New member - New song - 16-minute Prog-rock Space Opera

[SynergyV]

Hi all. Dann Parks, new member here. For prog fans, I'd like to share a new original 16-minute Prog-rock Space Opera - in the style of 70s Yes, Genesis, and ELP. I'm an old guy and got hooked on progressive rock in the early 70s. Played in some garage bands but nothing serious. Being retired now I can spend more time on music. Since I can't sing, I have been experimenting with the latest generation of vocal instruments and have been surprised with the results. This is sung by a voice called Natalie through software called Synthesizer V. There is no AI here, all the vocal expressions and timing are programmed on a MIDI timeline, like a VST instrument. 70's era prog-rock instruments - Mini Moog, Rickenbacker Bass, Roland Jupiter synth, Shreddage3 Strat, etc. Most of it is in 7/4 Lydian mode, but some in 4/4 and 6/4 Minor keys. The video was created with the Kaiber AI tool. The video gets a bit wild at times, but that's what comes out of Kaiber and I thought it fit the song. If you're reading this far, you must be a prog-rock fan, so have a seat and come along on a journey to the stars, and a trip down musical memory lane. Thanks for taking a look. Comments/discussions on YT welcomed too.

[Top Cat]

I really enjoyed this Dann.
I can tell a lot of hard work went into creating the music and lyrics, adding the AI vocals which I wasn't sure would work when I first read the details prior to listening, but it sounds great.
And I wasn't ever distracted by it being AI as I thought I would.
Great lyrics too, very enjoyable.

Like anything, it's how the tools are used, and while AI has the potential to dilute music in general, it also has the potential to become it's own artform and genre.
I think you've proven it can be used positively and creative.

[clivey]

Hi all. Dann Parks, new member here. For prog fans, I'd like to share a new original 16-minute Prog-rock Space Opera - in the style of 70s Yes, Genesis, and ELP. I'm an old guy and got hooked on progressive rock in the early 70s. Played in some garage bands but nothing serious. Being retired now I can spend more time on music. Since I can't sing, I have been experimenting with the latest generation of vocal instruments and have been surprised with the results. This is sung by a voice called Natalie through software called Synthesizer V. There is no AI here, all the vocal expressions and timing are programmed on a MIDI timeline, like a VST instrument. Musical instruments from NI, the Shreddage3 Strat, and Addictive Drums. The video was created with the Kaiber AI tool. The video gets a bit wild at times, but that's what comes out of Kaiber and I thought it fit the song. Thanks for taking a look. Comments/discussions on YT welcomed too.

Welcome Aboard Dann.
Please tell me how long it took you to get this together.

It's a very high quality piece of production and I would have not suspected synthetic vocals if you had not been forthcoming with the details.
We are surely at the beginning of a new era. For some it's all a bit wrong, but never the less there can be very little doubt that traditional methods of making such productions would cost prohibitive amounts of time and hard cash.

Congratulations on your work And I will definitely look out for more from you on these pages

[SynergyV]

I really enjoyed this Dann.
I can tell a lot of hard work went into creating the music and lyrics, adding the AI vocals which I wasn't sure would work when I first read the details prior to listening, but it sounds great.
And I wasn't ever distracted by it being AI as I thought I would.
Great lyrics too, very enjoyable.

Like anything, it's how the tools are used, and while AI has the potential to dilute music in general, it also has the potential to become it's own artform and genre.
I think you've proven it can be used positively and creative.

Thanks for the nice comments. To some, the SynthV vocals are controversial, but to me it's just another amazing tool - no different from an orchestra VST that allows me to compose an entire symphony or play some exotic African wind instrument I would never get to play with otherwise.

[SynergyV]

Welcome Aboard Dann.
Please tell me how long it took you to get this together.

It's a very high quality piece of production and I would have not suspected synthetic vocals if you had not been forthcoming with the details.
We are surely at the beginning of a new era. For some it's all a bit wrong, but never the less there can be very little doubt that traditional methods of making such productions would cost prohibitive amounts of time and hard cash.

Congratulations on your work And I will definitely look out for more from you on these pages

Thanks, Clivey. I was actually surprised how quickly it all happened - probably 4 weeks total - music 3 - video 1. It had not started out to be such an elaborate story, but I kept adding parts, and then my brother suggested the slow part in the middle, and soon it was 16 minutes. Lyrics are actually easier for me if it is not a conventional verse/chorus structure. This is more a series of moments - which I think is easier. Fine tuning the vocals can be time consuming and you're always wanting to tweak something you hear. The video was just a matter of corralling Kaiber as it throws of all kinds of crazy imagery. A number of the clips are actually backwards so I could control how the clip ended. Check out the signature YT link for more SynthV vocals.

