I have a little Garmin GPS III+ that has a little moving map display, "here you are" arrow, routes, waypoints, altitude, and it's about to get a whole lot more accurate. Having a web-pad or some other PDA (handspring!) with GPS capability would also be very cool, and it would have more memory than my Garmin (which has enough memory for about 10 MapSource counties with street-level detail, and the entire US with highway detail).
Of course, the Garmin isn't open source, and thus would be utterly useless to some/.-ers. But I don't know how I ever got along without it. I'm still amazed at what this little box can do.
So did I! Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'
[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The changes you requested to the table were not successful because they would create duplicate values in the index, primary key, or relationship. Change the data in the field or fields that contain duplicate data, remove the index, or redefine the index to permit duplicate entries and try again.
As long as you can produce interesting and endlessly varying results with a simple interface, more power to them (the manufacturers that is). Many synths don't though. In fact my wavestation SR has a simple interface (a few buttons on the front) which actually cripples it, because it's a pain to program it to its full potential, without 3rd party software like UniSYN. It's an amazing amount of programmability stuff behind a crappy interface.
But look at an acoustic instrument. A harmonica. Hear what John Popper does with a simplistic interface (no buttons, no knobs, just a bunch O'holes!)
I could demonstrate to you an amazing amount of sounds that can be generated from a simple frame drum played with hands. Glen Velez can do it even better.
Now it's easy to get into an acoustic vs. electronic instrument argument. I'm a fan of both of course.
But ideally it's not the interface itself that really matters, it's what you can do with it.
And let me add the Fifth Element to your list!
Excellent work with synthesizers on that one. I'm not talking about the "Ruby Rod" techno stuff (which is also pretty cool) but the various motives used throughout.
Something, just SOMETHING tells me that no publicly-available OS is going to be used for an extremely specialized, critical application such as the space shuttle. Do you have ANY idea how complex the systems on that thing are? I sure as hell don't, but I remember reading somewhere that they are very, very complex. Very. Nothing short of a custum, proprietary OS is going to run all that equipment. Proprietary, embedded, real-time OS. AtlantOS or something, or maybe DOScovery. Gee, if they WERE using Linux, they'd have to release their code modifications, for the rest of us to install on our space shuttles. Keep in mind that the new control systems have probably been in design for at least 5 years. What I'm getting at is that they're not going to design a bunch of custom hardware, then apply the latest kernel patch from kernel.org and then launch it. The OS was likely designed the same time as the hardware (only FOR that hardware, strangely enough) and probably has been rigorously tested and debugged for several years without any major changes. Just guessing, but it sounds similar to logic.
I like the Pro's image better. Keep in mind that digital cameras are generally better, if you are going to keep the image in the digital domain (ie, viewed on monitors.) For print images, there isn't a printer yet that can truly match a good print film. At least not a printer that mortals can afford. The Pro's image I'm sure looked much better on the film rather than the scanned image, it looks like a bad scanning job. Here's where the expensive equipment shows through... I don't know a whole lot about photography, but the pro photographer really knows how to use depth of field. In the digital shot, can you look at it and tell instantly "what is this a picture of?" Well, the player is just as sharp as the spectators in the stands. It's all kinda busy and running together, you really can't tell what the subject of the image is, other than what's closest to the center of the image. The pro shot clearly says "the player is the thing." And the exposure is such that you can see the expression on his face, whereas the digital shot just kind of blacks it out (autoexposure shows its ugly side). In other words, the digital shot is just as good as any shot that I could take with a disposable 35mm camera with a tiny lens. Now clearly there are areas where digital cameras will overtake, such as press (I don't think National Geographic will go to digital anytime soon though), anybody taking snapshots, evidence documenting, etc. Just keep in mind that there are inherent advantages to analog film, just as there are inherent advantages to the digital media.
Global Positioning System!
on
G3 Solar Storm
·
· Score: 2
I know what you mean. My Garmin GPS told me I was on Venus.
This is a good idea, but I'm just curious if this means they'll bundle more pre-installed OS images in the future. You know, like a pre-configured Solaris VM, or even another Linux distro that's already set up for a particular purpose. That would be pretty cool. Then I got to thinking... I wonder if there's any clause in the deal that prohibits VMWare from bundling a "ready-to-run" image of another OS down the road? And if so, would it even apply to a bundled Linux config?
