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Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes

15 messages · 12 participants · spans 2 days · search this subject
◇ merged from 4 subjects: (idm) bucket brigade · (idm) max/takemura · (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes · (idm) what to buy then? (was: the gear thread)
1998-03-25 20:04siliconvortex Re: (idm) bucket brigade
├─ 1998-03-25 21:13Random Junk Re: (idm) bucket brigade
│ └─ 1998-03-26 05:35Solenoid (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
│ └─ 1998-03-27 00:51Hrvatski (idm) Max/Takemura
├─ 1998-03-25 23:13spacecake Re: (idm) bucket brigade
└─ 1998-03-26 01:02Hrvatski Re: (idm) bucket brigade
└─ 1998-03-26 13:54Zenon M. Feszczak Re: (idm) bucket brigade
1998-03-26 01:00Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
1998-03-26 06:37David Hodgson RE: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
1998-03-26 09:46Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
├─ 1998-03-27 00:31Random Junk Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
└─ 1998-03-27 18:28Solenoid Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
1998-03-27 03:57Graham the Happy Scum Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
└─ 1998-03-27 06:09Stephen Blackpool Re: (idm) What to buy then? (was: the gear thread)
1998-03-27 18:37Stv Prothero Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
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1998-03-25 20:04siliconvortex>Okay, this has been boiling up for a bit. <whistle> let the bubbling bile flow! >how many
From:
siliconvortex
To:
, Hrvatski
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 20:04:53 -0000
Subject:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <01bd5829$46a89a40$60f5989e@sub-con-geo>
quoted 1 line Okay, this has been boiling up for a bit.>Okay, this has been boiling up for a bit.
<whistle> let the bubbling bile flow!
quoted 2 lines how many people out there have genuinely advanced with their music by>how many people out there have genuinely advanced with their music by >buying really expensive gear?
quoted 2 lines I have, definitely. Getting the MAC with SCSI to transfer the sounds and>I have, definitely. Getting the MAC with SCSI to transfer the sounds and >program the Akai was the best thing I could have done.
this kind of gear wasn't really the focus of what i was saying - i was sort of talking about high-quality gear, as in low noise, high bandwidth blah blah, not so much about new tools, which are a more valid way of spending your cash, but still, not something you HAVE to have..
quoted 5 lines Programming the Akai>Programming the Akai >to do a single track used to take 12 solid hours of button pushing. It's >more like two now. It's all about control. If you want your machines to >write your music for you, than stick with a simple setup with fewer >variables. Some of us seek more complexity...
i know what you're saying, but really it's just made your job easier, not improved the potential of your music has it? maybe if you're lazy, yes.. :-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum machine for sequencing and a 12 bit akai sampler, then for anyone who has the drive and determination to really do something, a setup such as yours (not that it's particularly expensive) isn't crucially important. i don't want to get to ground down in this argument (if you can call it that - it's more like two strains of twisted logic occasionally crashing together!) - it's horses for courses. if you have the money, fine, spend it if you want. if you don't (hands up) then it's no big loss. you only get out of your machines what you put into them, and don't be surprised if little johnny and his 4 track take the world by storm. with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a wider variety of sonic delights and other such things. but is this all that is important about music? can we not listen to music in a deeper sense? is it a good thing if the whole scene becomes one big technological race? where does it end? there's only so much information a human brain can process before information is lost..
quoted 1 line those who have the talent to make music that people want to hear...>those who have the talent to make music that people want to hear...
quoted 4 lines I'm gonna cut you (whoever) off right there. The music that PEOPLE want to>I'm gonna cut you (whoever) off right there. The music that PEOPLE want to >hear. That statement is so incredibly absurd that there is no correct >rebuttal. None of the music you listen to was made with you in mind. If so, >than it's COMPLETELY INVALID by the standard definition.
right, everyone stay indoors while we shut down the music industry, in that case. it's quite simple - i hear a record, i like it, THAT IS MUSIC THAT I WANT TO HEAR.
quoted 1 line I'm assuming we're all referring to with our beloved "IDM'>I'm assuming we're all referring to with our beloved "IDM'
i'm not prepared to lay down the ground rules as strictly as this. there is no such thing as idm, apart from the rotten core of unoriginal producers with no imagination. it is the outer fringe, those not afraid to use whatever ideas they want, who are willing to work with any kind of influences, who make the interesting music and, in turn, influence others. with those people, we are simply talking about MUSIC and nothing so shallow as a set of stylistic rules.
quoted 1 line something post-dancefloor.>something post-dancefloor.
there are a LOT of dancefloors on this planet, and they are NOT all the same.
quoted 1 line Agreed, club tunes have to have a crowd pleasing element>Agreed, club tunes have to have a crowd pleasing element
the whole world is a club, your living room is a club, the street outside a 'club' is a club in exactly the same way, so there is no such thing as 'club music' in the way you put it. all music that is put on a disc and sold in a shop has to have a crowd pleasing element. it is made to be heard and enjoyed, otherwise it would not be put on fucking discs and sold in shops, and bought by us. no-one buys music that they don't like, therefore music that no-one likes doesn't sell, therefore it may as well not exist, except in the mind of the person who creates it, and maybe not even there if that person doesn't even like it themselves. this 'non-commercial' ethos concerning idm is just the biggest load of hot air - idm music is commercial in exactly the same way as any other section of the music industry is - please stop deluding yourselves cult-freaks and fashion-slaves! people make music, other people like it, and they buy it. it's the same across the board. experimental music is no different - experimental music is a market where the listeners WANT to hear something different - the experiment is a success if people LIKE it - because that is the only reason for the music to be there in the first place. taking your argument to it's conclusion, we could arrive at the classic arsehole's motto - 'if lots of people like it, it must be rubbish'. a lot of the time we may find that to be true for ourselves, but it is no way to live your life. it's destructive, and has nothing to do with music. labels who say "[we] will Never press more than 500 copies of our 12"s, we will also support underground retailers by selling in direct to them and Refusing to let the capitilist Pigs who run chain stores [both independant and mainstream] get their hands on our records" /are/ the biggest capitalists, who know that the way to sell lots of records (after the corporate licensing deal) is to create (and publicise) a limited supply, which has the effect of building up demand for their product amongst the impressionable kids to a level much higher than if they had actually pressed enough of their product to meet the demand in the first place. there have been those who did this and did not sell out, but what could their motive have been except to keep their precious art out of the hands of people who they consider a lower class than themselves (thus destroying their illusion that they are somehow more intelligent than the common scum who don't really understand the music (!!) and forcing them to tunnel deeper into underground-ness), or simply to be a cult icon, a face in a magazine or a t-shirt. in other words, these people are egomaniacs who never progressed socially beyond childhood.
