How did computers change the way electronic music could be composed?

Computers fundamentally transformed musical composition by providing composers with unprecedented precision, flexibility, and an expanded palette of sounds. By programming computers to define pitches, rhythms, and timbre, composers gained the ability to explore new approaches to musical form and achieve complete control over their work, sometimes even bypassing the need for a human performer.12

Key ways computers changed composition include:

• Sound Synthesis: Digital-to-analogue conversion allowed for the creation of synthesized sounds from mathematical functions, replacing traditional analogue hardware. Techniques like digital frequency modulation (FM) further expanded the range of available textures.12
• Digital Processing: Composers can use analogue-to-digital conversion to manipulate recorded sounds and human voices, a process central to modern computer music.2
• Standardization and Interactivity: The development of MIDI allowed different electronic instruments and computers to communicate, enabling composers to edit, resequence, and adjust compositions without costly rerecording.3
• Analytical Tools: Computers assist in the analysis of style, harmonic structure, and the composition process itself, while also facilitating music notation and printing.14