Bud,

I think all of your points are very well made, and I agree with all of them even though this discussion might look like I don't.

Part of what makes this discussion different than most is that it is actually several discussions rolled under the banner of one heading.

discussion 1: making music for music's sake
As I see it, that's you and Janice. This is the real deal, not driven by industry nonsense, contracts, current trends. That kind of music can be anything it wants to be, because it answers to nobody but the person making it. You can take creative risks, or not... totally your call. Plus, you're both good enough that the idea of "fixing" anything would have to seem ridiculous. So in the context of that discussion, Melodyne doesn't fit very well.


discussion #2: adapting one's music to today's market
Anybody who has even remote hopes of presenting their songs anywhere in the today's music marketplace is basically competing in a world of technical perfection. Expectations are high, attention spans are low. If your song doesn't WOW in 12 seconds, people move on. So there is an incentive to pursue perfection... and frankly, compared to the tools available in pro studios, melodyne isn't much of a competitive advantage. But its the best thing that's available to home recording enthusiasts.


discussion #3: the techno hobbyist
This would be me. I have no intentions of ever trying to sell my songs. I'm not as talented as most of the people who post in the showcase. But if I put a lot of time into a song, recording most of the tracks myself, not using real tracks... I find that my playing introduces glitches that simply aren't there with real tracks, and Melodyne lets me tidy up the loose ends... timing issues especially.


discussion #4: the semi pro studio
A lot of people with home studios try to recoup some of their investment by charging others for their recording services. As a commercial venture, it isn't practical to do what people did in the past (spending days to achieve the perfect take). It makes more sense to bring the band in, record them, bill them, and fix the flubs after they leave.


Its a true statement that the greats from the past didn't have melodyne, and their music is still awesome. But *I* think it's also true that if those original recordings were presented to a studio today, they wouldn't make it past the secretary.

Bottom line, there are multiple situations, and Melodyne isn't the solution for all of them... but for others its the best solution available at a modest price.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ey71h8ep047758h/AAC12jNM0Hz9Q8zsh5iDeqNHa?dl=0