Imogen Heap-- how did she do that?

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:23 am

Taken from the Female Vocalist thread--

Dale wrote:
ISU Trout Bum wrote:
I've gotta throw in a fifth - Imogen Heap. Beautiful voice, and absolutely brilliant (writes ALL of her own music, which is very cutting edge - she's experimental)!. Her voice gives me goose-bumps - especially this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhVfeOAgmAw

I've referenced this in another thread, but this is astounding to me:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg

Every sound being produced on the spot.

How did she do that in realtime? I know the basic idea behind sequencers and looping, but, .......that was amazing.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:39 am

With a machine called a sampler.

It allows you to record bits of audio and use them like a sequencer.

Cirque Du Soleil (sp?) does this along with live performers so they can have certain music playing in a loop for different acts and still have the little flourishes like cymbal crashes timed with the performer who is doing backflips on th back of a horse.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:55 am

With a gift from God and lots of practice. I don't know many people who could do that. It is simply amazing, though. I've listened to it about twenty times since yesterday. It makes me want to cry, it's so beautiful.

hathair_bláth · Post by **hathair_bláth** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:05 pm

That is incredible!

Post by **Dale** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:32 pm

If you watch it carefully a few times, you can eventually see how she's doing it. She's recording a part, looping it, and then recording another part on top of it. Over the course of the song, she's recorded several samples, which she then turns on and off at various times during the performance. It's amazing because it's pretty much perfectly executed. There are also a couple of spots where she uses the sound of her breath to add an extra percussion-like sound to the loops.

Post by **Dale** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:36 pm

from an interview with her:

It was an amazing gig. You literally jump on stage and then you tell everyone all about the things you play. What's a parrot firstly?

My parrot is my sampler, that basically copies everything that I do. I press record and then I say this is my parrot... it'll keep saying 'this is my parrot, this is my parrot'. And then I also record the piano in there and I record my mbira, which is this kind of huge oversized thumb piano thing... and all kinds of bits and bobs. Drum machines....

I have to explain it because when I first started doing the gigs with all my gear everyone, I think, well they didn't have any idea what I was doing because they couldn't see. I don't have any cameras (I should do really - I will get it together). So it's all a bit of a mystery... but I do go round all my bits of gear and introduce them... so that when things come in people can go 'oh right' - they can connect with that piece of gear.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:40 pm

KT Tunstall also uses this technique to great effect. Her song
"Black Horse and Cherry Tree", which you may have heard if
you frequent Top40 stations, was layered thuswise:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IIO2qpSsUTA

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Fri May 18, 2007 1:00 pm

It is amazing that someone can produce the different parts and then tie them all together in a meaningful way in real time. What you don't see in the performance is the hours of practice and planning that goes into the compositon of such a piece. I think that the digital equipment that she has is also just as smart as she is, for once any part is recorded in real time, when that sample is switched on again, that part is rhythmically in sync with everything else that has been sampled or is currently playing. That makes what seems impossible possible. Regardless, in addition to having a beautifully expressive face and a rich contralto singing voice, Imogen Heap has a terrific imagination and wonderful sense of rhythm. Taken together, her performance is very moving.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri May 18, 2007 1:57 pm

Now that I've watched it for the fiftieth time, one thing I noticed that really stands out to me is how calm and relaxed she is all through the performance. There's absolutely no tensity, and she makes it look and sound so efforless. I really admire that.

Right before she sings "I think something is burning" she makes two noises with her nose. It's so beautiful and seemless how she does it.

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:36 pm

Scott McCallister wrote:With a machine called a sampler.

It allows you to record bits of audio and use them like a sequencer.

Any thoughts on an entry-level one? I could Google, but it's good to talk to musicians first.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:44 pm

I'm amazed as well by her calmness. One bad note or one timing issue and that issue would echo throughout the entire performance. True the machine does a lot but I still have a ton of respect for the art she's created here.

Post by **Dale** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:58 pm

Doug_Tipple wrote: I think that the digital equipment that she has is also just as smart as she is, for once any part is recorded in real time, when that sample is switched on again, that part is rhythmically in sync with everything else that has been sampled or is currently playing. .

It would be interesting to get a little tutorial from her on how she does it. I suspect though, that she pushes the button, holds it, records the loop, and then immediately starts playing it back when the button is released.

I googled a bit, trying to find a reference to the exact piece of equipment she uses, but no luck so far.

peteinmn · Post by **peteinmn** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:13 pm

Er, um, ahhh, WOW!! -- Words Fail.

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:27 pm

Dale wrote:
Doug_Tipple wrote: I think that the digital equipment that she has is also just as smart as she is, for once any part is recorded in real time, when that sample is switched on again, that part is rhythmically in sync with everything else that has been sampled or is currently playing. .
It would be interesting to get a little tutorial from her on how she does it. I suspect though, that she pushes the button, holds it, records the loop, and then immediately starts playing it back when the button is released.

My guess is that she sets the rhythm and that it remains constant throughout the performance (I really need to listen more critically). The separate sampled loops would be recorded in this standard rhythm in real time and would remain on thoughout the performance. When I say "on", I mean that they are playing internally but not necessarily audible unless she adjusts the individual controls accordingly. Keeping a standard time throughout the performance would simplify the synchronization of the different sampled loops. Then again, a standard rhythm may not be required at all, just a long as everything is internally rhythmically linked.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:52 pm

Caroluna wrote:
Scott McCallister wrote:With a machine called a sampler.

It allows you to record bits of audio and use them like a sequencer.

Any thoughts on an entry-level one? I could Google, but it's good to talk to musicians first.

Well, I should have been more specific... What she is using is technically a sample sequencer.

Sampling technology allows you to grab a snipet of audio and then "scale" that against a keyboard's range. (ever hear the dogs barking the tune to jingle bells?)

The sequencer is what is going to play the snipet back, they usually have many different settings such as length of play back, number of loop cycles or infinite loops cycles, or in the case of what we saw here, overlays.

There are lots of different ways to do this. The video doesn't show her gear very well but there doesn't seem to be the glow of a computer anywhere. So I'm guessing she is using "black box" or stand alone units to do this. Also given the quality of the sound that is coming back from the sampler, these are not entry-level.

The reason I mention computers for this is there are some fairly decent software packages out there that allow for this type of thing where you would take a sample snipet, (and really they all tend to handle most audio file formats now, WAV, MP3, OGG, etc...) and drag and drop it as a track in a sequencer environment. You can then quickly loop it, repeat it, time and pitch stretch it... Lots of stuff.

A free version of one of these I got with an outboard CD burner a few years back. It was called ACID. I know there are commercial versions of this too. But there are many others out there and entire libraries of snipets you can buy on the cheap to lay into your tracks. Google sample sequencers and you should get a fair idea what's out there.