Victor Cordero and Kit Soden Victor Cordero and Kit Soden

Timbrarium

"Timbrarium" suggests a collection or library of timbres. It serves as a metaphorical space where the sonic potential of instruments or voices is stored and cataloged. Moreover, the concept extends to include personal and shared Timbrariums, which are the cognitive libraries of timbres that individuals or communities associate with specific instruments. These are shaped by experience and exposure to sounds, and they evolve as new techniques and timbres are developed or discovered. Thus, the Timbrarium is not a static entity but a dynamic, ever-expanding universe of sound that reflects historical changes, technological advancements, and the creative exploration of musical expression.

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Resource Updates Don Freund and David Cutler Resource Updates Don Freund and David Cutler

Extreme Orchestration

The Don Freund/David Cutler online Orchestration Textbook and Resource “Extreme Orchestration” offers the kind of in-depth information about the basic acoustics and playing characteristics of orchestral instruments that composers need to create fresh, compelling music within the resources of conventional playing techniques.

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Resource Updates Patrick Susini Resource Updates Patrick Susini

Speak Web

We are pleased to announce the release of the SpeaK Web version, a collaborative platform for organizing, presenting and sharing online sound lexicons created by Patrick Susini and colleagues. SpeaK is a free application; for access, create an account with a login on the Ircam Forum https://forum.ircam.fr/.

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Timbre Stories Stephen McAdams Timbre Stories Stephen McAdams

My Journey Into Timbre Space

We listened to a lot of classical, folk and jazz, and I later became intrigued by the musics of other cultures with wildly different instruments and sonorities, and so sound colors galore were always available. The discovery of contemporary music and electronic music then blew the door open even wider to the wonderful world of timbre as a musician making some attempts at music composition: I just wanted to explore new and fascinating sound worlds.

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Timbre Stories Martha de Francisco Timbre Stories Martha de Francisco

The Colours of Music

The world of music is a resplendent and colorful world. In analogy with the visual world in which we live, the sounds that surround us are presented in an immensity of tones and varied nuances. When sounds are used to produce music, performed by musicians, instrumentalists and singers, the variety of tonal colors that they have at their disposal contributes to creating a wide universe of sound details, which enrich the communication of the musical content that the musicians share with their listeners.

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