ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses one of the principal ways in which a digital musician may create an original voice: the shaping of sound. It begins by examining how and why particular sounds are chosen and the various ways in which they may be represented, including wave-form diagrams and spectrograms. It then goes on to discuss the musical applications of very many FX, or processes. It does this from a musical and perceptual point of view, rather than defining the purely computational or parametric aspects of the processes. The FX discussed include temporal, loudness, spatial, pitch and timbral processes. The main body of the chapter concludes with a discussion of the implication of sculpting with sounds. Finally, it includes comments on shaping sounds from the case study musicians. It offers some critical questions as food for thought. It provides three creative projects for practical work in class, and a list of recommended further readings and suggested listening.
