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Samples/Plugins/Software/Gear / Cymatics & "Tutorialized Creativity"
« on: June 28, 2016, 10:31:54 pm »
hey everyone,
i'm a long time lurker but i want to get more involved, and i've been thinking about the title of this post a lot lately.
today Cymatics released the Ableton projects pack, which are 30 or so Ableton projects showcasing the "in" genres of the moment (future bass, trap, dubstep) and I couldn't help but feel like I had heard all of the sounds before, throughout my exploration of soundcloud. i've felt the same way since opening some of their previous Serum packs and listening to the sounds. i'm not for or against the use of samplepacks or presets or anything like that, and believe that these projects can be invaluable in teaching production techniques and showing how a professional sounding track would look on a DAW, and this is where the concept of "tutorialized creativity" comes in.
if a lot of producers are reverse engineering the same patches, the same projects, the same arrangements that are based on already popular music, what effect does that have on the scene as a whole?
does it increase creativity, because producers now have the learned skillsets to create the sounds in their heads, or does it reduce creativity and innovation because producers can now freely emulate the sounds of their favorite artists without putting in the hours doing it on their own?
personally, i've reverse engineered a lot of presets to learn sound design, and it made me better at it. i can now more adequately create sounds on the screen when i hear them in my head. i just don't know what the outcome of this type of producer-centric marketing will be. Cymatics created their own niche in this marketplace because like them or not, the sounds are high quality and it sounds like they spend a lot of time on their products. what incentive does an aspiring producer have to create something new when they can just plug and play? i want to believe this kind of learning opportunity will enable people to make the music they've always wanted to but the cynic in me feels like it'll just contribute to more of the same.
what are your guys thoughts?
i'm a long time lurker but i want to get more involved, and i've been thinking about the title of this post a lot lately.
today Cymatics released the Ableton projects pack, which are 30 or so Ableton projects showcasing the "in" genres of the moment (future bass, trap, dubstep) and I couldn't help but feel like I had heard all of the sounds before, throughout my exploration of soundcloud. i've felt the same way since opening some of their previous Serum packs and listening to the sounds. i'm not for or against the use of samplepacks or presets or anything like that, and believe that these projects can be invaluable in teaching production techniques and showing how a professional sounding track would look on a DAW, and this is where the concept of "tutorialized creativity" comes in.
if a lot of producers are reverse engineering the same patches, the same projects, the same arrangements that are based on already popular music, what effect does that have on the scene as a whole?
does it increase creativity, because producers now have the learned skillsets to create the sounds in their heads, or does it reduce creativity and innovation because producers can now freely emulate the sounds of their favorite artists without putting in the hours doing it on their own?
personally, i've reverse engineered a lot of presets to learn sound design, and it made me better at it. i can now more adequately create sounds on the screen when i hear them in my head. i just don't know what the outcome of this type of producer-centric marketing will be. Cymatics created their own niche in this marketplace because like them or not, the sounds are high quality and it sounds like they spend a lot of time on their products. what incentive does an aspiring producer have to create something new when they can just plug and play? i want to believe this kind of learning opportunity will enable people to make the music they've always wanted to but the cynic in me feels like it'll just contribute to more of the same.
what are your guys thoughts?
