Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Artistic Validity of Random Happenstance
When I make photographic images in situations where I'm in completely control and could recreate the situation and final result again at will, it doesn't have the same artistic value for me for some reason. If I can instruct someone else how they can yield the exact same results given the same parameters, it seems more like I'm merely following a trained/learned instructional map of sorts.
When I happen to make an image in situations where I have little control and the result was more a result of lucky happenstance, I tend to give those results a higher level of artistic merit. As if when the final result was more a result of random opportunity, with as little interference from me as possible... those results are somehow more highly regarded artistically to me personally.
And yet, with sound compositions it's exactly the opposite. When I'm trying to learn a new sound app, mixing in my own field recordings, plunking around with non-composed arrangements of notes, applying FX filters, etc. and by chaotic chance end up with something good, it's somehow feels less valid.
The fact that I don't fully understand what I'm doing, any theory behind the intent, nor able to reproduce the same acceptable result again at will, or tell someone else exactly how I created it... those results feel like they have less artistic merit, are less valid, and not worth keeping.
Strange isn't it?
Comments
Yes
Maybe the key to "artistic validity" in the context of musical creation is having the ability to recognise when you've ended up with something good, whether by chaotic chance or otherwise.
And yet, you created those sounds and conjunctions of sound. A mixture of design intent, random fortune and serendipity. This is art, not science.
For about 10 years I was a hard core street photographer (although I hated that term and called my self a 'candid snapshooter' to down play it). All of a sudden in 2013 I underwent a fundamental change of how I perceive street photog and I deleted all of the street photography I had on Flickr. Several thousand went. The change of perception was to do with control and consent, but anyway. It once occurred to me that, you know how tourists hand people a camera and ask them to take their picture, well, what if I did the same with my rangefinder, except I told the person to point it over there and take that scene there. Who is the photographer?
Sounds like the debate about the monkey a while back.
you might be mislead by experience - you seen to have a lot of as a photographer, but few with audio yet...
Those 'just the right' moments exist in recording as well, you may capture some by chance, but there will be a growing number based on intuition... which is experience after all.
Even in the pure digital/app/plugin domain differences can be subtle, but crucial, let alone as soon as you start using a microphone.
As an example for case 1: reverb... many folks just use it without consider for one single moment. Reverb is an acoustic universe in it's own - it can spoil a track as easy as it can lift it up to another level.
A microphone operates based on it's position in space an will deliver a different signal if adressed under just a tiny variation of angle or distance or airflow... every mic mirrors the acoustic environment of the location through it's specific kind of 'filter'
You will learn how many variables there are and that it's impossible to control them all, which may bring you closer to the way you regard your photographs... it's not that different.
I once did some large canvas paintings to cover blank walls at our house ready for a party. They were done quickly to serve one purpose, yet one guy mentioned I should sell some in London as in his words 'you can sell stuff like that down there!'. Later I actually did sell a few paintings for around £100 a piece. I don't consider myself an artist and thought, well there's no accounting for taste
So what makes something you do artistically valid? Is it if someone else perceives it so? Is it if you perceive it so? Does it need commercial recognition? Does it correspond in any way to the amount of effort used to learn skills? Does it correspond to how it can emotional move someone? Is it how we get the thoughts from our head onto canvas or into sound? Is it when it serves a purpose?
To be perfectly honest I've stopped caring. Maybe it's as I get older, I've stopped searching as much for validation in what I do. Maybe I realised by some I will be remembered more for my mistakes in life than that which seemingly went right. Maybe those mistakes which were quite central to the person I have become are important. So just maybe those moments of music I make that shine, are only able to shine due to that backdrop of shit I paint them to? Maybe I'm just missing alcohol?
Just thinking out loud.
Was playing with a Lemur project, controlling Mitosynth running into Moebius Lab, etc. Twiddling all the various parameters for each, and then starting to get something that was sounding very cool.
Thought maybe I should record it.
Then, I said to myself... "That's not you. You didn't do that. It's just a lucky combination of settings you happened upon by chance. It's just the art of the developer/programmer/designer that did that. The only purpose you served in this creative process was that of a monkey twisting knobs at random until it tickled your primal aural fancy. Nothing more."
