Ecosphere Signal Processing Details
Two macintosh computers running a complex program written in Max/MSP (by Olivier Pasquet) are used to perform digital signal processing on all instruments. Below is a list of cues that occur throughout the piece, with the cue number, measure number, and the signal processing that occurs in that section.
Glossary of Processes:
Resonance: resonant filters are deployed to create an effect similar to the sympathetic resonance that occurs when the pedal of the piano is depressed
Delays: delay lines are deployed to create echos of the original signal
Reverberation: digital simulation of sonic reflections that occur in large rooms with hard surfaces
Harmonizing: the signal is reproduced (with a slight delay) with the same timbre and a different pitch, used to create tri-chords with just tuned intervals from one original note
Chorusing: harmonizing at a very close, fluctuating interval, producing slight beating and enriching the original signal
Cross-synthesis: the timbre of one instrument is analyzed and this data is used to modulate the timbre of another instrument, creating an effect similar to vocoding
High-pass filter: low frequencies are removed from the signal
Spatialization: a number of different kinds of spatialization are deployed throughout the piece: X/Y refers to random movement in straight lines between the speakers and circle refers to random circular motion. At other times specific patterns of movement are synchronized with musical gestures, or instruments are assigned to different static positions.
CUE LIST
cue # mea.# description
1 1 entire ensemble excites resonance in all speakers
2 5 turn off silent instruments
3 6 vibraslaps into delays and moved to rear speakers string tremolos move around randomly (X/Y)
4 8 adjust levels, crotales and vibraphone delayed in three speakers at different rates
5 17 cancel previous, turn on all instruments with resonance in all speakers (as in cue 1)
6 20 turn off silent instruments
7 22 assign instruments to different speakers so cross fades pan
8 27 brass excite resonance (shorter decay then cue 1) and reverberation, percussion scrapes into delays in rear speakers
9 33 turn off silent instruments
10 50 all instruments amplified with reverb in front vibraslap delays in rear
11 53 trombone into multiple delay lines, all in center speaker, then moving out to rear and side speakers (in 5 seconds) where they stay for the whole section.
Crescendos in other instruments pan quickly and randomly (X/Y) among all the speakers
12 80 trombone continues in delays but quieter, crescendos continue as before, oboe randomly moves among speakers (X/Y) with heavy reverb,
string jete's in delay lines in multiple speakers
13 84 flute into multiple delays, panning randomly (X/Y), viola into delays, but stationary; everything else continues as in 12
14 101 gradually increase level of trombone delays
15 112 turn off silent instruments, turn on string amplification with reverb, trombone continues in delays
16 124 cello with FFT delay (throughout movement), clarinet with 2 voice harmonizing with changing intervals in subsequent cues (start here 351 and -200)
17 125 b.2 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
18 125 b.4.5 clarinet intervals change:640, 351
19 126 b.4 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
20 127 b.5 clarinet intervals change:551, -498
21 128 b.2 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
22 129 b.1.25 clarinet intervals change:651, -700
23 129 b.4 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
24 130 b.3.5 clarinet intervals change:651, -500
25 131 b.1.5 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
26 131 b.4 clarinet intervals change:386, -231
27 132 b.5 clarinet intervals change:200, -200
28 133 b.2 clarinet intervals change:351, -431
29 134 b.2.5 clarinet intervals change:569, -500
30 136 cor anglais with chorusing and reverb in right speakers, viola with chorusing and reverb in left speakers, other strings excite resonance in all speakers
31 147 two voice harmonizing on flute (200, -200) on left, and clarinet (640, 351) on right, other instruments amplified with reverb
32 152 two voice harmonizing on oboe (714, 470) in center, others continue
33 167 solo violin in top center speaker with resonance
34 168 violin moves to rear
35 168 b.5 violin moves to left side, bass clarinet is amplified in center
36 170 b.3.5 violin immediately to top center speaker again, then moves to rear, then left side
37 172 b.3 violin moves around to right side
38 173 b.2.5 violin immediately to top center, then back down to rear
39 175 w.w. and brass in individual speakers for hocketing, strings with delays in front
40 175 b.3 percussion 1 moves around randomly (circle) with heavy reverb, everything else continues
41 183 all instruments move randomly (x/y) with delays, chorusing, and resonance
42 201 everything continues, levels adjusted, horns with delay in front speakers
43 230 continues, levels adjusted
44 247 everything off from previous section, all instruments amplified in front with reverb
