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Comment by bsaul | Hacker News Reader

I’ve been a user of those kinds of tools for more than 30 years, as an amateur, and of course i’m amazed at the progress made. However, a part of me wonder how much we lost in the process. We’ve automated so much that i wonder if the tools don’t play a role in the lack of diversity in music production. When every part of a song has to be composed or improvised by a human, note per note, isn’t it clear that the end result should be, be definition, more original , as well as more meaningful ?

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I'm inclined to disagree. I believe the progress in music software has opened up new avenues and genres, it hasn't stifled existing ones. Instrument players are going to keep playing their instruments, just that now it's easier than ever for them to make their own professional sounding recordings and songs. On the flipside you have more and more people getting into music without requiring any formal musical background.

I also think the older we get, the more we think most music sounds the same because music inherently changes over time, and will be different to what we grew up on, but we also become more distanced from the subcultures and communities pioneering modern music trends. A young person today probably thinks all rock music from the 50s-90s sounds the same

I disagree and think there are objective measures of cynicism in music today that are unprecedented.

I agree that the paths you suggest are possible and that the tools available have never been so available.

I see cultural problems as the root issue. We’ve reduced music to a recorded consumable and thereby reduced the role of the humans communicating telepathically via music, which is the social function of music, as I understand it

I like this use of “telepathic” as sharing emotions, rather than thoughts, at a distance.

if you think there's a "lack of diversity in music production" you're just not listening to enough music.

Not only are people taking newer music production technology in every different possible direction, they're still pushing the limits of old methods as well as combining them with the new stuff.

I just use a DAW like I used a four track recorder back in the 80's. Put down a drum beat, bass line, guitar and voice individual tracks. Then do some light processing. A lot of times, I'll copy paste the music then go back and play each part all the way through so it has a looser band feel.

I think the problem is that tension creates interesting results as the limitations are subverted and the open possibilities of Ableton Live make this way harder since it is not immediately obvious what is interesting to do when you can do anything.

Even Robert Henke, the guy who made the precursor to ableton and the co founder of ableton, laments this about ableton https://youtu.be/iwOaYxSJGqI

People here are saying that you are wrong but when the creator of ableton is agreeing with you then maybe they should listen

Ableton and modern music software are wonderful tools.

If we have lost anything, it is due to Spotify and other corporations whittling away musicians opportunities to make money off of their work.

Tools definitely guide the music, however. Pick up a drum machine, and it is funny how quickly you start to write trap / jungle beats.

Why not both? Lots of the live (power/symphonic) metal bands I see will have at least 5 artists singing/playing and then backing tracks that add even more depth to what they are playing.

>However, a part of me wonder how much we lost in the process

A lot. But those born into the new era wont even know what we lost, and those born before will be dismissed as "boomers".

Literally nothing has been lost, because all of the methods available to create music are still available, and people are still using them. Aside from that, the net gain on music technology is a massive net gain however you see it.

I'm not dismissing you because you're a 'boomer', I'm dismissing the point because it's just willfully ignorant.

If you think 'modern music' lacks diversity, you're simply not looking for anything original. Because you can find it, by the bucketload.

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