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General Category => Entertainment and Media => Topic started by: Mongoloid on January 26, 2009, 10:25:42 am

Title: Songsmith
Post by: Mongoloid on January 26, 2009, 10:25:42 am: So I've heard of this new Microsoft Program, Songsmith.

I have mixed feeling about it, as I have not tried it, and I have decided that it is to music what wii is to videogames, and will either destroy music as we know it, or help it is some incomprehensibly innovative way.

Here's a video of the bitch in action

Pretty much the deal is, you sign to a drumbeat, and the program reads the notes and sets chord progressions to them, a la casiotone. You can change the tone with minors and blah blah blah. Basically, it's a songwriter's dream, because anytime you have a melody in your head, this thing will do the work for you. I'm not sure if it only operates in bars or something, or if maybe you can add in key changes and stuff.

What I am afraid of though, is that this is going to bridge the gap between the people too lazy to learn, and the talented musicians that actually deserve recognition. I do believe that today's mainstream musicians are not as talented as they were in the past, and I think this will take that to a new level. Imagine Britney Spears 2012 that doesn't even know a scale!

On the other hand, this is a fun program for people with time to waste, and probably a pretty big opportunity for comedians, and a gateway for people who are having trouble writing music.

There is a 6 hour free demo out there, but you'll have to find it yourself!
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on January 26, 2009, 12:41:03 pm: Haha of course you'd think it was anything other than a piece of shit.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Lyndon on January 26, 2009, 01:38:50 pm: complete garbage. Not only does it sound like shit, but everyone who uses this will have music that sounds exactly the same as all the other users
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 26, 2009, 01:46:08 pm: Quote
What I am afraid of though, is that this is going to bridge the gap between the people too lazy to learn, and the talented musicians who already have other people writing their songs but still get credit.

The gap is already bridged, man.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on January 26, 2009, 03:21:39 pm: i saw u post....phiz...
Title: Songsmith
Post by: tuxedo marx on January 26, 2009, 03:32:57 pm: bridge dat gap

seriously this is dreadful I am gonna stick to actually writing songs.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 26, 2009, 06:47:29 pm: aahahahahahahahaha

i saw the actual commercial on youtube a couple of days ago and went through real songs put through songsmith nonstop. comedy gold.

here is the commercial:
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Warlin on January 26, 2009, 06:56:08 pm: That's like one of those fun toys I played with when I was a kid.
Oh, and I had that expensive electric keyboard that never got me anywhere.

Microsoft needs to stop trying to branch out when their current money maker is making people pissy.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: DS on January 26, 2009, 07:06:35 pm: holy shhhhhhhit now i wanna see a songsmith commercial with psyburn
Title: Songsmith
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 26, 2009, 07:16:50 pm: the oasis one is the best. metallica was pretty good too
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Mongoloid on January 27, 2009, 05:52:17 am: Nah the thing itself is pretty low quality, but the technology will almost surely be used again, upgraded. I can see full guitars and instruments in maybe a year or two.

Like I said though I haven't tried it either so I'm not about to say it's shit without at least playing with it.

Quote from: Lyndon on January 26, 2009, 01:38:50 pm
complete garbage. Not only does it sound like shit, but everyone who uses this will have music that sounds exactly the same as all the other users
Have you ever listened to the radio?
Title: Songsmith
Post by: General Robert E. Lee on January 27, 2009, 07:07:06 am: Quote from: Mongoloid on January 27, 2009, 05:52:17 am
Have you ever listened to the radio?

Heh, you're right. Generic hate towards popular music DOES justify this monstrosity.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Biggles on January 27, 2009, 09:27:50 am: Souljaboy and Songsmith ~ a match made in heaven. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNf35E_rWMw)

also

I can see this marvellous software working well with autotune to create a bright new future for musical expression.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Lars on January 27, 2009, 03:19:03 pm: Quote from: Mongoloid on January 26, 2009, 10:25:42 am
What I am afraid of though, is that this is going to bridge the gap between the people too lazy to learn, and the talented musicians that actually deserve recognition. I do believe that today's mainstream musicians are not as talented as they were in the past, and I think this will take that to a new level. Imagine Britney Spears 2012 that doesn't even know a scale!
all irony aside, pop music isn't even close to this shitty. the net actually already has a lot of midi-sounding music with voices over it, and those are generally much better than this "music".

