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zlander
New Member
New Zealand
5 Posts |
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Davo
Bronze Member
Australia
155 Posts |
 Posted - 07/18/2006 : 11:25:54 PM
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Most of my stuff takes shape with a guitar and a pen and paper, so music technology isn't that important to my creative process.
Saying that though it does allow me to record and edit my stuff at a level that was previously unattainable, and it is a lot of fun to mess with some of the technology out there, but if there where no computers i'd still be writing the same stuff and singing into a cassette tape.
Cheers
Davo |
aint life sweet!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/frogs4snakes |
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garrigus
Moderator
USA
8889 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2006 : 8:23:55 PM
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For me technology is extremely important. I always use some kind of music gear when doing anything musical... that includes composing. I like to have that immediate feedback so I can hear exactly what I'm creating. They pretty much have a tool for everything now. Want to write song lyrics? There's MusicWriter. Want to create drum tracks? There's Jamstix, EZDrummer, BFD, or loops from Groove Monkee, Smart Loops, etc.
Plus, I can't really improvise in my head. Meaning, some of the stuff I come up with by just fooling around at the keyboard. I couldn't do that without being in front of the keyboard. And not only that, but different instruments inspire different ideas. In the studio, I have pretty an unlimited palette of sounds, so I just dial something up and start fooling with it. Don't like it? Switch to something else. Eventually, I find a sound that inspires me and allows me to come up with a melody or riff, etc.
I do, however carry around a small pocket digital voice recorder for those out of the blue inspirations that hit me when I'm out somewhere. In that case, I just sing what I hear in my head as best as I can and then try to translate it into real music later.
Scott
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Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://www.garrigus.com/powerbooks.asp
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
* Publisher of the DigiFreq free music technology newsletter: http://digifreq.com/?DigiFreq
* Publisher of the NewTechReview free consumer technology newsletter: http://newtechreview.com/?NewTechReview |
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zlander
New Member
New Zealand
5 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 10:21:35 PM
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| Thats really interesting because my enquiries relate to the impacts that technologies are having on the creative musician.I feel that technology has allowed many musically illiterate people to create music which is a great thing, my concerns however are situated towards wondering how this is effecting the quality of songwriting and pop culture in general. It is a vast topic with no real definate answers but I think the need for musical training, theory etc is still required if to only maintain a standard of musicianship that may be reflected in a production. The problematics are more than this I know but if we can understand more about how to get better songs out of technology rather than the never ending loop, garageband mentality, then I think both musician and listener will benefit. |
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Davo
Bronze Member
Australia
155 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 11:10:32 PM
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hi zlander
i do agree with most of your points, but i do think that no amount of technology or training can compensate for talent.
i know most folk could sit down with some of todays technology and knock up a rough song or musical piece, but at the end of the day a good tune is a good tune because it somehow manages to connect with the listener on an emotional level and the magic ingredient which makes this happen is TALENT.
it's certainly heaps of fun for many people to have access to this technology but it isn't going to turn them into a musical genius.
Cheers
Davo
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aint life sweet!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/frogs4snakes |
Edited by - Davo on 07/24/2006 11:11:08 PM |
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lawapa
Moderator
USA
2100 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 11:13:18 PM
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Rock'n'roll is a garage kind of thing  And if memory serves me right was poopooed by the cultural elite? Classically trained musicians.
I not advocating anything here. Just making the observation. It's influence in the beginning was Blues music. Which is by it's very nature different? It's music but not in the classical sense. Structure and timing were slurred. Like Jazz syncopation? Did jazz cop this from the blues? Or did the Blues cop that from Jazz? I think the Blues is an oldist form/style? Either way something happened. Somebody copped a few lick/tricks and the rest is history. |
Love to make that music,as well I love to tweak,Make my own sample sets |
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Davo
Bronze Member
Australia
155 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 11:29:34 PM
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Good point Lawapa,
i feel there has always been an "elitist" element in music, and anything new can easily be dismissed as "not real music"
Even the classical greats (Mozart, Beethoven) had a large group of detractors in their day, because these guys where the Elvis Presley's/John Lennon's/Roger Water's of their time. Guys with enough talent to be discontented with plodding away at the same old formula's and push the boundry's of what was accecptable and expected, for which, i am extremely grateful!!