Yet, when that kind of happy accident happens with my visual stuff, I laud it as accomplishment.
Sometimes I get lucky combinations of notes, chords, expressions on a guitar. So what if the sound source is an app? Give yourself some credit.
Modern criticism (art, lit, film) may be of some help here, as it ruled out artists intention a while ago. This makes sense from the makers perspective because it relieves the artist of having to know why. If you're talking about owning the how, it's a nonstarter - the idea that there's an "I" that's making something, that's knowing and controlling the how, and is the same "I" that's gassing here about art and all that, is a bankrupt notion from the 18th century. In other words: why worry about the "I" the how and the why, have fun.
That's my whole thing, there.
Depends on the aim of the art/music/whatever project you're embarked on. I have a range of musical 'heads': they go from my 'silly, mucking about, switch everything on, record the resulting noise and shove it on Soundcloud' iOS head' right up to my 'serious playing bass, guitar and synth in a band/better not muck it up as people are watching look' one. Sometimes my mucking about will sound better than expected, and the band will go 'we'll have some of that', and it ends up as a more polished thing.
For me (and without sounding pretentious), the noises I make on the iPad I consider as art projects, rather than music. Experimental, no boundaries, usually recorded live as a pure expressive thing. And jolly fun they are too. They're no more, or less valid than what I do in the band - which draws heavily on 40 years of playing experience.
As a painter (oh god, he does that as well does he), I studied illustration and design so a lot of what I do is for money, so it has to fit the brief/target market and therefore 'looks like a proper thing'.
Again though, I have an arty iOS head, and again it's more immediate and experimental. Not going to sell, but like the iOS music I do it is MASSIVE FUN. And usually looks like a scary thing.
I don't think you can separate fun projects from commercial ones, they have different aims - one tickles the gills and the other pays the bills.
And I think you can over-analyse this stuff so I'm going to stop right n
yes, this
@Littlewoodg not "worried" and not "gassing". Just noticed that I was assigning validity or value to my audio stuff in a different way than my visual stuff. And, wondering why. Didn't mean to "gas" about nonsense or rubbish as you're implying. Just thinking out loud and sharing. Nothing more. Thought others might feel the same.
Guessing that it has more to do with the level of confidence and experience I have in one medium vs the other.
@skiphunt you nailed it in your last statement. But not only are you probably closer than you think you are to being a confident musician, your experience as an artist generally gets you closer by default.
doesn't the subjectivity of what is art cancel out it's very existence?
From this last statement it seems as though you figured it out. That was great that you expressed your feelings about your creations and the different experiences. I've done photography since I was a kid and before iOS music took over my life I considered myself better at making images than making music; but that's no longer how I feel (music is way out in front). And although they are vastly different experiences, I do get a similar satisfaction when I've created something that I like, be it visual or audio. Perhaps that's because I've had some formal trading in in both arts and have been at them (off and on) for a long time?
As to the validity question: if you made something original then, to me, it's valid.
@lukesleepwalker I hope you're right, ie. that the previous experience gets me closer. Somehow, I'm thinking the wiring of a musician and a visual artist... is completely different. Hopefully I can find my way and connect up the proper neuron paths to get to the aural juice.
@kobamoto likely, but I'm using the term "art" loosely. I'm just calling audio that's acceptable, anything that sounds ok and doesn't make me want to make it immediately stop.
@TozBourne you're into shooting too?! cool. More to chat about when we finally get that coffee!
Nothing personal mate, wasn't addressing you directly, no @skiphunt in my post, no implication made about nonsense or rubbish.
Gassing for me is just another way to say talking, (the impact I have on the world when I talk is ultimately the emission of carbon dioxide gas, and some sound vibrations. And apparently insulting you inadvertently: my apologies brother)
I think it is a question of confidence as you say, and that probably ='s hours on task...as they say genius = 10000 of deliberate practice.
Sometime along the way the ideas and words fall away I'm told.
