which he will perform, deconstruct, analyze, and then rebuild his latest multichannel EuroRack work: “Cloning a Dinosaur.” The piece features over 30 custom Csound orchestras adapted and developed for the Qu-Bit Nebulae—a EuroRack module built around the Raspberri-Pi that runs the entire open-source Csound synthesis and signal processing language. Csound is arguably the most powerful and versatile software synthesis language in use today. Boulanger will show how this powerful synthesizer is being integrated into today’s newest EuroRack modular systems. Further, his master class will showcase the work he is doing with the latest Rasberri-Pi boards. These support Asynchronous IO and are running his new FFT-based real-time streaming spectral processing algorithms, thus bringing the "phase vocoder" to the EuroRack world.

Presenter: Richard Boulanger

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD lab B58

Geoffrey Gee will demonstrate some of the newest soundware being developed for the Seaboard Rise and discuss the artistic and technical issues involved in designing sounds for a controller that responds to strike, glide, slide, pressure, and lift. Gee will narrate and demonstrate his work over the past 15 months with this unique instrument, addressing the dual goals of making it easy for beginners to enjoy while also allowing for nuanced virtuosity by experienced musicians. The demonstration will feature Equator, the sample playback/FM hybrid engine Strobe 2, the analog modeling synthesizer, and preliminary work from a new project that combines samples from Gee’s acclaimed original acoustic instrument library, Plectrum, with the multidimensional touch response of the Rise.

Presenter: Geoffrey Gee

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

As electronic music and digital instruments become ever-more mainstream, new opportunities and challenges arise for instrument designers. What new ideas and technologies are shaping these designs? How is the conversation between the player, the instrument maker, and the musical culture at large changing? What does it take to create a truly new instrumental paradigm? This panel will explore the future of music performance controllers.

Panelists:

• Athan Bilias
• Paul Lehrman
• Joe Paradiso
• Kelly Snook

Moderator: Moldover

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

9:30 a.m.—History of Physical Modeling

The story of physical modeling stretches back nearly 1,000 years. We now find ourselves in a place where each of us can be Jimi Hendrix with just a small device in the palm of our hands. It’s a fun and deeply technical topic drawing on many fields including physics, acoustics, digital signal processing, and music.

Presenter: Pat Scandalis

10:00 a.m.—Harmonic Interchange Notation

In the pursuit of an open-source chord dictionary to be used by the creators of intelligent music software, a lightweight, human, and machine-readable notation standard needed to be developed to describe harmony in a rich way. Harmonic interchange notation was created to address this need. This presentation explores an implementation of harmonic interchange notation in Cycling ’74’s Max software.

Presenter: Matthew Davidson

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

Originally thought of as a studio instrument, the modular synthesizer is increasingly becoming a presence in live performances. This panel will explore the diverse strategies being used by performing artists and some of the design considerations in configuring a system that will be used to perform.

Panelists:

• Suzanne Ciani
• Matthew Davidson
• Darwin Grosse
• Tony Rolando

Moderator: Richard Boulanger

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

This panel will discuss developments with the proposed MIDI specification for MPE, contollers, and software that are currently making use of this type of expressive control; the implications for manufacturers and developers; and possible new directions.

Panelists:

• Athan Billias
• Geoffrey Gee
• Roger Linn (remote)
• Jordan Rudess
• Pat Scandalis

Moderator: Loudon Stearns

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

With the continued and increased popularity of analog synthesis and effects, and the rise of digitally controlled CV devices, countless new ways of designing sounds have emerged. Based on devices by Matthew Davidson (VCVI and BEAP), Expert Sleepers (Silent Way), and an entirely digital project entitled Earth Tones, the development of the Earth Tones Controller (ETC) offers the user enormously flexible options in controlling effect parameters. Implemented as an array of step sequencers with variable lengths, speeds, ranges, and randomization options, ETC allows users to quickly create everything from short, repeated rhythmic patterns to long, evolving shapes. While featuring a great depth of options, ETC retains a user-friendly interface, with all controls made available in a single window and only necessary information displayed. 

