I didn't realize he ripped off Lou Reed.

Wow. That Felt like... wow. Now do a good song.

I managed to get as far as 1:25. Dear gawd.
Songsmith's output can certainly be described as music, and I wouldn't expect it to make stylistic choices consistent with the meaning of the singer's words, but...holy crap...does it have to make every singer sound off-key?

Procedural Texture: I managed to get as far as 1:25. Dear gawd.
Songsmith's output can certainly be described as music, and I wouldn't expect it to make stylistic choices consistent with the meaning of the singer's words, but...holy crap...does it have to make every singer sound off-key?

No it doesn't. All that depends on the person putting it together - if they choose the wrong style, or the recording isn't in concert pitch, or they can't edit the tempo, then no, it isn't going to work.

Songsmith, contrary to popular belief, isn't some magic tool that just works by pressing a button. You have to kind of know what you're doing to get music out of it.

/25,000 views for We Will Rock You
//nowhere near as many as that other guy though

I actually liked about the first minute, but if it were a real song, they would've had another layer kick in at the second stanza. Some background strings and an ostinato pulse to raise the intensity, and an actual melody during the non-vocal bridges instead of the same bland arpeggiation used during the rest of the song.

It turned "Shock The Monkey" into "Here Comes The Flood". Not bad.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Songsmith isn't a tie in to the new Terminator:Salvation film.
Why? Put your favourite song through Songsmith. Fearing for the future yet? Want to destroy computers yet?

Good.

Listen, and understand. Songsmith is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel rythm, or swing, or soul. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.... inside.

danduran: Procedural Texture: I managed to get as far as 1:25. Dear gawd.
Songsmith's output can certainly be described as music, and I wouldn't expect it to make stylistic choices consistent with the meaning of the singer's words, but...holy crap...does it have to make every singer sound off-key?

No it doesn't. All that depends on the person putting it together - if they choose the wrong style, or the recording isn't in concert pitch, or they can't edit the tempo, then no, it isn't going to work.

Songsmith, contrary to popular belief, isn't some magic tool that just works by pressing a button. You have to kind of know what you're doing to get music out of it.

/25,000 views for We Will Rock You
//nowhere near as many as that other guy though

"That other guy" is me. I'm azz100c on YouTube, I made this video (and 19 others in the Classic Hits by Microsoft Songsmith series).

And yes, you do have to know what you're doing. Though my rule is that whatever the random song style that pops up when I start Songsmith, that's what I use to make the song (unless it's Hip Hop 1 or Hip Hop 2 because those are useless).

I just made the Shock The Monkey one yesterday. I have a new one going up in an hour or so. Roxanne is still my favorite.

For those of you who can't make it through a song even once, consider how many times I have to listen to it in postprocessing and matching it u with the video.

Also, if anyone is curious why the video is mirrored, think about it for a few minutes, and you'll probably figure it out.

syrynxx: I actually liked about the first minute, but if it were a real song, they would've had another layer kick in at the second stanza. Some background strings and an ostinato pulse to raise the intensity, and an actual melody during the non-vocal bridges instead of the same bland arpeggiation used during the rest of the song.

Translation = Hi, I'm a music major.

Oh, one more thing:

I strongly urge you to watch the videos on the "high quality" setting. The video quality won't improve much, but the audio quality improves greatly and in some cases YouTube completely mangles the audio on the "normal quality" setting (by mixing to mono it causes all kinds of problems).

syrynxx: but if it were a real song, they would've had another layer kick in at the second stanza

I know. Having some drums kick in right there would have been badass. I thought that the first time I heard it. "Fox to fox" with a huge drum strike and all that. But that's far beyond Microsoft Songsmith's capabilities. And my rule is to not modify the MIDI that comes out... I do use Logic to match tempo and use software instruments, though.

sullyman: syrynxx: I actually liked about the first minute, but if it were a real song, they would've had another layer kick in at the second stanza. Some background strings and an ostinato pulse to raise the intensity, and an actual melody during the non-vocal bridges instead of the same bland arpeggiation used during the rest of the song.

Translation = Hi, I'm a music major want fries with that?

All I could hear was "she's choppin' broccoli", "she's choppin' brocoliiiii..."

A-Hauggggh (new window)

I have yet to hear one of these Songsmith mashups where the music's melody actually sounds like it belongs with the melody or cadence of whatever the singer is singing.

I've never heard of this program. What does it do?

Besides turn a good song into a pile of steaming garbage?

Songsmith Video (new window)

/with annoying singing teenage girl
//possibly pedo-bear approved
///???