Cheers
Davo |
aint life sweet!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/frogs4snakes |
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otto
Platinum Member
2301 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 01:21:50 AM
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| I've run into acoustic purists that turn their nose up at anything with samples or synth sounds, as if that isn't somehow a real instrument. For me, filter tones, effects, wild envelopes, all fair game for creativity. I guess that is the point, creativity. That's what comes first. Apply that to anything to make music and if it sounds pleasing, that's real enough for me. The classic sound of the Caribbean, what is that, hitting trash cans? It was a poor street sound. I know I sure like using a word processor rather than a typewriter. The same goes for a hard disk multi-track over a cassette tape. Printed scores on a laser printer, how can you beat that. Digital storage of music, awesome. I'm still amazed I can burn CD content and afford to do it at home. I sure do love what Sonar 5 can do. I agree with Scott, changing off on orchestration on the fly is very inspiring. One instrument might yield little and then you switch to another and it's magic. I sure wouldn't want to give that up and go back to blank score sheets and a pencil. |
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lawapa
Moderator
USA
2100 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 08:42:45 AM
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| Every era had limitations. That set the tone for the music that came from it. And yet it was just thoses limitations that caused some vitally great music to be made. |
Love to make that music,as well I love to tweak,Make my own sample sets |
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Skyline
Member
United Kingdom
97 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 09:30:00 AM
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One thing puzzles me - greatly. Now that home recording is so easily accessable and more folks are creating their own music than at any other time in history, how come there isn't a corresponding growth in the quantity of worthhile, original music? I mean, have you HEARD some of the stuff people post to music sites? I hate to be unnecessarily cruel, but 99.999% of it is unoriginal, embarassing, feeble, tripe. I've heard the occasional piece that's been technically well-recorded, but I've NEVER heard a song that's made me shiver and say "Good grief - that person can write better songs than Ray Davies/The Beatles/Bill Joel..!"
I'm not disparaging their (my!) efforts - they're totally valid insofar as the activity brings an awful lot of pleasure to the creators; and writing, playing and recording your own music is an amazingly enjoyable experience. But why hasn't some true greatness bubbled to the surface? Where are the bedroom nascent Bowies?
The amazing technology can only facilitate - but it hasn't facilitated much so far. Discuss. |
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Edited by - Skyline on 07/25/2006 09:31:20 AM |
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Rezn8
Bronze Member
USA
439 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 11:10:20 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Skyline
how come there isn't a corresponding growth in the quantity of worthhile, original music?...99.999% of it is unoriginal, embarassing, feeble, tripe. Where are the bedroom nascent Bowies?
The amazing technology can only facilitate - but it hasn't facilitated much so far. Discuss.
I have to disagree with that, alltogether. I've heard some absolutely amazing original music on the web that people never would have heard were it not for the web. You just have to find it. I'd recommend checking out the links to peoples sites who post at tapeop.com
Granted, some are not so pleasant to listen to but you'll inevitably find some wonderfully creative gems that you'll save in your favorites. A lot of it is home production that certainly equals anything George Martin ever tracked at Abbey Roads. No disrespect intended; purely prop's for the guys producing themselves. Today's home artists are producing some genuinely exciting homebrews. |
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lawapa
Moderator
USA
2100 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 9:24:51 PM
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I'm in a studio. One of those big ones with a budget The gear room reads like a who's who of equipment I wish I had. With me are a select group of well qualified musicians and engineers just waiting for the moment. I bounce something off the bass player the drummer kicks in, everybody in that live room can stand alone as a musician. Knows his chops and nothing is left to chance. If I want vocal back up it's a phone call away.
OK I got your attention If something magical does not happen I'm wasting time and money. That is what happened. And it's not hard to understand how some great music got made. Now a lot of years of practice and grunt work went into that moment. All before any machines got turned on. And if for some reason you didn't make the cut along the way you could not be there at that moment.
