On Sun, Jul 23, 2023 at 10:20:37PM +0100, Will Godfrey wrote:
> This fun contest has run since (at least) the early 2000s
> and it'd be a crying shame if it ends.
1. Things come and go.
The Bayreuth Festival <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayreuth_Festival>
is starting today. It has been running since 1876, so it has some
tradition. Until a few years ago it was nearly impossible to get
tickets, with a waiting list of up to ten years. This year they
didn't even manage to sell all available seats - you can go there
ten minutes before a performance and get a ticket.
2. If participation is declining, one should ask why.
The 'rules' state:
> Your entry(s) must be created with audio plugins or software studio.
That may have made sense 20 years ago. Today audio software is a
commodity, a commerce driven by inflated marketing and lots of hype
rather than by a desire for innovation and quality. At least 95
percent of all plugins are just hot air sold as a magic solution
to gross incompetence and a lack of musical creativity. Which is
quite evident if you see a session that has five or more plugins
on each track. I don't know any form of music that actually
requires this, and almost of the music I love was created using
much simpler means.
Maybe we need a 'back to basics' competition.
Ciao,
--
FA
_______________________________________________
Linux-audio-user mailing list -- linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org
To unsubscribe send an email to linux-audio-user-leave@lists.linuxaudio.org
I agree with all that and say the same thing elsewhere often - I even use the same words such as 'commodity'.
Where I go further than most perhaps is the big picture relating to open source vs proprietary software, the battles won and yet to be won The Linux motto was jokingly "World Domination" and that includes audio too for me. From what I see everyday that battle has been largely won on the servers and phones.
What has changed in the last 20 years is music hardware - or more accurately old analog hardware has become cheap because of clones. A kt-1176 compressor is now $349. As an escape from programming I have a very large analog hardware collection, including 10 analog synths primarily that are 70's reissues along with 8 channels of analog compressors etc.
If analog continues to dominate the market and kids are buying vinyl - I see it first hand and it shocks me - well, if proprietary audio software dies a natural death then I suppose it is a battle still won. I think it has peaked.
Linux audio is on safe ground I believe even still because it is about something else - a community. I don't participate that much in my linear timecode video workflow but I do compile it all from source and use it a bit for automation with things like OSC. People on these lists have helped me a lot too.