pseudopop

(I use "art" here to include both visual arts and music.) My prediction: in the future the majority of the useless/filler/functional art will be generated by AI software and people who currently do that kind of work will find themselves without a job. So if you're currently writing trailer music, jingles for commercials, elevator music etc. or doing art for blog articles, custom character art commissions, concept art etc. AND you're not one of the top people in your field, you're very likely in for some tough times. As the AI generated content becomes more common I believe there will also be a newfound appreciation for art that is created by humans. I'd love to say that people will yearn for the art to have some deeper meaning and look for that human connection between artist and the consumer, but I'm afraid that is something too abstract. You could just generate a piece of art, say a human made it and make up some nice story about it, and people would swear they feel what you're saying. Instead I think there will be an appreciation of the craft itself, that a human has the necessary talent and is willing to make the effort to create something when you could just do it with a click of a button. In the same way you might appreciate a ring made by a jeweler but not be too impressed by a 3D printed one. Of course the artist themselves might have enough value to generate interest (like Banksy), and there will always be people who love to show everyone that they are better (ie. richer) than everyone else by getting their portrait done "the old way". I should add that I don't think people who, for example, write trailer music don't have any talent or that trailer music is somehow inferior. But certain type of art just happens to be of the type that can be easily generated by AI, because it's often very simple and formulaic by design. Also, I would imagine that people who commission it are not really interested in its artistic merits and just want something cheap that works well enough for its purpose. So yeah. Times change and we need to change with them. PS. Check out ChatGPT if you haven't already. If you're not interested in creating another account for it (phone number required) at least google for some of the crazy interactions people have had with it. The next year is going to bring some exciting/scary things with it.

Absolutely! When I say something is not my style I mean that it's not something that I usually gravitate towards and therefore I don't have the qualifications to evaluate its merits. But I am genre agnostic and can definitely enjoy other music besides 90s death metal. And I think music is like visual arts in the sense that while I may not fully understand the subject of a painting I can still appreciate the craft itself and the skill of the artist.

Coincidentally, I stumbled onto your Bandcamp page just the other day. I have to say I like your music too!

I don't know. At least it doesn't install it automatically. But looks like you get Eleanor Forte Lite. Edit: Ok, you can download Mai from Dreamtonics for free. Thanks for bringing it up. When you install a voicebank it lets you choose the location of the database, so that's a yes I guess.

The first serial is the one to use. I have no idea what the other two are. I'm on Windows, so for Synthesizer V I unzipped the file and ran the "svstudio-pro-setup .exe" that is inside the "Windows\Synthesizer V\Studio Pro" folder. After that I updated Synth V to the latest version, which you can do by running Synth V and clicking the cloud icon on the right. Then click "Check for Updates" button, then click Synthesizer V Studio on the list and then "Update" button at the bottom. Voicebanks are installed just by dragging them on the Synth V window.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing! It's not exactly my style but I like it. In the 90s I had (briefly) in my playlist artists/bands like Unkle, Senser, Sneaker Pimps, etc. and this gave me some positive flashbacks. Good job! And yes, please tell us what gear you used.

I have made majority of my APD purchases during this year, and they took place on seven different months. If I had had something like this at the beginning of the year my total would have been $35 less. On those other five months I also might have bought something that was priced in the $20-30 range, which includes plenty of stuff with the rewards money. So it would've been worth it. Then again, in 2021 I made just three purchases and my plan is to spend less money on plugins in 2023...

I suspect that they won't. Looking at the list the VBs appear to be either older or produced by some other company than Dreamtonics. Kevin and Ryo are the exceptions, released in February this year. I think the only English VB there besides Kevin is Tsurumaki Maki (produced by AH-Software). But let's hope I'm wrong. Sorry to hear that. I tried two Mastercards. The first one was declined but the other one, issued by another bank, was accepted. So I'm not 100% sure what is the determining factor. If you're desperate, they offer an alternative method of payment: See this page for more information. I have no idea how it works but I'd imagine there is an additional fee involved.

Ok. It took several attempts but I managed to buy Synthesizer V Pro, Kevin AI and Saki AI for a total of 16878 yens or about $125. The voicebanks were 5420 yens each (about $40) and Synth V 6037 yens ($45). So significantly cheaper than elsewhere and no tax was added. When you register an account you have the option to get the 30% discount coupon, ie. they don't give it to you automatically. They have instructions how to get it. The problem I had was that for some reason the first credit card I tried wasn't accepted and my browser's security settings complicated the CC verification process (3rd party scripts are disabled by default). They say that some credit cards issued outside of Japan may not be accepted and PayPal is not a payment option, but luckily I have multiple CCs. It's also possible that the first one failed because of some other error. Anyhow, I'm now downloading the files and we'll see soon if there are any nasty surprises waiting for me. Edit: Everything works great. The only bump was that the versions DLSite offers are old, so the first thing I needed to do was to update Synth V and both Saki's voicebank. But otherwise things are looking good.

