[LAU] Choirless - a new low-latency AI remote music collaboration platform

[David Kastrup]

Robert Jonsson <spamatica at gmail.com> writes:

>> Den ons 5 maj 2021 kl 19:45 skrev:
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> IBM has a relatively new open source platform (according to the
>>> article below) called "Choirless" that purports to allow people to
>>> make music together while apart. See:
>>>
>>> Article:
>>> https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/passion-projects/choirless
>>>
>>> Home page (registration and login):
>>> https://www.choirless.com/
>>>
>>> Choirless Quick Start video:
>>> https://youtu.be/7zgNTotO_fk
>>>
>
> Let me just chime in that there are others, including at least one
> open source solution.

>From the Choirless website:

    "We let you record high-quality audio and then use the magic of
    ✨data science ✨ to automatically sync you and your performance up
    with your fellow performers.

    Once you've performed your part, we automatically sync and mix all
    of the different recordings together and generate a lovely video
    wall that you can share with anybody you like."

That does not sound like what you need for a rehearsal but rather sounds
like a web-based multitracking app for creating a finished work based on
sequential rather than simultaneous performances, thus lacking
interactivity and making improving together a quite more arduous
proposition.

> With my band we will try Jamulus as as soon as we find the time.
>
> https://jamulus.io
>
> This far I have installed and played around with it. A bit rough
> around the edges but looks like with some massaging it could do the
> trick nicely.

The accordion ensemble I am in (7 persons at 6 locations) has had weekly
rehearsals for the last half year.  I set up a rented server by an
hosting company (so at least the server is not running on a private
Internet connection) weekly.  With us living in the woods and having a
mixed bag of Internet connections, connection quality is a constant
topic (like talking about the weather).  But we make do.

It helps routing in a drum computer (actually, an old-timey Solton MS40
arranger using either stock rhythms or playing drum tracks entered into
LilyPond) occasionally.  As opposed to full audio tracks, using this
kind of MIDI technology easily allows fiddling with the tempo without
affecting the pitch.  The drum computer obviously does not fall in the
"mutual latency stackup" trap that causes everybody to slow down because
they think everybody else is dragging slightly: you get used to keeping
more steady than you'd be in ensemble play.

In a band, a rock-steady drummer would likely help with avoiding the
slowdown trap.

-- 
David Kastrup