[Czyszy]

I would check it out but the AI thumbnail and synthetic vocals kinda scare me.

[SynergyV]

I would check it out but the AI thumbnail and synthetic vocals kinda scare me.

Not scary. Very inspiring actually - if you're into 70s space rock. Try it.

[battema]

Are you affiliated with SynthV? Just curious. (edit: nevermind...that was a dumb question sorry )

I've dabbled with similar software, like Wordbuilder from EastWest, but found it a bit too tedious to program.

Song and video are good, but I only had a few minutes to sample this AM...will find time to give the full thing my proper attention later. Thanks for sharing!

[battema]

Aaaand now it's later.

Fun tune! I personally am fascinated by that surrealistic fluid texture generated by AI videos; in time as processing power and capability increases, they can get even smoother. But I hope folks still leave in a bit of that strange morphing randomness too. Kind of like a next-century advancement of those old liquid slide projectors.

On the instrumentation itself...I have to admit I'm not 100% sure if the guitars are VST or recorded? I was leaning toward the former, but then I jumped over to Into the Night on your channel and now I'm not so sure (also a very fun tune, BTW!). Frankly, I'm as or perhaps more amazed at the evolution of guitar VSTs as I am with vocal VSTs. Used a free VST to throw some acoustic guitar on a tune some time ago and was legit stunned at how nicely it came out.

Thanks again for sharing!

[SynergyV]

Aaaand now it's later.

Fun tune! I personally am fascinated by that surrealistic fluid texture generated by AI videos; in time as processing power and capability increases, they can get even smoother. But I hope folks still leave in a bit of that strange morphing randomness too. Kind of like a next-century advancement of those old liquid slide projectors.

On the instrumentation itself...I have to admit I'm not 100% sure if the guitars are VST or recorded? I was leaning toward the former, but then I jumped over to Into the Night on your channel and now I'm not so sure (also a very fun tune, BTW!). Frankly, I'm as or perhaps more amazed at the evolution of guitar VSTs as I am with vocal VSTs. Used a free VST to throw some acoustic guitar on a tune some time ago and was legit stunned at how nicely it came out.

Thanks again for sharing!

Thanks Battema. The whole world of AI everything is moving so fast and who knows where it will lead, but I also hope AI video can maintain that "morphing" look. I purposely slow down the clips to emphasize that. On the instrument side - all of my music is VSTs. There was a time I thought I could learn to play and record instruments, but quickly realized that I could learn to program instruments better than I could ever play them. I really like to strive for realism (warts and all sometimes) and I try to imagine myself playing every instrument (and voice) and program it as I would play it - if I could. I'm flattered that there was even a moment of uncertainty there.

[Czyszy]

As an artist I hate this AI generated stuff with a passion.

[Rarebird]

Sounds great. Need to listen to the whole piece some time. No problems with the synthetic vocals. In the end it's a tool, and it's about the creativity of the user. It's what you do with it. Just like photography v/s painting, or even silent movies v/s movies with sound. Technology changes, but it is what one does with it. It's no replacement for creativity. I work with a lot of VSTs myself. Looking forward to the VST orchestra included in Cubase 13. The full version of that orchestra-program is a bit out of my price-range, so I have to do with whatever comes with Cubase 13 Pro.

[Czyszy]

it's about the creativity of the user [...] Technology changes, but it is [...] no replacement for creativity.

this

[SynergyV]

As an artist I hate this AI generated stuff with a passion.

I understand where you're coming from. My entire 50+year career was in graphic design, animation, and music and video production. If I was a working artist now, I would be concerned. But I remember when Desktop Publishing was going to destroy graphic artists, then the internet was going to destroy print, and then MIDI was going to eliminate all music studios, and VSTs would put all musicians out of work. Those technologies certainly caused some disruption, but you can now create in your phone what required our entire TV station 30 years ago - including broadcast to the world. As I see it these tools moved creativity forward. No one knows where Generative AI is going, but lots of artists are now using it as a creative tool. This is certainly an important conversation to be having as AI evolves.

[battema]

Thanks Battema. The whole world of AI everything is moving so fast and who knows where it will lead, but I also hope AI video can maintain that "morphing" look. I purposely slow down the clips to emphasize that. On the instrument side - all of my music is VSTs. There was a time I thought I could learn to play and record instruments, but quickly realized that I could learn to program instruments better than I could ever play them. I really like to strive for realism (warts and all sometimes) and I try to imagine myself playing every instrument (and voice) and program it as I would play it - if I could. I'm flattered that there was even a moment of uncertainty there.