It slides from the left side of the screen. I got a 10% discount! Must be my lucky day!

I think it's better again, but... I don't know. Maybe I'm overly critical of this voice for some reason. No matter the song it just sounds like it doesn't quite fit there. I wonder how it would work in a slow jazz song? As an aside, I have Solaria and Asterian in the shopping cart, but my finger is refusing to make the final click...

I paid about the same just for the Omega synth some time ago. No upgrade path available. Live & learn, once again.

That's a crazy good deal! Is there a generic $25 voucher this month? I still don't get any email from PA.

The correct way to go about this is to buy either one, it doesn't matter which. Then play with it until you realize that it's not quite what you're looking for, so you buy the other one too. After playing with those you will feel like you're still missing something, so you go looking for another library. After buying whatever you settled on there will be another honeymoon period, until you notice that you're not really happy with some of the articulations and also the legato is lacking, especially when doing faster passages. And you really need some better solo instruments. So you go looking for another library... Buying orchestral libraries is a path paved with regret and disappointment, no matter how many hours you spend on doing research. In all seriousness: If your usage is limited either one may be all you ever need and some of the cheaper libraries may serve you equally well. The common consensus seems to be that HO is better suited for film scoring and BBCSO for traditional orchestral music, but HO might be a better all rounder. There are plenty of threads at VI-Control comparing the two, so spending some time there is recommended to get a better idea what's what.

I guess I'll wait for the real loyalty price, then.

What you're basically saying is: "I am not aware that I am in need of more pianos", right? I suggest you pass this sale, use what you have and time will tell if you need more pianos or not. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thanks. That is exactly what I meant.

I'm definitely buying Solaria and Asterian, but I'm struggling to figure out if I should get Natalie or Weina. Weina is supposedly more advanced ("a culmination of arts and artificial intelligence") but I haven't been able to find any actual information about it. It's certainly more expensive (€87 vs €142) but if I get the bundle the price difference is smaller (€166 vs €202, prices include tax). Both voices sound good to me.

Oh, you meant that as an interface example? Yeah, that would be cool, mutating the virtual drummer by making kit and style selections like that.

Ah, what I meant with unique drum tracks was that an actual drum kit (plugin) would be used, but the results would be generated on the fly based on other instruments. Similar to what Jamstix does, but it would take it further by analyzing the styles of real drummers and learning their styles, and then applying that to the music that you're writing. Then you would use it by giving it instructions like "play it with finesse like Lars Ulrich", "mixture of Dave Grohl and PavlovsCat", or "more aggressively and go with half-time feel on the last chorus", things like that. But that Google thing was new to me, so thanks for that.

I predict that in the very near future we get some kind of AI thingy for percussion (and probably for bass too), where you can generate unique drum tracks in the style of your favorite drummer, or "raise" your own drummer with its own style based on your preferences. So in that context I wouldn't invest in Jamstix before seeing what tomorrow brings.

I believe I paid less for the full version than some (many? most?) people paid for the Opus upgrade. I have set my expectations accordingly.

Sampletekk's product line is really confusing with all the different versions and bundles that aren't obvious bundles. I have these: TVBO (TBO & 7CG combined?) Black Grand Mk II (includes all the Black Grand variants?) Blue Grand MK II WG2 Mk II (includes the White Sister & White Grand Mk II?) Rain Piano Mk II These are the "best" and most complete versions to have, right?

There are. One legitimate source is Plugin Alliance and their Mixed with Mega sessions. Splice and Skiomusic have mixing contests with downloadable stems. Then there is a site called Mix The Music, but it seems to be malfunctioning at the moment. Edit: It also requires Studio One. You can also find less official multitracks by googling something like "remix packs" or "song stems".

They should've started with this one, though this time it's the relaxed tone of voice that doesn't quite match the music, IMO. But sounding much more promising!

Eh, I caved in. Can't really argue with the price anymore, and even when the lowest price was closer to $400 everyone said that of all the orchestral libraries it's the best value for money. I had previously dismissed this because I thought the sound was too smooth for my taste, but I have since realized that I sometimes need that kind of sound. I still like grittier strings but they don't always sit well in the mix. And who knows, maybe now I'll start doing more orchestral stuff. Now I just need to make some space for it!