This somewhat elusive term has evolved since the late 1950s, and attempts to define it have provoked much-heated debate amongst academics and practitioners. The term has a specific meaning in audio engineering (see 2 below), and a rather-too-simplistic explanation is that it was adopted as an inclusive and umbrella term as the activities of musique concrète, tape music, and electronic music composers saw almost immediate cross-fertilization, which continued through the 1960s and 70s.

The term saw early usage in the United Kingdom and Canada, and during the 1970s tended (amongst other terms) to be used in the French language (électroacoustique) in place of musique concrète. The term was never in wide usage in the United States, where Electronic Music, Tape Music and Computer Music predominated, but recent years have seen an increased usage here too. The term is currently widely used in several European/South American languages, including Spanish and Portuguese.

More recently, some, particularly in Canada, have adopted the term Electroacoustics, which includes Electroacoustic Music Studies in its sense, and has the advantage of emphasising the interdisciplinary nature of the field in the nuance of its meaning. (See 4 below)

Some argue that the term is so elusive as to be unhelpful, and should therefore be abandoned. Others opt for the most general possible use of the word as an umbrella term (see 1 below). The English language has seen increased recent usage of the terms Sonic Art and Electroacoustics in place of Electroacoustic Music. The French language has several nuanced alternatives, including l'Art de Sons Fixés (Michel Chion) and Musique Acousmatique (proposed by François Bayle in the early 1970s as a replacement for Musique Concrète, and a means of delineating his aesthetic concerns within the broader field of Electroacoustic Music).

In an attempt to illustrate nuance, the following four established definitions are offered below.

1. Electroacoustic music refers to any music in which electricity has had some involvement in sound registration and/or production other than that of simple microphone recording or amplification. (Source - Leigh Landy (1999). Reviewing the Musicology of Electroacoustic Music. Organised Sound Vol. 4, No. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 61-70)

2. An adjective describing any process involving the transfer of a signal from acoustic to electrical form, or vice versa. Most commonly transducers, such as the microphone or loudspeaker are examples of this process.

Although the term most precisely refers to a signal transfer from electrical to acoustic form or vice versa, it also is often used more loosely to refer to any process for the electronic generation and/or manipulation of sound signals, including techniques of sound synthesis for the electronic or digital generation of such signals. When the purpose of such manipulation is artistic, the result is commonly called electroacoustic music. (Source - Barry Truax - Handbook for Acoustic Ecology CD-ROM Edition. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999 - CSR-CDR 9901)

3. Music in which electronic technology, now primarily computer-based, is used to access, generate, explore and configure sound materials, and in which loudspeakers are the prime medium of transmission. There are two main genres. Acousmatic music is intended for loudspeaker listening and exists only in recorded tape form (tape, compact disk, computer storage). In live electronic music the technology is used to generate, transform or trigger sounds (or a combination of these) in the act of performance; this may include generating sound with voices and traditional instruments, electroacoustic instruments, or other devices and controls linked to computer-based systems. Both genres depend on loudspeaker transmission, and an electroacoustic work can combine acousmatic and live elements. (Source - Simon Emmerson, Denis Smalley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Second Edition. Ed. Stanley Sadie.)

4. (Electroacoustics) The use of electricity for the conception, ideation, creation, storage, production, interpretation, distribution, reproduction, perception, cognition, visualization, analysis, comprehension and/or conceptualization of sound.

(Source - Kevin Austin, with an acknowledgement to Michael Century)

Ce terme générique est apparu à la fin des années 50 et sa définition a provoqué de nombreux débats dans les milieux universitaires et musicaux. De plus, il existe une définition spécifique dans le domaine de l'ingénierie sonore (voir le 2 ci-dessous). Pour simplifier, il a été adopté comme terme générique regroupant les activités des compositeurs de musique concrète, de tape music et de musique électronique qui y ont vu un point de convergence entre ces différentes pratiques jusque dans les années 60 et 70.

