Stutter edit
Encyclopedia
The stutter edit is a musical production technique, most often known for its use in electronic music
, in which fragments of audio are repeated in rhythmic intervals. Stutter edits not only occur as the common 16th note repetition, but also as 64th notes and beyond. Stutter edits can go beyond 2,048th notes and can be measured in milliseconds. Above a certain point, these repetitions transition from rhythmic to tonal frequencies, making musical notes out of the repeated audio. 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.
Electronic musician Brian Transeau has patented a live-performance audio plugin in which samples are reorganized, broken down, and spliced together, then given a rhythm
and time signature
.. The audio plugin is named "Stutter Edit" and was co-released by iZotope and Sonik Architects.
Stutter edits involve such minute numbers that they cannot be created within one program. Often, separate plugins are necessary to tweak the edit to the desired level, and then import it back into the primary program, known as the Digital Audio Workstation
(DAW). It is in part due to this that the stutter edit is such a time-consuming process. Along with splicing and cutting the individual sample, the sample is often taken out of the DAW, sometimes to a differently formatted program or plugin. This means that upon importing the edit back into the DAW, further editing is required to achieve the desired effect.
The glitch edit is less about rhythmic synchronicity and intended more to jar and “wake up” the listener. Glitches also use sustained harmonic samples, as opposed to the percussive samples used in stutter edits. Usually in short bursts of sound; the glitch is almost always syncopated, placed on weaker beats to grab attention.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, in which fragments of audio are repeated in rhythmic intervals. Stutter edits not only occur as the common 16th note repetition, but also as 64th notes and beyond. Stutter edits can go beyond 2,048th notes and can be measured in milliseconds. Above a certain point, these repetitions transition from rhythmic to tonal frequencies, making musical notes out of the repeated audio. 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.
Electronic musician Brian Transeau has patented a live-performance audio plugin in which samples are reorganized, broken down, and spliced together, then given a rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
.. The audio plugin is named "Stutter Edit" and was co-released by iZotope and Sonik Architects.
Creation
Due to the extremely rapid rhythmic bursts, after a certain rhythmic point—i.e. the 128th note—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-getting sound than it would with a single sustained pitch. Stutters also often reduce notes within bars, beginning with 32nd notes, then reducing to 64th and 128th or something similar.Stutter edits involve such minute numbers that they cannot be created within one program. Often, separate plugins are necessary to tweak the edit to the desired level, and then import it back into the primary program, known as the Digital Audio Workstation
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
(DAW). It is in part due to this that the stutter edit is such a time-consuming process. Along with splicing and cutting the individual sample, the sample is often taken out of the DAW, sometimes to a differently formatted program or plugin. This means that upon importing the edit back into the DAW, further editing is required to achieve the desired effect.
Programs and the glitch edit
As a relatively new technique, for most, the stutter edit is a trial-and-error process. However, there are new programs and plugins emerging to make creation faster and simpler:- Stutter Edit: Stutter Edit is a program designed to automatically generate stutter edit "cuts" through the creation of "gestures.". The goal is to allow stutter edits to be performed in various live applications. In January 2011, Stutter Edit was released by iZotope, Inc. along with BT's software company, Sonik Architects.
- Break Tweaker: Break Tweaker works in the composition field, allowing for more crisp formation of very small notes, called micro-notes. Break Tweaker simplifies the micro-note creation, thereby simplifying the time-consuming trial-and-error process involved. It was created by electronic musician Brian Transeau (better known as 'BT') and was used heavily on his 5th studio album This Binary UniverseThis Binary UniverseThis Binary Universe is the fifth studio album by composer and electronica artist BT, and was released on August 29, 2006. The album was a significant about-face for Transeau, largely abandoning the progressive trance music he was known for, in favor of ambient soundscapes, live orchestration and...
- ReCycle: By software company Propellerhead, this program can change tempo independent of pitch. Unlike the slow, deep bass or fast chipmunk speak that often results from simple tempo changes, ReCycle allows pitch to stay constant, making it useful for stutter edit creation.
- ACID: Sony’s DAW, like ReCycle, keeps time and tempo separate from pitch. In addition, the latest ACID has the ability for multi-track recording, looping, and MIDI sequencing, three essentials in electronic composition.
- Mix Craft: This program enables you to create stutter effects with your mouse pad. By paying attention to your timing you can create professional sounding stutter edits. It ha s the potential to be time consuming since you are doing it piece by piece, but you should be able to professionally re edit a 5 minute song in 45 minutes.
- Buffer Override: This program compresses buffer size, resulting in the desired stuttering sounds, especially those similar to the sound of a vocoder.
- Memory: This VST effect allows you to vary length of a delay buffer (on beat)
- Glitch: Intended for the cousin of the stutter edit, the glitch edit, this audio manipulation plugin splices sound into defined patterns. The program is highly malleable, and can accommodate many different styles and choices. However, because of its range of effects, it is recommended either for the very patient or the more experienced user.
- Fruity WaveTraveller - FL StudioFL StudioFL Studio is a digital audio workstation developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. FL Studio features a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer...
's "WaveTraveller" tool can be used for stutter edit effects. - Gross Beat - Image Line's "Gross Beat" can produce stutter edit as well as glitch and scratching effects by buffering a real-time audio stream and applying manipulations.
- Kyma - Symbolic Sound's KymaKyma (sound design language)Kyma is a visual programming language for sound design used by musicians, researchers, and sound designers. In Kyma, a user programs a multiprocessor DSP by graphically connecting modules on the screen of a Macintosh or Windows computer.-Background:...
allows users to perform real-time stutter edits on sample loops or other audio sources. Unlike a dedicated stutter edit program, users must design their own Kyma sound for doing stutter edits, which can be accomplished through use of the Sample and/or Sequencer prototypes and clever CapyTalk scripting.
The glitch edit is less about rhythmic synchronicity and intended more to jar and “wake up” the listener. Glitches also use sustained harmonic samples, as opposed to the percussive samples used in stutter edits. Usually in short bursts of sound; the glitch is almost always syncopated, placed on weaker beats to grab attention.