Yeah, really well done! I am often impressed with what is possible with these newer VST apps in terms of non-keyboard-based performance (i.e. strumming a guitar, striking a drum, singing a vocal line). For myself I find I am most in my comfort zone when simply playing (although I am a big fan of newer MPE devices that add considerably more expression to a "mere" keyboard), although I've spent a bit of time doing some of that programming.

[Top Cat]

I think if someone is creative, it doesn't matter what tools you use to express yourself.

What I don't want to see, but know is going to happen with AI is it will be used by Corporate Record Labels to produce garbage with no soul, but shiny graphics that pop, and mind numbing beats, which the general populace will eat up like sugar saturated pastries from the local Starbucks. Music with no soul.

But for people who want to create music/video, but don't know how to play instruments, or can't sing, have disabilities, etc, I think it can be a positive thing.
I think music is part of our human DNA, it's part of the great Universe we live in, and allowing everyone who wants to share their inner music through using these tools, I'm all for it.

[Czyszy]

What you guys are saying is ok but that won't change my mind. I'll always proudly be 100% against AI generated art/visuals. What I hate the most is the recent spill of utter shit album covers that "artists" AI-generate for their music, which look like crap and they all contain the obvious creepy AI mistakes (weird hands, jumbled pictograms, messy backgrounds et al.) no one cares to fix or something. I soooo FUCKING hate this recent AI art pollution!

[Czyszy]

BTW I'm listening to your song, Synergy. It's fine. The synth vocals are passable but some of those lead guitars I wish had been recorded using a real guitar. Sometimes the plugin guitar sounds great but other times not.

. There was a time I thought I could learn to play and record instruments

It's never too late. I highly enocourage you to learn the lead guitar. It's super fun and rewarding!!! Even basic stuff. You can always record as many takes as you like, and comp/glue the good takes together in the mix. IMO that's how technology should be used! To improve and refine the human element and not to replace it with an artifical one. B) I personally use a mixture of live instruments and programmed plugins, when the music calls for it. And in the end, your way of doing vibrato and bending notes will always be your own way!

[BobM]

This is great. I downloaded Synthesizer V and will give the demo a try. I also cannot sing at a level that I would be willing to record and publish on, but these vocals are pretty damn good for a synth. Thanks for putting this up. Keep up the good work (and you should share this on the "Soundcloud" thread. A few of us share our releases there as well.)

[battema]

Czyszy: we get it. Stop turning this thread into your personal podium for your distaste of AI. Move on.

[Czyszy]

we get it.

I hope so

Stop turning this thread into your personal podium for your distaste of AI.

why not tho?

Move on.

sure. i guess i'm gonna visit this forum less frequently from now on

[Rarebird]

Listened to the whole piece. Love it. Great. The video leaves a lot to be desired. To many planets at points and it would be nice if the astronaut would appear to be singing in the close-ups with vocals. But well, that's details. In the end it is probably going with some AI generated clip, or just some stock picture.

As with everything, AI is a tool, which can be used in a good, creative way, or in a bad way.
Synthesizers and sequencers were also frowned upon, as replacing musicianship. I use computers for my music. If AI could play what I would compose it would save me time. I don't have the money to hire musicians, so I have to work on my music to make it sound more human.

[Top Cat]

Listened to the whole piece. Love it. Great. The video leaves a lot to be desired. To many planets at points and it would be nice if the astronaut would appear to be singing in the close-ups with vocals. But well, that's details. In the end it is probably going with some AI generated clip, or just some stock picture.

As with everything, AI is a tool, which can be used in a good, creative way, or in a bad way.
Synthesizers and sequencers were also frowned upon, as replacing musicianship. I use computers for my music. If AI could play what I would compose it would save me time. I don't have the money to hire musicians, so I have to work on my music to make it sound more human.

I love your workflow and the resulting music that is achieved in the end Renate.
Please don't change a thing.

[Rarebird]

I love your workflow and the resulting music that is achieved in the end Renate.
Please don't change a thing.

But it slows things down.

[battema]

Dann knows this no doubt, but the only AI with his video is the video itself. Using programming to build the music isn't really AI. It's just a natural progression from things like step sequencers. But the capabilities now are substantially greater.

But really, the music and production are all Dann, and that's where I'm most interested and impressed :-)