Poll: What is my GigaStudio for?

[TheAlps]

This was inspired from reading the classical sampler instrument thread and the controversy stirred up just there =) Please post your answers below, since we cannot make an actual poll on this forum 'o'

a. recreating a live orchestra or band or instrument to sound exactly as it woudl be played "IRL" (in real life haha), to be used as a writing tool to help hear what those real instruments will sound like when eventually played by a real band. Anyone that does any differently is bastardising my music. and how could they be so insensitive!

b. same as a. although using the amazing realism of the sampler to write without live performance in mind, or as sweetener for the real orchestra/instruments (like scott smalley does for lot of A films). Writing still to the instruments as if they were playing it (ie correct phrasing, etc). Anyone doing differently is either rich and can afford a live orchestra or is bastardising my music. and how could they be so insensitive!

c. taking live, acoustically brilliant sounds that the human ear is familiar with, and then using them "incorrectly" on purpose, to create music that could never be played by those instruments (like a drummer with 19 limbs!). Anyone doing differently is either a stodgy old fool wallowing in his dotage or a criminally insane anarchist that is deliberately taking the sounds so obviously pleasing and making raucus cacophony

d. Taking these same live acoustically brilliant sounds, and using wave editors and synthesis of wave sample editors, create poignant new unheard of sounds and break the envelope of what music is. Anyone not doing it this way just doesnt GET it! I am an ARTIST not some boring historian. If it is not revolutionary a million times over it is old and tired and i want no part of it!

e. all of the above, the beauty of this whole realm of music and music production has no boundaries and while you may think "cannot write parralel fifths in bach counterpoint!!" Bach Never thought that haha so the final conclusion being use the tools as you see fit, to write to please crowd a b c or d, and to be inspired and to inspire others musically [:)]

f. none of the above, you are all absolutely crazy, my gigamachine works best as a toaster, pop the lid, but in some bread, pour a cup of water over the circuits to create some sparks and hey hey toast!

Chris Alpiar
Too Much Reverb
http://www.toomuchreverb.com

[William]

All of the above.

(especially using gigastudio as a toaster)

[peter0302]

I use Gigastudio whenever I want to crash Windows XP. It's very good at doing that.

[Peter Alexander]

I have a couple of thoughts here.

Music Education - the sequencer AND the sampler together are really a new musical instrument demanding a tremendous amount of instrumentation and compositional knowledge, to recreate, if that's your goal, a realistic authentic sound. It's also demanding in a new, unconventional way for keyboard technique. Not just to play the keyboard, but to play the keyboard as close to idiomatically for the sampled instrument as possible. Now that's demanding. It is also the gateway for most composers in music school, and in general, to at least hear their music vs. their scores gathering dust.

For this usage, frequent opportunities of listening to live orchestral music (like concerts) is recommended so the composer always remembers what the does sound like, as well as what it doesn't sound like.

Professionally - Until the "suits" swing back to creating realistic music budgets for TV shows, this is how composers work.

Artistic Creations - a violinist once complained to Beethoven that his parts were too hard to play, to which Beethoven responded, "Do you think I'm thinking about your damned fiddle when I'm inspired?" To me this means experiment in unconventional ways. If it's to remain in the electronic realm, why not? BUT! If it's to be played live, then at least make sure that the notes you've written are on the instrument.

Live Performance - I've been fortunate to have pops arrangements played in concert by a symphony orchestra. Once you've had that experience, everything else is just an L-19 Bird Dog.

[William]

I've had over a period of twenty five years many pieces played in concert, by orchestra, symphonic band, chamber ensembles, soloists, etc. but the experience of them doing it is only as good as the players are. Yes, if you get a great ensemble to play your music, it it wonderful. If you get mediocre players, it is embarrassing and disturbing. No one ever talks about that - they always assume that the choices are - 1) Samples or 2) The Greatest Live Orchestra in the World. That is not the reality of it at all, at least for most composers.

Also, I agree with some of what Peter Alexander says, but would add that the purpose of samples is not necessarily simply to imitate a live orchestra. That is looking at it entirely from the standpoint of the performance. It is to provide a composer with the pure sound of instruments, and in so doing return musical performance to that inner, personal expression of composition - the pure "idea" of a note, say of a ponticello tremolo violin. That can be a musical idea in a composition, even if it is also something a player does. It can be a pure thought. I think that is similar to what Beethoven is referring to in that interesting quote.

[TheAlps]

wow some great responses here =) I am very excited to be learning this great stuff for whatever the purpose... I might add here also that I had my first Giga machine built by Peter and I want to say that a. OMG VSL is amazing, where can i step out of the space time continuem to spend a few years understanding every sample and performance, and b. wooohooOO Peter that machine you built me is plowing away like a late night train thru the desert, thank you for an awesome job =)

Chris Alpiar
Giga + VSL newbie