If you want a good book on quantum mechanics but you're not a real physicist, try The Dancing Wu-Li Masters, by somebody whose name I forget. Search for it on Amazon, read the reviews, and then (of course) buy it elsewhere.
A quantum bit (qubit) can still only store one piece of information... a bit. A regular bit can either be 1 or 0. The thing about a qubit is that it is both 1 and 0, simultaneously. This is called superposition of states-- the qubit exists in all possible states at the same time. If you have a system of 4 qubits, with each bit having 2 superimposed states, then you get 16 possible states at the same time. It gets a bit more complicated with quantum logic gates though... but here's one possible application: decryption. Today, you have to brute force a key, one at a time, until you find a winner. Theoretically, a quantum computer could test ALL POSSIBLE KEYS in one fell swoop, and blammo, the correct one pops right out. I'm simplifying this to a sickening excess, but you get the point.
I believe the first real application of quantum logic gates will be in the upcoming Bit Boys' Glaze3D video chip, which is due to be released 6 months from any given date. (/sarcasm)
I hate Dice, because the only people that see your resume are recruiters. Recruiters who know nothing about the industry, or the job, other than the list of "requirements" that their client has given them. I was turned down for a "web developer" job because I didn't have enough CRYSTAL REPORTS EXPERIENCE!! Can you believe that? Sheesh... okay, give me two days to look at it and I'll know your stupid CRYSTAL REPORTS. Unfortunately, it's hard to say that kind of thing in an interview.
I think in your case, you'd be hard pressed to find a job in a company that specializes in IT. Me too, apparently. Thus the apparent shortage. But I can tell you that there are industries struggling to find IT people-- industries you've never even considered. I work at a poultry company. I've seen my company hire morons because they can't find real applicants. Another problem is the just-in-it-for-the-money people looking for the "fast track IT job" won't even interview here, because it's a poultry company. No, you won't get the highest of salaries (I make $41k a year, which actually isn't too bad for a single guy) but you will get that elusive Job Experience thing. I don't think anybody here has a CS degree, although at least half have a 4-year degree in something. I have a BS in physics, and another programmer has a degree in chemistry. I'm learning a bunch of stuff that you can only get with experience, as opposed to schooling. Supply chain? EDI? Barcoding? As well as the underlying database technology, with some web development on the side (ASP). This is the kind of stuff that (hopefully) will be very favorable to a career in B2B (buzzword: Business to Business) E-commerce. Despite what you may have heard, the B2B boom hasn't happened yet, but it's starting to. Why? All the "real" B2B is still happening via good old EDI (875->880 UCS transaction sets, anyone?) which has been around for at least 20 years. That will change, but it won't be going heavily on the internet for another few years. This is very, very different from the "e-commerce" buzzword as most people know it. Actually seeing the internet used in the supply chain is still a ways off, even though the technology is there, which is why now's the time. So what am I rambling about? Find an ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY, one that has been around for a while and thus knows how to hire and grow employees. Many of them are just starting to grow their IT departments, and to explore what they can do with this newfangled "internet thing" and are looking for people to do it. Talk to them directly. Search them out. Look at packaging companies, manufacturing-- especially the food industry. Find out where they are headquartered. Generally they'll be hiring people with diverse knowledge as opposed to a lot of knowledge in one area-- i.e., you'll be wearing a lot of hats. The manufacturing industry as it applies to IT isn't a cash cow (we'll never hire a $80k network admin, don't need to) but it's a definite get-your-foot-in-the-door experience builder for something much more lucrative later.
Somebody who is just looking for an immediate, high-paying IT job isn't really thinking strategically or long-term, and will often be disappointed.
Unfortunately, that does nothing to make finding prime numbers any easier. IE, knowing the approximate shape of the graph (and the graph isn't perfect) still doesn't give you any information for calculating the next prime number. You have to pick a number (ending in 1,3,7, or 9), brute force it to test its primitude (I just made up a word!) by dividing it by all previous primes = the square root of the number you're testing.