Van Halen - The Microsoft Songsmith Sessions vol. 1 (new window)

I dare you to watch this with a straight face.

The scary part (for me) is how similar it sounds to some Michael Nyman stuff I do like.

PumpUpDaFark: Songsmith Video (new window)

/with annoying singing teenage girl
//possibly pedo-bear approved
///???

That was completely awful, but I couldn't look away... I've never really felt depressed and angry at the same time, but that video did the trick. Watching that is like putting your hands on a hot stove and burning them, but keeping them there only to burn even longer because that's all you can bring youself to want at that moment.

Thanks.

This one made me laugh: Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash vs Songsmith

Linus Torvalds prefers my version of White Wedding.

Dear God....this one actually kinda works (pops).

I can't believe this obligatory link (new window) was not posted yet.

ArcLight: Dear God....this one actually kinda works (pops).

Yeah, that's one I'm pretty proud of.

PowerSlacker: I can't believe this obligatory link (new window) was not posted yet.

It's okay. I did two different takes on Rick Astley, a metal version and a europop one. I think the europop works better. Links in the above link to my Classic Hits by Microsoft Songsmith playlist.

Also, submitter should out themselves, I'm curious to know how people are coming across my work.

bubbaprog:
Also, submitter should out themselves, I'm curious to know how people are coming across my work.


Perhaps they searched for "Songsmith" on teh Youtubes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd2oDClUw20

Nice. This one kinda works.

ekdikeo4: Besides turn a good song into a pile of steaming garbage?

It's by microsoft, so it's easy to use?

1:18 - 1:50 was actually pretty damn cool and a good matchup.
1:51 - 2:16 was hilarious!!

the orig. video shown, with the added mirror effect was pretty damn cool too

oh, sure, NOW the drums come in, in the last few seconds of the song.
lmao.
oh dear.

bubbaprog: Linus Torvalds prefers my version of White Wedding.

That's fantastic. Linus never praised one of my photoshop creations (that I know of). Congrats on that, seriously.

_{/I thought it was better, too}

this one is weird and wacky and camp and funny:
Muse "Super Massive Blackhole" Microsoft Songsmith version:
Link (new window)

Third_Uncle_Eno: this one is weird and wacky and camp and funny:
Muse "Super Massive Blackhole" Microsoft Songsmith version:
Link (new window)

Cheers. There's a Starlight one I did too - the no video version is on Youtube, but there's one with the video on Dailymotion.

social phobic: This one made me laugh: Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash vs Songsmith

I think what made that one work was when I took out the original bass and stuck in a synth bass. It made it some kind of bizarre boogie-woogie synthpop.

I'm annoyed my 'And Justice For All' is getting fark-all hits. I spent ages on that one.

OT, but Don Ho actually did a version of Shock the Monkey. It can be found on YouTube. Listen to it - I dare you.

NerdHerder: OT, but Don Ho actually did a version of Shock the Monkey. It can be found on YouTube. Listen to it - I dare you.

Oh my god. That is amazing and awesome.

syrynxx: I actually liked about the first minute, but if it were a real song, they would've had another layer kick in at the second stanza. Some background strings and an ostinato pulse to raise the intensity, and an actual melody during the non-vocal bridges instead of the same bland arpeggiation used during the rest of the song.

Go masturbate somewhere else.

Maybe I'm overlooking something really obvious here but:

Where are people getting all of these original vocal tracks to run through Songsmith? It's not like you can go to the music department at Wal-Mart and find a "vocals only" section. Is there some way of separating the vocal track from the instrumentation?

WNYC in New York did a full show today about my (and other people's) Songsmith mixes, included a decent discussion about TFA. You can listen to it, download the mp3, etc of the episode there.

Cybernetic: here are people getting all of these original vocal tracks to run through Songsmith?

I work with the original studio multitracks. You can find them if you look hard enough.

danduran
Cheers. There's a Starlight one I did too - the no video version is on Youtube, but there's one with the video on Dailymotion.


wait what?
you MADE that one?

cool.

"Shock the Monkey" by Phil Collins.

swahnhennessy: "Shock the Monkey" by Phil Collins Tony Banks.

FTFY. There's too much WTF in some of those chords for it to have been Phil's work.

Third_Uncle_Eno: danduran
Cheers. There's a Starlight one I did too - the no video version is on Youtube, but there's one with the video on Dailymotion.


wait what?
you MADE that one?

cool.

I've done a few - El Scorcho, Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight, And Justice For All, Take On Me, Should I Stay or Should I Go, We Will Rock You, a few others. I'm not as prolific and clever as bubbaprog, and my mixes tend to end up closer to actual music than outright hilarity, damnit :p