Studio One 5 Available Now (5.3 Out June 29th, 2021)

[SILAworld]

Music theory is descriptive not prescriptive. To assume that genuine music can only emerge from someone who knows music theory is the wrong way around. Music theory emerges from people making choices that felt and sounded right. As a matter of fact, the assumption that there’s some kind of universality to western music theory is wrong. Just see how tabla players count, how microtonal music from eg the Balkans or parts of Asia work...Or even closer to home, try to get a Flamenco guitarist to agree with a classical player as to what is the “right” choice in a composition.

It’s also not accurate to equate the mathematics of music to music theory. One builds on the other, but not everything in music theory is based on mathematics at all.

This is such a mental approach to creativity - “I think it through, therefore it must be better.” What about feel, intuition, emergence, surprise, discovery? What role do those play in music? Are those only for “beginners” in your mind? In my mind these are the tenets of masters.

Don’t get me wrong, music theory is supremely valuable and I agree with you that it can help make informed choices, but music theory emerges and evolves after the fact, it’s not the beginning of “good” music, it’s the result of it.

And finally, what does a DAW have to do with ANY of this?! I don’t understand how my choice of SOFTWARE that is meant to be a tool to realise my intention to record and compose music determines my status as “pro musician” or “bedroom producer” ?! The tool is the tool, the artist that wields it renders it “pro” or “amateur.”

Of course there are better tools than others, but its hardly objective what determines a tool better than the other - it’s at the very least contextual if not subjective.

To dismiss Ableton and Bitwig as “bedroom producer” software is silly and especially in the context of StudioOne, which is the linear DAW of choice MOSTLY for project and home studio owners. Because “pro” studios, at least where I live, still run on ProTools and Logic. That said, the truth is most pros will have a copy of each of the most popular DAWs so when a client shows with their project they can accommodate it.

I’ve worked with Grammy nominated recording engineers and I can tell you that Ableton Live is on their hard disk too.

Now all that said, I do agree that StudioOne is a GREAT piece of software and I do enjoy the updates in v5, I feel they did a lot for composers in v4 so this update makes sense to me personally.

[lfm]

The more informed your decisions are, the more merit your art will have.

You might increase chances to create art with some education - but you might even be locked into paradigms how things are to be done.

My last attempt for a piano teacher was all about Miles Davis. And he thought it was so cool that he broke a rule in some piece of music which was of no importance to the art itself. (I went went 3 lessons the no more).

So music becomes an intellectual expression more than an artistic expression.

We had a keyboard player in a band that was all locked into notation taking lessons forever - place a sheet of music and he could play it. Ask him to improvise or just figure out what to play - and he was lost.

So I don't agree that art has more merit just because it was from concious calculations due to education. There is something we call talent - and that means doing things even more highly educated cannot. I even think it is a misconception art only need education and you will become a good artist/composer.

I think it was Mozart that at the age of six just heard a piece and then could go home and play it - all in his head. He developed this through his life to create own music like few did before him.

I'm sure there are snobs that just think their music is better because it's educated decisions it came out from.
- this is so clever because I inserted these chords instead
or something. Often the same people that despise popular music that sell big on top of charts.

But no doubt that craftmanship to make a good arrangement for an orchestra takes some education. Björn and Benny(ABBA) always took help from directors to transfer to orchestra since at least Benny did not know notation. But the art of the music could be from pure talent and/or hard work by anyone which was the case for Björn and Benny.

[Touch The Universe]

Wow, I can read you guys all day, not to digress, onwards

[Touch The Universe]

Music theory is descriptive not prescriptive.

Yes!! Let us spread this message loud and clear

seriously

[antic604]

This is such a mental approach to creativity - “I think it through, therefore it must be better.” What about feel, intuition, emergence, surprise, discovery? What role do those play in music? Are those only for “beginners” in your mind? In my mind these are the tenets of masters.

So I don't agree that art has more merit just because it was from concious calculations due to education. There is something we call talent - and that means doing things even more highly educated cannot. I even think it is a misconception art only need education and you will become a good artist/composer.

While I agree with the above 101%, I also get frustrated when I hear a chord progression clearly in my head but before I'm able to blindly recreate it I get through 10-20 variations moving notes almost randomly and I often end up forgetting where I was going in fist place. It's like perfume store - after tasting 5, each next one smells the same

So what I'm saying is some rudimentary knowledge of theory or - even better - ability to play an instrument is really helpful.

Also, how did we even ended up in this discussion?!

[WatchTheGuitar]

Also, how did we even ended up in this discussion?!

Elitism reared its head re bedroom producers vs "proppa playas"

No-one except me will get the reference, but it delights me.