Not liking something doesn't make it crap. I try to be objective. I wouldn't compare Trent Reznor to, say, John Cage or somebody, but he's very effective at defining an atmosphere with sound. Some of his stuff (especially Quake soundtrack) is bordering on minimalist. On the other hand, the first couple NIN albums just seemed sort of.... sequenced. On example, in his latest, he's using detuned instruments, which is pretty bold for "popular" music. So, he's a bit more experimental on The Fragile. He still can't sing worth a damn... but there are several NIN songs I like to blast for the pure angst factor. Or something.
Haven't had any problems with my DAT yet (Tascam DA-20 MKII).
The reasons I got it... at the time (2+ years ago), hard drives were still kinda small. The analog inputs into the DAT are much better than the analog inputs on any soundcard that's affordable. Considering I go through an external Mackie mixer, it was/is the best choice for me still. It also makes a handy external DAC for my sound card's digital out. This is the same model that we used in college-- actually they were the original DA-20. We had 2 of these units, one in the performance hall and the other in the sound/midi studio. Both were used nearly every day, for over 2 years, without one single problem. No tape jams, no dropouts, just routine cleaning. It wouldn't surprise me if you were having problems with portable units though.
Besides, when I master something to DAT, it doesn't stay on the tape-- I dump it digitally over to my hard drive for final processing and burning to CD.
Hey, I picked your post out of the slashnoise! The good news is that most of what you wanted to happen in your post has already been happening.
Fortunately, MIDI only defines notes as numbers. Those numbers are usually interpreted (by software or hardware) as a 12-tone system (C1, Eb6, etc) but as far as MIDI goes, I think it's just notes #0-127. It's up to the synth for the implementation. It just so happens that most use a piano keyboard. MIDI is already capable of the types of expression you mentioned, via the real-time controllers, and the fact that you can have other tuning systems associated with a particular MIDI patch. On my Proteus synth, I have MIDI patches using both Gamelan tuning systems (5 note, and 8 note) as well as 20-tone, "C-only" (uses true harmonic tuning on C for the pure intervals you mentioned) and a couple others. It makes for some rather authentic sounding bagpipes! You can also make user tuning maps adjusting each note in 1-cent intervals.
Now, that can only go so far... if you want control over the actual sound, and apply techniques that MIDI doesn't give you, well that sounds like something the Kyma system has been doing for years. Kyma is basically an OO programming language, which talks to a Capybara sound module-- essentially just 1 or more dedicated DSP's in a black box. This was very popular for movie sound designers. I saw a demonstration of this way back in 1994 or so-- the system could be programmed to say, harmonize a note you sing with some brass instruments, as well as some truly amazing real-time sound processing and sound morphing.
Other forms of synthesis get close, using standard MIDI data. The complexity of the sound is abstracted away from the data stream-- a synth still sees the same old note-on, note-off, channel aftertouch, velocity, etc., but new synths make use of those in very creative ways. Look at the Kurzweil K-series and their function generators (over 10 years old now). And, newer synthesis methods- physical modeling synthesis and modal synthesis. Seer Systems' Reality is one that does those and some other types in software on a PC.
MIDI (the protocol) has served us well for almost 20 years now-- that sure says something about an open standard! Still, I think it's time for something much faster. MIDI is limited to 38.4kbps, which means I have to wait a couple minutes while I dump a bunch of new patches over to my Wavestation.
Very true. It just depends on what you want to do with the sound. Obviously for a webcast, you'll need a computer, but if the bitrate is low you don't need to worry about super-quality recording either. Just a good mic (or 2 or 3), Mackie 1202, and you're set.
I was thinking strictly in the sense of recording a live performance to be edited and mastered later. You don't NEED a computer to record, although you will for editing. I'd love to see DJ's start using MP3's now that there's that dual "turntable" plugin for winamp. Heh... but according to the RIAA, that would be bad!
Okay, so for multitracking you'd use an ADAT. That's more expensive. If you truly want to keep multiple tracks during a live performance (8-24 tracks), the computer hardware required for that is very expensive as well-- you'd need a high-end audio card with multiple analog line inputs, preferably 1/4", with a dedicated SCSI drive. The soundcard alone will be close to $1000 (or more, last time I checked). Of course, you'd want effects+EQ applied per channel BEFORE downmixing.