quoted 1 line But technology making someone less-dimensional! That also is absurd.>But technology making someone less-dimensional! That also is absurd.
no it's not. this is much too expansive a subject to write about off the cuff as i am doing here, but i would say that looking at technology as the way to solve your problems, in this case, musical, is simply side stepping the issue. if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say that by simply piling up the gear, piling up the options, piling up the sounds, is going to make your music worthwhile? nothing! would it make the music worse? i would say that more often than not, it will! you'll just end up with 48 tracks of crap instead of 8! no-one wants to hear a boring bastard hammering away on expensive gear - it's a waste of the musician's money as well as the listener's time!
quoted 1 line but your lexicon costs more than many people's whole setups.>> but your lexicon costs more than many people's whole setups.
quoted 2 lines so. if you're not prepared to spend tons of dough you don't belong in>so. if you're not prepared to spend tons of dough you don't belong in >the electronic music biz. :)
quoted 3 lines True, but not true. You can also tweak thousands (but not millions) of>True, but not true. You can also tweak thousands (but not millions) of >sound varieties out of a Casiotone with built in sequencer. It would beat >out the records that strain to achieve that level of innocence.
is anyone innocent in this day and age? everyone seems to think that they know everything ;-)
quoted 2 lines Anyways, anyone who had the chance to use the million dollar setup to have>Anyways, anyone who had the chance to use the million dollar setup to have >greater control over what distorts and what doesn't, would use it right?
well i would. but i don't have a million dollars. and i'm not going to lose a minute of sleep over it. any millionaire musicians who would agree to let me have a go on their equipment should feel free to contact me.
quoted 2 lines the musicians i respect the most know what to do with a studio full of>the musicians i respect the most know what to do with a studio full of >expensive gear.
i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to forget that mere musicians actually made them. cos musicians are really pathetic people on the whole! <waves> np - behold this version - aggrovators / king tubby
1998-03-25 21:13Random Junksiliconvortex wrote this: > this kind of gear wasn't really the focus of what i was saying
From:
Random Junk
To:
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 13:13:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
Reply to:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <13593.26818.338760.701246@hudsucker.gamespot.com>
siliconvortex wrote this:
quoted 4 lines this kind of gear wasn't really the focus of what i was saying - i was sort> this kind of gear wasn't really the focus of what i was saying - i was sort > of talking about high-quality gear, as in low noise, high bandwidth blah > blah, not so much about new tools, which are a more valid way of spending > your cash, but still, not something you HAVE to have..
you don't HAVE to have anything. i don't think you can draw a distinction between the akai/mac combo and the lexicon anyway. they both make certain things easier. i could get a good reverb by recording my tracks in a cave or hallway... eg: the awesome drum loop from "god od" was recorded under a staircase in a school.
quoted 4 lines :-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum machine for> :-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum machine for > sequencing and a 12 bit akai sampler, then for anyone who has the drive and > determination to really do something, a setup such as yours (not that it's > particularly expensive) isn't crucially important.
i respect tom's ability to a degree but his bad engineering really detracts from the experience, for me.
quoted 3 lines with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a> with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a > wider variety of sonic delights and other such things. but is this all that > is important about music?
nobody said it was.
quoted 1 line can we not listen to music in a deeper sense?> can we not listen to music in a deeper sense?
since music is an aural experience, it's really all about what goes in your ears. i don't know what other sense there is.
quoted 6 lines no it's not. this is much too expansive a subject to write about off the> no it's not. this is much too expansive a subject to write about off the > cuff as i am doing here, but i would say that looking at technology as the > way to solve your problems, in this case, musical, is simply side stepping > the issue. if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say > that by simply piling up the gear, piling up the options, piling up the > sounds, is going to make your music worthwhile? nothing!
your argument pushed to the extreme says that you don't need an orchestra, you should be able to say what you want to say with a solo violin. i refute that. what i want to "say", musically, can't be expressed with one drum machine and one synth. does that make it more or less valid? i don't think so.
quoted 4 lines music worse? i would say that more often than not, it will! you'll just> music worse? i would say that more often than not, it will! you'll just > end up with 48 tracks of crap instead of 8! no-one wants to hear a boring > bastard hammering away on expensive gear - it's a waste of the musician's > money as well as the listener's time!
right but surely you admit that it's possible that 48 tracks of expensive gear can sound good if used by talented individuals.
quoted 3 lines well i would. but i don't have a million dollars. and i'm not going to> well i would. but i don't have a million dollars. and i'm not going to > lose a minute of sleep over it. any millionaire musicians who would agree > to let me have a go on their equipment should feel free to contact me.
i'm not a millionaire but you're welcome to muck about in my studio if you're ever in San Francisco.
quoted 6 lines the musicians i respect the most know what to do with a studio full of> >the musicians i respect the most know what to do with a studio full of > >expensive gear. > > i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to > forget that mere musicians actually made them. cos musicians are really > pathetic people on the whole!
well you need to find some better musicians to hang around with then cos most of the ones i know are really great people. -- Jon Drukman jsd@gamespot.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Plan: Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway.
