The Digital Revolution in Music: 1990-1999

The period in music production from 1990 to 1999, marked by the increasing use of digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools and the rise of popular music genres.

A popular digital audio workstation (DAW) that became increasingly prevalent in music studios during the 1990s.

A subgenre of R&B popular in the early 1990s, characterized by distinct rhythmic elements and sampling.

A prominent heavy metal band known for albums such as 'Ride the Lightning' and 'Metallica (The Black Album).'

A successful music producer who worked with bands like Motley Crue, Aerosmith, and Metallica, producing hits during the 1980s and 1990s.

Compact Disc, a popular audio format during the 1990s, impacting the accessibility and sharing of music.

A pioneering file-sharing service for digital music, impacting the music industry in the 1990s.

A popular digital audio format developed and established during the 1990s.

A genre encompassing several styles including Hip-Hop, R&B, pop and New Jack Swing that dominated music charts in the 1990s.

A transition from early digital audio software 'Sound Tools' to the more advanced and widely used 'Pro Tools' during the 1990s.

A Minneapolis-based production duo who produced hit songs for artists like Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, and Usher.

Compact Discs (CDs), during the 1990s, became the most popular format for music, largely replacing Long Playing (LP) records.

A songwriting and production duo responsible for many major pop and R&B hits in the late 80s and 90s.

A high-end recording microphone released in 1992, known for its quality audio capture.

A music genre that emerged in the late 80s and became commercially successful in the early 90s, centered in Seattle.

A major grunge rock album released in 1991, which was a huge commercial success and defined the sound of early 90s grunge.

A Chicago-based engineer/producer, known for producing Nirvana's 'In Utero'.

A period in hip-hop music from the mid-80s to the mid-90s that had several subgenres emerging as well as becoming a dominant genre.

A subgenre of hip-hop characterized by its emphasis on smooth basslines and laid-back rhythms.

A musical group consisting of three musicians playing guitar, drums, and bass, as in Nirvana.

Recording sound using physical media (rather than digital data)

The 44.1 kHz/16 bit format became the standard digital recording format in the 90's.

A record label that launched the careers of many important bands in the Seattle grunge scene of the 1990s.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis originated from Minneapolis. Their music impacted and influenced multiple genres

The point at which a style of music gains mainstream popularity.

A group of young men singing and performing popular music, often with strong fan bases and choreographed routines.

Boy Bands often have producers or songwriters who contribute significantly to their sound and image.

A highly successful Swedish songwriter and producer known for his work with pop stars like Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and *NSYNC.

Max Martin's influence transcended individual artists, shaping the sound of pop music in the late 90s.

A specific style of pop music that emerged in the mid to late 90s, characterized by catchy melodies and simplistic arrangements.

A shift from the synthesized sounds of 80s pop towards a more organic and 'pure' sound in the 90s.

A Swedish pop group known for their synth-pop sound and hit song ‘The Sign’.

A British girl group known for their catchy pop songs and empowering messages, popularizing the 'girl power' movement.

The first website on the World Wide Web went online in 1991.

Hotmail, a free email service that allowed users to send and receive email over the internet, was launched in 1996.

Google, the search engine that became a global phenomenon, was launched in 1998.

The VST (Virtual Studio Technology) protocol, released in 1996, allows music software plugins to be used in a variety of digital audio workstations (DAWs).

The M Box 1, released in the early 2000s, was the first widely used portable audio interface (I/O) for recording music on computers.

The rise of video platforms like Youtube in the early 2000s led to the emergence of viral videos, significantly impacting how content is shared and consumed online.

Popular DAWs in the early 2000s included Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools, Cakewalk, and Sonar.

Napster was a file-sharing service launched in 1999 which enabled users to share digital music files over the internet.

A highly influential hip-hop producer who helped define West Coast rap in the 90s, best known for his work with N.W.A and his solo albums.

Dr. Dre's 1992 debut solo album, widely considered a classic and a defining moment in West Coast rap.

A record label founded by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, known for its influence in the 90s gangster rap scene.

A trend in audio mastering that started in the 90s, where engineers aimed to make recordings as loud as possible, leading to potential sonic compromises.

A popular digital limiter released in 1994, often credited with contributing to the trend of mastering recordings at increasingly higher volumes.

A subculture that emerged in the late 80s and gained popularity worldwide in the 90s, revolving around electronic dance music and all-night parties.

A French electronic music duo whose 1997 debut album, 'Homework', is considered influential in the house music genre.

The debut album released in 1997 by Daft Punk, a French electronic music duo, that established them as a major force in house music.

A drum machine released in 1983 that became highly popular in dance music, known for its distinctive sounds and programmable rhythms.

A legendary drum machine that changed the sounds of music, especially hip-hop and electronic music, famous for its signature bass drum sound.

It provided the means to sample music, allowing musicians to create new sounds and patterns using existing material, greatly influencing the evolution of hip hop production.

A popular hardware compressor released in 1995, known for its accuracy, versatility and range of features.

Buttons on the EL8 Distressor that offer different saturation options for adding warmth and character to the audio.

Emulation modes on the EL8 Distressor that allow you to recreate the sounds of classic compressors like the 1176 and LA-2A.

Green Day's third album, released in 1995, which defined the pop-punk sound of the 90s and 2000s.

A successful music producer who has worked with bands like Green Day, Linkin Park, and My Chemical Romance.

Radiohead's third album, released in 1997, exploring complex themes of alienation, consumerism and life in a technologically-dominated world.

A digital audio compression format that significantly reduces file size, making music easier to share and distribute.