Charles Taylor’s 1989 Christmas Lectures 5/5: Scales, Synthesizers and Samples

In final lecture, Charles Taylor explores electronic instruments and muses on whether they may one day replace traditional ones. Harpsichords and spinets are mechanised members of plucked string family and it is well known that major problem with these instruments is that it is difficult to make sound vary in loudness. This lecture will explore how we overcome this problem leading to feat of mechanical engineering that is modern piano. Origin of musical scales is particularly fascinating. But problem arises with keyboard instruments that it is impossible to play scales in all keys exactly in tune. Fortunately, synthesizers forming main part of this lecture provide us with convenient way to demonstrate problem and its solution. Timecodes: 00:00 - Introduction 01:07 - Piano Mechanism 02:19 - Piano Features 03:14 - Disputes Physicists & Musicians 06:06 - Experiments with Waveforms 08:04 - Time Analysis Between Notes 09:47 - Gamma & Significance 12:03 - Temperament & Well-Tempered Piano 12:53 - Demonstration of Foreplay 15:17 - Synthesizers 16:14 - Analog Synthesizers 19:34 - Electronic Sounds 23:40 - Vibrato Influence 25:51 - Frequency Modulation 27:19 - Connecting Sounds 28:22 - Analog & Digital Audio Recording 29:19 - Advantages of Digital Recording 30:04 - Sound Processing on Computer 31:03 - Lasers in CDs & Medicine 32:57 - Auditory Illusions 35:24 - Samplers & MIDI 37:08 - Voice Recording 39:21 - MIDI Controller 42:27 - Disclaimer Demonstration 45:13 - Using MIDI to...