[SLiC]

Aside from the odd annoying musical prodigy, most of us need a bit of theory for specific types of music. I was able to play guitar in bands (blues/rock) with almost no musical theory....as I got older and tried to play jazz, I had to read up (and I still haven't mastered it). For some knowledge of how things work (or have worked for other people) may help, for others it may be a major hindrance in creativity and originality...

[antic604]

Elitism reared its head re bedroom producers vs "proppa playas"

Phew! Then I'm good. I rarely finish anything (avg. 1 track every 2 years ) and when I use my 4 DAWs it's in my living room, so I'm neither a "producer" or "bedroom". I obviously must be a "pro", then!

[Touch The Universe]

This is such a mental approach to creativity - “I think it through, therefore it must be better.” What about feel, intuition, emergence, surprise, discovery? What role do those play in music? Are those only for “beginners” in your mind? In my mind these are the tenets of masters.

So I don't agree that art has more merit just because it was from concious calculations due to education. There is something we call talent - and that means doing things even more highly educated cannot. I even think it is a misconception art only need education and you will become a good artist/composer.

While I agree with the above 101%, I also get frustrated when I hear a chord progression clearly in my head but before I'm able to blindly recreate it I get through 10-20 variations moving notes almost randomly and I often end up forgetting where I was going in fist place. It's like perfume store - after tasting 5, each next one smells the same

So what I'm saying is some rudimentary knowledge of theory or - even better - ability to play an instrument is really helpful.

Also, how did we even ended up in this discussion?!

Wow, this is good. thanks for bringing this together. you, mr lfm and SILA, wow, carry on.. i agree with so much you say

[fairlyclose]

So what I'm saying is some rudimentary knowledge of theory or - even better - ability to play an instrument is really helpful.

being able to play is handy - but if you cant then singing(broadly construed) a melody or progression can sometimes give you enough of an aid to reconstruct what you had in mind

[auricle]

I'm going to quote one of my favourite Pixar films - Ratatouille, because why not?

"Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." - Anton Ego.

Regardless of education, background or upbringing, talent can spring from anywhere in any genre, whether it's a composer with a full 40 piece orchestra at his/her disposal or a 15 year old with an old laptop.

[teilo]

Elitism reared its head re bedroom producers vs "proppa playas"

Phew! Then I'm good. I rarely finish anything (avg. 1 track every 2 years ) and when I use my 4 DAWs it's in my living room, so I'm neither a "producer" or "bedroom". I obviously must be a "pro", then!

Have kids. My son is getting married next month, so I have to finish this track. Going to be a surprise at the reception.

[fedesilva]

First of all let me state that I meant no disrespect to beatmakers, everyone should approach music the way the feel it and if you are having fun working with loops and it's your way to be creative, that's ok and no one can question that. I just think that it's a good thing that we can have a DAW that is not trying to target that kind of users just because it's where the money is.

And I don't think it's elitism to compare beatmakers to musicians, and to make a difference there. They are different kinds of people, a musician finds pleasure on understanding music, there's an excitment on the struggle to learn how to play and instrument and get better doing it, they don't seek the easy, they embrace the difficulties, and that's part of the creative process. In most cases, beatmakers just want to make the next hit and make money in the easiest way posible. I don't believe that to be art, the purpose of art is not the purpose of money, even if they are related in some cases, like the Beatles. The initial purpose is what matters, if your objective is to make money you are not creating art, you are just a cog in the music industry.

I didn't wanted to create a discussion regarding music theory either. Music theory is a tool, an historic approach to understanding how sounds works and how humans have interpreted this sounds through the ages until today. Many of the composers I listen to are people that didn't have a proper music theory education, that they just kind of learned how to play an instrument and understood how to create something from that. That said, just ignoring music theory because you think it's not needed to make good music is just dumb, it's neglecting the chance to expand your creative and intellectual possibilities. Education is never bad , learning theory will always be better than not learning it.

[fedesilva]

Getting back to the original thread I feel the new version of SO still need a GUI overhaul, it's basically the same as the previous version and I think there are still a lot of improvements to be made in that area. Kind of disappointed about that. I hope they make some improvements on next iterations of this version. Also, little to none workflow improvements, for example it would be nice to have a shortcut to bypass plugins, or more intelligent and less unpredictable zooming, better color pallete, etc.

[antic604]

Elitism reared its head re bedroom producers vs "proppa playas"

Phew! Then I'm good. I rarely finish anything (avg. 1 track every 2 years ) and when I use my 4 DAWs it's in my living room, so I'm neither a "producer" or "bedroom". I obviously must be a "pro", then!

Have kids. My son is getting married next month, so I have to finish this track. Going to be a surprise at the reception.

I've three. They all hate my music