1998-03-26 05:35SolenoidOn Wed, 25 Mar 1998, Random Junk wrote: > siliconvortex wrote this: > > this kind of gear
From:
Solenoid
To:
Random Junk
Cc:
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 21:35:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject:
(idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
Reply to:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <Pine.GSO.3.96.980325201329.2548A-100000@thetics.europa.com>
On Wed, 25 Mar 1998, Random Junk wrote:
quoted 7 lines siliconvortex wrote this:> siliconvortex wrote this: > > this kind of gear wasn't really the focus of what i was saying - i was sort > > of talking about high-quality gear, as in low noise, high bandwidth blah > > blah, not so much about new tools, which are a more valid way of spending > > your cash, but still, not something you HAVE to have.. > > you don't HAVE to have anything. i don't think you can draw a
This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing around the crappiest gear that sounds great in the end and doesn't have noise that mastering couldn't fix anyway. It is all in the programming, like what soundmaking potential a peice of gear is designed to do is really only 10% of the music-making issue compared to the potential for programming it in an interesting way (90% of the potential of the gear) Programming & Composition is really the thing that is neglected, whereas it should be 90% of what a electronic musician is doing. Most people I know are gear-shopping half of the time, basically procrastinating the time that they should spend staring at the little LCD's and pushing buttons.
quoted 2 lines i respect tom's ability to a degree but his bad engineering really> i respect tom's ability to a degree but his bad engineering really > detracts from the experience, for me.
I agree, like that first Spymania is a frustrating listen about midway thru, but I keep listenning as the *programming* is just undeniably mental (my ears just have to suffer a little!)
quoted 5 lines with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a> > with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a > > wider variety of sonic delights and other such things. but is this all that > > is important about music? > > nobody said it was.
I think it was implied that too many people spend too much time aquiring gear and not enough time programming it and that nobody challenges this common state of mind. For instance, how many people are really up to exploiting all of the functionality of Logic or Max; have they really done all that they can do with 1988's Cubase or Notator (ten year old programs) and is their composition so refined that they "need" those esoteric functions by the end of next week? Do I sound like I have a Puritan work ethic? |-/ (A: tough shit! |-l )
quoted 3 lines no it's not. this is much too expansive a subject to write about off the> > no it's not. this is much too expansive a subject to write about off the > > cuff as i am doing here, but i would say that looking at technology as the > > way to solve your problems, in this case, musical, is simply side stepping
This is the crux of the argument, imo, buying into technology without pushing what boxes they've already got. It is like people buying bigger and better computers: have they even utilized 1/10th of the potential of their setups? Aren't they side-stepping the issue of developing their compositional skills and personal efficiency and discipline?
quoted 3 lines the issue. if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say> > the issue. if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say > > that by simply piling up the gear, piling up the options, piling up the > > sounds, is going to make your music worthwhile? nothing!
quoted 3 lines violin. i refute that. what i want to "say", musically, can't be> violin. i refute that. what i want to "say", musically, can't be > expressed with one drum machine and one synth. does that make it more > or less valid? i don't think so.
checking out a lot of gear can be great for finding out what tools work best for you, but I think the original post was criticizing people that jsut buy gear and then sit on their hands.
quoted 2 lines right but surely you admit that it's possible that 48 tracks of> right but surely you admit that it's possible that 48 tracks of > expensive gear can sound good if used by talented individuals.
I admit this is possible, though rare. For instance, 808 State, who had a very layered sound on Ex:cel, used a pretty elaborate studio setup, but I think people like this work their way up (Massey started in '80), having learned how to exploit more minimal tools in the past. BTW: I don't mean to offend either Jon or siliconvortex, but I have a lot of experiences of meeting programmers w/ & w/o equipment to spot a definite pattern (based on what I subjectively think is good music). Recently hanging out with OST reminded me of what a couple of $150 Alesis units had, given creative brain behind them, and a bottle of Glenlivet scotch (cheers, Geoff!) Very humbling experience, actually... Solenoid solenoid@europa.com <------+
1998-03-27 00:51Hrvatski>I For instance, how many people are really up to >exploiting all of the functionality of
From:
Hrvatski
To:
Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 19:51:24 -0500
Subject:
(idm) Max/Takemura
Reply to:
(idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <v03007800b140a26b5f6c@[209.61.75.5]>
quoted 2 lines I For instance, how many people are really up to>I For instance, how many people are really up to >exploiting all of the functionality of Logic or Max;
Max! Great someone else knows this, I wondered if any techno producers were using it. Many an hour spent at the terminal developing programs for it. Those fauz-Boulez über-serial compositions it can come up with are astounding. Substitute breaks for piano, voila! You've got an aleatoric strain of drum n'bass (albeit, not very catchy or danceable, but great to listen to...). np: Nobukazu Takemura- Child and Magic (Warners Japan) - I can't believe there hasn't been a ton of bandwidth about this one. Truly brilliant (and crystal-clear) record of everything from Terry Riley/Steve Reich-esque hocketing to really great break-fuckery (ala Spymania/Bovinyl/etc...), to prepared piano/chamber music mutations. His other tracks/records are mostly downtempo, but also worth checking out. It's astonishing what's coming out on major labels in Japan these days. I'm sure there's no chance in hell of a domestic issue of this, but at least it exists. __________________________________________________ Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge.________________________ _________________________________PO Box 382864-2864 Cambridge, MA 02238-2864____________________________ _______________________________________________USA _______________Main URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/sheket __________________________________________________
1998-03-25 23:13spacecakeAt 08:04 PM 3/25/98 -0000, siliconvortex wrote: >>I have, definitely. Getting the MAC with
From:
spacecake
To:
little fluffy coulds...toodoodaa
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 18:13:45 -0500
Subject:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
Reply to:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <3.0.5.32.19980325181345.007a94c0@mail.iname.com>
At 08:04 PM 3/25/98 -0000, siliconvortex wrote:
quoted 2 lines I have, definitely. Getting the MAC with SCSI to transfer the sounds>>I have, definitely. Getting the MAC with SCSI to transfer the sounds >>and program the Akai was the best thing I could have done.