Presenter: Ramon Castillo

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B51

Monome has been pushing the modular environment in new directions: grid-enabled for dense data and gestural manipulation, integrating scripting for both live code and functional reconfiguration, a digital communications bus for inter-module awareness, and more. We propose a different system philosophy: one of expansive possibilities within a small collection.

Presenter: Brian Crabtree

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B54

No-input mixers have become one of the most notable instruments in the worldwide experimental electronic music scene. The nonlinear nature of the instrument makes it a challenging yet fun object to record and perform. In this session, Joo Won Park will show methods to further extend the sonic possibility of the no-input mixer by processing its sound with customized software instrument. Park will also demonstrate the no-input mixer’s potential to become an intricate, feedback-based audio processor. The session will be beneficial to electronic musicians who are looking for an affordable yet intricate instrument as well as to the sonic researchers interested in digital and analog signal processing.

Presenter: Joo Won Park

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B51

Six identical modular synthesizers, an AVB digital audio network, UDP networking, and the Ableton Link protocol provide the technical foundation for a new form of democratic improvisation ensemble. Any ensemble member can alter the output level of any member. Any performer can change the tempo. Any performer can take control of the pitch and harmony of the ensemble. In this workshop, we’ll share some of the tools and techniques that brought this modular ensemble to life.

Presenter: Matthew Davidson

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

This presentation will explore the powerful latest sampling and sound design software solution HALion 6, from Steinberg. You will learn many aspects of HALion 6 that make it a synthesis and sampling power solution, including VST 3.5 support, note-based expression control, wavetable synthesis, different sampling techniques, and instrument creation in addition to its deep integration with Cubase.  

Presenter: Greg Ondo

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

This roundtable discussion, with some of the best synthesizer sound designers in the world, will cover creating a great synthesizer sound and what makes a great sound designer.

Panelists:

• Daniel Fisher
• Jack Hotop
• Huston Singletary
• Scott Tibbs

Moderator: Michael Bierylo

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

12:00 p.m.—Designing Products for Creative Musicians Based on Machine Learning: The Accusonus Regroover

Machine Learning (ML) is already used in many successful consumer products. But the music industry seems reluctant to adopt ML methods. In this talk, Alexandros Tsilfidis will give an overview of prominent music-related ML techniques as well as present historical and recent efforts to release commercial ML-based music products. Next, he will introduce Accusonus Regroover, a beat machine that extracts layers from sound clips, offering a new approach in music sampling. Based on Regroover, he will discuss the product design challenges of artificial intelligence music software, software that should aim to inspire music makers rather than to replace them.

Presenter: Alexandros Tsilfidis

12:30 p.m.—The Prynth Framework

Electronic music is usually created using hardware synthesizers, computer software, or a mix of both. The computer offers immense power and flexibility in digital music instruments. It can do complex sound synthesis, integrate algorithmic processes, or even be played with radically different physical controllers. In turn, hardware synthesizers are devices dedicated to music-making, containing important instrumental qualities that promote a focus on the embodied cognitive activity of performance. They are also generally better concerning longevity, reliability, and, most importantly, learnability.

There is an opportunity to explore new hybrid designs in the form of programmable synthesizers. Many previous hardware devices have included some form of reconfiguration, but not many have embraced computation strongly or deeply explored the concept of a highly programmable device. Prynth is a freely accessible hardware and software framework for the construction of such instruments. The Mitt is the first case of a Prynth instrument, a digital synthesizer that explores the fine motor skills of the human hand and the performative aspects of micro gestures.

Presenter: Ivan Franco

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B54

Richard Boulanger will present a second performance of his multichannel EuroRack work, “Cloning a Dinosaur,” that was presented earlier as part of his Voltage Controlled Csound session. The piece features over 30 custom Csound orchestras adapted and developed for the Qu-Bit Nebulae.

Presenter: Richard Boulanger

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

This panel will discuss the history and development of guitar synthesizers, new ways for guitarists to interact with electronic instruments, and ways of adapting guitar designs to become expressive controllers. 

