"""How exactly does your technique negate what I described? I'm not
saying what
you describe won't work. I am simply asserting that what I describe
works
for a lot of people. """
It doesn't. you're not wrong. I'm just saying that you wouldnt need to
slow it down if you really knew what you were looking for. if you learn
aural along with practical it becomes a second nature thing. therefore
you dont need to think so hard about it.
""""It's up to you to point out the deceptions, which you haven't done.
"""""
The deceptions started many years ago. Maelzel and his mechanical
orchestra during Beethovens time, the organ with instrument tabs and
rhythm sections, the first time a vocal was comped many, many years
before software was available to help you do it. Multi tracking its
self is a sort of deception, Les Paul (i think it was) had a great
time making those early tracks, but it WAS a trick ( but at least he
could play) it would be very very difficult get a handfull of
guitarists to play like that live. Multi-tracking and gating and
compressing can all enhance the sound of music but orchestras never
needed it before it came along, big bands managed, even early pop music
was a mono single track recording. Is it not a deception to buy a song
on the strength of the quality and sound of the vocal, only to see it
live and sound like shit with high notes substituted for lower
alternatives cos the singer didnt really have that range outside of the
studio, where he took 20 times to get that high b, and couldnt cut it
in one long take?
The deceptions and tricks are so much a part of this business now that
we think its normal. Shit, theres even software to automatically TUNE
things like voices.... I mean... come on!!. Its not going to go away
as long as sample CDs, loops, synthesizers etc exist. Who needs to pay
for a drummer for an hour or two if you can comp together a drum track
from cds in a few hours?
(who can afford a string section, and why do we need one, i've got a
logan string machine in the garage!!!) joke btw, but it dates me well!!
but as long as these things exist, isnt it more satisfying to make your
own loops, played by yourself or a fellow musician, and not computer
generated or bought (or stolen!!).
Give a half trained guitarist powerful software like cubase, he comes
up with a hit in his bedroom, gets a few bob, suddenly hes hyped by his
record company as a "sombody", other kids copy him cos he's cool, maybe
they become only half as trained as he is, great at using software but
still only a half trained musician, at what point do we stop calling it
the music business!!!!
Sorry, i'm not having a dig at any of these posts, i'm just fed up
listening to this shit that passes for chart music these days, and this
sort of half arsed way of hiding behind software instead of learning to
play gets my goat a bit. God, i'm not old, still in my 30s but I've
seen some top musicians in the studio practicing for gigs between
takes, and they take it very seriously indeed, plus their studio time
is taken with capturing the vibe of a riff rather than learning to play
the bloody thing.( some of the more shall we say....mature.. ones (no
names...they know who they are) still look at computers like they just
saw a martian for the first time. I even heard of one guy who has a
brand new boxed atari st1040 and steinberg24 that he bought cos he
thought he needed to keep up with technology and its still shrink
wrapped, never been opened. it'll be worth a few bob on ebay i bet,
but i digress...)
My point to the original poster is learn to play your chosen instrument
to the best of your ability using as natural methods as possible, (your
ears, brain, eyes and fingers) and stop looking for a quick fix via
software. We've all seen it on the telly, the miracle abs. machine,
the thigh buster, arse fat reducer machine,. all these things just dont
work as well as the real thing, DISCIPLIN. ( you couldnt get away with
it as a sportsman, if you couldnt run fast / throw far / hit hard or
swim, you wouldnt be in the game.)
Cubase is a great peice of recording software and of course it can help
in your learning an instrument, or music theory. you can find midi
files of most stuff out there to play along to and adjust the tempo as
you improve, you can see how the notes look in score editor and even
work out how to read the notes if you wanted to, it tells you what they
are!!, its even fun to make exercises up and just use cubase as a
metronome, all be it a very powerful metronome!! but please, lets
encourage people to get back to what should be the most important
things in making music, MUSIC and MUSICIANS.
We got way off topic here and i'm sorry
Jim says
A great teacher is a great thing to have. And expensive.
I agree, but i also think you ultimatly get your money back. If you
are prepared to pay £600 for software, £500 for a sound card plus
£700 or more for a computer that will all be obsolete in a few short
years, dont you think a few quid spent on your musical education is
money well spent, especially as the knowledge and technique learnt
basically lasts as long as you want it to.
The software............its great, its a fine tool that helps us
realise our recordings, gives us access to many things we could only
have dreamed of a few years ago. How many people had the chance to try
out 5 or 6 compressors without paying the cost of a small house for the
pleasure. I love software, its a great thing for me as a musician to
try out 4 bass lines to my piano part, to print out the chart that the
drummer will ultimatly use on the session and him not having to try to
read my hand-written scrawl, I love the fact that the original poster
here , or indeed any of you, would be able to come to my studio and
have more than a fair idea and knowledge of how MY studio works, cos
its fundamentally the same as yours. Indeed, the colaborative
possibilities are endless, we use voiceovers live and direct from the
USA to Spain, we swap projects via email, ftp a piano part to a server
for collection as and when its needed. Theres no man in a beige lab
coat and pen in his top pocket like the guy you see in the background
at abbey road studio pictures keeping the studio running!!! No separate
reverb plate room, machine room, miles of cable, tones of solder joints
or false mystique. It gives us all the chance to be all things,
engineer, producer, drummer, pianist, guitarist, string arranger. (Who
knows if thats good or bad). Cubase and software like it, Its just a
very good tool but its only as good as what you actually record in to
it. (theres a whole other argument about mics here!!! anyone?)
Learn to play well the old way, its the best thing you can do for
yourself. its the ONLY thing you can take in to a big studio that they
wont already have or can buy (your playing style)its much, much easier,
more satisfying ultimatly and you can spend the time u save recording
multiple takes and comping a track together writing whining whinging
posts like this to forums of lovely people who give tonnes of great
advice for FREE!!!!
Plus, if you're good enough, you can teach!!!!And keep the cycle going
that bit longer before we're reduced to a handfull of musicians and a
shit load of programmers.
Im not a teacher by the way, i'm not good enough, but i do still play
my instrument every day between and during cubase sessions!!.
Peace to all here, we're all going for the same thing at the end of the
day!!