Recordings from Persona Digital
Recording Arts and Science
P2500 Band
Persona Classical Consort
Em4U
Persona Studio Setup
Stephen Gislason

From Music Notes
Music Theory
Musical Brain
Synthesizers
Pitch and Tonality
Music Styles
Jazz
New Music
Music Instruments
Composing
Scales and Chords
Arpeggios
Rhythm
MIDI

All About Sound

Em4U

Em4U is the most recent addition to Persona Studios, dedicated to created new music for the 21st century.
The main sound modules in productions are the Korg M3, Korg Trinity and the Emu Proteus 2500 workstations. 

The music category "Electronica" has become obsolete since all recorded music is electronic and performance instruments in all popular genres are now electronic. In the good old days when acoustic instruments were in still commonly used, electronic sound production was experimental and intellectual. Progressive universities developed electronic music laboratories and computer geeks collaborated in new ways of music creation. The investigation of acoustic physics and psychoacoustics advanced rapidly as commercial interest in recording, sound processing and electronic instruments advanced in many directions.

There were  different schools of progressive music. Composers of  symphonic works dabbled in new scales and dissonances; audiences expecting more Mozart and Beethoven were not pleased. Similar notions of scale experimentation emerged in modern jazz. Some performers left their audiences bewildered or offended mostly by long solos that wandered too long in the realm of dissonance and atonality. As synthesizers evolved along with computer composition (sequencers) all possibilities became possible. Algorithmic programs moved toward complexities that human performers could not match.  Often, the innovations produced noise rather than music. An important distinction is easily forgotten: Noise is ugly and confusing. Music is informative and pleasing.

By now, very sophisticated digital workstations and computer programs provide an infinite palette for sound creation. The price of admission is not only the cost of equipment, but more important, the need for advanced understanding and skills. We would claim to have sophisticated understanding of sound production and of music theory. This advanced understanding does not translate easily into popular music, which is relatively primitive and repetitious. In this series we will revise old music theory and explore new possibilities for future music.

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Many of the topics presented online are from Music Notes by Stephen Gislason. Download a free copy of the work in progress. Your comments are welcome.

Persona Digital Studio is located on the Sunshine Coast, Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. www.personadigitalstudio.com  email  music@personadigitalstudio.com. Our Music catalogue includes recorded performances by the P2500 Band, Em4U, and the Persona Classical Consort. Music downloads are available from iTunes, Napster, AmazonMP3 and from our companion website: Persona Digital Online.  We enjoy association with Reverb Nation who provides an online service for musicians to present and market their music.