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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{short description|Drawn sound technique}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
[[Image:Oramics Machine - details 2-2.jpg|thumb|360px|User interface of Oramics composition machine, consists of: a set of [[35 mm film|35mm film]]s (center) between a pair of sprockets with tensioners (right and left), a [[drawing board]] for composition (center), and a pair of the [[film scanner]]s (left label) and the [[photomultiplier|PMT]] pre-amplifiers (rear units) which convert the drawing on the films to the [[CV/Gate|control signal]]s for the output sound ([[pitch (music)|pitch]], [[timbre (music)|timbre]], [[amplitude]], etc).]]
[[Image:Oramics Machine - details 2-2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|User interface of an Oramics composition machine, showing a set of [[35mm movie film|35 mm films]], a drawing board (centre), [[film scanner]]s (left label) and [[photomultiplier]] amplifiers (rear units) which convert shapes on the films into signals that [[CV/Gate|control]] the [[pitch (music)|pitch]], [[timbre (music)|timbre]], [[amplitude]], etc. of the generated sound.]]
[[File:Oramics.ogg|thumb|Excerpt from ''Fanfare of Graphs,'' composed by Daphne Oram using Oramics.]]
[[File:Oramics_-_Two_waveform_slides_painted_by_Daphne_Oram,_1965-80.jpg|thumb|Two waveform slides painted by Daphne Oram, on display at [[Goldsmiths, University of London]].]]


'''Oramics''' is a [[drawn sound]] technique designed in 1957 by musician [[Daphne Oram]]. The machine was further developed in 1962 after receiving a grant from the [[Gulbenkian Foundation]]. The technique, similar to [[Yevgeny Sholpo]]'s "[[Variophone]]", involves drawing on 35mm film strips to control the sound produced.
'''Oramics''' is a [[drawn sound]] technique designed in 1957 by musician [[Daphne Oram]]. The machine was further developed in 1962 after receiving a grant from the [[Gulbenkian Foundation]]. The technique involves drawing on 35mm film strips to control the sound produced. Oramics was also the name used by Oram to refer to her studio and business interests generally.


Oram's composition machine consisted of a large rectangular metal frame, providing a table-like surface traversed by ten synchronised strips of clear, sprocketed 35mm film. The musician drew shapes on the film to create a mask, which modulated the light received by photocells. Although the output from the machine was monophonic, the sounds could be added to multitrack tapes to provide more texture.
Oram's composition machine consisted of a large rectangular metal frame, providing a table-like surface traversed by ten synchronised strips of clear, sprocketed 35mm film. The musician drew shapes on the film to create a mask, which modulated the light received by photocells. Although the output from the machine was monophonic, the sounds could be added to multitrack tapes to provide more texture and create [[polyphony]].


The original machine was exhibited at the [[Science Museum (London)|Science Museum]] in London between 2011 and 2015.<ref>
The original machine was exhibited at the [[Science Museum (London)|Science Museum]] in London between 2011 and 2015.<ref>
{{citation
{{citation
| title = Daphne Oram's Oramics Machine to go on display
| title = Daphne Oram's Oramics Machine to go on display
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12953859
| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12953859
| journal = BBC News
| journal = BBC News
| date = 2011-04-04
| date = 4 April 2011
| accessdate = 2011-05-29
| accessdate = 29 May 2011
}}</ref><ref>
}}</ref><ref>
{{citation
{{citation
Line 20: Line 25:
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


== Related techniques ==
The technique has similarities to that used by Canadian filmmakers [[Norman McLaren]] and [[Evelyn Lambart]], some of whose films featured sounds created by drawing or printing various patterns, such as triangles and circles, along the optical soundtrack area of the film.
The Oramics machine, which creates music from graphic elements uses similar principles to the various methods of [[Graphical sound]] production appearing in the 1930s, e.g. [[Yevgeny Sholpo]]'s "[[Variophone]]", which produces sound by reading shapes cut into and drawings on cardboard. Canadian filmmakers [[Norman McLaren]] and [[Evelyn Lambart]] have made films that feature sounds created by drawing or printing various patterns, such as triangles and circles, along the optical soundtrack area of the film.