AMEN my brother!!! :-) i don't know how i lived without SCSI... <snip, gear>
quoted 1 line i know what you're saying, but really it's just made your job easier, >not>i know what you're saying, but really it's just made your job easier, >not
improved the potential of your music has it? maybe if you're lazy, >yes.. yes and by making something easier you can write music with more inspiration and less perspiration... and that in itself should give your music more potential. plus, i don't think you need to have an expensive studio in order to write great music, but you should have a studio which you do not feel cramped by... and if that means getting a lexion, then go ahead!
quoted 1 line :-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum >machine>:-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum >machine
for sequencing and a 12 bit akai sampler, then for anyone who >has the drive and determination to really do something, a setup such as >yours (not that it's particularly expensive) isn't crucially important. at this time i would like everyone to open their copy of 'i eat weird things' and look inside... as you can see he definately has MORE gear than an akai and a drum machine... (plus, all his warp stuff wasn't even mastered by him but by someone else... and notice the improvment!) ...anyway, there is only so much that can be done with a piece of gear... and new technology makes new ideas possible.
quoted 2 lines with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously>with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously >achieve a wider variety of sonic delights and other such things. but >is
this all that is important about music? well its not ALL that's important... but what fun would it be if every label put shit done on mario paint.
quoted 1 line can we not listen to music in a deeper sense?>can we not listen to music in a deeper sense?
as someone's sig on 313 said: if it kick it, it kick it. or was it if it kick it kick? whatever...
quoted 2 lines Agreed, club tunes have to have a crowd pleasing element>>Agreed, club tunes have to have a crowd pleasing element >the whole world is a club, your living room is a club, the street >outside
a 'club' is a club in exactly the same way, so there is no such >thing as 'club music' in the way you put it. huh? last time i looked, no one charged me an entrance fee for going out... :-) (and i didn't have to wait 2 fucking hours in line either!!!)
quoted 3 lines if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say>if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say >that by simply piling up the gear, piling up the options, piling up the >sounds, is going to make your music worthwhile? nothing!
okay man. you go and buy yourself that ol' nintendo and mario paint and go write us some hits!
quoted 2 lines i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to>i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to >forget that mere musicians actually made them. cos musicians are >really
pathetic people on the whole! heh heh, you've just managed to insult more than half the subscribers of this list in one sentence... (i however perfer to call myself an artist! :-) ) :spacecake:
1998-03-26 01:02HrvatskiSorry for yet another word-for-word analysis. I'm not doing this in defense as much as I'm
From:
Hrvatski
To:
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 20:02:16 -0500
Subject:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
Reply to:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <v03007803b13f4b5b755a@[209.61.76.29]>
Sorry for yet another word-for-word analysis. I'm not doing this in defense as much as I'm questioning certain concepts in siliconvortex's argument
quoted 8 lines Programming the Akai>>Programming the Akai >>to do a single track used to take 12 solid hours of button pushing. It's >>more like two now. It's all about control. If you want your machines to >>write your music for you, than stick with a simple setup with fewer >>variables. Some of us seek more complexity... > >i know what you're saying, but really it's just made your job easier, not >improved the potential of your music has it?
It has directly improved the potential of my own music. It gives a much clearer gateway between my original concept and the finished 'product'. No more of the mid-session manual-checking is necessary. Just a direct path between thought and sound.
quoted 4 lines :-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum machine for>:-) ...if tom jenkinson can do what he has done on a boss drum machine for >sequencing and a 12 bit akai sampler, then for anyone who has the drive and >determination to really do something, a setup such as yours (not that it's >particularly expensive) isn't crucially important.
What I'm referring to directly (and I hope this opens up an altogether different can of worms) is sound design. Jenks probably recorded the Amen break off of a scratchy old LP or 7" way back when, came up with a few variations, made a program in his sampler, and called it a day. Now every time he goes to make a new track, he doesn't think 'What drum sounds/parts/breaks would fit this tune specifically?", no he just says "I've got that Amen program all ready, Amen it is!". He remembers how long it took to set those sounds up in the first place, and he'll be damned if he needs to do it for EVERY TRACK he does. I don't blame him. I am in no way attacking anyone's engineering (in Jenks' case, his down to earth production values are very endearing), but the physical aspect of programming consumer machines without a graphic editor is highly daunting. It often halts producers dead in their tracks, when they should be thinking about the tune.
quoted 1 line don't be surprised if little johnny and his 4 track take the world by storm.>don't be surprised if little johnny and his 4 track take the world by storm.
Mu-Ziq's success does not surprise me. His music seems very sincere, and his lo-fi aesthetic was certainly unique at its inception. Several albums later (some of which on VERY big labels), his sound is relatively unchanged. I applaud him for making that work, time and time again. Same with 'pushy. Big records, small studios. But think how much wasted time these guys are spending programming those bastard machines one last time before they go kaput for good! think how much of that time they could have spent on making new music. Technology makes things easier. The way it sounds is another fucking story.
quoted 3 lines with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a>with more expensive, and more complex equipment, you can obviously achieve a >wider variety of sonic delights and other such things. but is this all that >is important about music?
