You are still talking about technologies that were available almost
fifteen years ago. Perhaps not on your lap top, but these products are
simply commercialized versions of early discoveries. The buffer of
"innovations to come" and current software is pretty much on the same
page these days. There are no more "natural" resources to tap in terms
of innovations that couldn't be done because of slow computers. This
leads to a stagnation in peoples interest to explore. Like you say,
everything is available and it would take a lifetime to explore. Sure,
but that comes with the luggage of knowing that what you're working on
right now probably already exists on a sample lib! The notion that
everything has been discovered or will be very shortly, puts an extreme
time pressure to come up with good stuff. It's almost like saying, -I
can cover most areas with my commercial sample lib and if there's
something missing then I'm not going to take the time to cook up my own
sounds because It will probably be covered by a new sample lib by tomorrow.
This knowledge sets the bar very high and leaves little or no hope for
new exploration. Or I should say in depth exploration that yields
passionate results.
This problem comes from the same fabric that runs through the entire
music industry. It's the same dilema wether you're a mix engineer,
songwriter or a sound designer.
The Synclavier is a good example of a product that lend itself towards
great discoveries. Only a few people could afford it, and it was way
ahead of it's time. These circumstances led to an oasis of exploration.
People did things with samples and FM that had sounded amazing! They
dared to spend long hours of tedious mapping etc., because they knew
they were pushing new ground. The Synclav window of opportunity lasted
almost ten years! Ten years of quiet time for the driven experimentalist
to explore! Explore without having your invested time interrupted by a
pluggin that can do almost exactly what your doing.
I saw the Yamaha vocal software in action almost to date five years ago.
I am more than thrilled to see that it's going to be released, and not
put on ice as first intended.
Tobias
elhardt@... wrote:
>
> There are a couple of problems with this thinking. First is that there
> is quite
> a bit of new stuff coming out regarding synthesis and synthesis related
> processing. Examples like Spectral Delay real-time FFT manipulation
> software,
> Yamaha's new vocal software giving you realistic artificial vocals,
> realtime
> independent pitch/time/formant manipulation software, finally new
> powerful
> additive synthesis with features never before available, EQ curve
> extracting
> software, harddrive streaming samplers (semi-new), and so on.
>
> The other problem is that there is more available now than any person
> could
> fully explore in his lifetime. When I hear people clammering for
> more, more, I
> think, why? Are you being held back from creating something because
> there are
> too few software/synth choices?
>