In 2016 Tom Richards, a PhD Student at [[Goldsmiths, University of London]], re-imagined and built a working Mini-Oramics machine.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fry |first1=Phoenix |last2=Cox |first2=Sarah |title=Student builds Daphne Oram's unfinished 'Mini-Oramics' |url=https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/mini-oramics/ |website=Goldsmiths, University of London |accessdate=2 February 2019 |date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
'''Oramics''' was also the name used by Oram to refer to her studio and business interests generally.


⚫
{{clear}}
==Gallery==
{{multiple image |direction=horizontal |align=left
| caption1 = Oramics' '''waveforms''' drawn on a glass plate by Daphne Oram. The round curves produce softer sounds, while the jagged spikes translate into harsher sounds with harmonic elements.
| image1 = Oramics waveform slide.jpg|width1=160
| caption2 = Oramics' '''composition''' (control parameters) drawn on 35mm film strips. Note that it is reconstruction in 2011.
| image2 = Film on Oramics moves in this direction.jpg |width2=155
}}<div style="float:left;">
{{multiple image |direction=horizontal |align=left |style="float:left;"
| caption3 = '''Waveform Scanners''' (bottom) consisted of several sets of the [[cathode ray tube]]s (CRT) and the [[photomultiplier]] tubes (PMT), are for scanning the waveforms drawn on the glass plates to generate sound source signals.<!-- The scanning speed of them are controlled by pitch control signal. -->
| image3 = Oramics Machine - Sound Generator using CRT scanners - front left.jpg|width3=175
| caption4 = '''Pitch Controller''' circuit board (on the top of scanner) controls the scanning speed of Waveform Scanners by pitch control signal. The light-gray colored 2P sockets on it are for plugin the optional [[electronic components]].<br/>
'''Note''': similarly, the [[amplitude]] control circuit should be exist on somewhere.
| image4 = Oramics Machine - Sound Generator circuit boards using CRT scanners - front.jpg|width4=276
⚫
}}</div>{{clear}}
<!-- Temporary comment out a video while replacing media (2017-10-24) -->
;Video of Oramics Machine
[[File:Oramics Machine by Daphne Oram, exhibited at The Science Museum (uploaded on 2013-11-17 by Loz Pycock) without sound track.webm|thumb|left|Oramics Machine exhibited at [[Science Museum, London]] circa 2013.<br>{{smaller|1='''Note''': the soundtrack of this video have been muted. The original soundtrack (music by [[Daphne Oram]]) can be listened at [https://www.flickr.com/photos/blahflowers/10913397683/ source site].}}]]{{clear}}
-->


== See also ==
== See also ==
[[File:Oramics_Machine_-_front_right-.jpg|thumb|Oram's machine on display at the [[Science Museum, London]].]]
* [[ANS synthesizer]]
* [[ANS synthesizer]]
* [[Variophone]]
* [[Variophone]]
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| year = 1972
| year = 1972
| title = An Individual Note: Of Music, Sound And Electronics
| title = An Individual Note: Of Music, Sound And Electronics
| url = http://blog.gusset.co.uk/2007/04/daphne-oram.shtml
| url =
| publisher = Galliard
| publisher = Galliard
| isbn = 978-0-8524-9109-6
| isbn = 978-0-8524-9109-6
Line 62: Line 52:


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Oramics}}
{{Commons and category|Oramics}}
* {{citation
* {{citation
| title = Oramics
| title = Oramics
| url = http://daphneoram.org/oramarchive/oramics/
| url = http://daphneoram.org/oramarchive/oramics/
| work = daphneoram.org
}}
}}
* {{citation
* {{citation
| title = Daphne Oram Collection
| title = Daphne Oram Collection
| url = http://www.gold.ac.uk/ems/oram/
| url = http://www.gold.ac.uk/ems/oram/
| publisher = [[Goldsmiths, University of London]]
}}
}}
⚫
* {{citation
⚫
* {{citation|author=Hugh Davies |year=2003 |title=Daphne Oram: a tribute to a pioneer |url=http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html |location=London |publisher=[[Sonic Arts Network]] |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210194050/http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html |archivedate=February 10, 2006 }} ({{Find sources multi/g|http://web.archive.org/web/20060210194050/http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html|display=find archive}})
|author= Hugh Davies
|year=2003 |title=Daphne Oram: a tribute to a pioneer
|url=http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html |url-status=unfit
⚫
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210194050/http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html |archivedate=10 February 2006 }} ({{Find sources multi/g|https://web.archive.org/web/20060210194050/http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html|display=find archive}})
* {{citation
* {{citation
| title = Daphne Oram and 'Oramics' (1959)
| title = Daphne Oram and 'Oramics' (1959)
| url = http://www.120years.net/machines/oramics/index.html
| url = http://www.120years.net/machines/oramics/index.html
| publisher = 120years.net
| publisher = 120years.net
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120618154920/http://www.120years.net/machines/oramics/index.html
⚫
| archive-date = 18 June 2012
}}
}}