Le terme a commencé à être utilisé au Royaume-Uni et au Canada durant les années 70. Du côté de la France, il a été employé, avec d'autres termes, à la place de musique concrète. Notons, qu'il n'a jamais été en usage aux Etats Unis, pays dans lequel les termes electronic music, tape music et computer music ont toujours été utilisés. Toutefois, récemment, il a commencé à y faire son apparition. Actuellement, il est largement employé dans plusieurs pays d'Europe et d'Amérique du Sud.

Plus récemment, et en particulier au Canada, le terme électroacoustique a été adopté à travers l'expression Electroacoustic Music Studies qui met l'accent sur le côté interdisciplinaire de cette pratique (voir le 4 ci-dessous).

Certains défendent l'idée que ce terme est trop évasif et, par conséquent, devrait être abandonné. D'autres le préfèrent pour son caractère générique (voir le 1 ci-dessous). La langue anglaise a vu apparaître l'usage des termes Sonic Art et Electroacoustics à la place de Electroacoustic Music. De même, la langue française a développé plusieurs autres termes tels que art des sons fixés (Michel Chion) et musique acousmatique (terme proposé par François Bayle au début des années 70 afin de remplacer musique concrète et de désigner plus précisément sa propre esthétique musicale dans le vaste champs de la musique électroacoustique).

Les quatre définitions suivantes résument ces nuances :

• Le terme musique électroacoustique désigne tout type de musique dans laquelle l'électricité a un rôle autre que la simple utilisation du microphone ou de l'amplification pour la production de cette musique. (Source - Leigh Landy (1999). Reviewing the Musicology of Electroacoustic Music. Organised Sound Vol. 4, No. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 61-70)
• Adjectif décrivant tout procédé de conversion d'un signal acoustique en un signal électrique et vice et versa. Pour ce procédé, on utilise généralement des microphones et des haut-parleurs. Bien que le terme désigne plus précisément la conversion d'un signal acoustique en un signal électrique et vice et versa, il est aussi employé dans le cas de procédés de génération ou de manipulation électronique d'un signal sonore. Cette pratique comprend les techniques de synthèse sonore électroniques ou numériques. Lorsque le propos de telles manipulations est d'ordre artistique, le résultat est généralement nommé musique électroacoustique. (Source - Barry Truax - Handbook for Acoustic Ecology CD-ROM Edition. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999 - CSR-CDR 9901)
• Musique dans laquelle la technologie électronique, désormais utilisée avec des ordinateurs, est employée pour accéder à, générer, explorer ou manipuler des matériaux sonores. De plus, dans cette musique, le haut-parleur est le principal médium de transmission. Il existe deux genres : la musique acousmatique et le live electronic. La musique acousmatique est exclusivement composée pour une écoute sur haut-parleurs et n'existe que dans sa forme enregistrée (sur bande, sur disque compact ou sur le disque d'un ordinateur). Dans la musique live electronic, la technologie est employée afin de générer, transformer ou déclencher les sons (ou des combinaisons de sons) lors d'une performance ; ce genre peut inclure l'utilisation de voix, d'instruments traditionnels ou électroacoustique et de tout autre appareillage relié à un système informatisé. Ces deux genres impliquent une transmission du son à l'aide de haut-parleurs et une œuvre électroacoustique peut combiner des éléments acousmatiques et des éléments créés en direct. (Source - Simon Emmerson, Denis Smalley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Seconde Edition. Ed. Stanley Sadie.)
• (Electroacoustics) Utilisation de l'électricité pour la conception, la réalisation d'idée, la création, le stockage, la production, l'interprétation, la distribution, la reproduction, la perception, la cognition, la représentation, l'analyse, la compréhension et/ou la conceptualisation du son. (Source - Kevin Austin, with an acknowledgement to Michael Century)

Termine generico apparso alla fine degli anni Cinquanta. La sua definizione a provocato numerosi dibattiti negli ambienti musicali e accademici. Il termine ha un significato specifico nell'audio engineering (punto 2). Semplificando, il termine è stato adottato per raggruppare genericamente le attività dei compositori di musica concreta, tape music, musica elettronica, che hanno visto un momento di convergenza tra queste diverse pratiche fino agli anni Sessanta e Settanta.

