Presenter: Kobe Anthony − Music Technology
Faculty Mentor(s): Jon Bellona
(In-Person) Creative Work—Learning from the Environment
Music trackers are instruments that artists leverage to compose videogame soundtracks. My goal is to understand how this music tracking software works in an effort to demystify the barrier between contemporary music and videogame music.
Trackers are unique from modern music sequencers. However, since the music recording industry relies primarily on digital audio workstations (DAW),The music tracker medium is underrepresented in creative research.
I have incorporated one such tracker, the Polyend Tracker, into a music EP by playing sound material directly from the tracker. Samples for the Polyend tracker will be based upon previous music I have created.
I have found throughout this research that the tracker workflow both strengthens and weakens aspects of the creative process, explaining both the reason early video game music has its characteristic sound, as well as the expertise that has gone into video game music production over the years.
From this research, I have determined Trackers are immensely powerful pieces of hardware that transcend the implications of their age, however, trackers are clearly much better suited for sample manipulation and sequencing than things like sound design and synthesis.
The creation of a 3-song EP using a Polyend hardware music tracker extends digital audio creative research and supports vital music industry practice, both of which further prepares me for work in the digital gaming and music-for-media industries.