by George Ziemann

If the story about Algorhythm wasn't enough to annoy the artists in the audience, this one will do it -- synthesized singers.

The story is at the New York Times, but I can only bear to share one paragraph.

"Developed at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain and financed by the Yamaha Corporation, the software, which is due to be released to consumers in January, allows users to cast their own (or anyone else's) songs in a disembodied but exceedingly life-like concert-quality voice. Just as a synthesizer might be programmed to play a series of notes like a violin one time and then like a tuba the next, a computer equipped with Vocaloid will be able to "sing" whatever combination of notes and words a user feeds it. The first generation of the software will be available for $200. But its arrival raises the prospect of a time when anyone with a laptop will be able to repurpose any singer's voice or even bring long-gone virtuosos back to life. In an era when our most popular singers are marketed in every conceivable way — dolls, T-shirts, notebooks, make-up lines — the voice may become one more extension of a pop-star brand."

Yet another story gives us instant poetry, from a name known in the music biz.

INVENTING is about catching the wave," said Ray Kurzweil, who addressed a national convention of inventors in Philadelphia last Monday. "Most inventions fail not because the inventor can't get them to work but because the invention comes at the wrong time."

Mr. Kurzweil should know. An inventor in the field of artificial intelligence, he has started and sold several companies for millions of dollars.

On Nov. 11, Mr. Kurzweil and John Keklak, an engineer, received patent No. 6,647,395, covering what Mr. Kurzweil calls a cybernetic poet. Essentially, it is software that allows a computer to create poetry by imitating but not plagiarizing the styles and vocabularies of human poets.

And Kurzweil is actually something of a pioneer in the "make a computer do something apparently creative" invention genre. By the time he was 16, he had invented a computer that composed melodies based on pattern recognition. He and his melody-generating machine appeared on the television show "I've Got a Secret."

He also think robots will be having sex soon...

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a keyboard player and I love synthesizers, but I think all of this computer diagnostic songwriting, poetry and vocalization is all pretty funny stuff.

I say if you want locally produced Muzak, have at it.

But there's nothing like playing a tune or writing one. It does something for the soul a computer will never do.

Unless Kurzweil is right about the sex part...

Least I won't need to hire people for my choruses anymore lol

I'm actually going to get this so I'm able to do the vocals on the songs I never thought I'd be able to record.

Yeah, I should probably get a copy too. Atleast this thing won't start laughing half way into recording and make us start the track all over again. Well, come to think of it... I am the vocalist so I can't make fun of myself.

Vocaloid sounds like a tumor on the vocal cords

So, the sounds you create with this, are they YOUR copyright, or is there a licensing agreement whereby Yamaha will have a part ownership....

That's very insightful Code~. I also wonder how natural this software will sound. If its good and the creations done with it are mine, then I'll buy it. If there's some licensing crap where they own any rights to my music... they can keep it.

Software for vocals, to record?? so how do these ppl plan on playing thier material live?? if you cant sing before you use the sofware, and you use the software you still cant sing after it is complete so how do you reproduce it? Just my thoughts. Well I guess you could always do the milli vanlli thing and lip sync as a lot of other so called artist do.

i think it MAY sound something like that opera singer in the movie The Fifth Element...the alien opera singer's performance in that movie, was actually done by combining a real voice, with computer generated notes during the singing ...to create a solo which would, supposedly, not be performable by a human using their vocal cords alone...
the human voice/computer voice was fairly seamless in the movie...

~Code

"At least this thing won't start laughing half way into recording and make us start the track all over again."

And it will never get too drunk.

Wasn't there an all cg pop star in japan?

it sounds like a great tool for songwriters, who will be able to listen to their song AS they write it... but also it takes a little bit away from the greatest creators, the ones who have the talent to imagine it all in their heads and put it to paper. It will make music creation easier, bring it to the masses... which is a good thing I suppose, the more that can create the more they'll realize they've been suckered all of this time.. it just seems to me like its taking something away from music, like its bastardizing quality songwriters,lyricists, and vocalists.

Cool.
Less annoying disposable pop acts since theyre machine. Cheap too since they dont need royalties, amenities like limo rides. What was that movie with Al Pacino and that AI girl?? LOL
Or hire models and do the "milli vanilli"

Oy! *shakes head*

Ok how about this. I see the benifits that some of the artists here are saying and it can be a good thing. but lets say for example, it is programed to replicate Elvis's voice. could Graceland sue Yamaha for infringment for replicating the kings voice for profit without paying a royalty fee.

Hey... I can use my "talk box" and "sing" using my guitars! Does that count? :lamo:

Besides... if you had ever heard me sing... you would think this software would be a godsend!

It reminds me of Peter Frampton talking into that clear tube on that son"Do you, feel like I do?"

WELL WHY NOT!!!!!! everything else in music has become so PLASTIC !!!! BOY did I waste my time learning to PLAY Guitar Bass and Drums Singing lead vocal and learning how to harmonize vocal in many different ranges (ie low and hi) What a FOOL I've been all I had to do was buy a machine (yippie) NOW if I could just afford those BREAST implants I could be a super star like Brittany!!!!!!!! (yahoo)