Turntablist transcription methodology
Turntablist Transcription Methodology, or TTM, is a notation system for scratching and turntablism. The system was founded by John Carluccio in 1997.[1] A seminal booklet detailing the system was written and published by John Carluccio, industrial designer Ethan Imboden and Raymond Pirtle (DJ Raedawn) in 2000.[2] It is an intuitive graphical representation of the movement of a record whilst performing with a turntable, and was originally documented in a booklet form for distribution used by turntablists around the world.[3]
The system has achieved acclaim from a number of recognizable turntablists, and is becoming increasingly accepted as a valuable method for transcribing turntablist music as it used by public schools in the UK, as well as DJ schools, and has appeared in numerous university dissertations. Thousands of DJ techniques, tutorials and musical scores have been transcribed using this system. Some of the world's top turntablist dj battle champions use the system such as DJ Qbert, DJ Babu, DJ Shiftee, DJ Nelson, DJ Woody, DJ Wundrkut, DJ K-Swizz and Ritchie Rufftone.
The TTM musical notation system has aided in the communication and collaboration among DJs, turntablists, musicians and producers. It has been recognized as the industry standard of musical notation for turntablists worldwide.[citation needed] The TTM system is used by renowned DJ instructors at Electronic Music Collective, Scratch DJ Academy, School of Scratch, The Beat Junkies Institute of Sound, and Q-bert’s Skratch University. [citation needed]
In 2021, Sxratch publicly released the "Scratch Visualizer'" a DJ software that in real time creates TTM illustrations.[4] Using this software, Carluccio created and hosted a web series entitled "Sxratch Essentials"[5] highlighting the TTM of key scratch techniques as demonstrated live by the pioneer DJs who made them famous.
TTM origins
While documenting the X-ecutioners first studio recording X-pressions, John Carluccio envisioned the notation system in 1997 [1] and started testing his rough concept with DJ Rob Swift[6] and turntablists. [7] In 1998 he partnered with industrial designer Ethan Imboden to create a TTM booklet, and by 2000, with additional aid from DJ Raedawn (Raymond Pirtle), a full detailed booklet was distributed at The Battle Sounds Turntablist Festival #4 at New City’s Symphony Space on February 17, 2000. The TTM booklet has been downloaded, shared, and translated versions in Italian, French, Spanish[8] have been created by turntablist enthusiasts.[9] In 2001, John Carluccio was named by Time Magazine as one of the next 100 Innovators in music for TTM.[10] TTM appeared in Scratch movie and dvd extras in 2001. In 2004, Scratch Magazine (issues #1- #6) featured TTM notations in a reoccurring column that explained iconic hip-hop scratch patterns. In 2022, Carluccio spoke at the Sample Music Festival in Berlin about the origins of TTM.[11]
TTM Timeline
| Year | Notable Moments and Innovations |
|---|---|
| 1997 | John Carluccio’s earliest sketches of TTM[12][1] are presented to turntablists[6] and receive notable attention by DJs and the media[13].[10] |
| 2000 | TTM Booklet released, authored by John Carluccio, Ethan Imboden, and Raymond Pirtle(DJ Raedawn). The booklet explains the TTM system.[2] |
| 2000 | At SkratchCon2000, DJ Raedawn wins the DJ Qbert Legendary scholarship for "The Fundamentals," his design thesis on scratch notation, copies of the TTM Booklet[14] are given to the audience and DJ A-trak explains the notation system he created.[15] |
| 2004 | Scratch Magazine, vol.1-6: TTM notations appear in a recurring column that explain iconic scratch patterns. (articles by J.Carluccio, transcriptions by Raedawn) |
| 2005 | Parisian fine artist Matthieu Crimersmois creates a real-time TTM transcribing device he named Le Phonoptique. |
| 2005 | Jesse Kriss, an American data scientist, creates the first radial TTM visualizer using the Ms. Pinky with Max (software). |
| 2007 | Aaron Faulstich, an American DSP & hardware engineer, creates the first TTM DSP application called “Scratcher." |
| 2008 | Faulstich creates “Turntable Surgeon,” a linear TTM visualizer. |
| 2009 | Crimersmois creates the 3D scratch software using the Max modular programming environment in his art installation. |
| 2012 | Lee Meredith, an American programmer & turntablist, using Arduino components with ofxXwax & Ms. Pinky, creates a two-turntable linear visualizer. |
| 2012 | DJ Raedawn creates TTM Academy, teaching the TTM system online, and subsequently released the Periodic Matrix of Skratches. |
| 2018 | Bradley Smith creates a standardized TTM curriculum in the Leicester-Shire Schools Music Service (LSMS) in UK primary schools. |
| 2019 | Nicholas Caris, a turntablist & programmer from New Zealand, debuts a TTM notation visualizer at The Sample Music Festival. |
| 2021 | Sandy Duchesne, a French programmer, releases a standalone TTM notation visualization application that supports two tracks and editing. |
| 2021 | Nicholas Caris joins S-Notation creator Alex Sonnenfeld & Bob Kruijer to release a commercial TTM transcribing application called “Sxratch.”[16] |
| 2022 | Carluccio speaks at the Sample Music Festival about the origins of TTM.[11] |
| 2022 | DJ Raedawn releases the standalone TTM notation sampler instrument application called “PMØS_100” using the TTM Ascii Character Set (TACS). |
| 2023 | Carluccio becomes creative director of Sxratch. He creates and hosts "Sxratch Essentials" using the Scratch Visualizer software by Sxratch, featuring Jazzy Jay, Grandwizzard Theodore and DJ Cash Money [5]. |
| 2023 | Dr. Arno Simmons, a German philosophical and sociological researcher at Humboldt University, releases "Scratchbook.app." |
| 2024 | The "Scratch Visualizer" application by Sxratch is demonstrated at music schools.[17] |
References
- ^ a b c "US Copyright Office / Public Catalog: Turntablists transcriptions: lesson1". US Copyright Office.
- ^ a b "TTM vol 1.0 Booklet" (PDF). ttm-dj.com.
- ^ M. Miyakawa, Felicia (2007). "Turntablature: Notation, legitimization, and the art of the hip-hop DJ". American Music, vol. 25, no. 1. Gale Academic OneFile.
- ^ "Sxratch Mission". sxratch.com.
- ^ a b Battle Sounds (2023). "Sxratch Essentials : Watch and learn the most definitive scratch patterns in turntablism history via the Scratch Visualizer app". Youtube - Battle Sounds.
- ^ a b "Rob Swift TTM demo". www.synthtopia.com. October 2009.
- ^ McKinnon, Matthew (2012). "Drop the Needle: John Carluccio has found a way to transcribe the ineffable art of scratching". Facebook.
- ^ Tom, Perchard (2017). "From Soul to Hip Hop". Google Books.
- ^ Mark, Katz (2012). Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ. ISBN 9780195331110.
- ^ a b Josh, Tyrangiel (2001). "Music: TURNTABLIST EXPERT: Now Every Night He Saves a DJ's Life". TIME MAGAZINE.
- ^ a b Carluccio, John (2022). "Origins of TTM • SMF 2022 • John Carluccio". Youtube BattleSounds.
- ^ "About TTM". www.ttm-dj.com.
- ^ "TTM Press Kit" (PDF). www.ttm-dj.com.
- ^ "SkratchCon 2000 (Dj Raedawn)". youtube.
- ^ "ScratchCon 2000 (A-Trak demo)". youtube.
- ^ "About Sxratch". www.sxratch.com.
- ^ "DJ Spectakulah Sxratch Demo at The Cold Cuts Battle | Sound Collective". youtube. 2024.