As for random access... well, that's sort of irrelevant while recording a live performance! You can record to ADAT, or whatever, then transfer it via coax digital into your favorite cheap soundcard for editing on the PC. That's exactly what I do.
Granted, DAT is the way to go for a 2-channel recording of a performance, but that's not studio work, that's live work.
I thought we were talking about live work all along. At home in my studio, I record multitrack audio on my PC, then downmix to 2 channel on DAT. I could use my PC to master everything+downmix, but that would involve routing my external synths into my PC, where the audio path isn't as clean (unbalanced 1/8" stereo plug, vs. 1/4" balanced shielded through the mixer to DAT). A CD burner won't work for that either, unless I go and get an external burner with high quality I/O. That wasn't an option 2 years ago when I got my DAT. Keep in mind that redbook audio also doesn't have error correction, while DAT does. Only my mic audio goes into my PC, but since I don't have a sound-sealed recording room, it's about the best I can do anyway.
Like any tool, using computers for music takes lots of talent and knowledge to use them correctly. Or, you can be an idiot and make something that they play on the radio.
There's a whole new world of experimentation and new compositional techniques that electronic music brings. And it's constantly evolving. The manipulation of sounds, etc... A lot of NIN's new tracks and the Quake soundtrack are pretty ingenious if you analyze them, and his techniques have matured considerably over the past few years.
And "real" musicians will never go away. We're just using more toys now. I double-majored in music if that means anything.
Slashdot Mirror
Or more correctly, that's what you think ASP is.
I have a little Garmin GPS III+ that has a little moving map display, "here you are" arrow, routes, waypoints, altitude, and it's about to get a whole lot more accurate.
/.-ers.
Having a web-pad or some other PDA (handspring!) with GPS capability would also be very cool, and it would have more memory than my Garmin (which has enough memory for about 10 MapSource counties with street-level detail, and the entire US with highway detail).
Of course, the Garmin isn't open source, and thus would be utterly useless to some
But I don't know how I ever got along without it. I'm still amazed at what this little box can do.
So did I!
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'
[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The changes you requested to the table were not successful because they would create duplicate values in the index, primary key, or relationship. Change the data in the field or fields that contain duplicate data, remove the index, or redefine the index to permit duplicate entries and try again.
/project/SubmitReq.asp, line 48
What do you not like about combo boxes?
As long as you can produce interesting and endlessly varying results with a simple interface, more power to them (the manufacturers that is). Many synths don't though. In fact my wavestation SR has a simple interface (a few buttons on the front) which actually cripples it, because it's a pain to program it to its full potential, without 3rd party software like UniSYN. It's an amazing amount of programmability stuff behind a crappy interface.
But look at an acoustic instrument. A harmonica. Hear what John Popper does with a simplistic interface (no buttons, no knobs, just a bunch O'holes!)
I could demonstrate to you an amazing amount of sounds that can be generated from a simple frame drum played with hands. Glen Velez can do it even better.
Now it's easy to get into an acoustic vs. electronic instrument argument. I'm a fan of both of course.
But ideally it's not the interface itself that really matters, it's what you can do with it.
And let me add the Fifth Element to your list!
Excellent work with synthesizers on that one. I'm not talking about the "Ruby Rod" techno stuff (which is also pretty cool) but the various motives used throughout.
....are you referring to cartoons such as "Gummi Bears", "Pac-Man", and "Rubik the Amazing Cube?"
What's even more sad is that I watched all three of those...
Yes, it would take a group of rocket scientists to design an OS from scratch for the space shuttle.
(....pondering the previous statement)
Whatever they use, it's surely been in testing for years. I'm sure that the "booster O-ring bug" taught a hard lesson on cutting corners.
Linux is great, but it can't do everything. I still have to wipe my own ass.
Something, just SOMETHING tells me that no publicly-available OS is going to be used for an extremely specialized, critical application such as the space shuttle. Do you have ANY idea how complex the systems on that thing are? I sure as hell don't, but I remember reading somewhere that they are very, very complex. Very.
