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Excerpt from Fanfare of Graphs, composed by Daphne Oram using Oramics.

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]

Related techniques[edit]

The Oramics machine, which creates music from graphic elements uses similar principles to 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]

References[edit]

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

External links[edit]

Oramics
Daphne Oram Collection
Hugh Davies (2003), Daphne Oram: a tribute to a pioneer, archived from the original on 10 February 2006{{citation}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) (find archive)
Daphne Oram and 'Oramics' (1959), 120years.net, archived from the original on 18 June 2012

Mini Oramics machine

Video

BBC News

Daphne Oram, the unsung pioneer of techno, 23 January 2003
How Daphne Oram's Oramic machine changed electro music, 4 April 2011

[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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
+{{short description|Drawn sound technique}}
 {{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
 __NOTOC__
-[[Image:Oramics Machine - details 2-2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|User interface of an Oramics composition machine, showing a set of [[35 mm film]]s, 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.]]
+[[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|Oramics sounds composed by [[Daphne Oram]]]]
+[[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>
@@ Line 13: / Line 16: @@
  | url       = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12953859
  | journal   = BBC News
- | date      = 2011-04-04
+ | date      = 4 April 2011
- | accessdate = 2011-05-29
+ | accessdate = 29 May 2011
 }}</ref><ref>
 {{citation
@@ Line 22: / Line 25: @@
 }}</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 [[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.
-In 2017 PhD student Tom Richards has re-imagined and built a fully working Mini-Oramics machine
 {{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}}
-;Video of Oramics Machine
-[[File:Oramics Machine by Daphne Oram, exhibited at Science Museum, London, circa 2013 (uploaded on 2013-11-17 by Loz Pycock) without soundtrack.webm|thumb|left|Oramics Machine exhibited at [[Science Museum, London]] circa 2013.<br>{{smaller|1='''Note''': the soundtrack of this video has been muted for copyright reasons.}}]]{{clear}}
 == See also ==
+[[File:Oramics_Machine_-_front_right-.jpg|thumb|Oram's machine on display at the [[Science Museum, London]].]]
 * [[ANS synthesizer]]
 * [[Variophone]]
@@ Line 66: / Line 52: @@
 == External links ==
-{{Commons category|Oramics}}
+{{Commons and category|Oramics}}
 * {{citation
    | title     = Oramics
@@ Line 73: / Line 59: @@
 * {{citation
    | title     = Daphne Oram Collection
-   | url       = http://www.gold.ac.uk/ems/oram/]]
+   | url       = http://www.gold.ac.uk/ems/oram/
   }}
 * {{citation
    |author= Hugh Davies
    |year=2003 |title=Daphne Oram: a tribute to a pioneer
-   |url=http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html |deadurl=unfit
+   |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=February 10, 2006 }} ({{Find sources multi/g|https://web.archive.org/web/20060210194050/http://www.sonicartsnetwork.org/Oram/oram.html|display=find archive}})
+   |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
    | title     = Daphne Oram and 'Oramics' (1959)
    | url       = http://www.120years.net/machines/oramics/index.html
    | publisher = 120years.net
+   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120618154920/http://www.120years.net/machines/oramics/index.html
+   | archive-date = 18 June 2012
   }}
@@ Line 97: / Line 85: @@
    | url       = http://vimeo.com/29318062
   }}
-* {{citation
-   | title     = Oramics: Atlantis Anew
-   | url       = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkaTM1td7cw
-  }}
 ;BBC News
 * {{citation

Oramics: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:54, 19 February 2022

Related techniques[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]