Random generation tools make me sad...

[crimsonwarlock]

I mean I came here to see people's thinking?

Yet, when someone disagrees with you, you say they are wrong

I don't see any constructive discussion here from you, only harping on about how you see it. So, I'm out.

[ROTMetro]

But they can also form a 'starter for 10', some inspiration, something to clear a mental block and move you along.

Everyone uses shortcuts - just some people don't realise they're doing so or justify it in another way.

To put it another way: Why does it matter to you directly ? Is it fear that they may 'beat' you to some goal, or get fame more easily when it took you 'hard work', or something else ?

If the answer is "It doesn't", then why worry ?

Bro I'm never getting famous. Even if I somehow became a good musician my taste is horrible and going by this thread people don't like what I say much, so no it's not a competition/jealousy/shortcut thing .

My thought was purely reflective initially, that I was turning my music making time into me being a consumer (clicking next next next at that slot machine looking for a jackpot), then led me to broader thinking that the pool of future musicians will have less depth, that I will miss out on hearing great music that would have been.

I think 'Hey guys, I feel bad about this' can be enough to be worthwhile to discuss. I think 'I think this tool actually making me a worse musician' is worth bringing up. I make poor choices when stumbling through life, so I find it useful to talk things through with others. I'm glad that they work/have a good process flow for others but I think it's also okay to question what they might be doing to us.

[ROTMetro]

I mean I came here to see people's thinking?

Yet, when someone disagrees with you, you say they are wrong

I don't see any constructive discussion here from you, only harping on about how you see it. So, I'm out.

Bro not much room for discussion when your position is I can't see factual reality. You didn't bother to define work towards something, you just stated I'm wrong the end. Not sure why you are shocked my response is 'I don't think I am wrong though, and here's why'. You never attempted to address points I brought up. Sorry that upset you and chased you off. It sounds like you have tons of experience and have found usefulness/insights where I haven't.

[koalaboy]

I think 'Hey guys, I feel bad about this' can be enough to be worthwhile to discuss. I think 'I think this tool actually making me a worse musician' is worth bringing up. I make poor choices when stumbling through life, so I find it useful to talk things through with others. I'm glad that they work/have a good process flow for others but I think it's also okay to question what they might be doing to us.

No worries.

I agree that discussion is always good, as it is what helps form our own world perception.

It's also a great change from moaning about the latest product. Maybe that's the great benefit of AI, in that it aligns us to complain about a single thing

You make a very good point about consumption vs creation, and I think that's something everyone goes through. Nobody but ourselves can solve that (posting a lot on forums is both creation *and* consumption ), but getting it 'out of the system' always helps clear a space.

Keep on making music and doing whatever makes you happy. Be cautious about change, but at the same time don't worry about things you can't control.

[ROTMetro]

Keep on making music and doing whatever makes you happy.

You too bro.

[Michael L]

Choosing to use or to not use generative tools is what defines someone as an artist.

Nope.

Yup.
Artistry is the quality of the choices you make.

Nope. And you werent appointed arbiter of that quality.

Yup.
I was.
All hail the *officially* appointed Arbiter of Artisticalitousness.

[jancivil]

I have not used a generative software that we'd tend to define as that, but I'm definitely not against it. If we're talking AI, however, a hard no. It's not an intelligence, it's an averaging engine that by brute force is insanely fast at a task. It's by definition purely derivative of its cues or sources. Lameness defined as far as a musical aesthetic for me. The Rick Beato vid in the other thread illustrates the problem well. But this shit is a perfect outgrowth of derivative crap in pop music for most of my experience.

I do things in synthesis engine towards unpredictablity; such as envelope breakpoints that don't agree with, or a delay set against the grain of what the clock is in the sequence.


btfw it's duct tape.

[BertKoor]

Yeah, but then some ppl won't agree.

xvd3ezs8uphiowmp0vcb-1963345820.jpg

[starflakeprj]

Random generation tools in music make me sad. I want someone to bounce ideas off of and vice versa. Instead I click a button on a machine. And even when it gives me something good it's nothing and has no value to me, and I click again because what if the next click is something better.

Sad is good, use that to create something extraordinary

[eassae]

Random generation tools in music make me sad.

Me too. It's like that episode of South Park where they find out the Family Guy writing staff is just manatees picking word balls out of a net at random. Seems like that's how most movies are being made now as well. Anyway, when I listen to generative music it's just like stuff happening for no reason. I guess that can be the conceptual basis for a thing, but I don't find it pleasant to listen too. Using the random button on plugins as well has never appealed to me.

[Bombadil]

I am not sure what I think of them. My limit is throwing in some random bits via the sequencer on my Launchkey.
I tend not to like what a sequencer spits out when set to 'random.'

It seems more and more that everything has been getting dumbed down to reach the largest demographic possible. This is simply another example.

[Protocol_b]

I rarely add my tedious observations, but this issue is kind of close to my heart. Caveat: I LOVE random. But controlled random. 100% agree that a stepper set to full random is abhorrent. But very specific steps permitted to select from the key/scale lock, or permitted to choose an octave, or given the option of not playing that step at all... these make my home sessions of jam-with-my-DAW more like having a great band - 'we' know how to play this tune, 'we' play it well, and 'we' make it fun with some improvisation. The song is never exactly the same twice, but it is definitely the same song. Even the pads / drones are unpredictable in their modulations - or not - I may choose to be OCD and sequence the modulations.

My situation might be unusual though (OK, it is ). I don't often record anything. If I want to hear one of my tunes, I have to regenerate it live on the spot - activate the rig, select the tune, and start feeding it from my controller. I never experience the boredom that I imagine many live musicians endure, if they have been presenting a hit song, live, ever since 1975.

If I had to lock everything down 100% and hear it exactly the same way for eternity, I wouldn't even be doing this. It's like pinning a butterfly.

Edit to add: But fully AI generated music? Pfahh. Hoch ptooey. Puh-lease.