Nothing short of a custum, proprietary OS is going to run all that equipment. Proprietary, embedded, real-time OS. AtlantOS or something, or maybe DOScovery.
Gee, if they WERE using Linux, they'd have to release their code modifications, for the rest of us to install on our space shuttles.
Keep in mind that the new control systems have probably been in design for at least 5 years. What I'm getting at is that they're not going to design a bunch of custom hardware, then apply the latest kernel patch from kernel.org and then launch it. The OS was likely designed the same time as the hardware (only FOR that hardware, strangely enough) and probably has been rigorously tested and debugged for several years without any major changes. Just guessing, but it sounds similar to logic.
I like the Pro's image better.
Keep in mind that digital cameras are generally better, if you are going to keep the image in the digital domain (ie, viewed on monitors.)
For print images, there isn't a printer yet that can truly match a good print film. At least not a printer that mortals can afford.
The Pro's image I'm sure looked much better on the film rather than the scanned image, it looks like a bad scanning job.
Here's where the expensive equipment shows through... I don't know a whole lot about photography, but the pro photographer really knows how to use depth of field. In the digital shot, can you look at it and tell instantly "what is this a picture of?" Well, the player is just as sharp as the spectators in the stands. It's all kinda busy and running together, you really can't tell what the subject of the image is, other than what's closest to the center of the image. The pro shot clearly says "the player is the thing." And the exposure is such that you can see the expression on his face, whereas the digital shot just kind of blacks it out (autoexposure shows its ugly side).
In other words, the digital shot is just as good as any shot that I could take with a disposable 35mm camera with a tiny lens.
Now clearly there are areas where digital cameras will overtake, such as press (I don't think National Geographic will go to digital anytime soon though), anybody taking snapshots, evidence documenting, etc. Just keep in mind that there are inherent advantages to analog film, just as there are inherent advantages to the digital media.
I know what you mean. My Garmin GPS told me I was on Venus.
This is a good idea, but I'm just curious if this means they'll bundle more pre-installed OS images in the future. You know, like a pre-configured Solaris VM, or even another Linux distro that's already set up for a particular purpose. That would be pretty cool.
Then I got to thinking... I wonder if there's any clause in the deal that prohibits VMWare from bundling a "ready-to-run" image of another OS down the road?
And if so, would it even apply to a bundled Linux config?
*ZZZAP*
Hi, this is CausticPuppy from the future. I have written a game review of the sequel to Daikatana.
It's right here.
You can always search for "quantum computing" in a search engine, but here ya go.
Quantum Computing - Lov Grover
If you want a good book on quantum mechanics but you're not a real physicist, try The Dancing Wu-Li Masters, by somebody whose name I forget. Search for it on Amazon, read the reviews, and then (of course) buy it elsewhere.
It runs all possible operating systems simultaneously.
A quantum bit (qubit) can still only store one piece of information... a bit. A regular bit can either be 1 or 0.
The thing about a qubit is that it is both 1 and 0, simultaneously. This is called superposition of states-- the qubit exists in all possible states at the same time. If you have a system of 4 qubits, with each bit having 2 superimposed states, then you get 16 possible states at the same time.
It gets a bit more complicated with quantum logic gates though... but here's one possible application: decryption.
Today, you have to brute force a key, one at a time, until you find a winner.
Theoretically, a quantum computer could test ALL POSSIBLE KEYS in one fell swoop, and blammo, the correct one pops right out.
I'm simplifying this to a sickening excess, but you get the point.
I believe the first real application of quantum logic gates will be in the upcoming Bit Boys' Glaze3D video chip, which is due to be released 6 months from any given date. (/sarcasm)
When I get home, all the coins in my pocket just get tossed into my Klein bottle.
I hate Dice, because the only people that see your resume are recruiters. Recruiters who know nothing about the industry, or the job, other than the list of "requirements" that their client has given them.
I was turned down for a "web developer" job because I didn't have enough CRYSTAL REPORTS EXPERIENCE!! Can you believe that? Sheesh... okay, give me two days to look at it and I'll know your stupid CRYSTAL REPORTS. Unfortunately, it's hard to say that kind of thing in an interview.
