Posted
Hi,
I just got the Synfire Pro and am very anxiously looking forward to it. I am excited about the product and I am keen on learning to use it with both Ableton and Pro-Tools as well as Max/Msp and Kyma. I hope that I can make suggestions for product features and I certainly do have a wishlist which is why I bought Synfire Pro in the first place.
If there is an API to send/receive notes over OSC and other controller information (I also use a Haken Continuum) I am interested in that as a larger more scalable way forward as well as I have many components in the studio that I would like to instrument in arrangements, and most especially, have a fast way to try out new ideas.
Also, I am keen on having algorithmically enhanced composition tools (such as intelligent musically useful arpeggiation, perhaps genetic algorithms for manipulating phrases or arrangements in musically useful ways) --- I am sure I will learn and refine my thinking after some months with Synfire so please consider my comments as originating from my rather naive beginning start with what is clearly a cool software.
I have a professional background in music, film and also as a software architect and coder, working mostly with logic programming and artifical intelligence so it is a real delight to see a product like this.
I would love to see a better organized and catgorized set of videos and tutorials that are linked in some kind of logical order (right now I see the tutorials and videos but it just looks like a list in no logical order, just in the order in which they happened to be posted so any cleanup would be appreciated).
Thank you!
Mon, 2011-11-21 - 21:40 Permalink
Welcome to the forum!
I would love to see a better organized and catgorized set of videos and tutorials that are linked in some kind of logical order
A whole new set of tutorials will be created based on the new version 1.5. The sound setup was much simplified, so they will all get shorter and more focussed.
As you mentioned ProTools, it should be noted that at this time you will not be able to use Synfire's audio drones unfortunately. Avid's legal terms do not allow us to ship a product like this (no RTAS drone). Either you find an alternative way to get the VST or AU drones into ProTools, or you will need to use another DAW for prototyping and composition.
Or you just use the conventional MIDI-based setup, but I would not recommend it. I strongly recommend using our Engine for prototyping. It's way easier and more flexible than a DAW for this particular purpose.
Tue, 2011-11-22 - 17:57 Permalink
I will use ABLETON once I complete ideas in Synfire. I *just* received my software from FedEx today and I thank you for the super-fast service :)
As a newbie I gather that the workflow preferred is:
1) Work out ideas in Synfire
2) Move to Ableton and tweak
3) Finish up in other DAW (Pro-Tools)
So in my case I would I can export all the tracks from Ableton Live to Pro-Tools as *audio files* in which I then do my final edits, stem mixes and audio sweetening tracks before I go into final mix.
I *do* use a *lot* of outboard MIDI gear!!! I find that the instrumentation leads to more real-time tweakability so for some compositions it's easier to twiddle knobs between *two* or *three* different keyboards to get the balance --- this is very hard to do without multiple virtual controllers with hardware interfaces over something like OSC. The sound and timbral qualities themselves have a huge role to play since melodic timbres (in which melodies are embedded within the partial spectra of the sounds) is polymelodic synthesis and, unlike arpeggiation with melody, you get a much more subtle and interesting effect in writing and composing melodies (as what I call the foreground melody of the composition) versus the background melody (embedded in the partials). This technique is a generalization of the standard "echo" effect where you play a melody and as it echoes, you continue to get that nice final outcome, only in this case, instead of echoing the sound, it is embedded and this is where Synfire, as a synthesis tool for embedded melodic design can be so very powerful --- working hand in hand with musical sound-design *and* composition.
I am unwrapping my box now and will get it installed and start having fun :)
Thank you so much for all the work you're putting into this - it *does* make a difference!