If AI replaces musicians, does the entire plugin industry die with them?

[jamcat]

[wagtunes]

So, it is ok to be not well informed as long as you tell the leading narative.

Yeah, I am afraid of the unknow, what's the problem here, now?

I do not want to experience AI terminator revolution, oyeah, I a have never experieced it and there is no one who has experienced it yet, because it might come in the future.

What is the problem with expressing criticism?

am I a party pooper now?

You like AI?
Yeah, every one needs some one to look up to.
good luck with your destiny

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

But here's the thing. Everything else on this track that ISN'T AI, is still a cheat to some extent.

The rhythm track is about 70% loops.

The orchestra and brass is all samples. There are no real string or horn players here.

The guitars are all virtual.

This whole thing was done completely in the box by ONE person. There is no band here.

All of this, we accept. But mention AI and people go into a tizzy.

I don't get it.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

[_leras]

All together — a huge time saver. Ive taken the best of Arturia / Controller integration and am applying it to Korg and Roland integration with two different controller systems ( SL MKIII and the Keylab MK3 ) and keeping this stuff similar across the ecosystems. One for home/studio, one for on-the-go playing. Win-win.

Just another use for AI.. thought worth throwing into the discussion here.

That seems a great exercise and use for ai. Finding the information and being to replace a chore to leave you more time for music.

[DCrown]

So, it is ok to be not well informed as long as you tell the leading narative.

Yeah, I am afraid of the unknow, what's the problem here, now?

I do not want to experience AI terminator revolution, oyeah, I a have never experieced it and there is no one who has experienced it yet, because it might come in the future.

What is the problem with expressing criticism?

am I a party pooper now?

You like AI?
Yeah, every one needs some one to look up to.
good luck with your destiny

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

But here's the thing. Everything else on this track that ISN'T AI, is still a cheat to some extent.

The rhythm track is about 70% loops.

The orchestra and brass is all samples. There are no real string or horn players here.

The guitars are all virtual.

This whole thing was done completely in the box by ONE person. There is no band here.

All of this, we accept. But mention AI and people go into a tizzy.

I don't get it.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

Wouldn't it be more interesting to play your own drums on pads and keys instead of just loops?
Horns and strings also just pre-baked loops?
I mean, the song is funny and the funk vibe is cool and song immediately reminds of Bee Gees, but it's not something you haven't heard a hundred times before, it lacks originality and the production quality, vocals and arrangement is not even close to the quality of Bee Gees.
Whenever I hear something where AI is involved it always lacks creativity and originality.
How exactly do you use or play the horns snd strings? Do you play it note for note on a keyboard?
I can't imagine using audio drum loops at all or use some pre-baked midi groove from a drum plugin, that's not creating music by yourself.

[wagtunes]

So, it is ok to be not well informed as long as you tell the leading narative.

Yeah, I am afraid of the unknow, what's the problem here, now?

I do not want to experience AI terminator revolution, oyeah, I a have never experieced it and there is no one who has experienced it yet, because it might come in the future.

What is the problem with expressing criticism?

am I a party pooper now?

You like AI?
Yeah, every one needs some one to look up to.
good luck with your destiny

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

But here's the thing. Everything else on this track that ISN'T AI, is still a cheat to some extent.

The rhythm track is about 70% loops.

The orchestra and brass is all samples. There are no real string or horn players here.

The guitars are all virtual.

This whole thing was done completely in the box by ONE person. There is no band here.

All of this, we accept. But mention AI and people go into a tizzy.

I don't get it.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

Wouldn't it be more interesting to play your own drums on pads and keys instead of just loops?
Horns and strings also just pre-baked loops?
I mean, the song is funny and the funk vibe is cool and song immediately reminds of Bee Gees, but it's not something you haven't heard a hundred times before, it lacks originality.
Whenever I hear something where AI is involved it always lacks creativity and originality.
How exactly do you use or play the horns snd strings? Do you play it note for note on a keyboard?

In this case, it wasn't supposed to be original. It was a homage to the Bee Gees. I wanted it to remind everybody of something from Saturday Night Fever. If I accomplished that, then my goal for this song was achieved.

I do plenty of original songs.

Like this totally off the wall track from 7 years ago.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim/pig-on-the-dash

[DCrown]

How do you play horns or strings usually, note by note on a keyboard or by adding loops or for instance eastwest has one key presets with short horn sections?
I know it is a hommage to Bee Gees.

[wagtunes]

So, it is ok to be not well informed as long as you tell the leading narative.

Yeah, I am afraid of the unknow, what's the problem here, now?

I do not want to experience AI terminator revolution, oyeah, I a have never experieced it and there is no one who has experienced it yet, because it might come in the future.

What is the problem with expressing criticism?

am I a party pooper now?

You like AI?
Yeah, every one needs some one to look up to.
good luck with your destiny

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

But here's the thing. Everything else on this track that ISN'T AI, is still a cheat to some extent.

The rhythm track is about 70% loops.

The orchestra and brass is all samples. There are no real string or horn players here.

The guitars are all virtual.

This whole thing was done completely in the box by ONE person. There is no band here.

All of this, we accept. But mention AI and people go into a tizzy.

