Notes on Plano by Warren Burt

"Here's an example of using an arbitrary data source to make a piece of music. The data source is the New South Wales Lucky Lottery ($2 version) - draw number 9354, drawn on Sept 24, 2009 (www.nswlotteries.com.au). The original was a pdf file, which was "saved as" a text file. The text file was loaded straight into DataBin, and converted into an ArtWonk .awa file. The was loaded into an ArtWonk AMultiTap module. The data is saved because the ArySaveNum module is used.

The first version of this piece uses 2 voices, which in the mp3 file you hear were the Modartt Pianoteq 3.0 and the Garritan Personal Orchestra Oboe Solo. The Pitch Map puts everything into a cheery Phrygian mode. Each voice uses the same data set, and the data is read sequentially - the original data for pitch, 10 steps later for duration, 20 steps later for velocity, 30 steps later for note duration, for the first voice. The second voice also has a slow sine wave Func Gen to make variations in CC1 (Mod Wheel) for more expressivity with the Garritan Personal Orchestra instrument.

The AMultitap is read a many different locations and is processed with IMod functions. Picking the right ranges for the IMods is critical!

This patch only uses one group of settings, but of course, snapshots could be set up for many sections with different characteristics. But since the example made is only a minute long, that wasn't thought to be necessary. The entire mix was then put through the Sir free convolution reverb, using an impulse response file from a church in Plano, TX. I can't remember where on the net they were offering those impulse response files, but somewhere. Thus this piece might be called "Playing the Lottery in a Church in Plano, or, For a Fistful of Data!!!"

Not being able to leave well enough alone, I expanded the piece to a trio, by copying and pasting voice 2, and adjusting the parameters to fit the new voice. This was orchestrated for Modartt Pianoteq 3.0 piano, and Garritan Personal Orchestra Solo Oboe and Muted Trumpet Solo.

The three instruments were tuned to the same microtonal scale, a 12 note scale made of chains of just 3rds and 5ths, based on the work of Dutch theorist Adriaan Fokker. Some tweaks were done to make the Microtonal Trio version balanced differently than the Equal Tempered Duo version. The change of tuning and addition of one instrument give the two versions very different moods, to my ears.

Set up your own instruments for this piece. Press "Play" and it will go forever, although the examples given each only go for a minute. Brevity is the soul of discretion...."