I think in your case, you'd be hard pressed to find a job in a company that specializes in IT. Me too, apparently. Thus the apparent shortage.
But I can tell you that there are industries struggling to find IT people-- industries you've never even considered.
I work at a poultry company. I've seen my company hire morons because they can't find real applicants. Another problem is the just-in-it-for-the-money people looking for the "fast track IT job" won't even interview here, because it's a poultry company.
No, you won't get the highest of salaries (I make $41k a year, which actually isn't too bad for a single guy) but you will get that elusive Job Experience thing. I don't think anybody here has a CS degree, although at least half have a 4-year degree in something. I have a BS in physics, and another programmer has a degree in chemistry.
I'm learning a bunch of stuff that you can only get with experience, as opposed to schooling. Supply chain? EDI? Barcoding? As well as the underlying database technology, with some web development on the side (ASP). This is the kind of stuff that (hopefully) will be very favorable to a career in B2B (buzzword: Business to Business) E-commerce. Despite what you may have heard, the B2B boom hasn't happened yet, but it's starting to. Why? All the "real" B2B is still happening via good old EDI (875->880 UCS transaction sets, anyone?) which has been around for at least 20 years. That will change, but it won't be going heavily on the internet for another few years. This is very, very different from the "e-commerce" buzzword as most people know it. Actually seeing the internet used in the supply chain is still a ways off, even though the technology is there, which is why now's the time.
So what am I rambling about?
Find an ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY, one that has been around for a while and thus knows how to hire and grow employees. Many of them are just starting to grow their IT departments, and to explore what they can do with this newfangled "internet thing" and are looking for people to do it. Talk to them directly. Search them out. Look at packaging companies, manufacturing-- especially the food industry. Find out where they are headquartered. Generally they'll be hiring people with diverse knowledge as opposed to a lot of knowledge in one area-- i.e., you'll be wearing a lot of hats.
The manufacturing industry as it applies to IT isn't a cash cow (we'll never hire a $80k network admin, don't need to) but it's a definite get-your-foot-in-the-door experience builder for something much more lucrative later.
Somebody who is just looking for an immediate, high-paying IT job isn't really thinking strategically or long-term, and will often be disappointed.
Unfortunately, that does nothing to make finding prime numbers any easier. IE, knowing the approximate shape of the graph (and the graph isn't perfect) still doesn't give you any information for calculating the next prime number. You have to pick a number (ending in 1,3,7, or 9), brute force it to test its primitude (I just made up a word!) by dividing it by all previous primes = the square root of the number you're testing.
Not liking something doesn't make it crap.
I try to be objective. I wouldn't compare Trent Reznor to, say, John Cage or somebody, but he's very effective at defining an atmosphere with sound.
Some of his stuff (especially Quake soundtrack) is bordering on minimalist. On the other hand, the first couple NIN albums just seemed sort of.... sequenced. On example, in his latest, he's using detuned instruments, which is pretty bold for "popular" music. So, he's a bit more experimental on The Fragile.
He still can't sing worth a damn... but there are several NIN songs I like to blast for the pure angst factor. Or something.
Haven't had any problems with my DAT yet (Tascam DA-20 MKII).
The reasons I got it... at the time (2+ years ago), hard drives were still kinda small.
The analog inputs into the DAT are much better than the analog inputs on any soundcard that's affordable. Considering I go through an external Mackie mixer, it was/is the best choice for me still.
It also makes a handy external DAC for my sound card's digital out.
This is the same model that we used in college-- actually they were the original DA-20. We had 2 of these units, one in the performance hall and the other in the sound/midi studio. Both were used nearly every day, for over 2 years, without one single problem. No tape jams, no dropouts, just routine cleaning. It wouldn't surprise me if you were having problems with portable units though.
Besides, when I master something to DAT, it doesn't stay on the tape-- I dump it digitally over to my hard drive for final processing and burning to CD.
Hey, I picked your post out of the slashnoise! The good news is that most of what you wanted to happen in your post has already been happening.
