Triumph of the Amateurs..

[jecahn]

I heard a great segment on NPR this morning about how technology that created the "music business" is slowly destroying it through the availability of computers and software that facilitate "home studios." Apparently, it was one of a series available here:
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/technopop/index.html

Pretty Neat.

[Robert D]

Cool. Pro tools is a word processor for music. I like that. The point that was missed is that the music industry owns the airwaves, and as long as that is true, the home recording revolution has hit a brick wall.
RD

[jecahn]

Agreed, RD. In fact, toward the end of today's "episode" it was pointed out that we're probably a long way off from the charts being over run by bedroom musos. However, it's a little more in the realm of possibility.

However, I think the point was more that we can legitimately say, "screw the record companies!" And, in doing so, get back to the "roots" of pop music, especially apt, I think in Karr's revelation that modern "pop music" in the context of people creating what, in their view is popular, is a kind of "folk music."

For some, the point of creating and recording music is not to roll their experience into a big name record contract as much as it is to simply be able to "create." At least, that's what I say...

Good stuff, though.

[Robert D]

Good points. Music should be created as it's own reward, not just as a means to a commercial end, and that certainly has been facilitated by the home recording equipment revolution. And concurrently, popular musical styles have shifted towards a less produced, more organic style. So the seeds are ripe for a revolution. People are making great music without the big time studio, and the listener is ready to hear a more organic product. But the gatekeeper is the small handfull of companies that own virtually every radio station in the country, and have complete control of rotation. It's damn hard to sell music without airplay.
Well, it's the weekend and I'm outta here.
Cheers, RD

[Enlightend]

I'm sure the internet will/has helped alot with that. Thanks to the WWW, I've been exposed to stuff I may never have been otherwise.

But I hear what you're saying, about control of the airwaves, it's just like control of the news, the paper, the University textbooks. Thank God for college radio, and again the web.

And what do you all know about this new "XM" radio station, I think it's called?

[Tcmax]

Originally posted by jecahn:
However, I think the point was more that we can legitimately say, "screw the record companies!" And, in doing so, get back to the "roots" of pop music, especially apt, I think in Karr's revelation that modern "pop music" in the context of people creating what, in their view is popular, is a kind of "folk music."
[/B]

I edited this to make it a little more brief. I think this is all good .. I started in music when I was 10 ... now I am 42 and have been recording stuff for just under 20 yrs .. seriously though for about 5 yrs .. It is amazing how many of us are now able to make music at home on better gear than was available ever in early music history, and with the right ear and enough time we can match and in fact do better ( hear rushs new album?) the so called professional industry with no suit breathing down our neck saying we should do it this way.. our time is coming brothers and sisters!! (maniacal laughter)

Cheers all.

[Sonic Valley]

As I write this I'm sitting at work and two floors above me is one of the largest studios around.

The revolution hit here about two years ago...when a few studios shut down due to lack of work...now that big ol studio above me is no longer doing music and has switched to post. This is due to many bands teaching themselves to make a record and actually make a record so good they've been able to pick up distribution deals. Sony and Warner are always likeing this area and about three bands a year get a contract of some kind.

As a studio engineer I was really nervous years ago when recording really went home...so I set up a nice little home studio. I think I've found a great middle ground here with very comfortable atmosphere and a sound that smokes all the stingy studios.

The revolution is on indeed!

[jecahn]

Yeah, I read an article somewhere about how studios were shutting down because the refused to do anything but "music." They pretty well shot themselves in the foot by trying to be so exclusive.

It's funny to see this thread come back from the dead. I was just thinking that other day that I wanted to hear more of these segments but they seem to be pretty much done.

[Tcmax]

Originally posted by jecahn:
Yeah, I read an article somewhere about how studios were shutting down because the refused to do anything but "music." They pretty well shot themselves in the foot by trying to be so exclusive.

It's funny to see this thread come back from the dead. I was just thinking that other day that I wanted to hear more of these segments but they seem to be pretty much done.


I like to jump in things like this ... now that I have settled in here in the USA after a bit of flitting around the globe for the last 15 yrs http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif It was good to find some kindred spirits. I am stuck with nothing to do at the moment as I am waiting to build a new dedicated system for the studio having got away from using a VS-1880 fed by a mackie desk and a few odds and sods of external hardware I have gone almost exclusively DAW PC with aardvarks as the pre-amps/inputs.. gives nice clean clear sound and takes up less room and is faster to get ideas down. I need to get into the local SD action a bit more now..just finding the right people to work with is the hassle when you are new in town. But one thing I have leared .. it pays to talk to as many people as possible about what you do http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif

[juppu]

Originally posted by Sonic Valley:
As a studio engineer I was really nervous years ago when recording really went home...so I set up a nice little home studio. I think I've found a great middle ground here with very comfortable atmosphere and a sound that smokes all the stingy studios.

The revolution is on indeed!

Well put, I felt pretty much the same when I realised recording gear doesn't cost multiple millions. I set up my own modest studio where I do part of the stuff I work on. Recently mixed down a song for an album (which is for real release, by a real, big record company, with a real, extremely tiny budget http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif ). The mix has been played on a radio station and apparently it sounded just as good as the stuff before and after (which WASN'T 1920s delta blues or early 1980s digital recordings with general midi sounds... lol ).

HOWEVER, the music industry will never get away from the big studios with the SSL desks, the UREI compressors and Pultec EQs, the Lexicon 480s, the massive speakers and huge Pro Tools TDM/HD systems. The big shot engineers and producers who make the music that is in the charts decide to work like that, but wait until the home recording generation starts to take over the old school style, because their (our?) preferences in working methods are quite different. (Having said this, I wouldn't mind mixing on an SSL... http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif ).

Waiting for that day...

Juppu

[Enlightend]

Originally posted by juppu:
Well put, I felt pretty much the same when I realised recording gear doesn't cost multiple millions. I set up my own modest studio where I do part of the stuff I work on.

Only several months ago, I had not a clue what was going on in the music/audio world. I took a course in MIDI/Electro-acoustic music in college, and left with the thought: "One day, hopefully, I'll be able to afford a computer and a $1-2K sampler, some sounds, and then maybe I can take control of my music. Years from now". I had access to the school's 'studio', and did a last-minute soundtrack for a student film. I got a copy of the film and recorded the music to tape, and thought that would be the last of my audio work for many years.

But many things occur in our lives and they seem to happen for a reason. I got a gift certificate to guitar center for my b-day, and around the same time I stumbled upon tweakheadz.com, started looking around the web more, bought a midi keyboard and started learning what all the damn dials do. And here I am, very grateful to have stumbled upon all this.

I think Robert identified the crux of the problem: Those who control the flow of information control what you are exposed to. Thank God for the internet, that is all I can say; I've got all kinds of cool music on my harddrive because of it. We need radio stations for home-made music, this should surely complement the high-end studios' output. I thought that's what this XM radio was all about. . . .