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Robert Fripp to Compose Vista's Soundtrack
brainstem writes "Recently, King Crimson founder, guitar master, and all around eccentric musical genius Robert Fripp spent a few days at the MS Campus recording soundscapes for Vista. Fripp, who has been at the forefront of electronic guitar composition for more than 35 years, first using analog tape delays, then with digital effects. He infused his unique brand of Frippertronics on the MS crowd. The Channel 9 site has posted a 25 minute video, chronicalling the event. Now I guess I finally have a reason to leave the default Windows sounds enabled."
I'll use it for my KDE start sound...
of the Redmond King?
What does this button do...
I know. 'cause anyone knows that:
1) Microsoft doesn't have enough money to do both development and create sounds at the same time, and
2) Nobody cares if something is plesant to use
While having actual guitar riffs sounds cool, but as cool as a blaring guitar might sound anything that's not melodic will soon begin to sound very annoying after a few hundred repetitions.
I've gone through a lot of sound schemes, and while the initial concept is cool most of them get really redundant and annoying after awhile. Also, one of the nicest things about KDE is the ability to set the 'theme sounds volume' accordingly, so that at normal they're a dull whisper, and when I turn up to hear my quiet DVD or VOIP conversation my speakers don't blow up at the next exclamation error sound... (hopefully this might be a Vista feature, as well?). Maybe a few nice strums of the guitar for starting or stopping windows will help, but an all-out guitarfest might be a bit overboard.
Then again, some of the music such as the background during the windows install I found very well indeed... it's just the effects that were a bit annoying.
I just lost 25 minutes of my life... can i have them back? What a boring video
that's why all gnu/linux apps are easy on the eyes/ears,right? microsoft is starting to learn that you can't have programmers be your stylists/composers. besides, it's not like they don't have the funds. they realize computers are no longer just for work or getting stuff done. apple has shown that a nice looking computer (inside and out) is appealing for incorperating into your lifestyle. this is where microsoft wants to go too. same reason dell went to htc to design most recent axim. you can't just sell the steak, you gotta sell the sizzle too.
Ehmm, the only person contributing to Vista that actually delivers on time?
Ballmer to Fripp: If you don't compose in the key C#, perhaps this flying chair will help you to B-flat!
I do not accept czechs.
...considering the Windows 95 startup sound was created by Brian Eno, a one-time frequent collaborator with Fripp.
That they'll spend on this guy and just record the sounds of broken glass! :D
The sea changes color, but the sea does not change.
As long as they don't put out "Vista: The Soundtrack". That would rip a hole in space time... or something equally not good.
Composed the Windows '95 startup sound. I always get this image of him wearing a sparkly cape thinking hard in front of a modular Moog while staring hard at a PC. The image is accentuated by the long hair and bald patch.
Task Mangler
Now the difference between Gnu/Linux people and MS is that MS concentrates into making an complete package, which is targeted to a very
/. readers won't like, infact HATE, but that's just because we are not the MAIN audience.
;)
wide range of users, from grandma to power users. This is not an easy task, and definately, things like UI design, graphics etc. are a
MUST for a system like, a 'soundtrack' is just extension of that.
Lets not forget the fact that microsoft just does happen to be the leader of UI design, and push it always further.
Oh yeah, and i'm not denying that there wouldn't be things many of
Now, basicly what you are saying that looks & feel is worth zero, nada, zilch. You pick your wife like that too? >;D
Also, don't forget the fact that many times Linux/Open-Source software is lightyears behind in UI design.
UI is not just nice graphics etc. It's a combination of many things, and the bottomline is usability. Why don't we see many grandmas using linux?
Oh yeah, and perhaps lack of sophisticated easy to use GUIs in Linux makes it powerfull for power users like you and me, in various
tasks.
Oh yeah, you need windows which works very well on slow machines?
Now, it's just matter of customization! You possibly can't deny you cannot modify windows enough to make it WAY more lightweight,
ie. use Litestep/Astonshell/Darkstep or some other shell replacement, replace IE with Opera / Firefox (firefox is too bloated imo), then
replace WMP with Media Player Classic(or old version of Media Player), VLC or some other lightweight tool.
use for listening to music old version of winamp, 2.95 found from oldversions.com (2.95 imo is still the best, it's lightweight, stabile, and does everything a app like that should, nothing more, nothing less. 5.x is just WAY too blaoted, even with high end machine
it seems to be lagging badly).
Anything else?
Oh yeah, to take that even further, stop some of the unnecessary services from windows, check your startup programs.
When Vista comes out, don't use the new filesystem(WinFS was it?), it's damn heavy, but use NTFS, or even FAT32(even lighter for resources).
Now sooner than you notice, you have a lightweight system.
I know, as i've installed & made WXP Pro work efficiently on slower machines than it should even install! (WXP atleast initially had
a restriction of no installing on under 500Mhz machines and was it 256mb ram or 128mb ram)
Oh yeah, and we've even got W95 to run on a 386 (don't try this at home kids! Boot up takes hours alone, or something!)
