Soundation Review

     
Soundation proved to be fairly straightforward in terms of layout. The help information was easy to access and short enough so as to stay on topic. The set-up was clean. The icon change between the loops and the MIDI files served as a quick visual distinction. I found it particularly helpful that the loops were organized not just by style but also by beats per minutes (BPM). The organization of clips is one of the things that makes Soundation so easy to use in that loops that are intended to complement each other are grouped. For example, other guitar and bass loops that I chose were together and sorted by key. I used two types of MIDI files. The first, pair consisted of a bass and synthesizer files that were grouped together within the list.

The second sort was a MIDI file I created myself. It was very simple to import MIDI from another source. I found it incredibly difficult use the piano roll or virtual piano to create the MIDI data that I needed. I attempted to use my MIDI controller, but again, I was unable to problem solve a way to get Soundation to interact with the device, which was working. Considering that I had also not been able to use the MIDI controller with Noteflight, I suspect that cloud-based platforms are not a good fit for an external input device. After a reasonable amount of time and reviewing the help materials and videos, I abandoned efforts to use the tools embedded in Soundation and my own MIDI controller and instead chose to create export a melody as a MIDI file from Finale. The import into Soundation was very simple, but I was disappointed to have lost the instrument sound I desired.

The biggest problem I had with the program involved latency during playback. I know from my previous experience with Soundation that although recording is possible, the program is really designed as a tool for putting together loops and MIDI. Any recording needs to be short and based on the metronome rather than what has been arranged. Attempting to record on top of a pre-arranged track causes the recorded section to lag. I also found the zoom function rather unusable. When I needed to look at an area closely, I had better success with the zoom function within my web browser rather than within the application itself.

The strength of Soundation is certainly the ease of sharing. It was a simple matter to publish and export my piece in a variety of formats. I also liked the fact that the files are saved to my account and in a format that remains editable. I actually created a second version of the piece for a different use which is something that I find I need to do often in my classroom. It was very simple to go back and change one or two small things without having to start over.

I consider myself a Soundation novice, so I think that my first attempts at using Soundation with students will be as a result of what I create with the program myself. For example, the two tracks I created today will allow me to facilitate improvisation experiences for my students. The track I submitted for a grade is intended for fifth grade students practicing G, E, F and F sharp on recorder. The second half of the piece is missing the melody track in order to give students a chance to improvise within a given set of notes. The drum transitions are provided in order to give students time to think.

The second track is missing the MIDI recorder part in order to allow the piece to be used differently. The second track is intended for use with younger students who are playing unpitched percussion. Students might play a given rhythm or create one of their own either through improvisation or composition. The drum transitions provide plenty of time for students to move to a new instrument or to think about what to play depending on the lesson.

I think this program might be wonderful with older students who had time to explore and who attended music more than once a week. In order to have individual students interact with Soundation, I would need access to the computer lab and more time with students. This might be accomplished in an after school club or even a composition camp where students meet daily for a week. By creating my own MIDI tracks, it might also be possible to use our Learning Management System (LMS) to send students a sort of musical tool bag. Individual students could then download the musical segments and import them into their own Soundation accounts for arranging.

I currently have a group of fifth graders who are all pianists who need a more challenging experience in music class. I think they would love to explore Soundation as a means of further study. Within the confines of my once a week classes, most of the time I am limited to what I am able to project to the entire class. Once the program is projected to the entire class it is possible to arrange a collaborative piece with students making compositional choices. I might preplan a collection of choices and ask students to vote at every decision point. For example, I could ask the students to choose between a djembe at 95 BPM or a conga at 120 BPM. These collaborative compositions would work best if they became accompaniment to music created by the children. Perhaps students could create a rhythm piece for a well-known round, or an accompaniment to a game.