This was a fun read. Although you might want to avoid all the advertisements.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/5-music-production-truisms-that-are-actually-nonsense-628773

Although this link was cute:

"I thought using loops was cheating, so I programmed my own using samples. I then thought using samples was cheating, so I recorded real drums. I then thought that programming it was cheating, so I learned to play drums for real. I then thought using bought drums was cheating, so I learned to make my own. I then thought using premade skins was cheating, so I killed a goat and skinned it. I then thought that that was cheating too, so I grew my own goat from a baby goat. I also think that is cheating, but I’m not sure where to go from here. I haven’t made any music lately, what with the goat farming and all."

Interesting read, as well as the linked articles.


In Olden Times, musicians actually played their instruments!

Today, all one needs is a computer and a mouse to be a “musician”.

(runs for cover, protecting cranium)


Regards,

Bob

There are exceptions to every rule, but exceptions don't make good rules.

At the end of the day, you still have to trust your ears. If you can't hear what you're doing, you're just guessing.

As for the minimal gear bit, he then goes on to confuse "gear" (such as plugins) with instruments.

The article doesn't talk so much about music as about what sells. The advice there seems to be to copy what everyone else is doing by getting the same samples and audio effects.

Interesting read.... some of it was dead on and some of it was just dead.

1. nonsense. while using the visual tools can be useful, it's ultimately the ears of a good engineer that determines the end result.

2. agree. I've heard some pretty bad music passed off and justified by "it's creative"..... creative doesn't always equate to good.

3. pfttt... DAW engines are pretty much going to give you the same results. It's the features and how you do things that vary from DAW to DAW..... enough said.

4. 50/50 on this. Someone who knows what they are doing can do it.... but having the right tools to do the job doesn't hurt either, no matter what you know.

5. agree. No theory is needed to be a great musician. It doesn't hurt to know theory and be able to explain and understand what you're doing, but it's not necessary.

I totally agree with Bob, David and Herb.

I especially agree with Bob about a musician. But then again I am an old fashion old fart of a musician.

Number 4 always gets me.
"4. You should be able to make your tracks sound amazing with minimal gear!"
The guy from the Recording Revolution always uses this approach, but I never saw a decent studio putting out high-quality material with a laptop, a single mic, and a pair of $150 monitors. At least Dave Pensado doesn't take this approach.

The term minimal gear is subjective anyway. "Minimal" just means whatever it takes to do the job perfectly. Minimal might actually mean a heck of a lot of gear.

Regarding this #1. Have you looked at Izotope Insight?
https://www.izotope.com/insight/

My problem for many years has been failing ears. Little to no hearing in the hi-freq. I installed the demo today. The graphic visual images of the sound spectrum for my current project are pretty impressive. I admit, I am not sure what exactly I need to look at, but it does look like something may be there to help me mix.

Some "gadget sound engineer" types (forgive the stereotypes), call things music which I wouldn't for instance a lot of garage type stuff was done on a budget and on a laptop - my guess...

I don't have Insight.... but I do have Ozone and there's a bit of a visual thing going on in it. Notice, I didn't say don't use visuals.... I said they can be useful. I do not mix or rely on the visuals...although I do glance at them from time to time.

I've never used Insights and it may be great for all I know.

The problem with most of these visual aids is I don't know what in the heck I'm supposed to be seeing - for example that picture in the lower right corner that looks like a piece of pop art.....

"No theory is needed to be a great musician"

I would say that "Not much theory is needed to play great sounding music"

So...

1. Define "No theory" does that mean zero theory?

Do you know any "great musicians" who have no idea what a 1/4/5 is or have no idea what a C chord is?

2. Define "theory" does that word mean theory only taught in a certain highly defined way by only certain schools?

3. Define "great musician" Is this someone who is only able to play "great sounding music and has no ability to communicate that music to others in any other way than by having others listen to the music?

Well, if the music is not too complex and not too fast I can play along with no instruction from anyone. I can quickly find the key assuming that it does not change every other measure. I can slow down or speed up by paying close attention to what I hear. I can follow most things that have some sort of structure.

Yes, I can play with someone who has no idea what key they are playing in or can not or will not play in time but it is a PITB, not fun at all.



Cheers,

Billy

That's a good point. Most musicians know at least a bit of theory.

But it's my opinion that if you have a certain amount of inborn musical talent, you will be a better musician if you learn music theory than if you don't.

In other words, knowledge of theory will help you develop your musical talent to a higher level than you could without it.

Insights and incites by Notes

Hi Bob,

I agree with what you said.

I have never met anyone who told me learning music theory caused them to be less of a musician.

Theory, like all tools has it's place and value. Theory being more or less logical and lending it self to being expressed in math terms can be expressed in computer algorithm.

One may not think about this very consciously, but all of these operations performed by any computer consist of algorithms. An algorithm is a well-defined procedure that allows a computer to solve a problem. Another way to describe an algorithm is a sequence of unambiguous instructions.

Having said all that, I find purely computer generated music well, not very musical.

So...I think "great music" and "great musicians" use every tool they can lay their hands on using good judgement and balance in there use.

One could ride a horse to work this morning. I love horses, but I think I will drive my car today. I also have learned to read, a skill I find useful in understanding street signs among other things...

Billy