Technically, an acoustic guitar or a hand drum qualify as "technology." When our ancestors tied two sticks together using a piece of grass, that was technology.
As has been said multiple times already: technology itself is benign, indifferent, neutral.
The problem came when technology got so good that it made certain things really easy to do, which resulted in people letting their DAW determine what their music sounds like.
Technically, an acoustic guitar or a hand drum qualify as "technology." When our ancestors tied two sticks together using a piece of grass, that was technology.
As has been said multiple times already: technology itself is benign, indifferent, neutral.
The problem came when technology got so good that it made certain things really easy to do, which resulted in people letting their DAW determine what their music sounds like.
I do not let my DAW dictate my music, as a producer I do.
It does what I want it to do!
It seems to be an ongoing trait that our technical capabilities outstrip our wisdom to use that technology or anticipate the consequences of what we create, and commercial music hasn't been spared.
For my part though, technology hasn't really harmed my personal projects, teaching or doing music with the kids, the wonderful music at our church or music at local venues. It has made a bit of a muddle of the bigger, commercial music scene, though.
OK, so here's an interesting combination of the old and new that this thread pointed out. Last night, I was doing a record alignment on an Otari MX-series 2-track, mainly to rebias for SM911 after last using ATR tape. BTW, for those who like to say such things are a hassle, the whole process took maybe 10 minutes. Anyway, I don't even have a hard copy of the manual or schematics for either of my Otaris. Both were free downloads from AnalogRules.com and both live in the "cloud" and when I was adjusting my machine I referred to the manual in iBooks on my iPhone. Very handy.
Edit: also used the free Tone Gen app as the oscillator for sweep to check record eq setting.
I could not agree more.
So much complaining seriously.
Instead of complaining about what technology has supposedly ruined why dont you take a look around you and see the amazing things technology has done to the music industry....
And why are we even comparing the Beatles with technology....
Don't you think the Beatles would have had BIG smiles on there faces had they seen all this technology as we have now back then in there Abbey road studios?
Seriously guys. Technology has not killed music, nothing kills music! How can technology kill music????
Try placing this one in the moan Zone!
Maybe another way of seeing it is that Technology is changing our perspective and the musical, economic, cultural (and everything else) landscape. The whole world is changing and it is changing our perspective. maybe Technology is killing something within us which is killing music.
Yes, the complexity of todays recording medium, the harddrive, has forced people to focus on sound tools instead of performance.
Tape machine, hit the record button, play the song. Sounds OK, move along. You didn't think about the tape formulation, deck settings etc. The sound was the sound, so make sure the sound is good prior to recording.
Hard drive, boot the computer, get distracted by other things going on, finally launch the software, maybe again if the sound card has issues, set up a template, arm the track, hit record, start the transport. Now playback, no sound, set up a cue routing, now continue to track. Sounds not OK, fiddle with plugins for hours. Realize another whole investment is required in outboard to get the sound of tape.
You see where this has led. You can't get to the performance and arrangement focus because the time to launch wore you out. You can however move your focus to the sound before the technology gets it. That at least is a variable that has not changed.
Bullshit. This is a personal problem and is not universal by any means.
I think it goes beyond what has been said so far. A truly great musician can make good recordings on any technology. But I think the commercial hyper-competition for young people's attention these days, grabbing at every available moment of consciousness, is so different than in times past, and leaves precious little time for creative musical development. Hence, fewer and fewer great musicians, and far less great music. IMHO, for example, had Mozart, or McCartney, grown up in the present time, they would have been too distracted to have become the musicians they were, and to have made the music they did. Just my personal opinion.
cool point. Would it be really cool to hear mozart doing his magic on a DAW programming EDM?
Modern Pop music (not all) but a majority doesn't sound like music to my ears of late. Perhaps it's the sound that the younger gen likes.
McDonalds have changed food for sure. And they, along with companies like Kraft have certainly destroyed many peoples' perception of food. 99% of people "choose" what's put in front of them as a social norm. There's a reason there are more fat people in the US than anywhere else and "choice" has little to do with it. Social conditioning has everything to do with it.
If anything, technology has become a PART of music. We wouldn't be able to create music without it. That being said though, digitalization has caused more and more engineers (and some artists) to abuse the power they have in the studio with all this dynamic range compression/loudness war crap that they shove onto CD's and MP3's. Even for the casual listener it is not nice to listen to. But its still music whether it sounds good to you or not.
I used to spend a Sat afternoon every month at Tower listening stations...usually coming home with 4-5 new albums by either new artists, or artists I hadn't cared for previously, but given a chance to hear their latest, I liked.