*[https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/mini-oramics/ Mini Oramics machine]

;Video
;Video
* {{cite AV media
* {{cite AV media
| author = Nick Street
| title = Oramics (2009)
| year = 2011
| title = Oramics (2009) &#x5B;Nick Street's video&#x5D;
| url = http://vimeo.com/21310959
| url = http://vimeo.com/21310959
⚫
}}
| medium = video
}} &mdash; showing detail of the machine's internals (as is in 2009)
* {{cite AV media
* {{cite AV media
| author = Nick Street
| year = 2011
| title = Oramics to Electronica
| title = Oramics to Electronica
| url = http://vimeo.com/29318062
| url = http://vimeo.com/29318062
| medium = video
⚫
}}
⚫
* {{citation
| author = Aura Satz
⚫
| year = 2012
| title = Oramics: Atlantis Anew
| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkaTM1td7cw
| medium = video
}}
}}

;BBC News
;BBC News
* {{citation
* {{citation
| title = Daphne Oram, the unsung pioneer of techno
| title = Daphne Oram, the unsung pioneer of techno
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2669735.stm
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2669735.stm
| author = Giles Wilson
| date = 23 January 2003
| date = 23 January 2003
| journal = [[BBC News online]]
}}
}}
* {{citation
* {{citation
| title = How Daphne Oram's Oramic machine changed electro music
| title = How Daphne Oram's Oramic machine changed electro music
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12956702
| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12956702
| date = 4 April 2011
| date = 4 April 2011
| journal = BBC News Technology
}}
}}


Latest revision as of 22:09, 6 June 2024

User interface of an Oramics composition machine, showing a set of 35 mm films, a drawing board (centre), film scanners (left label) and photomultiplier amplifiers (rear units) which convert shapes on the films into signals that control the pitch, timbre, amplitude, etc. of the generated sound.
Excerpt from Fanfare of Graphs, composed by Daphne Oram using Oramics.
Two waveform slides painted by Daphne Oram, on display at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Oramics is a drawn sound technique designed in 1957 by musician Daphne Oram. The machine was further developed in 1962 after receiving a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation. The technique involves drawing on 35mm film strips to control the sound produced. Oramics was also the name used by Oram to refer to her studio and business interests generally.

Oram's composition machine consisted of a large rectangular metal frame, providing a table-like surface traversed by ten synchronised strips of clear, sprocketed 35mm film. The musician drew shapes on the film to create a mask, which modulated the light received by photocells. Although the output from the machine was monophonic, the sounds could be added to multitrack tapes to provide more texture and create polyphony.

The original machine was exhibited at the Science Museum in London between 2011 and 2015.[1][2]

[edit]

The Oramics machine, which creates music from graphic elements uses similar principles to the various methods of Graphical sound production appearing in the 1930s, e.g. Yevgeny Sholpo's "Variophone", which produces sound by reading shapes cut into and drawings on cardboard. Canadian filmmakers Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart have made films that feature sounds created by drawing or printing various patterns, such as triangles and circles, along the optical soundtrack area of the film.

In 2016 Tom Richards, a PhD Student at Goldsmiths, University of London, re-imagined and built a working Mini-Oramics machine.[3]

See also

[edit]
Oram's machine on display at the Science Museum, London.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Daphne Oram's Oramics Machine to go on display", BBC News, 4 April 2011, retrieved 29 May 2011
  2. ^ Oramics to Electronica: Revealing Histories of Electronic Music, Science Museum (London)
  3. ^ Fry, Phoenix; Cox, Sarah (26 May 2016). "Student builds Daphne Oram's unfinished 'Mini-Oramics'". Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 2 February 2019.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Daphne Oram (1972), An Individual Note: Of Music, Sound And Electronics, Galliard, ISBN 978-0-8524-9109-6
[edit]
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