Fortunately, MIDI only defines notes as numbers. Those numbers are usually interpreted (by software or hardware) as a 12-tone system (C1, Eb6, etc) but as far as MIDI goes, I think it's just notes #0-127. It's up to the synth for the implementation. It just so happens that most use a piano keyboard. MIDI is already capable of the types of expression you mentioned, via the real-time controllers, and the fact that you can have other tuning systems associated with a particular MIDI patch.
On my Proteus synth, I have MIDI patches using both Gamelan tuning systems (5 note, and 8 note) as well as 20-tone, "C-only" (uses true harmonic tuning on C for the pure intervals you mentioned) and a couple others. It makes for some rather authentic sounding bagpipes! You can also make user tuning maps adjusting each note in 1-cent intervals.
Now, that can only go so far... if you want control over the actual sound, and apply techniques that MIDI doesn't give you, well that sounds like something the Kyma system has been doing for years. Kyma is basically an OO programming language, which talks to a Capybara sound module-- essentially just 1 or more dedicated DSP's in a black box. This was very popular for movie sound designers. I saw a demonstration of this way back in 1994 or so-- the system could be programmed to say, harmonize a note you sing with some brass instruments, as well as some truly amazing real-time sound processing and sound morphing.
Other forms of synthesis get close, using standard MIDI data. The complexity of the sound is abstracted away from the data stream-- a synth still sees the same old note-on, note-off, channel aftertouch, velocity, etc., but new synths make use of those in very creative ways. Look at the Kurzweil K-series and their function generators (over 10 years old now). And, newer synthesis methods- physical modeling synthesis and modal synthesis. Seer Systems' Reality is one that does those and some other types in software on a PC.
MIDI (the protocol) has served us well for almost 20 years now-- that sure says something about an open standard! Still, I think it's time for something much faster. MIDI is limited to 38.4kbps, which means I have to wait a couple minutes while I dump a bunch of new patches over to my Wavestation.
Very true. It just depends on what you want to do with the sound. Obviously for a webcast, you'll need a computer, but if the bitrate is low you don't need to worry about super-quality recording either. Just a good mic (or 2 or 3), Mackie 1202, and you're set.
I was thinking strictly in the sense of recording a live performance to be edited and mastered later. You don't NEED a computer to record, although you will for editing.
I'd love to see DJ's start using MP3's now that there's that dual "turntable" plugin for winamp. Heh... but according to the RIAA, that would be bad!
Okay, so for multitracking you'd use an ADAT. That's more expensive. If you truly want to keep multiple tracks during a live performance (8-24 tracks), the computer hardware required for that is very expensive as well-- you'd need a high-end audio card with multiple analog line inputs, preferably 1/4", with a dedicated SCSI drive. The soundcard alone will be close to $1000 (or more, last time I checked). Of course, you'd want effects+EQ applied per channel BEFORE downmixing.
As for random access... well, that's sort of irrelevant while recording a live performance! You can record to ADAT, or whatever, then transfer it via coax digital into your favorite cheap soundcard for editing on the PC. That's exactly what I do.
Granted, DAT is the way to go for a 2-channel recording of a performance, but that's not studio work, that's live work.
I thought we were talking about live work all along. At home in my studio, I record multitrack audio on my PC, then downmix to 2 channel on DAT. I could use my PC to master everything+downmix, but that would involve routing my external synths into my PC, where the audio path isn't as clean (unbalanced 1/8" stereo plug, vs. 1/4" balanced shielded through the mixer to DAT). A CD burner won't work for that either, unless I go and get an external burner with high quality I/O. That wasn't an option 2 years ago when I got my DAT. Keep in mind that redbook audio also doesn't have error correction, while DAT does. Only my mic audio goes into my PC, but since I don't have a sound-sealed recording room, it's about the best I can do anyway.
Like any tool, using computers for music takes lots of talent and knowledge to use them correctly. Or, you can be an idiot and make something that they play on the radio.
There's a whole new world of experimentation and new compositional techniques that electronic music brings. And it's constantly evolving. The manipulation of sounds, etc... A lot of NIN's new tracks and the Quake soundtrack are pretty ingenious if you analyze them, and his techniques have matured considerably over the past few years.
And "real" musicians will never go away. We're just using more toys now.
I double-majored in music if that means anything.