This thesis argues the emergence of problematic issues arising from the dematerialisation of studio music technology and its compositional output, compounded by increasingly technically homogenised means of production and distribution. The thesis contends that optimistic claims of democratisation and emancipation surrounding computer music, in addition to proclamations extolling the virtues of the decentralised, distributive opportunities of the web, obscure the effects of such technologies, inviting critical inquiry. An understanding of the origins of techno-romanticism, and the technical processes that inform such utopian viewpoints, are therefore essential in addressing these issues. Using Jacques Attali’s Noise, with his Adorno-influenced ‘Repeating’ and utopian ‘Composing’ chapters in particular as a starting point, this thesis illustrates how the critical stances of Adorno and Benjamin are reflected in Attali’s chapters, and how their respective ideas translate to the imbalances between modes of production and reception present in our fragmented cultural music economy. The thesis argues that the emancipatory affordances that arise within the quotidian use of music, resulting from an unprecedented access to portable music, are at odds with the increased technical demands placed upon musicians within such a system. Additionally, via Heidegger’s modes of revealing and the work of McLuhan, this thesis attempts to articulate the polarising, quasi-deterministic effects of hardware and software technology involved in music production, plus the myriad activities pertaining to its distribution and promotion, as indicative of the subsuming nature of a technological monolith. The existence of contemporary techno-romanticism, resulting from such technical modes of revealing, is posited as driving the mythological dialectics at the core of technological progress, with Platonic dualism at its foundation. Conclusively, I proposed several practical means of addressing the concerns raised by my research, by rematerialising my own practice and music, including the creation of auratic artefacts, site-specific works, and physical mechanical instruments.

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The work here aims to evaluate the usability of software applications and define their quality for stakeholders in the music industry. Initial work focuses on standardised tools and procedures and sets benchmarks for performance times and completion rates across software packages, before aiming to make some suggestions about how improvements could be made in the design of said interfaces. Further work goes on to explore industry tools in the context of the real world, live performance tools, categorising them according to purpose and evaluating their success. Finally, a series of workshops and discussion groups aim to identify problems and solutions, suggesting a novel way of evaluating music information systems from a usability perspective. The work here explores usability issues in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction, showing that systems can fail in all three categories. While typical software tools such as Cubase are found to be somewhat usable, the changing requirements of users mean that software systems are no longer effective in performing day to day tasks required of them. There is further exploration into how software tools are used incorrectly or inefficiently, where learning curves are too steep to overcome and where systems inevitably fail. The thesis culminates in a suggested set of heuristics which can be used to evaluate current systems and used as a guideline in developing human-centred systems within the context of music performance and production. The work highlights the strengths of existing systems in terms of enabling creativity and providing an efficient platform for content creation, while making suggestions about future directions of such systems including a discussion in social web integration and pervasive interfaces.