Title of work

Electro-ethnomusicology 1

Abstract
Most of synthesised sound textures make one reminds western culture. This fixed-media work is
an exploration of synthesised, contemporary far eastern sounding sound textures that do not
clearly defined yet, via waveguide mesh models of a Korean percussion instrument.

Description
Sound synthesis and electronic music were invented and have been largely developed by peoples
who have european roots. For the historical reasons, synthesised sounds are hardly recognised as
something has an element of eastern music or other world music by itself, unless arranged in
specific intervals or rhythmic patterns. It is possible to achieve that though, for example, by
imitating sound of an asian traditional instrument with FM synthesis or by using a recording of a
real traditional instrument as a sound source, but they still sound too synthesised=western, or too
traditional, respectively.
This fixed-media work is an exploration of synthesised, contemporary far eastern sounding sound
textures that does not clearly defined yet, via custom made waveguide mesh models of
Pyeongyeong, a Korean and Chinese percussion instrument which was used on royal religious
services. Sound samples generated from the physical model were partially algorithmically and
partially manually arranged to obtain various musical gestures and also to reproduce a Korean
rhythmic concept of no strict division. Levels of abstractness of the sounds gradually becomes
stronger symbolises a journey between two stages of meditation, the first one is concentration
meditation which of purpose is calming down, and the second one is insight meditation that is for
realising everything is changing and nothing has eternally fixed shape.

Sound Link
• Stereo version

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CzWgdoI4bQ3QHeMFC7vUFBqf-GmEP6Lf/view?usp=sharing
Please click the download button on the upper right corner to download

(Technical requirements on the next page)

Technical Requirements
• Channel numbers : 8-channel / Octaphonic

• Note : This is fixed-media work, but I want to control spatialisation parameters in real-time during
the performance using my custom XY controller. Thus It is preferred use my laptop for the
performance.

• Setup :

-Space : A table wide enough to put my laptop(Apple Macbook Pro 15”) and a midi controller
(Approx. 30X30cm) is needed with a chair. For the position of table, midpoint of the speaker
arrangement is preferred, but on stage(front) is also acceptable.

-Connection : The laptop can be connected to the audio interface (the one you prepare for the
performance) with USB 2.0, Thunderbolt 2, or Firewire via TB2.

-Multi-channel setup : I follow 6 channel Film style ordering, except Lfe has replaced to Bsc(rear
center), and also Bsl(rear left) and Bsr(rear right) are added at the end.
As a result, my channel order is L, C, R, Bsc, Ls, Rs, Bsl, Bsr.
However, It can be re-ordered to any configuration easily.

-Lighting : No ambient light, only one or two pin light to the table

• Speaker arrangement diagram :