Stutter edit explained

The stutter edit, or stutter effect, is the rhythmic repetition of small fragments of audio, occurring as the common 16th note repetition, but also as 64th notes and beyond, with layers of digital signal processing operations in a rhythmic fashion based on the overall length of the host tempo.[1] [2] The Stutter Edit audio software VST plug-in implements forms of granular synthesis, sample retrigger, and various effects to create a certain audible manipulation of the sound run through it, in which fragments of audio are repeated in rhythmic intervals.[3] The plug-in allows musicians to manipulate audio in real time, slicing audio into small fragments and sequences the pieces into rhythmic effects, recreating techniques that formerly took hours to do in the studio.[4] Electronic musician Brian Transeau (known as BT) is widely recognized for pioneering the stutter edit as a musical technique; he developed, coined the term, and holds multiple patents for the Stutter Edit software plug-in.[5] [6] [7] [8]

A stutter edit "contains a single segment of audio repeated a number of times, giving a performance a decidedly digital flavor."[9] Stutter edits can go beyond 2,048th notes and can be measured in milliseconds, with layers of digital signal processing operations in a rhythmic fashion, and an individual note potentially containing within it many short fragments of sound.[10] Above a certain point, these repetitions transition from rhythmic to tonal frequencies, making musical notes out of the repeated audio.[11] These extremely short, fast groups of notes are often placed into the spacing of an eighth or sixteenth note in an otherwise "normal" bar, creating rhythmic accenting and patterns that call attention to a particular section. These patterns can be placed at the beginning of a bar, or towards the end for a more syncopated sound. One example is in the second verse of "Drop It Like It's Hot", Snoop Dogg mentions a DJ cut followed by a stutter edit and turntable scratch in reply.[12]

Transeau designed the plug-in to automate the arduous process of breaking audio into micro fragments and using them for new sounds, after experimenting with early versions of the software in his studio and in live performances.[8] [13] Around 2006, Transeau formed the software company Sonik Architects to develop the Stutter Edit plug-in and related tools.[3] [14] In 2010, Sonik Architects was acquired by iZotope,[15] and in January 2011, the Stutter Edit plug-in, based on Transeau's patented technique, was released by iZotope and Transeau.[16] [17] [2] [18] It works by constantly sampling the incoming audio and storing it in a buffer, so that it can be used for repeating short loops or slices, with everything automatically sync'ed to the host tempo. Effects are applied using "Gestures", made up of one or more effects modules or a noise generator, each tied to a single MIDI note. It can be used for live laptop sets or DJing, or in the studio.[1] BreakTweaker, a drum sequencer for beat layering, programming and composition that allows the user to manipulate audio at a micro level, was released by iZotope soon after.[3]

Creation

Due to the extremely rapid rhythmic bursts, after a certain rhythmic point—i.e. the 128th beat—some stutters begin to sound like a tone rather than a short percussive beat. Traditional stutter edits splice percussive vocals or drum loops because they begin as rhythmic rather than constant tones. These percussive, on-the-beat areas are known as attack transients, and are usually no longer than an eighth note. The splicing of percussive samples results in a more attention-grabbing sound than it would with a single sustained pitch.[19] Stutters also often reduce notes within bars, beginning with 32nd notes, then reducing to 64th and 128th or something similar. There are instances of stutter edits that use logarithmic curves rather than relying on musically locked timings giving the impression of a "speed up" or "slow down".

Related programs

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hitchings . Craig . Izotope Stutter Edit . Sound on Sound . January 28, 2020.
  2. Cosmin Lukacs, “Interview With BT aka Brian Transeau,” Trance Sound, September 10, 2010.
  3. Web site: BT And The Stutter Edit . FutureMusic . January 28, 2020.
  4. Web site: NAMM 2011: iZotope, Brian Transeau Introduce Stutter Edit . Electronic Musician . January 28, 2020.
  5. Web site: Perry . Clayton . Interview: Brian Transeau - Singer, Songwriter and Producer . Seattle Post-Intelligencer . January 28, 2020.
  6. Web site: Method and apparatus for digital audio generation and manipulation . Google Patents . January 28, 2020.
  7. Web site: Time Varying Processing of Repeated Digital Audio Samples in Accordance with a User Defined Effect . Google Patents . January 28, 2020.
  8. Web site: iZotope and BT Introduce Stutter Edit . iZotope . January 28, 2020.
  9. Preve, Francis (2004). Power Tools for Garage Band: Creating Music with Audio Recording, MIDI Sequencing, and Loops, p.38. Hal Leonard. .
  10. News: Harrington, Richard. Reveling in the Human Side of Electronica. The Washington Post.
  11. Web site: Waveformless: Review: iZotope Stutter Edit. Waveformless. 24 February 2011.
  12. Owsinski, Bobby (2013). Bobby Owsinski's Deconstructed Hits: Modern Pop & Hip-Hop: Uncover the Stories & Techniques Behind 20 Iconic Songs, unpaginated. Alfred Music. .
  13. Web site: Sen . Priya . BT – My daughter can pick out Stutter Edit in movie trailers, records on the radio; we literally hear it on a daily basis in TV commercials, pop songs, country tracks down to electronic music, starting to hear BreakTweaker all over everything too . Decoded Magazine . January 28, 2020.
  14. Web site: Progressive Sounds.
  15. Web site: iZotope, Inc – Audio Processing Technology and Plug-Ins for Pro Tools, VST, MAS, Audio Unit, and DirectX . Izotope.com . 2013-02-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130224034940/http://izotope.com/press/12.2.2010_iZotope_Announces_Acquisition_of_Sonik_Architects_and_Partnership_with_BT.html . 2013-02-24 .
  16. Web site: NAMM 2011: iZotope Stutter Edit . Mixonline.com . 2011-01-14 . 2013-02-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120916082330/http://mixonline.com/namm_2011/izotope_stutter_edit . 2012-09-16 . dead .
  17. Web site: Realtime editing and Performance of Digital Audio Tracks.
  18. Web site: McConnon. Brian. iZotope and BT Release Stutter Edit. Music Marcom. 11 July 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130224035502/http://izotope.com/press/1.13.2011_iZotope_and_BT_Introduce_Stutter_Edit.html. 24 February 2013.
  19. Web site: Alexander, Jason Scott. . Fractal Tendencies.
  20. Web site: Apple – Pro – Profiles – BT, p. 1.
  21. Web site: Harmony Central – Signal Processing with Propellerhead's ReCycle.
  22. Web site: Sony Creative Software.
  23. Web site: Memory.
  24. Web site: Glitch beta demo available for download.
  25. Web site: Gross Beat. image-line.com.

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