No, not all. But in my eyes, it's very important. What made you buy that Autechre record vs. that Robert Miles record? I know why I did. Autechre SOUNDS better. Not more high fidelity than Miles (not by a long shot), but better sounding; more complex sounds, rhythms, structures. All of these things were facilitated by their modern setup, and I assure you, they've scrapped th four-track long ago...
quoted 4 lines can we not listen to music in a deeper sense? is>can we not listen to music in a deeper sense? is >it a good thing if the whole scene becomes one big technological race? >where does it end? there's only so much information a human brain can >process before information is lost..
And we're nowhere near that point.
quoted 4 lines it's COMPLETELY INVALID by the standard definition.>> it's COMPLETELY INVALID by the standard definition. > >right, everyone stay indoors while we shut down the music industry, in that >case.
I don't follow...
quoted 2 lines it's quite simple - i hear a record, i like it, THAT IS MUSIC THAT I WANT TO>it's quite simple - i hear a record, i like it, THAT IS MUSIC THAT I WANT TO >HEAR.
Bravo (sound of clapping hands)
quoted 3 lines there is no such thing as idm, apart from the rotten core of unoriginal>there is no such thing as idm, apart from the rotten core of unoriginal >producers >with no imagination.
You're referring to those who have co-opted the IDM tag as a marketing ploy? Good Luck. When those Warner Brothers sponsored (and paid in full by) IDM-indies start sprouting up, I'll be the first to buy one of the 20,000 copies of the Freeform single...
quoted 2 lines it is the outer fringe, those not afraid to use>it is the outer fringe, those not afraid to use >whatever ideas they want
Hah!
quoted 2 lines who are willing to work with any kind of>who are willing to work with any kind of >influences
Right!
quoted 3 lines who make the interesting music and, in turn, influence others.>who make the interesting music and, in turn, influence others. >with those people, we are simply talking about MUSIC and nothing so shallow >as a set of stylistic rules.
Man, I couldn't have put it better myself. Break those rules wide open. Don't think you have to stick to the 4-track/sampler/Mackie bit to 'make it' in the "wide world" of IDM. Purely digital (that's the point, right? Analog vs. Digital? Come on, what year is it?) music's just as good (and believe you me, leaves far more room for interesting variants).
quoted 4 lines something post-dancefloor.>>something post-dancefloor. > >there are a LOT of dancefloors on this planet, and they are NOT all the >same.
Okay, you're right. But no-one outside this ring cares 'bout that...
quoted 3 lines the whole world is a club, your living room is a club, the street outside a>the whole world is a club, your living room is a club, the street outside a >'club' is a club in exactly the same way, so there is no such thing as 'club >music' in the way you put it.
I don't understand what this is in defense of. Do you like clubs? No? Yes?...
quoted 2 lines all music that is put on a disc and sold in a shop has to have a crowd>all music that is put on a disc and sold in a shop has to have a crowd >pleasing element.
By a crowd, I mean the general public, i.e. 'The Masses'.
quoted 4 lines this 'non-commercial' ethos concerning idm is just the biggest load of hot>this 'non-commercial' ethos concerning idm is just the biggest load of hot >air - idm music is commercial in exactly the same way as any other section >of the music industry is - please stop deluding yourselves cult-freaks and >fashion-slaves!
You can't possibly believe this.
quoted 3 lines experimental music is no different ->experimental music is no different - >experimental music is a market where the listeners WANT to hear something >different -
quoted 1 line the experiment is a success if people LIKE it <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>> the experiment is a success if people LIKE it <<<<<<<<<
That's it. That's your summation of experimental music. Really fucking informed.
quoted 5 lines labels who say "[we] will Never press more than 500 copies of our 12"s, we>labels who say "[we] will Never press more than 500 copies of our 12"s, we >will also support underground retailers by selling in direct to them and >Refusing to let the capitilist Pigs who run chain stores [both independant >and mainstream] get their hands on our records" /are/ the biggest >capitalists
Amen. You are so right. That whole MASK thing is complete & utter garbage. But there are certain labels who don't have the confidence and/or capital to press any more than a few hundred.
quoted 1 line But technology making someone less-dimensional! That also is absurd.>>But technology making someone less-dimensional! That also is absurd.
quoted 3 lines if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say>if you can't 'do it' on a simple setup, what is there to say >that by simply piling up the gear, piling up the options, piling up the >sounds, is going to make your music worthwhile?
Why the negative always? What if you 'can' do it on a small setup. Most of us who make music, succesful or not, feel that we can. And we're only getting better at it, not worse.
quoted 6 lines True, but not true. You can also tweak thousands (but not millions) of>>True, but not true. You can also tweak thousands (but not millions) of >>sound varieties out of a Casiotone with built in sequencer. It would beat >>out the records that strain to achieve that level of innocence. > >is anyone innocent in this day and age? everyone seems to think that they >know everything ;-)
Okay, your little winky man makes me laugh so much that I'll let that ad hominum attack slide...
quoted 3 lines i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to>i don't respect any musicians. i just love pieces of music and try to >forget that mere musicians actually made them. cos musicians are really >pathetic people on the whole!
