I'm worried!

[kclements]

eh.

You can look at the landscape and say things are terrible. Or you can ask how can I fit into the new model? (which, by the way, will change again in a year or two) I prefer the latter. The industry is always going to be in flux. The key is to be flexible too.

cheers
kc

[joyfrost]

I too have thought about this, but I don't think real musicians will ever become extinct There are many places that still thrive on real live musicians: session players in Nashville, live orchestras, purist rockers and producers, etc. There is so much disdain for 'fake' music out there still and as long as that snobbery prevails I think there will always be a need for a live musician Although I love my samples I record real musicians every chance I get too it's up to US, the people making the music to keep the balance alive and use both wonderful resources in a healthy moderation

[feaker66]

I am the oldest dude (I think) if this forum. You can't replace me when I am singing hotel California around the campfire with the acoustic. However I have been approached while doing that with the youngins holding up there phones with a song playing and saying can you play that. ha ha

I just listened to an acoustic strumming and hand picking on cheaper daw called garage band and said why do I bother, this is better than me and my 1K AKG microphone.

One of the classes I taught in HS was auto shop. I also had an adult ed class at night. I remember when the computer took over and the old ones freaked out. I got GM to donate a car. We took everything off and only the frame and engine were left. I had a bag full of defective oxygen sensors, throttle position sensors, etc and plugged them in the car. The older guys used a scanner and got very good at diagnostics. the intimidation was gone and they got very good at it.

I guess we just have to dig in and try to be more innovative than the last guy.

Paulie and Paul have now ranted:)

Sincerely

Paul

[garywhite]

Hey guys, just wanted to add my comments to this one..

What I'm finding to my amazement is that I'm still favoring my 'old' orchestral samples over the new ones (admittedly I don't own all the current ones..).

The thing is this.. I bought the Akai s3/5/6k orchestral CDRom libraries back in the day, like Miroslav and Seidleczek etc, and then painstakingly converted to Mach 5, and now Kontakt, and they still to my ears often sound better than, for example, NI VSL or Session Strings Pro for Kontakt (yes, I know SSP is different type of string section..) but they just seem to work better in the mix somehow. It's as though more effort was made to record a great sounding, but limited sample set, rather than every conceivable articulation, but not recorded quite so well (or really badly). Also, even though they are samples, they still rely on the players to play each note with feeling and with some kind of 'together-ness'.

Another example is the old 16bit east west grand piano CD rom for Akai I bought. Again, almost every time I go for these rather than the newer NI Grands, MOTU grand, The Grand, Steinberg, etc etc. They just sound better. Who cares that they are 16bit. Not me. Plus, they take up so little memory and load almost immediately (maximum 64Mb)

(Another REALLY important thing to note is the expression, in the sense of volume swells etc. You can achieve really convincing orchestral parts with simple midi volume control.)

Here's a cover version I've recently produced where the orchestral parts are mostly my old favorite libraries from around 15 years ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og9_tqRp3jY

(or there's a few orchestral tunes on my soundcloud)

[Kolstad]

[comment to the OP] I don't know, the creative part of this work is not about the quality of samples, but of inspirations and composition. If a sampled orchestra can work as a tool to create a composition from your ideas, it's allright with me. The interesting part of producing culture is the human creativity, not what tools it's made with.

Basically, you can make music with a hairpin and random surfaces, so don't worry, be happy

[Paulie]

I didn't say that all musicians would disappear. My thought is that there will be many less that are working, my opinion on this is based on instrumentalists I know today that are experiencing this very thing. Others (like us) have adapted and are learning to use computers, but there is a pretty large technological divide in America that may exclude many potential musicians if computers are needed to make music. Those of us that have the resources to acquire the new tools can succeed, and talent will still be needed in most cases. That's a good thing for us. Horn players,string players, singers, etc... there will always be a need. But the ability to make a living as one will apply to a smaller and smaller population over time.

[Kolstad]

You may be right, Paulie. Those who can afford to make little money, may still be musicians, but those who need to climb the social ladder would have to opt out. I'd imagine such a scenario could make music a lot less interesting in the long run, if it turns out like that.

[ComposerLDG]

Lots of great points on this thread. My take? I don't think we're facing extinction, but we definitely are evolving/adapting. Two and three decades ago, I played solo lounge piano every single weekend night in various clubs, and the pay was indeed good. That part has changed. Not that it's disappeared entirely, but the prospect of doing it on any regular basis (as in, "I'm the restaurant piano guy") is gone. Now, the occasional gig presents itself, usually for a private event.

On the flip side, two or three decades ago, I did not have anything approaching the new opportunities that are available today. Look at what we can do with music production, and look at all the avenues available to us. To pull off then what we do now, I'd have had to have access to a concert hall and musicians on call ready to drop whatever they're doing and meet me in 30 seconds.

So I think we're in a state of flux, and things are really being shaken up. But I believe our services will always be required. I remember a few years ago thinking I should stop composing, since most music comes from music libraries now. Then it hit me that the libraries still need to get it from somewhere!

Exciting times, these.

[Paulie]

Based on some of the drivers I've dealt with I'd love to see a few horses around.

[DesireInspires]

Re-invent yourself.