Now, I can spend days upon days surfing websites...browsing the NPR Music app...even got that app for "band a day".
Come away having ent no money...and having nothing new to listen to...at BEST, in cross referencing web searches I might find an artist I already like has a new record out under the radar--the kind of thing I used to just peruse ICE magazine and drop by the store after work almost every Tuesday to pick up.
Same with every music fan I know personally...except they never used to go to the lengths I did to find no artists.
I call bullshit on it being easier to find new music now. Unless you didn't approve of the "you must be THIS accomplished to ride this ride" filter the label system provided.
You know what, I used to do the same thing as you. I would be at record stores 2 or 3 times a week, listening to all of the used promo copies, and checking out the listening stations at places like Tower. I used to get a lot of promos in the mail for a few years too. And listen to college radio, read print magazines, etc. None of which I do now.
And yet, I'm definitely finding more new music that I love in the past 5 years than I did 15 years ago. I think it's just because my personal tastes in music have come back into fashion within certain niche areas. You might consider the possibility that your own personal taste in music just isn't currently in line with what's going on at this moment. But I'm sure things will change again.
So whose anecdotal experience is "right", yours or mine?
I think I echo a lot of popmann's sentiments and also fletcher's in regard to the S/N ratio.
There is no doubt great music still being made. But you need a disciplined and thoughtful engineer/producer to showcase it in it's beautiful natural light without sucking out all that beauty through overproduction. And then you need a way for it to be heard above the rest. I love hearing and discovering good new music, but it seems it's almost exhausting trying to find it these days, whereas before it seemed to find you. So yes the cream still rises to the top, just a lot more for it to rise through these days.
Modern DNA testing has recently exonerated the banjo of all lethal musical crimes. The same tests that in 1997 finally released the accordion from its long incarceration.
Many musicologists consider that synthesizers (as an entire class of instruments) should be considered for the honor but, being a traditionalist, I still suspect that the trombone is involved in this mess somehow.
Don't forget too that the saxophone has been responsible for much suffering.
There has been countless Sax crimes.
This is incomplete and applies to such a small percentage of us.
People are fat because they eat the wrong food and do not stay active. Not 'too much' food.
And as stated above, much of what 'people' eat is a conditoned response and learned habits. Obesity (Diabetes, Heart Disease etc.) is a product of nutrient deficient, processed, high fat, high calorie food. Health begins with education. Education provides an individual greater freedom of choice through new influences.
As for the music... It is unfortunate to see so much external blaming and victim mentality about the current 'state of affairs'...when we see so few people taking basic responsibility for their contributions. There is no 'they' to blame for any lack of fulfillment, financial success or personal joy in our life or career. Gandhi said 'become the change you wish to see'. This requires self discipline, personal awareness and living free of the need for external validation or blame (from clients, peers, society etc.) which is something few people are actually willing to do.
We have never had it so good as musicians and engineers. It truly does just get better and better for us. I am grateful.
This is incomplete and applies to such a small percentage of us.
People are fat because they eat the wrong food and do not stay active. Not 'too much' food.
And as stated above, much of what 'people' eat is a conditoned response and learned habits. Obesity (Diabetes, Heart Disease etc.) is a product of nutrient deficient, processed, high fat, high calorie food. Health begins with education. Education provides an individual greater freedom of choice through new influences.
Too many calories for what you burn makes you fat. Doesn't really matter what you eat. Obviously "junk food" is not very healthy and is usually high in calories.
I don't think putting the blame on some form of mind control or conditioning is a good idea any more than putting the blame on technology for bad music.
The biggest thing is that back in the day, tape machines, real ones, were insanely expensive, only allowing a certain amount of people to really be involved in recording. Well guess, what, I wasn't born into money and neither does God ONLY build good ears onto people with money. I have strong ears, always have and I would be one bitter axxhole if I had it in me to capture and love it like I do and not be able to because finances would not allow...that, to me, would be more tragic than people who have means and just make crap. We still have the option to not listen to it.
Looking at your set up, you obviously are missing what I'm saying...the reason ADAT sounded better, was because you had to use a mixer (that's almost always better than software) and compressors and EQ in the analog domain...all at full (albeit only 16bit) resolution. You were fed an analog cue as a band/performer...and you had better, if not as flexible, mix tools.
I'm not suggesting that I'd rather have ADATs...like I also said-hideous sounding machines, they were. I stayed analog (actual tape ) during that period.
I'm not a proponent of tape for all...however, I AM a proponent of holding it up as pretty well the gold standard that digital SHOULD be held up against...same with mixers. And compressors, and reverbs...and whatever component.