Windows isn't inefficient, in fact, qutie controversary: it just makes use of the power for the good of the user, in UI & features.
and just as an example, atleast on my machine, Ubuntu takes MUCH longer to boot than WXP. (Athlon 2700+, 1gig Ram)
Pulsed Media Seedboxes
Something with a kick?
Perhaps you should listen the latest stuff from King Crimson. Hell, go and check out Red and keep in mind that it was done in the 70's.
Now, I must go back to listening Strapping Young Lad and Opeth....
The League of Crafty Guitarists is "the performance wing of Guitar Craft", and Guitar Craft is Robert Fripp's guitar school-thingy. So, the circle is complete.
Anyway. Now at least we know that the sounds in Vista will be nice. That's good. I'm a little worried though, that perhaps the Blue Screen of Death will become Red and "One More Red Nightmare" is blasted out your speakers every time an error/BSOD occurs!
What's scarier is the fact that Robert Fripp's soundscape album from 1997 (not his only soundscape album, no) is so aptly titled "The Gates of Paradise"! amazon link
And perhaps the song titles of that album can give us a hint as to how Fripp feels about mr. Gates:
"The Outer Darkness"
"Abandonment to Divine Providence"
"In Fear And Trembling Of The Lord"
"Acceptance"
I mean, since Microsoft/Gates does rule the universe, or at least one might think that Fripp believes so, we here have a possible explanation to why he agreed to make this Vista "soundtrack"/soundscape/whatever... The other possible explanation is obvious: Fripp likes money.
There's nothing too profound behind this sig.
I stole this
B. Gates: Hello there, Mr. Fripp.
R. Fripp: Please, call me Robert.
B. Gates: Okay, Robert. Call me Bill. I'd like to make you a proposition.
R. Fripp: Sure, Bill, fire away.
B. Gates: I'd like you to make a number of various sounds for our latest OS, and in exchange for less work than it would take for you to make one of your many albums, we will hand you this enormous pile of money. How does that sound?
R. Fripp: That... uh, that actually sounds rather nice.
Speaking as a King Crimson fan of more than 20 years, I'm a bit gutted about this. Apart from anything else, Fripp has shown interesting signs of 'getting it' with regard to copyright and the Pigopolists. See eg. this article on the company he started to buy back his copyrights, and indeed this previous post on a previous Slashdot article.
Give it to me! I'll get ten times the notes in there whatever Robert plays.
He's an old guy who performs weird and boring music that was popular waaaay before you were born.
OK?
It's cool and all to have a soundtrack, but what about start-up lyrics? "Wooooo.... Windows has started! Yeahaahhhhhh! owww!" "Come on! break it down!" - and then it blue screens.
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
Brilliant, I can picture the scene now. I shut down windows only to be greeted by a 35 minute piece incorporating 13 minutes of silence (interrupted by the occasional triangle, or burst of bassoon) and incorporating works by Holst playe on the mellotron.
I think it would be more appropriate for there to be some King Crimson inspired wallpaper
What is it about using a few MB of Microsoft's bandwidth to download their .WMV file to play in XINE on my Fedora Core 3 laptop that makes me, eh, happy????
Not that I care all that much, but THEY set up some goofy "mms" protocol that makes me download their entire !@#!@ movie before playing it, instead of streaming over HTTP like any other sane person... so I'll download the entire thing before watching 10-20 seconds of their 20 minute video...
I guess they can afford the $0.01 or two this download will cost them.
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
So now you'll not only get sued by the BSA for using a copied Windows, but also by the RIAA ?
Or how about using the geddup noise?
(...) microsoft is starting to learn (...)
strings "The Microsoft Sound.wav" | tail -n12
Brian Eno
ICOP
1995 Microsoft Corporation
INAM
The Microsoft Sound
IPRD
Microsoft Windows 95
ISRCB
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
It's not like they're starting to hire professional musicians ! Brian Eno composed this sound for windows 1995.
I wonder if they will use warezed software to record it again?
m l?tid=133&tid=201&tid=109&tid=1
http://slashdot.org/articles/04/11/13/0036243.sht
Yes, it's just a gimmick. But, it's a gimmick designed to cooperate with many other gimmicks as a way of keeping a monopoly in power. Sadly, artists like Fripp and Justin Timberlake are being drawn into battles they don't understand, and therefore they don't get to properly choose a side. If only they knew that MS will destroy the industry they love.
It will just be Steve Ballmer chanting maniacally "I repeat myself when under stress! I repeat myself when under stress!" over and over until you restart the machine.
Robert Fripp is a very talented guitar player, he played a lot with Brian Eno and also with David Bowie during his Berlin period.
While he is technically a very good guitar player he is also somebody that did a lot of technological experimentation. He did invent the concept of frippertronic where you play a few notes of music and loop them in real time, you then continue to add new material to your loop at each new iteration. Because he was using analog tape to do this at first the oldest iteration where fading away while the new material was added on top.
If you are curious I recommend his abum "Soundscapes 2: Blessing of Tears"
Maybe because he is a friend of Brian Eno that already composed some sounds for Windows 95 this is how he was contacted by Microsoft.
