Components Andrew Robertson

Human beings naturally keep time to the rhythms of music and, just as orchestras have a conductor, live bands also need to stay in time.Traditionally a drummer listens to a 'click-track' to set the pace of a band's tempo. However, Andrew Robertson, a Sound Engineer at Queen Mary University London, has been trying to unshackle a drummer from rigidly following a set beat by engineering software that can instead monitor and follow the drummer.With his software a band can trigger computer controlled samples and effects that are timed accurately to a drummers tempo. Placing tempo control in the hands (or sticks) of a drummer in this way allows them to slow things down or speed things up, as and when they choose.In theory, this produces more fluid and expressive performances -- and, ultimately, more interesting music. But how successful is this system at moderating tempo? And could a real drummer tell the difference between a tempo matched by a human or by the machine.

Rather than the performer following exactly a pre-defined "click track" the system allows computer controlled samples and effects to be timed according to the drummers own pace. Via a process called "time-stretching" the software is then able to speed up or slow down sound samples without altering their actual pitch.In his second Components film, Andrew puts his software to the test at Queen Mary University London with a professional drummer and explains how the technology might be used creatively in musical performance