Il temine ha cominciato ad essere utilizzato in Gran Bretagna e in Canada e durante gli anni Settanta tendeva ad essere utilizzato in francese, électroacoustique, al posto di Musica Concreta. Non fu molto utilizzato invece negli Stati Uniti, dove al contrario si usava maggiormente Electronic Music, Tape Music e Computer Music. Negli anni recenti il termine ha avuto comunque una diffusione maggiore anche in questi stati, mentre è comunemente utilizzato nei linguaggi europei e del Sud America, comprese le lingue spagnole e portoghese.

Più recentemente alcuni paesi, specialmente il Canada, hanno adottato Electroacoustics, che comprende anche gli studi dedicati alla musica elettroacustica (Electroacoustic Music Studies) e ha il vantaggio di enfatizzare la natura interdisciplinare della disciplina (punto 4).

Secondo alcuni il termine invece è così elusivo da risultare inutile e degno di essere abbandonato. Altri optano per un suo utilizzo il più generale possibile come termine ad ombrello (punto 1). Nel linguaggio anglofono, recentemente è stato adottato Sonic Arts ed Electroacoustis il luogo di Electroacoustic Music. In francese, vi sono molte sfaccettature, tra cui Art des sons fixés (Michel Chion) e Musica Acusmatica (proposto da François Bayle nei primi anni Settanta in luogo di Musica Concreta, che identifica la sua estetica all'interno del vasto campo della musica elettroacustica).

Nel tentativo di illustrare le varie sfacettature, vengono presentate qui sotto alcune definizioni :

• il termine Musica Elettroacustica si riferisce a qualsiasi musica nella quale l'elettricità sia coinvolta per la registrazione e/o produzione del suono all'infuori del semplice utilizzo per la registrazione con un microfono o al di fuori dell'amplificazione (Fonte - Leigh Landy (1999). Reviewing the Musicology of Electroacoustic Music. Organised Sound Vol. 4, No. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 61-70).
• Aggettivo che descrive qualsiasi processo di conversione di un segnale acustico in un segnale elettrico e vice versa. Vengono utilizzati generalmente microfoni o altoparlanti. Il termine comunque indica anche il caso dei processi di generazione o manipolazione elettronica di un segnale, comprese le tecniche di sintesi elettronica o informatica. Se l'obiettivo di questa manipolazione è artistico, il risultato è detto Musica Elettroacustica (Fonte - Barry Truax - Handbook for Acoustic Ecology CD-ROM Edition. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999 - CSR-CDR 9901).
• Musica nella quale la tecnologia elettronica, ormai passata ai computer, è utilizzata per accedere, generare, esplorare o manipolare materiali sonori. Inoltre, in questa musica l'altoparlante è il principale mezzo di trasmissione. Esistono due generi principalmente: la Musica Acusmatica è intesa per un ascolto attraverso altoparlanti e esiste solo su un supporto registrato (nastro, compact disk, memoria del computer). Nella Live electronic Music la tecnologia è usata per generare, trasformare o far partire suoni, o combinazioni di suoni, durante la performance; ciò può includere l'utilizzo di voci, strumenti tradizionali o elettroacustici e altri apparecchi collegati ad un sistema informatico. Entrambi dipendono dalla trasmissione attraverso altoparlanti. Un'opera elettroacustica può combinare suoni acusmatici e suoni in tempo reale (Fonte - Simon Emmerson, Denis Smalley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Second Edition. Ed. Stanley Sadie.)
• (Electroacoustics) Utilizzo dell'elettricità per la concezione, la realizzazione di idee, la creazione, la memorizzazione, la produzione, l'interpretazione, la distribuzione la riproduzione, la percezione, la cognizione, la rappresentazione, l'analisi, la comprensione e/o la concettualizzazione del suono (Fonte - Kevin Austin, Michael Century).