This process culls the pack. Not the best survive. Just the most determined. And from that music is made/recorded/refined/enhanced and a record is made. It is not the best of the best that made the cut. But what comes out of that live room is the best each can bring to that moment. The process was not intended to be perfect. Just to make money. And from that all we hear as music. The soundtrack to our teen years and all the memories that accumulate. |
Love to make that music,as well I love to tweak,Make my own sample sets |
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otto
Platinum Member
2301 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 11:39:51 PM
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| I think you are correct about your perception Skyline. In a way, it is good news. Would we want anyone and everyone to be able to make Beatles albums with ease? That would dilute the value of the Beatles substantially. Of all the cameras that people suddenly had after the turn of the century, 1900, how many of those pictures taken by the throngs were works of art? How many great movies have been made with all the videocams people have? How many great books have been written on word processors that have made writing so much easier? Thank God it is hard to put together everything right so that something really special results. As for music recordings, I think it shows just how difficult it is to get this right. A lot of the greats were genius in some way. Great talents. Notice how often even the greats end up copying something special though. Right now, there doesn't seem to be organized way to bring home musicians and recording engineers together in a way that creates a Motown. Maybe Scott might think of how to try and do this. Drive and synergy seems to be lost by the internet approach. Most home musicians and particularly home recording engineers work like they are mad scientists, alone. That's a big part of the problem. The Beatles with the 5th Beatles show this, as alone, none of these people did anything in comparison. Well, that's my take on this at least. |
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Skyline
Member
United Kingdom
97 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 09:27:02 AM
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Otto,
Well put. I suppose the answer to my conundrum is that nomatter how many more folks start making and recording their own music - facilitated by the advance of the technology - the pool of special talent doesn't in fact grow in proportion, like I thought it might. Those 'Pop Idol' programmes support the point: after trawling across the whole country and sifting through thousands of people THAT'S all they come up with? Those with special talents come through anyway with or without the aid of technology (or contests..) |
my bio
my band
my songs |
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otto
Platinum Member
2301 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 10:55:33 AM
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| Like Idol, we see the same phenomena with recorded music. All these people, the singers on Idol, no matter how horrendous, or people that share their music recordings, also often horrendous, all think their stuff is superb par example of excellence! To tell them anything else and you see how these people act on Idol, angry, abusive, defiant. It's the standard that is sought that is the issue. Is Idol really looking for the best singers? Are all these people being expected to live up to a quality standard, I think so. You point out the difference you see between commercial quality and almost all homespun music recordings, and it just doesn't make the quality standard cut, you and I at least agree on this. Others seem to get upset about this kind of thing even being discussed I've found. The question comes up all the time on music making forums. How could it not? The mistake though is to then say that the current incredible technology opportunity is the problem. It's not. To me, the potential for awesome new music is enormously greater with the new technology. What we are seeing is that almost nobody has the genius to seize the opportunities provided and do something incredible. We are seeing in the commercial world though moments where the new technology is coming through with great promise. What is to be comprehended is that only the surface has been touched with what we have now, and more is coming constantly. If humans manage to survive war and global warming and we have a thousand years of music technlogy growth, sometime in the next thousand years, people are going to tap into the potential and the future of music has never looked better for the human race. Check back on this in the year 3000. |
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Davo
Bronze Member
Australia
155 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 8:20:46 PM
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the quality of audio and the convenience with which we are able to produce it has never been better and i'm sure will continue to improve at astonishing rates. this however as mentioned does not nessessarily(sp) relate to an increase in quality of artist content.
record companies are there to make money and are happy to stick with tried and tested formulas, and for a long time have dictated the artistic content of modern music and the medium on which it has been presented.
the advancement of technology has now allowed artists to break away from the constraints of record companies and be 100% artistically free for the first time. i know that there is literally thousands of artists promoting there "stuff" independantly these days, and that the quality of a vast majority of that stuff is questionable, but i have also heard some top rate material produced in peoples bedrooms etc. we cant expect the quality of artistic content to increase just because the means of producing that material is more readily available to the general public. there has has been a large hit to miss ratio, why would this change?
i actualy believe that as artists we've never before had the freedom of today to produce original music and that although it would be easy to get lost in the vastness of web promotion, there is a lot of good stuff out there, we just have to look a lot harder for it sometimes.(better than being dish fed by record companies)
i also believe that anyone who produces something "special" will shine through as it usually doesn't take too long in these days of high speed communication for word to travel. |
aint life sweet!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/frogs4snakes |
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