45 250 harmonizing on strings fade in: v1 (10), v2 (440), vla (351), vc (269)
46 250 b.5 cross synthesis: when bass plays it is modulates strings in rear speakers, bass clarinet modulates strings in left side, and trombone on right side
47 255 change string intervals: : v1 (740), v2 (651), vla (269), vc (186)
48 258 change string intervals: : v1 (740), v2 (10), vla (151), vc (-431)
49 261 change string intervals: : v1 (740), v2 (351), vla (-714), vc (-431)
50 263 change string intervals: : v1 (451), v2 (-260), vla (-431), vc (-331)
51 266 delay and chorusing on v1 and 2, harmonizing on vla . (351), and vc (269)
52 268 delay and chorusing on v1,v2,vla, two voice harmonizing on vc (551, -231)
53 270 add delay to cello
54 272 harmonize V1 (569)
55 274 harmonize Vla (386)
56 278 change V1 interval (10)
57 279 change vla interval (10)
58 280 chorusing and delays on v1,2, vla, and vc
59 283 harmonizing on strings fade in: v1 (269), v2 (-200), vla (186), vc (500)
60 284 change intervals: : vc (-231)
61 285 change intervals: : vla (151), vc (269)
62 287 change intervals: : vla (186), vc (551)
63 289 change intervals: : vla (151), vc (-231)
64 293 delay on bass clarinet, bass and trombone
65 295 turn off delay on bass and bass clarinet
66 296 turn on delay on bass, off on others
67 299 loud delays and harmonizing on wind and percussion with fast random movement (x/y)
68 314 all instruments with delays, moving randomly (x/y), and exciting heavy resonance which gradually fades away over 30 seconds, clarifying the sound
69 380 delays and motion continue (no resonance) high pass filter gradually rises in frequency over 30 seconds, filtering away lower part of spectrum
and leaving shimmering high harmonics moving around
70 393 filter is removed, instruments amplified with reverb in fixed positions around the room
71 395 all instruments move to new position in 2 seconds
72-77 397-419 (with percussion unisons) instruments move to new position, 2 instruments are given delays and x/y random movement (different ones each cue)
78-80 425-435 (with percussion unisons) gradually add instruments to random rotating movement
81 441 slow movement slightly, gradually introduce resonance
82 445 gradually introduce delays on all instruments
83 449 all instruments slowly circle randomly, with resonance and delays (like at the start of Rain Forest)
84 467 ob, vla, horn 1 slightly louder and move randomly in X/Y mode, others stay the same
85 474 cl1,v2,h2 slightly louder and move randomly in X/Y mode
86 480 fl,v1,trb slightly louder and move randomly in X/Y mode
87 483 cl2,vc,bs slightly louder and move randomly in X/Y mode
88 490 vla, vc, v1 in x/y random movement (no delay)
89 493 cl2, bs, trb join x/y movement
90 495 h1,h2,ob,cl1 join x/y movement
91 496 vl and v2 join - all instruments moving randomly (x/y) - gradually introduce resonance with short decay time in all speakers
92 508 b.2 all instruments move to front speakers in 1 second and stay fixed with reverb, resonance fades in 1 second
93 510 all strings with harmonizers that raise and lower the frequency in proportion to the amplitude of the bass clarinet (when bs.cl. is not playing, they have jittery chorusing, as he plays louder one pitch moves down and another up to a whole tone cluster when cl. reaches FF). Bass clarinet also modulates the timbre of the strings (cross synthesis), and pans the strings (front when quiet, rear when loud). Bass clarinet itself is in rear speakers.
94 523 turn on flt, ob, cl1 with reverb in front
95 535 all instruments random movement (x/y) independently
96-99 538-543 movement of instruments becomes identical when they play in unison, until everyone is moved the same at cue 99
100-102 548-546 reverse process, instruments move independently as they depart from unison
103 556 everyone independent again, turn on brass in front speakers with reverb
104 558 b.2 begin processing for next movement: cello delays, clarinet 2 voice harmonizing with shifting intervals (starting with 351, -231)
105 559 b.3 change clarinet intervals (200, -200)
106 560 b.2 change clarinet intervals (351, -698)
107 561 change clarinet intervals (-569, -431), two voice harmonizrer on flute (551, 396)
108 562 change cl. intervals (351, -700), change flt intervals (569, -500), 2voice harm. on oboe (-131, -400)
109 565 change cl. intervals (186, 641), change flt intervals (251, -200)
110 565 b.4 change oboe intervals (269, -800)
111 569 b.1.5 change intervals cl (286, -459), flt (351, -200)
112 573 all instruments excite resonance, string tremolos move around randomly (X/Y), trombone and horns with delays
113 577 add viola to high string movement
114 581 remove viola from movement
115 585 delay on percussion, everything else continues
116 589 turn off silent instruments, increase delays on trombone and horns
117 600 tremolo strings move around together randomly (circle), percussion with heavey delays and reverb in rear speakers
118 609 turn everything off and go someplace to drink a lot of champagne, wine, and cognac!