GRAIN (MICROSCOPIC ASPECT OF TIMBRE)
This is an aspect of timbre which is often overlooked.
Let's make a comparison with photography or movies.
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GRAIN (MICROSCOPIC ASPECT OF TIMBRE)
This is an aspect of timbre which is often overlooked.
Let's make a comparison with photography or movies.
An old picture from the 20s doesnt have the same grain as a picture from the 50s.
Pictures from the 70s also have a specific grain.
Closer to us, the computer generated landscapes in movies such as Lord of the Rings have also a very specific aspect, probably due to the "smoothing" algorithms used on the textures.
An interesting work on grain by italian photographer Giacomelli
The same issue exists in the audio field.
Vynil records, for instance, have a specific grain - often described as "warm", as opposed to the supposedly "cold" associated to digital techniques.
Tape recorders also bring a specific grain.
It is possible, to some extent, to change the grain of a given sound by processing it with certain peripherals.Different techniques in a given machine (be it tubes, opto electronic technology, certain kinds of transistors....) provide different grains.
In the digital field, different machines can also bring different colors.
Two very efficient, though very different sounding, "grain machines".
The JoeMeek uses opto electronic compression, the Manley tube compression.
An example : "old fashioned" pieces -- see this page.
However, it is generally not sufficient to rely on grain to define/create the aspect of a sound.
Very often, when changing the grain of a sound, it is also necessary to change spectrum and/or dynamics.But it is always difficult to separate those aspects : for example, changing dynamics often modifies the grain.
It's a question of design : one is looking for a set of characteristics which gives personality to an object - in this case a sound.
And in this kind of issues, it's not really possible to separate the different parameters : it's a matter of making the personality "slide" in a particular direction.