Quote from: Mongoloid on January 27, 2009, 05:52:17 am
Have you ever listened to the radio?
have you ever listened to the radio?
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 27, 2009, 03:36:26 pm: Hahahaha, it can't even get the IDEA of this song. Gr8 job songsmith.

there already is a calm quiet version of eye of the tiger anyway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9jS01jz_w)

edit: Somehow I Heard It Through the Grapevine came out sounding more like Eye of the Tiger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyYfTips5yc)
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 27, 2009, 03:42:52 pm: ffffffff it is worth a double post to say that the songsmith version of the ymca is officially the most beautiful song of our generation
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Cheshire Cat on January 27, 2009, 07:27:30 pm: I really like that version of eye of the tiger (except the end of the chorus, which is bloody awful).

I'd love a go with this some day. Buggered if i'm paying for it though.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Alec on January 27, 2009, 07:34:28 pm: there's a six hour free trial and it's not really fun to play with. i tried to take one of those songs fatty sang a while back and put them through it but it didn't turn out.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Mongoloid on January 27, 2009, 07:56:16 pm: Forgive me for apparently not explaining myself well enough. I don't think Songsmith is something to be taken seriously, but rather the idea itself. When they upgrade it from the shitty casiotone sound and add in filters and beats specifications, and people can make ACTUAL MUSIC, then yea.

Otherwise this is just a fun little wiiware or something, I don't know why there is such hate.

PS. Biggles that is pretty awesome because I was thinking of Soulja boy when I made this topic.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Brad on January 27, 2009, 07:58:18 pm: Wow this is... really gay..
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 27, 2009, 07:59:54 pm: I actually ripped the mournful YMCA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUAALhyk3lA) just so I could put it on my iPod.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Brad on January 27, 2009, 08:01:28 pm: Quote from: Velfarre on January 27, 2009, 07:59:54 pm
I actually ripped the mournful YMCA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUAALhyk3lA) just so I could put it on my iPod.

hahahahah holy shit
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 27, 2009, 08:04:20 pm: If I had never heard that song in my life, I would believe that that was really how it was supposed to go, this is the only Songsmith song I've seen that I could say that about.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Izekeal on January 27, 2009, 09:40:13 pm: Roxanne is my favourite. The key change at the end is epic.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Kaworu on January 27, 2009, 09:43:01 pm: I actually think Roxanne is a major improvement over the original...
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Puppet Master on January 28, 2009, 01:35:18 am: Could someone upload an MP3 of the YMCA song? I really want to hear it and they took it down for copyright reasons.

Totally the best one ever
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 28, 2009, 02:35:06 am: Quote from: Puppet Master on January 28, 2009, 01:35:18 am
Could someone upload an MP3 of the YMCA song? I really want to hear it and they took it down for copyright reasons.

What??? Man, that's bullshit! Oh well, I've got you covered (now I'm really glad I converted this to an mp3!!!!)

http://gamingw.net/pubaccess/38025/YMCA%20(Songsmith).mp3
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 28, 2009, 03:23:48 am: oh my goodness that's excellent
Title: Songsmith
Post by: crone_lover720 on January 28, 2009, 03:29:11 am: that is really good. especially when it's at the "it's fun to stay at the ymca" part. got some perro del mar bittersweet grinning through the tears
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 28, 2009, 04:08:49 am: It's just plain beautiful, it is the only song I've heard from songsmith that was IMPROVED.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: the bloddy ghost on January 28, 2009, 04:35:21 am: i'm editing that and i'm using that as a ringtone. fucking awesome.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Mongoloid on January 28, 2009, 06:13:40 am: Yea I like these versions just as good as the original. That Wonderwall one is pretty great, I really like the Tom Sawyer one too.

Fuck whatever this thing is great. Suck it again, apple.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: DS on January 28, 2009, 06:19:22 am: Quote from: Mongoloid on January 28, 2009, 06:13:40 am
Yea I like these versions just as good as the original. That Wonderwall one is pretty great, I really like the Tom Sawyer one too.

Fuck whatever this thing is great. Suck it again, apple.
:rolleyes:
Title: Songsmith
Post by: ase on January 28, 2009, 06:51:15 am: i am going to make a Songsmith - Who let the dogs out

dont stop me
Title: Songsmith
Post by: headphonics on January 28, 2009, 08:41:56 am: the thing is, this is a dumb program and all this shit sounds awful, but what i look forward to less is people wearing it out by doing joke songs. the joke is funny approximately once and after the first LOL SOMEONE DID THIS............ time it is just the same punchline over and over. boycott songsmith altogether
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Match Eater on January 28, 2009, 09:46:44 am: Yet another bit of backbone for egotistical lead singers to go solo.