This somewhat elusive term has evolved since the late 1950s, and attempts to define it have provoked much-heated debate amongst academics and practitioners. The term has a specific meaning in audio engineering (see 2 below), and a rather-too-simplistic explanation is that it was adopted as an inclusive and umbrella term as the activities of musique concrète, tape music, and electronic music composers saw almost immediate cross-fertilization, which continued through the 1960s and 70s.

The term saw early usage in the United Kingdom and Canada, and during the 1970s tended (amongst other terms) to be used in the French language (électroacoustique) in place of musique concrète. The term was never in wide usage in the United States, where Electronic Music, Tape Music and Computer Music predominated, but recent years have seen an increased usage here too. The term is currently widely used in several European/South American languages, including Spanish and Portuguese.

More recently, some, particularly in Canada, have adopted the term Electroacoustics, which includes Electroacoustic Music Studies in its sense, and has the advantage of emphasising the interdisciplinary nature of the field in the nuance of its meaning. (See 4 below)

Some argue that the term is so elusive as to be unhelpful, and should therefore be abandoned. Others opt for the most general possible use of the word as an umbrella term (see 1 below). The English language has seen increased recent usage of the terms Sonic Art and Electroacoustics in place of Electroacoustic Music. The French language has several nuanced alternatives, including l'Art de Sons Fixés (Michel Chion) and Musique Acousmatique (proposed by François Bayle in the early 1970s as a replacement for Musique Concrète, and a means of delineating his aesthetic concerns within the broader field of Electroacoustic Music).

In an attempt to illustrate nuance, the following four established definitions are offered below.

1. Electroacoustic music refers to any music in which electricity has had some involvement in sound registration and/or production other than that of simple microphone recording or amplification. (Source - Leigh Landy (1999). Reviewing the Musicology of Electroacoustic Music. Organised Sound Vol. 4, No. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 61-70)

2. An adjective describing any process involving the transfer of a signal from acoustic to electrical form, or vice versa. Most commonly transducers, such as the microphone or loudspeaker are examples of this process.

Although the term most precisely refers to a signal transfer from electrical to acoustic form or vice versa, it also is often used more loosely to refer to any process for the electronic generation and/or manipulation of sound signals, including techniques of sound synthesis for the electronic or digital generation of such signals. When the purpose of such manipulation is artistic, the result is commonly called electroacoustic music. (Source - Barry Truax - Handbook for Acoustic Ecology CD-ROM Edition. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999 - CSR-CDR 9901)

3. Music in which electronic technology, now primarily computer-based, is used to access, generate, explore and configure sound materials, and in which loudspeakers are the prime medium of transmission. There are two main genres. Acousmatic music is intended for loudspeaker listening and exists only in recorded tape form (tape, compact disk, computer storage). In live electronic music the technology is used to generate, transform or trigger sounds (or a combination of these) in the act of performance; this may include generating sound with voices and traditional instruments, electroacoustic instruments, or other devices and controls linked to computer-based systems. Both genres depend on loudspeaker transmission, and an electroacoustic work can combine acousmatic and live elements. (Source - Simon Emmerson, Denis Smalley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Second Edition. Ed. Stanley Sadie.)

4. (Electroacoustics) The use of electricity for the conception, ideation, creation, storage, production, interpretation, distribution, reproduction, perception, cognition, visualization, analysis, comprehension and/or conceptualization of sound.

(Source - Kevin Austin, with an acknowledgement to Michael Century)

Este término algo elusivo ha evolucionado desde fines de los años 50, y los intentos por definirlo han provocado un debate acalorado entre académicos y profesionales. El término tiene un significado específico en la ingeniería de audio (ver 2, abajo), y una demasiado simplista explicación es que fue adoptado con un sentido inclusivo y general en la medida en que las actividades de los compositores de Música Concreta (Musique concrète), Música para Cinta (Tape Music) y Música Electrónica (Elektronische Musik) vieron un rápido y fértil entrecruzamiento que continuó a través de los años 60 y 70.

