96 !!Chapter 6
The Orchestra and Band
The traditional orchestra is divided into four basic sections: strings, wood-
winds, brass, and percussion. The modern commercial orchestra contains
synthesizers, flu ̈gelhorns, saxophones, trumpets (with effects), electric gui-
tars (with effects), synthesized drums, and electric drums, along with an
array of additional instruments and effects.
Popular touring bands employ an engineer who mixes their live
sound. (This is referred to as live sound reinforcement.) When using elec-
tric instruments with acoustic instruments, it is crucial that the sound
engineer be familiar with the proper balance. Electric instruments can
obliterate the sound of a band or orchestra. The objective is to re-create the
sound of their recordings during a live performance. Sophisticated sound
systems enable engineers to closely re-create the sound of a recording.
The same theory of balance applies to the mixing process in the record-
ing studio. It is more easily achieved in the studio because of the control of
the mixing environment. Automation gives engineers and producers total
control over the soundscape.
Keyboards
Keyboardis a general term for any instrument that has a keyboard: synthe-
sizer, piano, organ, and so on. Before the invention and general use of syn-
thesizers, a keyboardist played acoustic piano, electric piano, and/or
organ.
The keyboard synthesizer contains editing parameters in one unit.
Keyboards referred to as workstations or MIDI controllers trigger rack-
mounted or virtual (software) synthesizers that do not have keyboards but
generate the same sounds as the keyboard versions of the same instru-
ments. They are called rack mounted because they can be housed in a rack
that holds numerous devices. The advantage of rack-mounted sound
modules is that they save space and simplify the task of simultaneously
generating sounds from a multitude of devices. One keyboard can control
myriad rack-mounted devices. This adds to the creative process because
combining synthesizers and samplers to create inventive sounds expands
a composer’s sound palette. (A synthesizer keyboard can also act as a con-
troller for other devices.)
Some programmers bounce combined sounds to one audio track. For
instance, a combination of three sounds can create a smooth, chorale-like
background (also referred to as a bed). Creating a combined track allows
programmers to use the same synthesizers to create additional sounds.
If digital audio is used in creative ways, several synthesizers (samplers)
can create almost any sound. Understand the capabilities of a device