Just wanted to clarify that...no love here for ADATs...explain a common perception.
As to people with means making crap...OK...I'm not sure anyone I've listened to was "born into money"--I'm sure someone was...but...the other part was lamenting that someone ELSE paid good money to record them well. For a reason. And then market them-and make sure I heard them. I don';t want the filter to be the beer companies it has been for 15+ years any more than the nest guy--but, there HAS to be a filter. It can't be all things thrown as files in 300,456 little buckets all over the web...and someone goes and digs through them all to find something they like. Hell, most people will stop with the second bucket.
Too many calories for what you burn makes you fat. Doesn't really matter what you eat.
No greater psuedo science "half understanding" than no one can tell a difference in 44.1 and 96k! C'mon...this is GS--I had to bring it back to the gear.
Too many calories for what you burn makes you fat. Doesn't really matter what you eat. Obviously "junk food" is not very healthy and is usually high in calories.
You really need to do a bit of research on the matter.
That is the old understanding of how calories work.
Too many calories for what you burn makes you fat. Doesn't really matter what you eat. Obviously "junk food" is not very healthy and is usually high in calories.
I don't think putting the blame on some form of mind control or conditioning is a good idea any more than putting the blame on technology for bad music.
I realize it may seem 'logical' to think it doesn't really matter 'what you eat' but that is just a lack of understanding how the physical body processes calories. Calories are never equal. 1000 calories from fresh vegetables or a 1000 calories from fried donuts will affect the 'fat' content, metabolism rate, digestive enzyme production, liver function etc.. of your body's constitution in a completely different way. One is nutrient dense, one is nutrient dead.
Mind control? Nobody mentioned mind control, just basic conditioning. A child eats fast food for breakfast and lunch each day and they become addicted to it, conditioned to like it and will often continue the practice well away from home. Obesity is not a matter of 'over eating', it is a matter of 'under' nourishment.
This is a well studied field (my own field as well). Easy and useful to educate yourself on. Cheers.
I realize it may seem 'logical' to think it doesn't really matter 'what you eat' but that is just a lack of understanding how the physical body processes calories. Calories are never equal. 1000 calories from fresh vegetables or a 1000 calories from fried donuts will affect the 'fat' content, metabolism rate, digestive enzyme production, liver function etc.. of your body's constitution in a completely different way. One is nutrient dense, one is nutrient dead.
Mind control? Nobody mentioned mind control, just basic conditioning. A child eats fast food for breakfast and lunch each day and they become addicted to it, conditioned to like it and will often continue the practice well away from home. Obesity is not a matter of 'over eating', it is a matter of 'under' nourishment.
This is a well studied field (my own field as well). Easy and useful to educate yourself on. Cheers.
Why is a child eating fast food for breakfast and lunch? Does this child have parents?
I understand that it's technically complex, especially if it's your field.
But in my opinion, for the lay person, common sense rules and the experts, who usually don't agree with each other, tend to just confuse people.
At least it (common sense) works for me.
I just read an article in Newsweek with a cover of a baby holding a bag of french fries. It's just more confusing baloney distracting from the obvious.
Has anyone ever done a study where a person who burns 2 thousand calories a day eats 3 thousand calories of "healthy" foods and doesn't exercise, and another person who burns 2000 eats 2000 or less with some of it being junk food and exercises? Who would get fat, and who wouldn't?
Has anyone ever done a study where a person who burns 2 thousand calories a day eats 3 thousand calories of "healthy" foods and doesn't exercise, and another person who burns 2000 eats 2000 or less with some of it being junk food and exercises? Who would get fat, and who wouldn't?
Your misunderstanding about things is cleared up here:
It seems to me that the slamming door of previous generations minds closing is what typically tries to kill music. But thus far music has managed to slip the traps and continue enrage, confuse and outgrow it's former lovers by morphing into something different that's "devils music", "just shouting", "too subversive", "not subversive enough", "too highbrow", "too lowbrow", "too lewd", "too loud", "too quantized", "too autotuned", "too soulless" and so many other cliched complaints
I feel technology has made it easier for people to think they can create music.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Traintrack
Technology has provided way too many people access to make music.
Most of these people should be doing something else.
It like people playing golf that can't break 175 in 18 holes.
Everyone is a star. No one sucks...
There are too many that do music (I wouldn't say they are in the music business) that think they should be making bread from the same loaf as "Tiger Woods", despite the fact they hit 175 in 18 holes.
There is even more crap out there than ever before.
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