Primary Research
AI Music Generator
I searched up 'music AI' in App store to see how progressed it is already and the amount of apps which allow you to create music using AI is outrages.
To investigate this even further, I decided to try one of the apps. I downloaded an app called 'Soniva Music'.
I asked this AI app to come up with a song which is romantic and melodic; about sun and moon.
I thought this would be a good idea, as this will show me how easy it actually is to make music using AI just on your phone; and how AI is taking over music production as it basically made a whole song with no effort from me in it.
Lyrics which AI came up with:
I watch the shadows lengthening across the dusty floor
While you are waking up behind a distant, golden door
I am the silver silence in the cooling evening air
You are the morning fire with the sunlight in your hair
We chase each other's footsteps in a cycle never-ending
A broken line of destiny that's always slowly bending
I catch a glimpse of amber as the purple starts to fade
But I must retreat back into the quiet of the shade
Oh, the moon only glows because the sun is still alive
In this cosmic dance of ours, it’s how we both survive
You burn with all the passion that the daylight can provide
While I keep all the secrets that the midnight has to hide
We are worlds apart but tethered by a gravity so strong
Waiting for the moments where we finally belong
There are fleeting minutes in the haze of early dawn
When the veil between our kingdoms is momentarily drawn
I see your crown of crimson rising high above the sea
And for a heartbeat, darling, you are looking back at me
But the law of stars is cruel and it keeps us in our place
Two lonely travelers drifting through the emptiness of space
I paint the tides in white while you turn all the gardens green
The greatest love the universe has ever felt or seen
Oh, the moon only glows because the sun is still alive
In this cosmic dance of ours, it’s how we both survive
You burn with all the passion that the daylight can provide
While I keep all the secrets that the midnight has to hide
We are worlds apart but tethered by a gravity so strong
Waiting for the moments where we finally belong
Sometimes the sky turns dark when we meet in an eclipse
A shadow on the heart and a prayer upon the lips
The world stands still in wonder at the black and silver ring
To hear the silent melody that only we can sing
Oh, the moon only glows because the sun is still alive
In this cosmic dance of ours, it’s how we both survive
You burn with all the passion that the daylight can provide
While I keep all the secrets that the midnight has to hide
We are worlds apart but tethered by a gravity so strong
Waiting for the moments where we finally belong
First Interview
For the interview bit of my project, I decided to find people working in music studios as due to them working in music industry and especially in sound production, they might have very strong opinion on AI in sound production.
First music studio which I found is JT Soar. Before going to them I decided to do some primary research as it will help me understand their studio and people who work there better.
JT Soar music studio opened in late 2009 in Nottingham. It's main focus is being a recording studio and rehearsal space which allows new composers to come and use the studio with no problems.
One of the most important things when starting a music studio, is having a very reliable person in lead, here its Phil Booth.
In January 2024, Leftlion magazine interviewed Phil Booth about 'The importance of making space inclusive for all, how they manage to give all of the money they make from gigs straight to the bands performing, and their important place in Nottingham's DIY music scene'.
In this interview, Phil Booth says that he thinks that JT Soar studio is unique as they are one of not many studios which give money to the bands.
All the money from the gigs goes to the bands, and providing food for them. There's not many places that can do that.
He also mentions that he wants the studio to be seen as an open space for people to do what they want to do.
Through this dialogue, I could see that his views on expressing yourself is strong and he wants people to ' be a yes person'.
Considering Phil Booth's view on expressing individuality, I could take a guess that he might have mixed feelings about the use of AI in sound production as individuality could only be expressed with no use of AI-powered features.
Second Interview
For my second interview, I wanted to contact someone who just produce music, melodies or beats in their free time for fun, to get their point of view on AI. So, I decided to contact my friend who does instrumental bit of sound production.
His username on SoundCloud where he posts his music is 'smm'.
My friend (Vladislav) is from Moldova. He is passionate about creating instrumentals, beats and songs. On his SoundCloud you wont find any of his work as he is still unsure of posting anything but he sent me some bits of his work (they are gonna be shown below).
Vladislav is in the sound production since 2021, he started his "carrier" with making beats.
Even though he doesn't want to have music carrier and just wants to keep it as his hobby, each year he improves and crates even better instrumentals, melodies and beats with no use of AI. His talent really shows in his work as he loves to use his favourite producer's melodies and adding beats or even more instrumental tool to them.
He also likes to not only produce some beats, melodies etc. but also like to make freestyle tracks. Vladislav shared with me, that he is very passionate in working on his tracks, especially in ambient style.
Vladislav's Work:
Vladislav shared with me how he produced these 2 beats. Here are some detail in his own words:0108
For the first beat, I've used melody from other producers and has pitched by +300 cents
Mastering, drums made by me
On my master channel I've got:
1. Fruity Multiband Compressor, to do mix much more louder
2. Two Fruity Soft Clippers
And here is a very good trick I recommend to use when mastering your instrumentals, especially for beats that include synth, and such as electronic vibe
So for both Clippers I turn Threshold on maximum (0.0 db)
1st Clipper Post is set to 86%
2nd Clipper Post is set to 80%
Last clipper prevent over distortion, but make 808 and kick to punch really hard and this sound really fire and catchy.
3. EQ band 2 peak at level 2.3 db
EQ band 3 peak at level 1.5 db
There are no plugins on my drums, just made the volume balance
On my melody channel I put ShaperBox 3 to flip the loop to make arrangement more interesting.
For the second beat, I used my own melody, own drums and mastering. Melody and beat I made in separate projects, each mastered and balanced by volume.
Melody:
I've used VST3 plugins: Serum, Repro-1, Hive, Vocal Chop (which I used from another producer).
Initially, there was root key D Major, but I really like to pitch sounds and has pitched by +200 cents.
Master channel include:
1. Parametric EQ 2 (some high frequencies for overall mix)
2. Soft Clipper (Threshold MAX, Post 80%)
3. Limiter, to remove over boost
When I was mixing my melody, I've used plugins Gross Beat, ShaperBox 3, Parametic EQ 2
Beat:
When I started to do this beat, I've decided to pitch it even more, cuz this in my opinion sounds better. I pitched by +200 cents.
Here is another master compared to beat 0108, which also made by me.
Master channel include:
1. Limiter, set a bit more gain, and overall mix level is 10%
2. Soft Clipper (Threshold MAX, Post 80%)
3. Fruity Blood Overdrive, post gain ix MAX, but overall mix level is 64%
4. EQ band 1.5 db
There is no plugins on my drums, just balanced the volume
Arrangement made by me, using FX'and my own creativity thinking!
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