I've been on a similar journey as you and many in the thread, lots of photography (street photographhy!) cinematography etc. and now music. Your photos are stunning by the way. The foto work for me started way before music so I probably stopped talking about the whys and how's awhile ago, and I'm still talking about music...eventually that'll wear out too.
hey skip, I just meant that since arts own definition probably means that it doesn't exist anyway that the important thing is whether you like what you're doing or not... customs on the other hand and art forms do exist and if you happen to follow any in particular and are well versed in the rules that might exist in whatever they might be... then you/me/anybody should definitely strive to satisfy those customs that we adhere to because they were important enough for us to adhere to them in the first place.
@Littlewoodg Heh! You're right, I did take it wrong. Wasn't sure what you meant by "gassing" so I looked it up via Urban Dictionary. Must've zeroed in on a meaning that was more in line with puffed up, pretentious talk. No worries, I have a habit of taking things the wrong way from Europeans in forums... English "blokes" in particular.
@kobamoto yeah, defining this stuff opens up a huge can of worms for sure. I know from my experience with images, if I'm purely trying to satisfy myself... those images that achieve that satisfaction are not typically what anyone else seems to dig. And the stuff people seem to like, looks cliche to me... usually. I end up making both kinds of images, those that just satisfy me and I don't care if anyone else responds to them. And, other images that I know meet a certain, expected criteria from a general audience.
With sound, I can make stuff that I find personally satisfying. But, I simply don't have the "chops" to make stuff at will that I know fit the accepted general audience criteria. That gets back to the fact I haven't put in enough time yet.
It's funny that you spend so much time learning how you're expected to do something in order to be accepted by a general audience... only to gain enough experience and confidence to no longer care and make stuff purely to satisfy yourself only.
"It's funny that you spend so much time learning how you're expected to do something in order to be accepted by a general audience... only to gain enough experience and confidence to no longer care and make stuff purely to satisfy yourself only"
you are wise my friend
This is exactly what happened when I was shooting movies, the producers weren't too cool with it, they called me arrogant, they were right I suppose, but coming from them I considered it a compliment.
....(snip)
This resonates with me somewhat... As a visual artist with a degree in printmaking I have come to see my musical(?) experiments as an extension of the tools that I use to express myself...
So I too am no longer restricted by the fear of my peers rejection, but am merely saying it like it is, with any of the tools I choose to say it...
I often view/perceive my sound experiments as multilayered paintings or prints even; stacked, translucent, scrubbed out, bleeding into each other or chopped into tiny pieces and reassembled... If it looks/sounds good in that serendipitous iteration, can we exploit or enhance that by exaggerating the process perhaps...
The most important part for me is this freedom of process... Which with many experiments, some chance discoveries have been revealed to me, and I have manipulated and exploited those specific occurrences!
Great discussion thread btw!
Cheers
J
I like your comparative description between your sound experiments and your paintings and prints.
Recently, I was backpack traveling in Mexico for a couple months. I'd spent almost 2 weeks toward the tail-end of the trip in the desert, communing with Mescalito, hanging with other vagabonds, and spending time in a small adobe room alone with my thoughts.
I wanted to sort of express (for myself mostly) the color and texture of my general mindset at that particular time. I wanted to make an abstract note-to-self that was somehow influenced by the senses of how I felt and not a precise document.
When I'm there, in that place and particular experience, I reflect more about my life, relationships, meaning, purpose and potential destiny. When I return to American culture, that all dissolves away. What takes over is obsession with material things, when is some app's next update, when can I get a new electronic toy, how to get more money, the bizarre and often nightmarish devolution of popular culture, etc.
I wanted to record to remember how the former mindset feels, which is hard to do. I wrote down my thoughts, shot a few images, and scrawled out sort of a doodle in digital paint. That's more or less what I've Been trying to do with sound.
Oh god, this is sounding like "gassing" again isn't it?
Anyway, here's that digital doodle influence from and within that place in time. It's intent was not decorative composition, but more abstract mental note.
@skiphunt I get where you are coming from... Love the digital doodle too... Glitched out transitional smears... Like a kind of notation.
Curating is creative