Right to that! Wankers! Anyways, I really enjoy this thread. Silicon-let's take it private from here. __________________________________________________ Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge.________________________ _________________________________PO Box 382864-2864 Cambridge, MA 02238-2864____________________________ _______________________________________________USA _______________Main URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/sheket __________________________________________________
1998-03-26 13:54Zenon M. Feszczak> >>experimental music is no different - >>experimental music is a market where the listen
From:
Zenon M. Feszczak
To:
Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 08:54:56 -0500
Subject:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
Reply to:
Re: (idm) bucket brigade
permalink · <v04003a00b1400da6051c@[159.14.31.10]>
quoted 5 lines experimental music is no different -> >>experimental music is no different - >>experimental music is a market where the listeners WANT to hear something >>different - >
...and what if the experimenter doesn't give a flying f(l)unk about the audience reaction?
quoted 2 lines the experiment is a success if people LIKE it <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>> the experiment is a success if people LIKE it <<<<<<<<< >
I seem to recall a certain avant-garde performance group of this rather experimental century whose standard of success was applause - or rather, the absence of said communication of audience gratification. Applause -> failure. The rationale: if anyone in the audience applauded, then the piece evidently wasn't challenging enough. A truly new work would unbalance the audience, making one unsure of one's own reaction and incapable of an immediate judgement. By the way, this thread title is very silly. Bucket all, then. 3
1998-03-26 01:00alalan@PO-Box.McGill.CA> This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing > around the
From:
To:
Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 01:00:14 +0000
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <199803260611.BAA15226@chinook.CC.McGill.CA>
quoted 11 lines This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing> This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing > around the crappiest gear that sounds great in the end and doesn't have > noise that mastering couldn't fix anyway. It is all in the programming, > like what soundmaking potential a peice of gear is designed to do is > really only 10% of the music-making issue compared to the potential for > programming it in an interesting way (90% of the potential of the gear) > Programming & Composition is really the thing that is neglected, whereas > it should be 90% of what a electronic musician is doing. Most people I > know are gear-shopping half of the time, basically procrastinating the > time that they should spend staring at the little LCD's and pushing > buttons.
Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i would add my opinion. I have no money to spend on gear, and all i have is a computer with a crap sound card and a mic. The music i've made with JUST THAT is(IMO, i don't have outsiders opinions yet) good. In fact, more interesting than much of the electronica i hear from time to time. My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit for releasing the material, hence, countless wasted hours. Wouldn't it be wise to spend a little more and get gear that does give out good sound quality? The bare minimum might be good enough to compose good music, but not good enough to release. I've never bought an electronica CD that has as much hiss as my pieces, and if it did, i would return it, because it is quite annoying.
quoted 1 line>
Ali Lalani "When injustice becomes law... Resistance becomes duty." Some montreal protesters
1998-03-26 06:37David Hodgsonif by programming you mean just the notes - then i can't agree with you - one of the most
From:
David Hodgson
To:
'Solenoid' , Random Junk
Cc:
Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 1998 22:37:38 -0800
Subject:
RE: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <39ADCF833E74D111A2D700805F1951EF01440337@red-msg-06.dns.microsoft.com>
if by programming you mean just the notes - then i can't agree with you - one of the most interesting things about electronic music for me is the sound design - finding and using sounds that you haven't been heard before ( or at least not very often :-) Quite often you can't get to those sounds that you can hear in your head without certain pieces of gear. The way something sounds is as important as the notes that are playing for me. Preset sounds are the killer. But at the same time I used to think that i just needed that one bit of gear that i hadn't got before i could make good tracks. It's a good excuse for avoiding the issue This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing around the crappiest gear that sounds great in the end and doesn't have noise that mastering couldn't fix anyway. It is all in the programming, like what soundmaking potential a peice of gear is designed to do is really only 10% of the music-making issue compared to the potential for programming it in an interesting way (90% of the potential of the gear) Programming & Composition is really the thing that is neglected, whereas it should be 90% of what a electronic musician is doing. Most people I know are gear-shopping half of the time, basically procrastinating the time that they should spend staring at the little LCD's and pushing
1998-03-26 09:46robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr>Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i >would add my opini
From:
To:
IDM
Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 10:46:05 +0100
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <01bd589b$febb39e0$LocalHost@qwerty>
quoted 5 lines Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i>Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i >would add my opinion. I have no money to spend on gear, and all i >have is a computer with a crap sound card and a mic. The music i've >made with JUST THAT is(IMO, i don't have outsiders opinions yet) >good.
JUST THAT ?!?! I don't know what are you talking about here. You just called computer witha a crap sound card and mic JUST THAT ?!?!? This is really brilliant gear if you know what to do with it...
quoted 2 lines My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit>My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit >for releasing the material, hence, countless wasted hours.
WHAATTT? This is major CRAP ! I cannot believe what are you saying. I hate fucknig complaining an crying...that's just fucking excuse because you probably cannot (or not trying enough hard) write proper piece of music.... please,please,please...just don't blame equipment...I'm tired of this.
quoted 3 lines Wouldn't>Wouldn't >it be wise to spend a little more and get gear that does give out >good sound quality?
This is total bollocks. What the fuck sound quality have to do with good music ?!?!!? I'm so confused...and believe me I don't need any fucking explainations. Nobady will ever convince me that sound quality improves quality of piece of music.
quoted 4 lines The bare minimum might be good enough to compose>The bare minimum might be good enough to compose >good music, but not good enough to release. I've never bought an >electronica CD that has as much hiss as my pieces, and if it did, i >would return it, because it is quite annoying.