Panelists:

• David Mash
• Randy Roos
• Marcus Ryle
• John Teele

Moderator: Moldover

Location: The Red Room at Cafe 939

Modular synthesis was supposed to be over by the '80s. Already in the early '70s, the MiniMoog and its default synthesis path spawn sounded a gradual death knell for the great modular rigs that grew louder with microprocessor-driven analog systems that had all their patching managed digitally. As the '80s unfolded, MIDI and digital synthesis seemed to have sealed the modular coffin, and those hulking rigs grew silent, drifting into disrepair and being discarded or sold for a song at auction. Those of us who had working modular rigs would make sheepish excuses for why we still used them. Things have changed, however; over the last few years, there’s been an explosion in modular systems, with more companies making them now than in their heyday half a century ago. What’s going on here, and what’s special about these things? This talk will examine this question from several perspectives, exploring the allure of modular systems and what they’re good at, and extrapolating where technology might be bringing them in the relatively near future. Joe Paradiso will also introduce the large, one-of-a-kind modular system he designed and built between 1975 and 1985 (comprising about 125 custom modules), and illustrate some of the more unique modules and how he uses them now, including the recent Patchwerk system that allows people to interact with it via the web.

Presenter: Joe Paradiso, MIT Media Lab

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B51

Jordan Rudess will offer a special hands-on workshop clinic on mobile performance using GeoShred, the iOS instrument app that he helped design and create. GeoShred incorporates many of the best ideas in performance control and synthesis in this extremely expressive and versatile instrument. Rudess is a virtuosic electronic performer whose keyboard mastery extends to all means of expressive electronic control. This is an unique opportunity to study directly with Rudess in a group setting.

To participate you must have your own iPad running GeoShred 2. You must register for the clinic in advance by emailing elpd@berklee.edu. This clinic will be limited to the first 10 participants who sign up. Nonparticipants can attend if there is space available.

Presenter: Jordan Rudess

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

Born from founder Imogen Heap’s desire to control music in a way that felt more natural than what conventional music technologies offered, the Mi.Mu Gloves have developed into a comprehensive gestural instrument that allows for an innate connection between musician and software. In this presentation, you will learn about the technology behind the Mi.Mu Gloves, the custom software for connecting gesture to music, and how data from the gloves' sensors can be mapped to music software to create new connections between gesture and sound.

Presenter: Kelly Snook

Location: David Friend Recital Hall

The growth of the Eurorack modular synthesizer format has inspired a legion of veteran and new designers, each with their own design philosophy. Some embrace tradition, while others break new ground with innovative designs. This panel will discuss some of the unique opportunities and challenges in developing these new synthesizer modules.

Panelists:

• Chris Clepper
• Jason Lim
• Tony Rolando

Moderator: Matthew Davidson

Location: 150 Massachusetts Avenue, EPD Lab B58

Contemporary music production practices utilize tools that are equally capable and limiting. Software, while exceedingly powerful, is useless without effective means of control. The resurgence of hardware music-making tools is in part due to the limitations and challenges it presents, galvanizing musical inspiration though structured workflow, real-time opportunities, and chance creation.

This workshop is an exploration into the unparalleled inspirational capabilities of musical hardware. With these modern musical tools rooted in classic design, we will investigate the individual and collective creativity of each instrument. Through real-time demonstration and utilization of key performance and production features, the expressivity of each piece of hardware will surely inspire unique musical and sonic ideas unattainable in the software realm. Hands-on time will be provided and encouraged.

Presenters: Scott Tibbs and Peter Brown

Location: 22 Fenway, room 112

EPD faculty members Jeff Baust, Dave Doms, and Richard Boulanger will present a special concert to close out the Voltage Connect Conference playing a variety of controllers, electronic instruments and modular synthesizers. The concert is free and open to the public. Learn more about this event.

Location: The Steve Heck Room; 1140 Boylston St. 

Please join us for refreshments and conversation after the conference at the Steve Heck room, directly off the lobby entrance of the 1140 Boylston St. building.