DAW (DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION) TECHNOLOGY IN THE MUSIC OF WEST JAVA TRADITIONAL THEATRE

Abstract

Music application technology is currently growing rapidly and is almost able to accommodate various instrument characters contained in gamelan music. Adjusting the habits of producing traditional gamelan music into digital and virtual work forms is getting more challenging. This paper aims to demonstrate the process of gamelan digitalization for traditional theatre performance “Tukang Asahan” with DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) work system. DAW is a software-based application device that is used to record and edit sound, which results in audio files (Electronics / Synthesizer, WAV, MP3, AIFF, PCM and so on) that can be stored on storage media (hard disk, SSD or external drive, etc). These files are then processed through DAW into a composition/sequence or music arrangement along with the sound effects. This system allows musicians using this technology to record or process sound as well as compose. The implementation of DAW (Digital Audio Workstation station) gamelan is applied to the production of West Java Traditional Theater performance. West Java traditional theater cannot be separated from karawitan music. “Tukang Asahan” performance contains three traditional West Java theater genres, namely: Sundanese Sandiwara, Longer and Gending Karesmen. “Tukang Asahan” cannot be presented without songs and gamelan music. Digitalization of this gamelan music solves the dependence of traditional theatre on thorough gamelan instruments and their players which is an obstacle during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Keywords: traditional theatre, digitalization, gamelan music, DAW