Digital (2003)

Instrumentation

• 1 double bass
• 4 toms
• 8 crotales
• 1 bass drum
• 1 tam tam
• cymbals

Electronic part

The double bass player triggers pre-recorded sound using a MIDI pedal. On some parts of the piece, the musicians follow a click track. The volume of the samples and the click track are managed by the computer music designer.

Audio Setup

Diffusion

- One speaker next to the double bass player ("dirty" sound) - L/R front speakers on stage (natural sound) - 4 speakers in the audience (natural sound) for surround effect - One sub in front of the stage - One wedge and one ear monitor for each instrumentist

Amplification precisions

For the double bass we use 3 sound takes :

• A “natural” sound, to give plenty of power. If possible, Plexiglas to avoid percussion. We can adjust to the fortissimi at the end, where the double bass should be a little forward.
• "ultra proximity", with sensors that reproduce a proximity sound, but as balanced as possible. In particular, it should give a good result on the playing mode of the introduction. When these sounds are broadcast over a loudspeaker located right next to the double bassist, it must give the illusion that the sound of the instrument is transformed and louder than the real instrument, without being dissociated from it.
• "dirty": sensor(s) on the cb, reproducing the dirtiest, most piercing and powerful sound possible.
  Add a 3 seconds large reverberation effect on the double bass.

For the percussions, we use close microphones

• crotales (intended for bow playing)
• tam tam (intended for broom playing)
• general stereo pair

Patch presentation

- You can either pass cues using a MIDI pedal or clicking on the "NEXT" button. - "Rewind" reset the cue list. - "Stop" stops the sounds currently playing. - "Back" goes back to the previous event (without triggering it). Note : they are only 4 events.

• Section letters corresponds with the score notation. You can click on a section letter to start the electronic part at the corresponding time.
• Time part shows the time of the currently played audio file position.

Initialization routine

1. Open Max 9
2. Add the Patch folder to max file preferences
3. Open the digital_patch_concert 1_3_DAVIDE patch
4. Choose the MIDI device with pedal information.
5. Activate pedal On/Off
6. Test pedal triggering events
7. Click "Stop" and "Rewind"
8. Activate DAC

Intentions

Pre-recorded sounds
The music assistant measures the general level of the band from the patch.
Sounds are played from the front, with a slight opening into the auditorium. On certain passages indicated on the score, they are broadcast throughout the room.

Instruments
Remote microphones are always opened a little, to homogenize the sound of the instruments in relation to the pre-recorded sounds. This "natural" amplification must be adjusted to maintain correct balance. It is often necessary to push the double bass a lot, so that it doesn't disappear when the band and percussion play loudly.
The desired result is explained verbatim on the score, while the means of achieving it are left to the sound engineer's discretion.
In this way, the sound engineer adjusts the transformation of the double bass's timbre, its sound level, and its openness in space.

Reverberation
The reverberation is widely open on the double bass when indicated in the score, by a hatched bellows.

Click
Indications of the level are given in the score (click 1/3, 2/3 or max).