Computers and Music and the state of our Economy...

tornandfrayed · Post by **tornandfrayed** » Wednesday Jun 16, 2004

So I am seeing that a lot of people here are also into computers. How do you think the "Computer Age" has changed the face of music? Do you use computers at all for music? Do the "paper professionals" hurt the industry? Let's here your thoughts.

Don't forget that as we get into this we can also dwelve into the perplexing issue of "Right-wing Vs. Left-wing" computer programming and the effect that they have on health care in America!

daveb · Post by **daveb** » Wednesday Jun 16, 2004

The computer influence is here to stay and it's growing. Only my opinion of course. With all the different software companies developing programs to help musicians record and master their songs; it's making high quality recording accessable to everybody. I'm all for it. The Project Twelve(34) CD was mostly recorded on entry level digital recording gear and then mastered on Pro Tools software. I just bought a Lexicon recording system for my PC. The technology can be intimidating but the more you use the stuff the easier it gets. It's not just for dudes locked away in their spare bedrooms either. A lot of bands are using recording software with kick ass results. It still takes a talented engineer to make it all work but it puts high quality results within reach of regular people.
www.projecttwelve34.com

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Wednesday Jun 16, 2004

I definatley think the computer age has revolutionized the music industry.

While I'm still ambivalent on the whole file-sharing thing, technology has put the power back where it belongs: In the hands of the artist. Nowadays, a band can record a professional sounding album, mass-produce it, distrubute it, and promote it - all for a few thousand dollars. But you know what the best part is? The artist gets to keep all of the rights to their music.

I also like the plethora of artists that are now available to the music fan. I've discovered tons of great music through mp3.com and iuma.com. Sure, I've had to wade through a lot of crap, but that's alright, because I've discovered some real gems. I'd rather go onto www.cdbaby.com and buy a CD from an artist there, than walk into Wal-Mart to buy one of their edited Top-40 snorefests.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Thursday Jun 17, 2004

technology has put the power back where it belongs: In the hands of the artist.

It is also much easier for a person to compose music with tools like midi sequencers and notation programs. Also, since you can simulate a band or orchestra with midi files, it can come in handy for those who play by ear.

On the flip side, this "democratization" of music (as my cousin from Philly calls it) has spawned an attitude that anybody can be a musician or composer. Forget training, forget practice, just get in there and spew forth. Take a look at the karaoke phenom. No, better yet, try to listen to it for more than 10 minutes if you can. Will everybody get this "oh, I can do that" attitude and forget about us?

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Thursday Jun 17, 2004

That's a good point, but I think the cream will rise to the top... maybe not comercially, but artistically. Computer recording has changed one thing: Recording advances are much, much smaller than they used to be... the money goes to promotion and distribution. Normally you'd record on your own dime and the record co. then decides if they like it, then sink the bucks in it.
I do like that there's no reason to spend millions to record, and that people don't need to obsess for weeks on a snare sound instead of getting on with it.
I don't record on the computer per se, I have a digital 8-track stand-alone, but I do dump to the comp to master and burn the CD. I love it.---->JMS

ERiC_AiXeLsyD · Post by **ERiC_AiXeLsyD** » Thursday Jun 17, 2004

Computers & digital music are in my opinion invaluable tools for a band today.

Post by **Ron** » Thursday Jun 24, 2004

I have to agree with songsmith... the cream always rises. A good song, no matter what the genre or technology involved, will always outweigh a bad song with good recording quality.

The technology will help by making decent recording equipment available to more young people, sort of like increasing the musical gene pool.

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Friday Jun 25, 2004

I honestly think it has opened new horizons for sure because now any person with the thought of wanting to record and has a little money can do it. Something I see is it crashed the demand on music. If you look at it, back in the day, there were only so many studios to record in. Those rooms were built specifically for certain sounds. Not every band had an opportunity to record in one of these studios, so there was a higher demand for music. Now a days, the industry is completely flooded by technology. I honestly think it's a good thing because people can do it all independantly. It also gives listeners more of a choice to what they want to hear because of so many different bands playing different styles.