Oh well, this is going to be interesting, it feels to me like there is a divide between my view on music and the views of some others. Hardcore classicist music nerds? Not sure...
Proposed Q&A site for anyone engaged in the theory, technique, practice, performance, and study of computer music as it has developed from the early Music N days of Max Matthews to modern signal flow languages and beyond.
Yeah, I think I'm working my way around to that view. It just feels different to me, but it isn't something I'm personally involved in, so no expertise from me.
@RebeccaChernoff It's not different. It's just other instruments. The difference between computer music and baroque music is the same as between computer music and rock'n'roll. Just different instruments. Same music. Same theories.
But a digital piano is just a computer with a piano keyboard.
That digital piano can be made to do pretty much anything. There is a sound patch for the Nord modular Keyboard that lets you play the Pong computer game on it.
Well, so my point is, there is no sharp line between a piano and a computer. If they make a noise, they are instruments. And as a point in that, I recommend Paul Lanskys Mild Und Liese. youtube.com/watch?v=4ZDxMb4nago
I'd love one of those. I've come across a few applications online which mimic that sort of functionality. I think it's a very interesting way to compose music, personally.
Eh, some beginner questions are ok. The point is to make the internet a better place. So avoiding questions that you can google and find a superb answer to on wiki or another "canonical" source in the first couple results is a great start.
This question deals with one of the 7 essential meta questions of every beta that the community should discuss early on during the site's life.
Our FAQ currently reads:
What kind of questions can I ask here?
Musical Practice and Performance - Stack Exchange is for musicians, students,...
Hey, Rebecca, just been reading a little of the recent history - myself and Lennart were kind of just 'discussing' something a little like the computer / instrument predicament, but hardware / software. It all kind of ties in. I'm interested in seeing where the topical conversations go
Although, I would like the state that for all I like to contribute what I can, I'm by no means an authority when it comes to music
I'm guessing we're just lucky to have had this site established
@MrDisappointment Obviously nobody can assert anything, but I think it's in the end pretty obvious that we can't exclude certain musical instruments just because we somehow feel they are the "wrong kind".
I whole heartedly agree, and I must say that I don't believe that throughout our conversing I stated anything otherwise - though if you picked it up that way, let me assure you of such now
@MrDisappointment I've been pushing to deal with the guitars/music/all-the-zillion-music-proposals for months. And I've been squee*ing lately as we finalized dealing with them. No way a music site was going to *not be created. q:
Also, if you feel I can update my answer to the question in question to convey this more clearly (that is, that I don't think we should rule out such and such), then I'll certainly try
@Rebecca and I can only thank you for the effort, great job!
@MrDisappointment Well, you claimed that it was off topic, because it was software. That is excluding certain instruments. Suddenly software synths arbitrarily is not on topic, while hardware synths still are? (And those terms are not using the words hardware/software according to your definition, btw).
In addition to that, such a question would also be off topic on audio recording and production. So there you are incorrect.
@Lennart I don't think I outright claimed as much, I specified an opinion and an option but definitely left room for the more experienced than me to fill in any gaps
@MrDisappointment But fine, you opined that software synths should be off topic, because they are software. And you also said, incorrectly, that they would be on topic on audio.SE.
@MrDisappointment You are getting into semantics, I'm trying to avoid it. You know what I mean, I think you are just using semantics to avoid the question, to be honest.
There is nothing personal about my approach, Lennart, I wouldn't like it to be construed as that
After I state that I 'think' something, not that something 'is', then the community as a whole decides the correctness or incorrectness of that - there is no avoidance here
So don't make silly claims like "it should not be up to you". I've never said that, it's a straw man argument, a way to make the debate about me and not the topic. FYI: I've debated on the internet in 20 years. You cant win with tactics. You'll have to actually listen.
OK, can we get back to some actual points though... I don't profess to be any authority when it comes to music, but I am looking forward to what is to become of this site and how I might use it, my answer may well be incorrect and many will decide on it, as with any other answers, so I'm absolutely open to accepting others answers but I think we first need to analyse the question
This not being my background I couldn't be any more specific about it if I were to reply (forgetting that I did for a second)
If we look at the title: 'Could a question that regards to music software or sequencers be treated as appropriate?'
Could a question that regards to live performance software be treated as appropriate?I have to admit that here I see my first oversight, I don't think my brain even scanned the 'live performance software'
Gaargh, apologies, that got really messed up
Not sure how I got the first copy/paste without the 'live' references so I tried again and make a mess
Sooo....
Title: ' Could a question that regards to live performance software be treated as appropriate?'
Like I said, I don't think I even scanned 'live performance software' in there, so that is definitely an oversight which, had I seen this, might have influenced me in an answer
Sure. Not that I think your misunderstanding actually makes a difference. A music software could be something used while composing to make notations, for example. It doesn't have to have anything to do with recording or audio production.
And a MIDI recording software is not audio recording or production either. :-)
Although the MIDI recording (software or hardware, as I pointed out I think the distinction is pointless) would at this time be off topic both on audio.SE and here. I think that's unfortunate, but that's another question.
OK, I get that, and so I can only continue that by reading into 'music software and sequencers', given my limited experiences, is that this is often post-production
Just as I didn't look into the subject further to be more helpful, I just offered my knowledge, limited, but what I had
To me, this does get broad now, since for me, post-production is clearly eligible on the site I suggest, but by another community member is seen to be eligible here
So, it's only my opinion, but we need more than a clear cut 'yes' or 'no' to answer this thoroughly
No, post-production isn't eligible here. I think it should be, but it isn't. But this was specifically about using computer software as a live instrument. It has specifically and clearly, nothing to do with composing or post-production or recording.
Then comes other questions, like is software to help musical composition on topic? Compositing is on topic, is the software? And that can be debated.
I of course think it should be included, why not? If not, should it also be off topic to ask for help with your guitar delay pedal? It's also not "music" but a tool related to it.
A lot of the validity of a question rests upon the information that the OP provides, I can see borderline questions coming into play, in limbo through moderation, and this can sometimes get a little aggressive between sites
Can I ask, just out of curiosity, is there anything on the audio site you think couldn't be made relevant on here?
I mean, the fact that it is named 'audio' doesn't really do it justice - questions on there such as 'Why doesn't my hi-fi go to 11?' wouldn't be tolerated just as here on 'music'
And with it all being quite tied into the same industry, I'm curious
Oh, yeah, questions being bounced between sites happens.
@MrDisappointment There are loads of questions on the audio site that is off topic here. Questions about podcasting and how to record gunshot sounds, etc.
I'm all for contribution but fear my lack of experience in the whole subject matter of music is enough to shoot myself in the foot, maybe as I'd done earlier
It definitely has me thinking though, and I'm willing to try and compose something, and further discuss here to help investigate what should go into it
@Rebecca There is already a question about embedding some notation mark-up, but what about two things: I) should requests for help in what is essentially reverse engineering a composition be tolerated? II) If so, what legal implications might there be in such activity
I'm pretty confident these could be rolled into a question pretty quickly but I'm interested to hear what your reaction is
Or anyone else that pops in here, for that matter.
Should we consider requests that ask for aid in reverse engineering compositions valid?
By this I obviously mean well constructed questions that the OP has put clear effort into, articulating where they're at and what they need help with, not straight-out requests to provide the poster with a co...