4 ms·
What don't current DAWS understand about music?
by plussed_reader 9y ago
What don't current DAWS understand about music?
- klodolph 9y agoSame thing that pencils don't understand about writing, and paintbrushes don't understand about art.
- adamnemecek 9y agoBetter question is what do they do understand about music?
- PascLeRasc 9y agoWell can you tell us about that? You're the one who made the claim.
- adamnemecek 9y agoCheck out synfire, it's the only sw that somewhat similar. but it's very expensive, and the ui isn't great (sometimes it looks like writing music in excel, like it can provide "intelligence" but you have to check check boxes and click on things, aintnobodygottimeforthat.maymay. Some people might find it interesting that it's written in Smalltalk tho.
- jachee 9y agoI'd argue that current DAWs expect the user to understand at least something about music. Sounds like OP is working on some "syntax-aware" features for their DAW.
- busterarm 9y agoAlso, if this DAW understands something about music, will it constrain me to its understanding about music? Most of what I write is highly dissonant or straight up microtonal.
- adamnemecek 9y ago> will it constrain me to its understanding about music This is actually exactly what I'm trying to prevent. Most of the current solutions only kind of constrain you to a certain tonal space that you can maybe explore but the space of possible compositions is actually insanely large. My DAW is going to try to help you explore all that. Microtonality is definitely something I've thought about and I think I can make it work but I'm curious to know what do you use currently to compose?
- busterarm 9y agoI lean towards Reaper the most as far as DAWs go. Often I'll use http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ and my synths and a fair bit of SuperCollider/Overtone.
- paublyrne 9y agoIsn't knowing something about music something of a prerequisite for someone who wants to make music? Of course everyone has to start somewhere, but as musician of 20 years who loves DAWs, I would say learn an instrument first, or at least concurrently, if you want to start producing music.
- adamnemecek 9y agoThe thing is that once you learn the music theory, few DAWs let you leverage that to be more productive. Also why do you have to learn music theory first, why can't the DAW teach you as you go?
- quadrangle 9y agoMostly they don't understand well all the possibilities outside of typical meter and tuning systems. They can do some but tend to push you to writing 4-beat meters in 12-note-equal-temperament. Rhythm and pitch both have far far far more possibilities which DAWs either ignore or at least make second-class options you have to kind of fight for or try a few limited tastes.