COMMENTS IN BOLD BELOW
On Sat, Feb 27, 2010 at 11:16 PM, David Powers <cybo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> To me, computers are good for two things:
> First of all, any track that uses FM synthesis, which means any track
> with a Yamaha DX-7 or related synths, uses a computer for some of the
> sound generation. A sampler is also a computer, and early house
> already used samples, though Detroit techno less so. So computers have
> always, in some way, been a part of house and techno.
>
> However, the sounds were indeed all mixed down in the analog realm,
> and I agree that can create a different feel to the music; it takes a
> lot of work to mix down your stuff on computers and get a similar
> feeling. However, I do believe it can be done!
>
> I think computers in music are great for 3 things:
>
> 1. Besides FM synthesis and sampling, computers are necessary for
> newer synthesis and signal processing techniques, such as granular
> synthesis, which require digital processing, and can sound really good
> when done well. "Traditional" 313 techno does not use these
> techniques, since they weren't commonly available when the sound was
> first created, but there is no reason they can't be incorporated into
> a Detroit sound. Also, FM synthesis seems to be fairly common in
> Detroit techno. Although "mnml" has resulted in a lot of stupid stuff,
> I do think it is nice that newer synthesis and DSP techniques have
> been accepted into house and techno, although they aren't often used
> in a creative, not to mention "musical", manner.
>
> 2. Making electronic music when you are poor... the cost of making
> electronic music via hardware is prohibitively expensive
> unfortunately. I would love to use gear but some
>
> 3. Creating musical forms and processes that would be too labor
> intensive to create by hand, such as generative and probability based
> structures. There is also possibility working with things like
> artificial neural networks and programs trained to respond to user
> input in unpredictable ways. This clearly isn't part of traditional
> Detroit techno, but again, I'd argue that you could apply such
> techniques to the Detroit sound and get extremely interesting results.
> In fact, I'd argue that anybody who wants to make "futuristic" sounds
> should really focus on this area, especially because you could control
> analog gear with these techniques and so still produce a very warm
> classic sound while doing some cutting edge things with the structure
> and musical content Just don't forget to keep it soulful and funky!
> ;-]
>
> Most people use computers for convenience I'd say, and I think it's
> kind of funny that people would use plugins to do traditional
> synthesis when they could afford proper analog gear. If I could afford
> gear, I'd probably record MIDI performances into a computer and use
> them to trigger both analog and digital sources, then mix down on
> analog gear.
>
> I will say, I have grown very tired of the work flows created in
> current digital software, so even though I'm using all digital, I've
> started to record my keyboard performances on MIDI a lot more, which
> makes it much easier to get that funky feel which can be a pain to
> create by hand in a digital environment. It's amazing how good even a
> digital plugin can sound when you actually use a human performance as
> the basis of the part instead of just a grid!
THANK YOU - AGREED, CAN SOMEONE JUST PERFORM LIKE A MUSICIAN FOR ONCE
OTHER THAN CARL CRAIG?
>
> I also spend a lot of time playing piano; it's extremely helpful to
> turn off the computer and spend time making music with an actual
> instrument that becomes a part of your body... There is a spiritual
> aspect to music that you simply can't experience if you don't
> participate in some type of physical music making.
>
> ~David
DAVID - THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU - I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT INTO WHAT I
PERCEIVE AS MY MAILING LIST EXPERIENCE, AND I HOPEFULLY DO NOT SPEAK
IN VAIN FOR OTHERS AS WELL. I THINK ALL US OLD SOULS SEEK TO FIND A
VALID OUTLET FOR THE VOICE WE ALL KNOW IS INSIDE YOU
>
> On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 12:38 PM, kent williams <chaircrus...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> All hardware is The Detroit Way(tm), and one can't argue with results.
>> Virtually ('Virtually'?) every track that defines Detroit Techno and
>> House music was made with hardware synths and mixed down outside the
>> computer. As it happens, prior to roughly 1998, a computer was of
>> limited utility for anything other than MIDI sequencing.
>>
>> The sound of Detroit techno arose at least in part from the way
>> working with the hardware influences the aesthetic choices made. The
>> one measure drum loop is a limitation of Roland Drum Machines* so
>> Techno mostly involves one measure rhythm loops. Within that
>> limitation, producers soon used the tools available to them (volume
>> controls for individual sounds, sound parameters, write-mode real-time
>> step programming) to make something static come alive.
>>
>> I use a mix of hardware and software, and end up doing the mix in the
>> computer. That's just what I've evolved into using over the years. I
>> still have nearly every synth & drum machine I've ever bought, and got
>> my latest analog synth in 2008.
>>
>> That being said, I think it is very possible to make good music
>> without the hardware, and in fact many people who make tracks simply
>> can't afford a full-on hardware studio. Software synths are free to
>> cheap; a proper modern analog synth costs a minimum of $300-400, a
>> TR909 -- if you can find one -- is $1000 or more. A usable laptop is
>> $600, and sufficient software is free to cheap (or stolen).
>>
>> If you don't like how all-computer productions sound, you can spend
>> the multiple thousands of dollars to equip yourself with 'real' gear**
>> or you could learn to get the sound you want out of the computer. The
>> production techniques required for working in the computer are
>> different than working with outboard hardware.
>>
>> In the end it's always what your'e able to do with the gear more than
>> the gear itself. Whatever inspires you or feels comfortable should
>> your guide, not what anyone thinks that you 'should' be using.
>>
>> *You can use drum loops longer than one measure on Roland drum
>> machines, but it isn't the easiest or most natural way to work.
>>
>> **My rule of thumb about buying external gear -- if it's just a
>> computer on the inside, I'd rather save my money and use my computer.
>> A lot of external synths -- e.g. Nord, Elektron Machine Drum, Alesis
>> Micron -- are just computers in a fancy box. They may be useful for
>> many reasons, but they don't do anything your computer can't, at least
>> insofar as sound is concerned.
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 6:28 AM, Kevin Kennedy <the...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> As a side note, I have gone back to using hardware, and there will be
>>> results to post for everyone soon...
>>>
>>
>