El término comenzó a emplearse en el Reino Unido y Canadá, y durante la década del 70 se empezó a utilizar (junto con otros términos) también en francés (électroacoustique) en lugar de Música Concreta (Musique concrète). Nunca se empleó mucho en los Estados Unidos, donde predominaron otros términos como: Música Electrónica (Electronic Music), Música par Cinta (Tape Music) y Música por Computadora (Computer Music), pero en los últimos años se ha comenzado a usar cada vez más, también allí. Actualmente, el término es empleado en varios idiomas europeos y sudamericanos, como ser el español y el portugués.

Recientemente, algunas personas han comenzado a adoptar, sobre todo en Canadá, el término Electroacoustics, que hace referencia al Estudio de la Música Electroacústica, y tiene la ventaja de enfatizar la naturaleza interdisciplinaria del campo, tal como surge de la palabra misma (ver 4, abajo).

Algunas personas argumentan que el término es tan elusivo que no ayuda mucho, y que debería, por lo tanto, ser abandonado. Otros optan por el uso más general posible para esta palabra, como un término amplio y abarcador (ver 1, abajo). En la lengua inglesa ha ido aumentando el uso de los términos Sonic Art y Electroacoustics en lugar de Electroacoustic Music (Música Electroacústica). La lengua francesa tiene varios matices alternativos, incluyendo l'Art de sons fixés (Michel Chion) y Musique acousmatique (propuesto por François Bayle a comienzos de la década del 70 como reemplazo de Musique concrète, y como forma de delinear su preocupación por la estética en el amplio campo de la Música Electroacústica).

En un intento por ilustrar diversos matices posibles, se ofrecen a continuación cuatro definiciones.

1. La Música Electroacústica se refiere a cualquier música en la cual la electricidad se involucra de algún modo en la grabación y/o producción de sonido, más allá de la simple amplificación o grabación microfónica. (Fuente: Leigh Landy (1999). Reviewing the Musicology of Electroacoustic Music. Organised Sound Vol. 4, No. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 61-70)

2. Un adjetivo que describe cualquier proceso que involucre la transferencia de una señal acústica en una de tipo eléctrica, o viceversa. Los transductores, tales como el micrófono o el altavoz, son dispositivos que ejemplifican este proceso.

Aunque el término se refiere específicamente a la transferencia de una señal de la forma acústica a la eléctrica, o viceversa, muchas veces se emplea más vagamente en referencia a cualquier proceso de generación y/o manipulación electrónica de señales sonoras, como ser técnicas de síntesis de sonido para la generación electrónica o digital de señales. Cuando el propósito de tal manipulación es artístico, el resultado es normalmente llamado música electroacústica. (Fuente: Barry Truax (1999). Handbook for Acoustic Ecology. CD-ROM. Cambridge Street Publishing. CSR-CDR 9901)

3. Música en la que la tecnología electrónica, hoy en día fundamentalmente basada en computadoras, es usada para acceder, generar, explorar y configurar materiales sonoros, y en la que los altavoces son el medio principal de transmisión. Hay dos géneros principales. La música acusmática se crea para ser escuchada a través de altavoces y solo existe en forma de grabación (en cinta, disco compacto, o algún tipo de almacenamiento en computadora). En la música electrónica en vivo (live electronic music) la tecnología es usada para generar, transformar o disparar sonidos (o una combinación de estos) en el acto de la interpretación; esto puede incluir la generación de sonidos con voces e instrumentos tradicionales, instrumentos electroacústicos, u otros dispositivos y controles ligados a sistemas basados en computadoras. Ambos géneros dependen de la transmisión por altavoces, y una obra electroacústica puede combinar elementos acusmáticos y en vivo. (Fuente: Simon Emmerson, Denis Smalley (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Segunda edición. Stanley Sadie, editor).

4. (Electroacoustics) El uso de la electricidad para la concepción, creación, realización, almacenamiento, producción, interpretación, distribución, reproducción, percepción, entendimiento, visualización, análisis, comprensión y/o conceptualización del sonido.

(Fuente: Kevin Austin, con un agradecimiento a Michael Century)