[Tom Evans]

On 2017-10-10 02:12:24 +0000, Mike Rivers said:

On 10/9/2017 9:11 PM, Tom Evans wrote:

What's the difference between 'true' and 'virtual' multi-track recording?

"True ... recording" must be a term that was invented because someone
coined the term "virtual ... recording." With virtual recording, you
record a MIDI track which is in essence a program that says what note,
when, for how long, and how loud, on what instrument gets played to the
listener, or for a multitrack production, for the person mixing the
tracks.

Conversely, a "true ... recording" is one where an instrument is played
by a real person, it makes a sound, and that sound is captured by a
microphone and recorded.

Each has its place. It's the application and the user that determines
which one is more appropriate to use.

Even though I don't know what 'true' multi-track recording is, I don't
think there's any meaningful difference, because with virtual
multi-track recording I can make songs that incorporate multiple
instruments' sounds, which is what I want to do.

The difference is in the "human element" more than the sound. When
virtual instruments first came on the scene some of the sounds were
pretty cheezy due to marginal performance of analog-to-digital and
digital-to-analog converters, and lower resolution recording due to the
high cost of memory and storage space. Today there are some pretty good
sample libraries that are only distinguishable from live instruments by
the skill of the person creating the MIDI tracks, who, more often than
not, isn't a player of the instrument that he's virtualizing.

You implied the falsehood that MIDI is the master and controller of the
musician. In truth, a good musician can be the master and controller
of MIDI.

And a good MIDI muliti-track songwriter and musician IS indirectly
playing the instruments, and can be just as creative and just as good
at his craft -- by mixing different instruments and tracks in infinite
combinations, and specifiying every nuance of his songs in a myriad of
ways -- as a musician playing physical instruments only.

And just as with digital artists compared to traditional, physical
artists, the digital, MIDI musicians have available to them MORE
creative possibilites than musicians making music who use only
traditional instruments, such as pianos, drums, guitars and wind
instruments.

You have a narrow, negative perspective on digital music. Fortunately,
I'm broadminded, and very thankful for and excited about the astounding
creative possibilites that MIDi music provides for talented, home-based
musicians like me, and at low costs.

Tom Evans