Twenty Thousand Hertz Tune Tech: Distortion, sequencers, Auto-Tune, and more
Nov 29, 2023
Explore the impact of technology on music production, including the history and impact of distortion, the significance of sequencers and the introduction of the Band Lab app, the rise of auto-tune in music, and how technology has shaped the music industry.
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Distortion Changed Music Sound
- Distortion originated in the 1950s as musicians intentionally created "dirty" sounds rather than clean recordings.
- This broke with recording norms and became a defining sound for rock and popular music genres.
Accidental Amp Fall Inspired Distortion
- The famous distorted guitar on "Rocket 88" reportedly came from a damaged amplifier.
- Early tonal distortion was often invented accidentally or improvised by musicians.
Cutting Speaker For Distortion
- Guitarist Dave Davis created distortion by physically cutting a speaker cone with a razor blade.
- Such creative DIY experimentation led to the early characteristic distorted guitar sounds.