collaborating online?

B

bpmufx

New member
So heres the situation: I work my butt off, don't get to jam with guys I'd like to, Writing with these people is equally difficult at best. I get set up thinking I can just send my files like other "work" files I share online.
This is clearly not thought out well by me.
My cowriter and I both have Motu D.performer for MACs, but thats where the similarities end.
Q: how can we share performer files (either midi or audio) they have different problems ie: midi files dictate that we each have same
voice patches and channels set up the same.
Audio files are just too damn big to send.
I can't be the only one who wants to do this so what are you all doing to make it work?
 
Cable or DSL Internet access. Or a lot of patience.
And the MIDI problem is worse than you describe- you also need the same synthesizer.
Get a FreeDrive and just give it a try.
Pretend you're playing a game of postal chess with yourself as white and black. When you get the mechanics together, try it with your co-writer instead of yourself.
 
A while back, the Dragon, bless his scaly socks, proposed a forum/deal whereby we'd submit our tracks via the web, and everybody could have a go at adding bits and mixing them down, and then comparing results. I got excited and jumped and down, and bought a sound card so I could join in the fun. Near as I can tell, the reason it hasn't come off (yet) is purely and simply technological obstacles - the technology hasn't caught up to HR desire and imagination. Both you and me and loads of others want to do this - give it 15 months, and there'll be a direct-x plug-in - let's call it "WebWeaver" - which deals in and converts the digital recording equivalent of ascii text, and which costs $149 and enables you and anybody else who's bought the same software to do exactly what you're talking about. Which reminds me - you don't play vibes or xylophone, do you?
 
I understand that the solution is right around the corner. There's an article on Harmony Central dealing with just that. You can log on in chat room/virtual studios and work on projects with other musicians. If you wanted a private "studio" for you and your globe hopping bass player, you each enter your password and meet online. I don't know much about the specifics, but it sounds like a really cool thing!

Check it out... http://www.harmony-central.com/News/1999/Rocket-Network.html
 
Hey, sooner than I thought! Still, I'd prefer software that enables me to communicate digital data directly to and from other musicians, rather than renting space from a middleman.
 
The rent is really, really low. Like zero.
The best first step toward what you want to do is to get a freedrive account and hand out the drivename and keycode. Then you post some idea tracks in your space and anyone interested can use it to create some more tracks and post them in their space. Since the drive is read-only, you get to be the final arbiter of what the mix sounds like.
As to the live connect you postulated- I don't think the net as a whole is smooth enough to pull that off (yet), even though sections of it might be.

[This message has been edited by drstawl (edited 11-06-1999).]
 
Oh well, sometimes bad news is good news. In this case your responses at least assure me I'm not the only one without that special wiget to make magic. I'm skeptical about the website sugestion- sounds like a way to shovel out more cash. I have'nt given it a look yet though.
 
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