Here at samplenerd.com I often try to approach the subject of music making and production from a unique perspective.
For example in The Art of the Process I recreated the method of working with sample libraries as it was usually done in the 1980s and 1990s. In Frames of Reference, I suggest a novel way of working backwards to engineer a new sound and lastly in If Mercedes Benz made a synthesizer I take a look at the concept of luxury in musical instruments. Not all the published articles you find here have this novel perspective, but many do.
And, it was whilst I was thinking about how musicians from all over the world have a shared love for a particular bit of kit i.e. the TR-808 or the Fender Stratocaster. That I realised these instruments – and many others, form a cultural landscape, and we become familiar with this landscape through increasing familiarity with its landmarks. This is particularly true of more famous instruments. As countless forums and online content demonstrate.
Unexpected discoveries
Suddenly, I found as I learnt more about the Oberheim DMX, I learnt more about the music that made it famous (or perhaps it’s the other way around!) The same goes for the Roland Jupiter 8 or the Fender Rhodes.
I appreciate that different cultures will have different landmarks. But ultimately the nice thing about it is that anyone new coming into the field of music creation and production has a readymade map of a shared musical heritage.
In the West this has built up predominantly in popular culture within the last five to six decades. The electrification of musical instruments has contributed prodigiously to its expansion and not only that, the vernacular we use to describe the landmarks of it.
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