Apple should do the same and I would find it more logical if Fripp would work for Apple while Microsoft could just hire Justin Timberlake for his music
In cyberspace nobody knows you're a cat!
I am pretty sure that the AHRA actually says "it's still illegal but we agree not to prosecute you". I'll try to find a real reference for that.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
...they could have used "Wipe Out".
Nobody ever loved midi after formats like MOD or S3M came out. Who wants to be limited to a small set of instruments with hardly any effects avalible? You can't even load your own samples with most sound cards. The only good thing about it was the small file size.
Yeah, go on and rock out to CANYON.MID, grandpa.
People might have heard Fripp or Crimson music in a Gilette commercial, on The Maxx cartoon on Liquid Television, or in some porn movie that stole the music. (Fripp sued them to get royalties) With regards to the commercial, I know he said something to the effect of "Why not? I use their razors, and people will get to hear something a lot better than the music they ordinarily use in those things. And I can use the money."
As a Fripp fan who will probably end up using Vista at some point I'm cautiously optimistic about this. I'm also skeptical that the little noises an OS makes can have any musical quality whatsoever.
Now before I get modded down, I be to remind whoever might read this that what I am saying is FACT. - bogaboga
"Vista, I feel for you..."
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
Infact, i doubt that.
What grandmas need?
Browser, Office, anything else? Very little, and there are apps for that.
Now computers they use? Basic, all device drivers exist.
Only thing which might be problematic for them is the support for digital cameras, but how many of grandmas use digital cameras?
Printing works AFAIK quite well in linux.
Why then they don't use Linux? It's harder to use, the UI isn't as good.
For example, my mom only needs browser really from her computer, but she still prefers windows over linux (i made her use linux in the past)
oh yeah, and grandmas aren't worried of the technical stuff: someone always handles it for them
Next silly explanation please
Pulsed Media Seedboxes
I highly doubt there will be any harsh guitars or really anything that resembles King Crimson. While Fripp is known for King Crimson, I'm sure MS brought him aboard for his solo efforts in ambient music. He has recently been touring as the opening act for a band called Porcupine Tree. He only does ambient music with guitar loops layered to create a peaceful ambience suited quite well for an OS. If anyone has ever seen Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck) solo, you will see similarities in how they produce the music. I am very excited to hear that an experienced progressive rock musician will be ushering in the next generation of Windows with a modern twist.
I wouldn't care if Microsoft had Jimmi Hendrix doing their startup sound, let alone Fripp. I have never been able to tolerate any of the Windows startup sounds for more than a few weeks. Every Windows startup sound has an air of grandeur that does not befit an operating system. Every time my computer boots it yells "I AM WONDERFUL" at me, rather than "I am ready" or "welcome", right back from "TA-DAAAAAA" in Windows 3.1. Every time it starts up my OS feels the need to tell me how impressive it is. Every time it starts up, I know that its air of self satisfaction is misplaced. Douglas Adams predicted this.
i ddlewoo', which is too long, slightly sinister, and suggests an air of flakyness, a slightly misplaced attempt to sound impressive. It's certainly not a sound that conveys solidarity or reliability. It suggests that the OS is crap, but we've given it a really impressive boot sound in the hope you won't notice.
Why are Microsoft getting old prog rockers to make their startup sounds? I watched the video and they're all so full of horse shit. I would like to personally inform Microsoft that an operating system should not be an experience, and it certainly should not aim to be one. An OS should generally work so well that the user doesn't even think about it. Talk to any Windows user, and ask them what their experience of Windows is. They'll tell you that it's a bastard when Windows search doesn't find stuff you know is there, they'll tell you that it's annoying when autorun won't remember to take no action on CDs that contain one jpeg, or when popups appear asking you whether you want to run ActiveX controls, or that it's slow to start up, or whatever. They probably won't list anything good about it, and you know why that is? It's because they use it every day, and bad things carry so much more weight than good things.
So, when Microsoft considers what its OS should sound like they should remember one thing: if the user notices the sounds, they're crap. If the user even remembers the sounds easily, they're crap. A six second sample on boot is an exceptionally bad idea.
I'm not a Mac zealot, but they've got it right. Turn it on, and it goes 'bong', and that's it. 'Bong' says it all. It says 'I've turned on, I'm booting, and everything is cool.' It's a simple, reassuring noise. Microsoft's equivalent is 'wooowooowooowoooziiininininintiwiwiwiddlewiddlew
This post has turned out rather long and rambling, especially since it's about something as simple as a windows boot noise, but I'll finish off with some points for Microsoft to follow when considering their Windows Vista soundscape:
1. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
2. Boot/shutdown sound no longer than 2 seconds, informational/alert sounds no longer than a second.
3. When you talk about confident sounds for Windows, please don't try to make Windows Vista sound like it is confident, but try to give me, the user, a feeling of confidence. Reassure me.
4. Don't hire old prog rockers. They have spent too long trying to be noticed and trying to sound impressive. You can use them for the sound that plays at the start of your keynotes, but not the sound that plays whenever I turn on my computer.