That's your opinion, OK.....So certain track is brilliant, but it has hisses all over the place and you don't like it ? Fucking wierd... It cannot be brilliant if it has hiss, right ?! What if someone make music only with hisses....I heard stuff like that, and really enjoyed it. I couldn't believe it how great this stuff is, made just using hisses and noises... bye rob np: qwerty - 23song
1998-03-27 00:31Random Junkrobert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote this: > >My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit >
From:
Random Junk
To:
Cc:
IDM
Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 16:31:39 -0800 (PST)
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
Reply to:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <13594.62103.602836.885226@hudsucker.gamespot.com>
robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote this:
quoted 9 lines My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit> >My only worry is that the sound quality isn't fit > >for releasing the material, hence, countless wasted hours. > > WHAATTT? This is major CRAP ! I cannot believe what > are you saying. I hate fucknig complaining an crying...that's > just fucking excuse because you probably cannot (or not > trying enough hard) write proper piece of music.... > please,please,please...just don't blame equipment...I'm > tired of this.
i think the original guy is right on. for a little bit of effort you can get that hiss out and be proud of what you have created. the music is right on from a compositional standpoint, now you just need that little extra boost that clean engineering can get you. electronic music is HARD! most guitar bands just worry about learning to play their instruments and let the studio geeks figure out the sound part. most electronic musicians record & mix their own tracks. so not only do you have to be an artist but you have to be a technician as well. it is quite possible to be good at both jobs. it just takes more work.
quoted 6 lines That's your opinion, OK.....So certain track is brilliant, but it> That's your opinion, OK.....So certain track is brilliant, but it > has hisses all over the place and you don't like it ? Fucking > wierd... It cannot be brilliant if it has hiss, right ?! What if > someone make music only with hisses....I heard stuff like that, and > really enjoyed it. I couldn't believe it how great this stuff is, > made just using hisses and noises...
duh. if the hiss was not intended by the composer, then he is totally justified in wanting to get rid of it! -- Jon Drukman jsd@gamespot.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Plan: Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway.
1998-03-27 18:28SolenoidOn Thu, 26 Mar 1998 robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote: > >Well, as i posted a question earlier
From:
Solenoid
To:
Cc:
IDM
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 10:28:13 -0800 (PST)
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
Reply to:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <Pine.GSO.3.96.980327102406.18501B-100000@thetics.europa.com>
On Thu, 26 Mar 1998 robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote:
quoted 10 lines Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i> >Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i thought i > >would add my opinion. I have no money to spend on gear, and all i > >have is a computer with a crap sound card and a mic. The music i've > >made with JUST THAT is(IMO, i don't have outsiders opinions yet) > >good. > > JUST THAT ?!?! I don't know what are you talking about here. > You just called computer witha a crap sound card and mic > JUST THAT ?!?!? This is really brilliant gear if you know what > to do with it...
Though it is only Tangentially IDM, there is a Erasure cover comp out there on CD (there is a web page somewhere) that has a soundcard-made track on it by the Cheap Bastards that is just an amazingly careful composition of tuned samples. It has all of the polyphonic parts and everything and was assembled by one of the Cheap Bastards while he sat in front of a pc for his tech-supp-phone-receptionist job! Pretty impressive, of course, he had the composition issue taken care of for him already via doing a cover of a previous track. solenoid@europa.com <------+
1998-03-27 03:57Graham the Happy Scum> > This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing > > around
From:
Graham the Happy Scum
To:
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 13:57:17 +1000
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <m0yIPTE-006oTGC@new-kyoko.mpx.com.au>
quoted 11 lines This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing> > This is really true, imo, as I've seen some amazing programming and eq'ing > > around the crappiest gear that sounds great in the end and doesn't have > > noise that mastering couldn't fix anyway. It is all in the programming, > > like what soundmaking potential a peice of gear is designed to do is > > really only 10% of the music-making issue compared to the potential for > > programming it in an interesting way (90% of the potential of the gear) > > Programming & Composition is really the thing that is neglected, whereas > > it should be 90% of what a electronic musician is doing. Most people I > > know are gear-shopping half of the time, basically procrastinating the > > time that they should spend staring at the little LCD's and pushing > > buttons.
Yep. It takes a lot of work to get good results out of gear, whether crappy or expensive. I dare say there are a few people out there with money to burn that if the new bit of gear they've just gotten out of the box doesn't make the sound they want, they head back to the shop and buy something else, without actually trying to do anything 'complicated' with their new toy. You might have to muck around with gear a lot, trying out sounds, techniques, and once you've got the hang of it, you've got a new skill to channel your musical instincts through. Remember, the gear in your heads pretty important to.
quoted 13 lines Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i> Well, as i posted a question earlier about sound quality, i > thought i would add my opinion. I have no money to spend on gear, > and all i have is a computer with a crap sound card and a mic. The > music i've made with JUST THAT is(IMO, i don't have outsiders > opinions yet) good. In fact, more interesting than much of the > electronica i hear from time to time. My only worry is that the > sound quality isn't fit for releasing the material, hence, > countless wasted hours. Wouldn't it be wise to spend a little more > and get gear that does give out good sound quality? The bare > minimum might be good enough to compose good music, but not good > enough to release. I've never bought an electronica CD that has > as much hiss as my pieces, and if it did, i would return it, > because it is quite annoying.