I don't get it.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

Wouldn't it be more interesting to play your own drums on pads and keys instead of just loops?
Horns and strings also just pre-baked loops?
I mean, the song is funny and the funk vibe is cool and song immediately reminds of Bee Gees, but it's not something you haven't heard a hundred times before, it lacks originality and the production quality, vocals and arrangement is not even close to the quality of Bee Gees.
Whenever I hear something where AI is involved it always lacks creativity and originality.
How exactly do you use or play the horns snd strings? Do you play it note for note on a keyboard?
I can't imagine using audio drum loops at all or use some pre-baked midi groove from a drum plugin, that's not creating music by yourself.

To answer your question, all the horn parts were played note for note. Most of the string parts were played note for note except for the ones baked into the rhythm track loop which basically functioned as a drum machine.

Essentially everything you hear playing a lead line is real time keyboard input.

[DCrown]

But that's not AI then, using samples and playing them note for note on a keyboard is playing an instrument. Btw also drum machines can be used to play note for note a complete drum beat yourself.That's not ai, you are off topic!

You can use Midi, although I prefer recording audio real time makes me feel closer to a real instrument. Do you have or use midi?
Have to check whether current Reaper version still has midi recording option. I record every Vsti instrument to audio, so I can't tell.
Is Midi still used in 2026?

[wagtunes]

But that's not AI then, using samples and playing them note for note on a keyboard is playing an instrument. Btw also drum machines can be used to play note for note a complete drum beat yourself.That's not ai, you are off topic!

You can use Midi, although I prefer recording audio real time. Do you have or use midi?
Is Midi still used in 2026?

Of course I use MIDI. I don't do any actual audio recording other than vocals. Everything else is transmitted through my Arturia Keylab 49 Essential keyboard controller, which I still don't even take full advantage of as there are so many things it can do that I don't bother with. I basically use it like a piano that makes other sounds besides piano sounds thanks to all the (hundreds) of VSTs I own.

I could sound like the New York Philharmonic if I wanted to but I'm not.

Isn't that cheating just as much as using AI is cheating?

I don't really see much of a difference. I mean you're trying to convince somebody that you're a symphony orchestra when you're not.

And believe me, there was a time when people were up in arms about that, saying we were putting musicians out of business. Today, we seem to be more accepting.

AI could very well be no different. Today we're screaming. In a few years, who knows? It may become universally accepted by everybody.

[DCrown]

If you don't know to play a sax on a keyboard, it won't sound good, you have to know to play it differently than a piano, you have to be skilled.
Same with orchestra, lots of people use pre-baked stuff like pre baked bass line, pre-baked guitar riffs, pre baked horn sections, loops, pre recorded performances and phrases, pre baked melodies, one note presets, that's just as bad and untalented as ai and it makes a mix or song sound like a thousand other songs without any originality.

.

[wagtunes]

If you don't know to play a sax on a keyboard, it won't sound good, you have to know to play it differently than a piano, you have to be skilled.
Same with orchestra, lots of people usr pre-baked stuff like pre baked bass line, pre-baked guitar riffs, pre baked horn sections, loops,pre recorded performances and phrases, pre baked melodies, one note presets, that's just as bad and untalented as ai

Well I do know how to play sax, horns and strings on a keyboard. Funny, you seemed to like the last few tracks I posted at the Music Cafe. I can post your comments if I have to remind you.

[DCrown]

Of course AI will be accepted by majority of future generations. If your roots are ai, then what else do you know, how stupid it would look in 40 years to waste time on learning to play an instrument.

I like your horn sections and arrangement, just wanted to know how you made them. Whenever you use horns your tracks are better. Try to generally make your vocals not that loud, they are a bit too upfront imo.
You make music to create something funny, don't you, I would be surprised if you thought you could win a creativity award or even earn lots of money.
If you want to earn money your.music would have to get much worser.
You are a parody producer, comedian, it is good to be funny

[agharta]

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

The vocals put it too much into parody territory for me.
It's between pastiche and parody, but if you add an intentionally funny video you could get some traction as a comedic tune.
To be honest, the lyrics are part of the parody element, so are they AI also?

[wagtunes]

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

The vocals put it too much into parody territory for me.
It's between pastiche and parody, but if you add an intentionally funny video you could get some traction as a comedic tune.
To be honest, the lyrics are part of the parody element, so are they AI also?

No, the lyrics I wrote. The song was not meant to be taken seriously but to be an obvious rip off of the Bee Gees.

I make no apologies for it. LOL

[agharta]

I just finished this track. Everything is me except the vocals. I could have kept mine, but my Barry Gibb impersonation isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The AI does a much better job.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... a-have-you

The vocals put it too much into parody territory for me.
It's between pastiche and parody, but if you add an intentionally funny video you could get some traction as a comedic tune.
To be honest, the lyrics are part of the parody element, so are they AI also?

No, the lyrics I wrote. The song was not meant to be taken seriously but to be an obvious rip off of the Bee Gees.
I make no apologies for it. LOL

What did you use for what sounds like staccato guitar chords?
Those really let the arrangement down for me on many levels.
The tone and rhythmic feel are very off to me.

You have given me the idea now to create parodies of artists and songs.