Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

The Influence of Recording Technology on Music Performance and Production

Abstract Details

2013, Bachelor of Science of Communication Studies (BSC), Ohio University, Media Arts and Studies.
In today’s society, music is perhaps the most ubiquitous form of entertainment. It surrounds us daily, whether it’s the background noise in a television sitcom, an ad played on the radio, or muffled sounds emanating from earbuds worn by the millions of people with iPods. Musical tastes, like the technologies that assisted in their development, have also changed over time. Instead of big band swing, jazz, or orchestral suites, artists such as One Direction, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber rule the Billboard charts. Their electronic and over-processed sound bears little to no resemblance to songs from the early 1900s, due in part to the technological innovations used in the recording and production process. Many believe that most current music is sonically unnatural and over-produced. As Ronan Chris Murphy, producer for King Crimson states, “The term `over production’ as it is commonly used, describes a record that is perceived as having an over abundant use of processing (reverbs, delays, etc.) or has performances that appear to be fine tuned to death” (Murphy). Innumerable songs played on the radio or streamed online are “victims” of such of over-production. The electronic processing that defines these tracks causes them to feel fabricated or unrealistic. Many modern pop hits could not be performed in a live setting without the aid of plug-ins, samples, or electronic equipment. This raises the question: should recordings feel like they are live and cohesive performances, or something that could only be produced with the aid of digital technologies?
Eddie Ashworth (Advisor)
85 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Miller, E. R. (2013). The Influence of Recording Technology on Music Performance and Production [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1367581047

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Miller, Eric. The Influence of Recording Technology on Music Performance and Production. 2013. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1367581047.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Miller, Eric. "The Influence of Recording Technology on Music Performance and Production." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1367581047

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)