pain, isn't it. Anyway, I've fair bit of module tracking over the past couple of years, on a 8-bit SB (urgh!), for most of that period, though I bought a 16-bit generic ESS thingy, which means I can at least do mods in stereo. Anyway, I quite like some of the stuff I've done, but it's unreleasable at this stage. I'm going to wait until I get a new computer (just as well I've got a job now) and some MIDI gear, since certain things done in mods do sound a bit cheesy. It shouldn't be too hard to translate say the keys and pads and squawking acid parts to MIDI, though I'll keep using a tracker to do rhythm parts with samples, since they're great for that. It will probably take me a year to accumulate the gear I need, but whilst I'm saving up, I'm quite happy to continue doing stuff on the tracker. -- Graham the Happy Scum KSC KotF (G H Freeman to some) gths@flat-earth.org Grudnuk says : Eat Meat, It's Cool! FNORD http://www.mpx.com.au/~gths 'Whether it's God or the Bomb it's just the same it's only Fear under another name' - Max Q, _Way of the World_
1998-03-27 06:09Stephen BlackpoolOk, agreed, a musician should put more effort into making music out of the gear he/she has
From:
Stephen Blackpool
To:
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 01:09:51 -0500
Subject:
Re: (idm) What to buy then? (was: the gear thread)
Reply to:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <3.0.1.32.19980327010951.006e3b90@is5.nyu.edu>
Ok, agreed, a musician should put more effort into making music out of the gear he/she has rather than focusing on getting the most technically advanced stuff out there... my question is, for someone who wants to start laying down beats and tracks, what's the basic gear to start with(?), being as specific as possible (price range $1000-$1500)?...gear that is still "professional" in all aspects? this would be a really big help to me... Thanks in Advance, Stephen Blackpool.
quoted 6 lines Yep. It takes a lot of work to get good results out of gear, whether>Yep. It takes a lot of work to get good results out of gear, whether >crappy or expensive. I dare say there are a few people out there >with money to burn that if the new bit of gear they've just gotten >out of the box doesn't make the sound they want, they head back to >the shop and buy something else, without actually trying to do >anything 'complicated' with their new toy.
1998-03-27 18:37Stv ProtheroGreets: I love hearing about gritty sound systems! truely DIY! I am working with a roland
From:
Stv Prothero
To:
Solenoid
Cc:
, IDM
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 11:37:17 -0700
Subject:
Re: (idm) the gear thread, cheap boxes
permalink · <351BF1DC.B33A0F93@phidias.colorado.edu>
Greets: I love hearing about gritty sound systems! truely DIY! I am working with a roland d110, PC with SB16, mod trackers, sound forge, rebirth 338, and hooking up to Commodore-64's via midi for those classic cracker screen sounds. Recently I posted about our mail order only double set CD - CHOONZ & WAREZ, I just put up a mini catalog at : http://mycal.net/ifj/ hit the PHUN CATALOG button. I'll add audio clips and more infos asap. One artist on the comp is THE SPOON WIZARD, he makes cik azz trance on basic pc warez, mainly a tracker, enclosed is his bio infos: About The Spoon Wizard - Straight and Narrow version. J The Spoon Wizard is an Exeter based artist, dedicated to both his music and cutlery drawer. His music is of the dance variety, but many will find other musical influences making a token appearance in his deep yet happy tunes. The Spoon Wizard often finds inspiration in his favourite artists who include Eat Static, Senser, System 7, The Orb, 808-State, The Future Sound of London and The Prodigy. As well as writing music for the dance floor, The Spoon Wizard has also authored tunes for other platforms, including computer games and fruit machines - respect to all those who party to the bangin sounds coming from those puny fruit-machine speakers! Equipment and that Surprisingly, The Spoon Wizard creates using nothing more than a PC computer, using a wide range of software applications including FastTracker, Sound Forge, Rubber Duck, ReBirth-388 and WaveLab. As he owns no MIDI equipment of his own, the tunes are created using a PC program called FastTracker which is basically a utility that sequences up to 32 channels of 16-Bit samples. This method of writing is a little unorthodox but preferred, as other industry standard music applications (Cubase etc) are predominately geared to dealing with MIDI information and have limited real-time sample manipulation facilities. Before The Spoon Wizard purchased his PC, he created music using the limited 8-Bit sound capabilities of the Amiga home computer but still achieved impressive results. Studio Pre-production of all The Spoon Wizards tunes are done in the local Bliss studio which he often occupies when Bliss are taking a breather from their own projects. Here, the finishing touches are added with the help of friend and producer David "Bliss" Burgess, who assists in tidying and polishing the tunes (and sometimes the studio). Equipment used to do this includes a PC running Cubase, a Juno-106 and various other MIDI devices and effect processors. History The Spoon Wizards real name is Graham Gray, which he thinks is unfortunate. This aside, he was born into an army family and then subsequently dragged around a fair portion of the globe. Experimenting with music and computers from an early age he had found his niche and progressed from there, getting involved with dance music in the early 1990s. Upon moving to Exeter in November 1994, Graham, by coincidence, found himself in the same house as Bliss and their studio. Although Bliss and The Spoon Wizard did not join forces, he was introduced to Bliss manager who took The Spoon Wizard under his wing. This, along with friendly competition, helped inspire both artists, pushing their music production quality to new heights. Current Projects At present, The Spoon Wizard is concentrating on furthering his own style, whilst enduring the occasional remix along the way. The Spoon Wizard has just completed recording six tracks for his debut album "We Dont Need No Cutlery" produced by Dave Bliss at his Exeter Studio Track titles are : - Damn Swanky Swamp Donkey (Happy Handle Mix) Lower Lip Weird Fashion Beard (Spoon Central Edit) The Seven Spoons of Intoxication (Full of Eastern Promise Mix) Deep Scoop (Evil Ssilb Edit) Decland and his Magic Flute (Spoon Central Edit) One Vibrant Bath Spoon (Spoon Central Edit) The Spoon Wizard has also recorded a remix of The Corn Circle for Bliss, The Spoon Circle, and has also recently recorded a remix of Serial Killer for Stash entitled Morphine Fork No. 7. Those who were present at the opening night of Live & Direct at The Grove night-club in Seaton on 31/1/97 would have experienced The Spoon Wizard's debut public performance first hand. Arriving with a 5ft Wooden Spoon The Spoon Wizard Stirred up the crowd delivering a generous portion of acidic twisted hard house, He was aided by the warped rapping of M.C. R-Soul the original Hardcore M.C.