Networked music performance
Encyclopedia
A networked music performance or network musical performance is a real-time interaction over a computer network
that enables musicians in different locations to perform as if they were in the same room. These interactions can include performances, rehearsals, improvisation or jamming sessions, and situations for learning such as master classes. Participants may be connected by "high fidelity multichannel audio and video links" as well as MIDI data connections and specialized collaborative software tools. While not intended to be a replacement for traditional live stage performance, networked music performance supports musical interaction when co-presence is not possible and allows for novel forms of music expression. Remote audience members and possibly a conductor may also participate.
. As quoted in, states that the piece “used radio transistors as a musical instrument. The transistors were interconnected thus influencing each other.”
In the late 1970s, as personal computers were becoming more available and affordable, groups like the League of Automatic Music Composers began to experiment with linking multiple computers, electronic instruments, and analog circuitry to create novel forms of music.
The 1990s saw several important experiments in networked performance. In 1993, The University of Southern California
Information Sciences Institute began experimenting with networked music performance over the Internet. The Hub, which was formed by original members of The League of Automatic Composers, experimented in 1997 with sending MIDI data over ethernet to distributed locations. However, “ it was more difficult than imagined to debug all of the software problems on each of the different machines with different operating systems and CPU speeds in different cities”. As mentioned by, describes a three-way audio-only performance in 1998 between musicians in Warsaw
, Helsinki
, and Oslo
dubbed “Mélange à trois”. The early distributed performances all faced problems such as network delay, issues synchronizing signals, echo, and troubles with the acquisition of non-immersive audio and video acquisition and rendering.
The development of high-speed internet over provisioned backbones, such as Internet2
, made high quality audio links possible beginning in the early 2000s. One of the first research groups to take advantage of the improved network performance was the SoundWIRE group at Stanford University's CCRMA. That was soon followed by projects such as the Distributed Immersive Performance experiments, SoundJack, and DIAMOUSES.
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
that enables musicians in different locations to perform as if they were in the same room. These interactions can include performances, rehearsals, improvisation or jamming sessions, and situations for learning such as master classes. Participants may be connected by "high fidelity multichannel audio and video links" as well as MIDI data connections and specialized collaborative software tools. While not intended to be a replacement for traditional live stage performance, networked music performance supports musical interaction when co-presence is not possible and allows for novel forms of music expression. Remote audience members and possibly a conductor may also participate.
History
One of the earliest examples of a networked music performance experiments was the 1951 piece: “Imaginary Landscape No. 4 for Twelve Radios” by composer John CageJohn Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
. As quoted in, states that the piece “used radio transistors as a musical instrument. The transistors were interconnected thus influencing each other.”
In the late 1970s, as personal computers were becoming more available and affordable, groups like the League of Automatic Music Composers began to experiment with linking multiple computers, electronic instruments, and analog circuitry to create novel forms of music.
The 1990s saw several important experiments in networked performance. In 1993, The University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Information Sciences Institute began experimenting with networked music performance over the Internet. The Hub, which was formed by original members of The League of Automatic Composers, experimented in 1997 with sending MIDI data over ethernet to distributed locations. However, “ it was more difficult than imagined to debug all of the software problems on each of the different machines with different operating systems and CPU speeds in different cities”. As mentioned by, describes a three-way audio-only performance in 1998 between musicians in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
dubbed “Mélange à trois”. The early distributed performances all faced problems such as network delay, issues synchronizing signals, echo, and troubles with the acquisition of non-immersive audio and video acquisition and rendering.
The development of high-speed internet over provisioned backbones, such as Internet2
Internet2
Internet2 is an advanced not-for-profit US networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government....
, made high quality audio links possible beginning in the early 2000s. One of the first research groups to take advantage of the improved network performance was the SoundWIRE group at Stanford University's CCRMA. That was soon followed by projects such as the Distributed Immersive Performance experiments, SoundJack, and DIAMOUSES.
Awareness in Musical Performance
According to, workspace awareness in a face-to-face situation is gathered through consequential communication, feedthrough, and intentional communication. A traditional music performance setting is an example of very tightly-coupled, synergistic collaboration in which participants have a high level of workspace awareness. “Each player must not only be conscious of his or her own part, but also of the parts of other musicians. The other musicians' gestures, facial expressions and bodily movements, as well as the sounds emitted by their instruments [are] clues to meanings and intentions of others”. Research has indicated that musicians are also very sensitive to the acoustic response of the environment in which they are performing. Ideally a networked music performance system would facilitate the high level of awareness that performers experience in a traditional performance setting.Technical Issues in Networked Music Performance
As listed in, bandwidth demand, latency sensitivity, and a strict requirement for audio stream synchronization are the factors that make networked music performance a challenging application. These factors are described in more detail below:Bandwidth
High definition audio streaming, which is used to make a networked music performance as realistic as possible, is considered to be one of the most bandwidth demanding uses of today's networks.Latency
One of the major issues with networked music performance is that latency is introduced into the audio as it is processed by a participant's local system and sent across the network. For interaction in a networked music performance to feel natural, the latency generally must be kept below 30 milliseconds, the bound of human perception. If there is too much delay in the system, it will make performance very difficult since musicians adjust their playing to coordinate the performance based on the sounds they hear created by other players.However, the characteristics of the piece being played, the musicians, and the types of instruments used ultimately define the tolerance. Synchronization cues may be used in a network music performance system that is designed for long latency situations.Audio Stream Synchronization
Both end systems and networks must synchronize multiple audio streams from separate locations to form a consistent presentation of the music. This is a challenging problem for today's systems.Objectives of a Networked Music Performance System
The objectives of a networked music performance can be summarized as:- It should allow musicians and possibly audience members and/or a conductor to collaborate from remote locations
- It should create an realistic immersive virtual space for synchronous, interactive performance
- It should support workspace awareness that allows participants to be aware of the actions of others in the virtual workspace and facilitate all forms of communication