FUCK YOU I AM GOING SOLO WHERE IS MY SONGSMITHY I SHALL CRAFT MYSELF A BACKBEAT OF AUDIBLE MAGNIFIGANCE I DON'T NEED YOU LOWLY HOMOSAPIENS
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Puppet Master on January 29, 2009, 12:03:42 am: I think this is the only one I really think is better than the original... except maybe the YMCA song.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 29, 2009, 12:16:29 am: I think we could be onto something here...
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on January 29, 2009, 12:57:07 am: Quote from: headphonics on January 28, 2009, 08:41:56 am
the thing is, this is a dumb program and all this shit sounds awful, but what i look forward to less is people wearing it out by doing joke songs. the joke is funny approximately once and after the first LOL SOMEONE DID THIS............ time it is just the same punchline over and over. boycott songsmith altogether

idk its kind of funny for me still. I hope it doesn't get much more popular though so we will have LOL TOGETHER- SONGSMITH REMIX.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: esiann on January 29, 2009, 01:05:25 am: i want someone to put between the bars through this on happy salsa mode
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 29, 2009, 01:13:52 am: Someone has already done Crank That and Never Gonna Give You Up so I think we're done here.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Puppet Master on January 29, 2009, 02:03:18 am: Quote from: esiann on January 29, 2009, 01:05:25 am
i want someone to put between the bars through this on happy salsa mode

oh my god, noooooo
Title: Songsmith
Post by: ase on January 29, 2009, 05:51:47 am: unless someone can find a multitrack version of a song, it is pretty much impossible to isolate the vocals of 95% of music (at least from the studio version).
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Lyndon on January 29, 2009, 12:04:09 pm: theres a website that host the accapella versions of most songs. I have no idea where they get them from though
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on January 29, 2009, 04:08:59 pm: Thanks for the link.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Alec on January 29, 2009, 04:16:30 pm: http://www.acapellas4u.co.uk/
Title: Songsmith
Post by: tuxedo marx on January 30, 2009, 01:02:31 am: Quote from: ase on January 29, 2009, 05:51:47 am
unless someone can find a multitrack version of a song, it is pretty much impossible to isolate the vocals of 95% of music (at least from the studio version).
yeah! it kinda works the other way, you can take vocals out but if you want to isolate vocals NO FUCK THAT
Title: Songsmith
Post by: ase on January 30, 2009, 01:07:13 am: man, they really made this program as stupid as possible. it won't let you import audio files at all, so if you want to do the whole youtube songsmith remix thing, you have to set your soundcard to record internal audio and PLAYBACK the song while recording
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Alec on January 30, 2009, 03:59:03 am: can you do that on any computer? i've been looping my speaker port through to my line in port.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Bravo on January 30, 2009, 05:00:02 pm: you know i'm pretty sure this is a product for 12 year old girls who want to sing and make their own songs not for random gaming guys who bash it for being too simple to use
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Bravo on January 30, 2009, 05:06:43 pm: also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFZvLprEIpw&feature=related
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on January 30, 2009, 05:10:04 pm: Quote
Sure, Songsmith lets novice musicians get their first taste of music creation. We’re really proud that we’re giving people that opportunity. But we’re also musicians, and this project has been intended to help both novices and experienced songwriters from day one.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Vellfire on January 30, 2009, 05:22:17 pm: Yeah they are treating it almost like it's a legitimate form of CREATING ART more than they are a toy.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Alec on January 30, 2009, 08:26:37 pm: there was an interview with one of the guys who worked on this who said it's more as a tool to quickly experiment with which chords sound better with your voice without having to play them.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Bravo on January 31, 2009, 06:18:45 am: oh....nevermind then
Title: Songsmith
Post by: YourHero on January 31, 2009, 06:31:30 am: i like the music of guy on first page.
he has my space?
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Keith Stones on February 10, 2009, 12:19:20 am: We have a winner
Title: Songsmith
Post by: YourHero on February 11, 2009, 03:27:32 pm: "i used to open up the closet door and struggle in the dark"? is he talking about coming out of the closet?

what the hell is that anyways, people attempting to make a comercial or something?
Title: Songsmith
Post by: cowardknower on February 11, 2009, 04:28:42 pm: Do you think an improved version of this could, by making it possible for anybody to make their own pop music equivalent stuff and bridging the gap between consumers and "artists", actually be detrimental to the assembly line pop music world? If people can do it themselves, maybe they will realize how juvenile a lot of it really is!

Just a thought.
Title: Songsmith
Post by: Bonehead on February 11, 2009, 06:52:28 pm: Not likely, most pop music is not about the music but the image of the artist and if he/she is considered a hot product at a given time and the consumers of this music are focusing on this as well. That's why there are thousands of magazines that talk about where "artists" eat their icecream and what kind of diet they currently apply. Have you ever heard a reporter asking Britney Spears what kind of music she listens to?