Real Musicians vs Programmed

[krik]

I know that it goes without saying that real musicians will generally soudn better if you want an organics sound, I generally tend to use real bass, guitar, vocal and the rest is compoterised due to time and money restrictions but what do you think.

I suppose it totally depends on the type of music, e.g. jazz/blues/metal, you will need real musicians
other genres may be different

how far do you think you can get away with it these days?

Cheers
www.krikmusic.co.uk

[Dwoogie]

Hi,

Some people still think that any music made using a computer will never be as 'real' as banging rocks together. ;-)

Let battle commence. :-)

[Dwoogie]

Hi, Astral,

Long time no see (me, I mean).

The argument that composers need to be able to play the instruments they're writing for is... silly and Luddite. Composers need to be able to hear. Furthermore, they need to be able to transmit what they hear to an audience. How they (you) transmit that information is a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I wouldn't want my music to be interpreted by a conductor and then imperfectly followed by an orchestra, or a quartet. I have a better idea of how I want my stuff to sound than other people do.

Surely that should be obvious.

Shouldn't it?

[Jace]

handbags at dawn, beats those old classic onshot(one dud) your dead pistols, dont it,
I will watch this debate with the equivilance to Cinimatic escapism and pleasure,

Carry on.

[DAN JUNK]

Hello there.

Well I prefer to play the real deal but it's really up to the person and maybe the style of tunes there trying to lay down.

When all is said and done recorded and mixed your the one who ever that is has to live wit it!!

DJ.

[Pixieguts]

I'm an electronica freak who was hooked around about the time of disco so I think you can guess my stance on all this, lol! I don't have anything against live instrumentation at all but I do listen to heaps more electronic - not from any ideological stance, just cos that's what I happen to enjoy the most. I don't like to analyse the things I love too much but electronic sounds have definitely captured my fascination, especially since finding such a vast wealth of electronic music in cyberspace. Getting involved in making it as a vocalist for electronic producers around the world has sealed my musical fate indefinitely. Best wishes to the wonderful live musos out there too, music is grand in all its forms!

[Jace]

Pixieguts
You sure can tell the difference with the older disco as suppose to the electronic modern day mixes and equivilants , i have often messed around ripping ideas for practice purposes with ableton, or to get a feel for the type of flow in the track sample, in which i can then substitute for similar grooves of my own.
lots of editing and warp manipulating, to pull the natural instrumentation into line with todays rigid beated electronic music.

so one debate must be on what was once natural to us older generations, or those of us with an ear for the old classics, may not sound so natural to future generations of Digital mp3 music listners used to listening to Club music. Unless you are say more into accoustic and live bands,
so this is a tricky and contradictive debate Dwoogie, Concearning generations and Genra and styles .
All i can say on this, we have computer music now, but who knows what the future will hold, lets hope it is not like some music bar scene out of star wars lol.
I say best to Embrace all, Vica versa for each party, their is no escape, only what our ears once Heard and what our ears and brain have rememberd.

[krik]

Thanks for the replies

It is a cliched discussion

To me its quite clear that you can not beat the personality put by each player into a track for feel and energy
This is evident even when some artists play all their own stuff and all instruments

That said, as far as electronica goes and many dance style or crossover tracks that are quite clearly amazing tracks, so its one of those half a dozen of one and 6 of the other

To me I think its down to genre

If you play blues I cant see it sounding as good programmed.
Hip Hop, Electronica, Drum and Bass, Electro however can sound better electronically produced
Thats not to say they cant do it more organic live

Gnarls barkley and Gorillaz I think do some interesting Combos of elec and organic as do OutKast


In general I tend to listen to music that is played by musicians but I also really like stuff that blends the two and some electronica blows me away too

Ive started studying a Masters In Music Production now to get some qual in music stuff for a change Im thinking of writing some tracks and producing them organically and electronically and comparing the differences as a possible masters project

www.krikmusic.co.uk

[Jace]

I know what you say about Gnarls barkley (I love having that retro and funk flavour working in a track) also as you say the Gorillaz , then their is also kean (if thats how you spell their name) and the Red hot chilli peppers, Dirty vegas, and so on, they all incorporate Electronic sounds and fx.
And do well In originality, so thats the key i think.

[MargateMafia]

Does it really matter how the music is made?? or does it really matter what the end product sound like?? surely it must be how the end product sounds and is it pleasing to the ear. I listen to both musicians and computer made music, so its not like prefer one or tuther..... but for me its what the final product sounds like & how well it's produced and that it is pleasing to my ear which ever way its made.

just my opinion ;-)

[krik]

I agree with that actually
even though I asked the Q, as a listener
but as a producer or artist decisions have to be made
Again, I suppose it just boils down to what sounds best

[MargateMafia]

thanks for that lol, i have never been a pureist in anything, wether it be music or things in life in general. If it works then dont try to fix it. The fact of the matter is, is that both work well on their own and can work just as well together.

[Andrew Huggan]

Hands down I say real musicians, but then again I'm a folkie! Being new to the wonderful world of recording, and being skint, I find that I record my own vocals and guitars, and use MIDI drums, bass and some other MIDI instruments, but not much. If I had a bass guitar I would rather play the bass line rather than programme it.

Regarding how far you can get away with, I mainly listen to folk music and for the most part it is all acoustic, but there are some extremes like Martyn Bennet (RIP) who totally stirred up the genre with a fresh new approach.

Here's some examples of the two extremities within one genre:

Skerryvore (real musicians):




Martyn Bennett (real & programmed)
Nae Regrets