Difference between revisions of "Virtual pipe organ"
Boxofstops (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "So what is a virtual pipe organ? It turns out this is a good question. There seems to be no official definition as yet, not even a Wikipedia page at the time of writing. Pe...") |
Boxofstops (Talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
So what is a virtual pipe organ? | So what is a virtual pipe organ? | ||
| − | It turns out this is a good question. There seems to be no official definition | + | It turns out this is a good question. There seems to be no official definition, not even a Wikipedia page at the time of writing. |
Perhaps it is any organ that wants to sound like it has pipes? For example electronic organs, since the 1930s or so, have been getting progressively better at this. Though to be fair others have been taking the sound in other wonderful directions too. Clearly there is much fun to be had here. | Perhaps it is any organ that wants to sound like it has pipes? For example electronic organs, since the 1930s or so, have been getting progressively better at this. Though to be fair others have been taking the sound in other wonderful directions too. Clearly there is much fun to be had here. | ||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
In the computing world, virtual tends to mean an emulation of some kind. Maybe of reality, or even another computer. But something that has been simulated, as opposed to being built from moving parts. Bits, bytes and pixels, rather than wood, metal and string. | In the computing world, virtual tends to mean an emulation of some kind. Maybe of reality, or even another computer. But something that has been simulated, as opposed to being built from moving parts. Bits, bytes and pixels, rather than wood, metal and string. | ||
| − | But does everything that is virtual have to be created by a computer? Soon after electronics got good enough to build an organ, they got good enough to | + | But does everything that is virtual have to be created by a computer? Soon after electronics got good enough to build an organ, they got good enough to build the universal machine. This truly is a versatile invention, and still showing us its abilities. Perhaps though this leads to an expectation, because the computer can do so many things, it is always the best tool for the job. |
There could be a case for some division of labour here. Especially in the musical world, simpler is often better, and more playable too. If you have a keyboard or synth that can create a refined sound, and a computer that's good at crunching numbers, why not take advantage of both of these strengths? | There could be a case for some division of labour here. Especially in the musical world, simpler is often better, and more playable too. If you have a keyboard or synth that can create a refined sound, and a computer that's good at crunching numbers, why not take advantage of both of these strengths? | ||
Revision as of 21:33, 15 November 2016
So what is a virtual pipe organ?
It turns out this is a good question. There seems to be no official definition, not even a Wikipedia page at the time of writing.
Perhaps it is any organ that wants to sound like it has pipes? For example electronic organs, since the 1930s or so, have been getting progressively better at this. Though to be fair others have been taking the sound in other wonderful directions too. Clearly there is much fun to be had here.
In the computing world, virtual tends to mean an emulation of some kind. Maybe of reality, or even another computer. But something that has been simulated, as opposed to being built from moving parts. Bits, bytes and pixels, rather than wood, metal and string.
But does everything that is virtual have to be created by a computer? Soon after electronics got good enough to build an organ, they got good enough to build the universal machine. This truly is a versatile invention, and still showing us its abilities. Perhaps though this leads to an expectation, because the computer can do so many things, it is always the best tool for the job.
There could be a case for some division of labour here. Especially in the musical world, simpler is often better, and more playable too. If you have a keyboard or synth that can create a refined sound, and a computer that's good at crunching numbers, why not take advantage of both of these strengths?
