My original question was motivated by an earlier thought experiment proposed by Alan Turing in
1950.
“The Turing
test is a test
of a machine's ability to
demonstrate intelligence.
A human judge engages in a natural language conversation with one human and one machine,
each of which tries to appear human. All participants are separated from one
another. If the judge cannot reliably tell the machine from the human, the
machine is said to have passed the test. In order to test the machine's
intelligence rather than its
ability to render words into audio, the conversation is limited to a text-only channel such as a computer
keyboard and screen.”
If you substitute music vocabulary
in the quote for intelligence and sample sounds for computer keyboard and
screen and If the judge cannot reliably tell the sampled sounds from the human
performer the sampled sounds/sequencer combination passes the test.
This particular experiment
was a keystone in the subsequent pursuit of artificial intelligence.
Perhaps it would be useful to
use the term “artificial music” to describe the music resulting from the use of
sequencers and sampled sounds in the digital environment in contrast to “performance
music” resulting from the traditional performer based environments.
If we consider the question
from the composers point of view, the primary effect of the “artificial music”
is access to compelling realistic representations of instruments which is the
process of composition inspire and enable the composer to create the intended
work. I am assuming that the composition is created from a keyboard in real
time using the instruments to be included from start to finish. Once the shape
of the composition is established, it can be edited and orchestrated while
preserving the overall shape of the piece.
I think we can all agree that
the sound of “artificial music” created in the early 1980’s with 8 bit samples
and the Mac SE has been transformed by a quantum leap using the 2010 versions of Vienna
Instrument’s sample sounds and MIR venues. Does it sound like “performance
music”? To this composer the answer is a resounding yes! I think the multiple impulse responses
of the venues put the system over the top. It is finally possible to perform
your own original chamber music as credible “Artificial Music”. I find the
environment both musical and inspiring!
Now to access. I live in
Wheat Ridge, Colorado, a suburb of
Denver, i.e. the “wilde west”where the stock show is still the biggest event of
the year. Finding affordable competent players and venues equivalent to the
venues in MIR for recording are non existent. Since July of 2010, I have posted
80 original compositions performed in the various venues of MIR and with the
Vienna Instruments on Youtube. (http://www.youtube.com/user/Bachbeatty)
This would not have been possible without VI and MIR. For this access, I am
eternally grateful to Herb, Dietz, and all the others who made these softwares
possible. They have been a source of unending inspiration and at the pragmatic
level enabled the work to be elevated to level that is believable musically
even though it is “artificial music”. It is all about what fiction you choose
to believe.
I apologize for the late
response, The original message was posted on 12/1/2010 did not receive an
response so I assumed the question had been ignored. So you can imagine my
surprise at the scope of the discussion when I returned to the site yesterday.
In reading the messages I am impressed by the level of passion and commitment
that the respondents have for their art, I experience the same feelings.
Regards,
Stephen W. Beatty
