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From: sandell@ils.nwu.edu (Greg Sandell)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: reality and computer sound [was WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS NEWSGROUP?]
Keywords: question for discussion
Message-ID: <2121@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu>
Date: 15 Jun 91 19:24:05 GMT
References: <9106120249.AA20142@lilac.berkeley.edu> <1871@culhua.prg.ox.ac.uk> <2100@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> <1991Jun14.164758.23557@agate.berkeley.edu> <152033.16945@timbuk.cray.com>
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In article <152033.16945@timbuk.cray.com>, dpm@hickory07.cray.com (Donald P. Maghrak) writes:
> In article <1991Jun14.164758.23557@agate.berkeley.edu> maverick@mahogany.Berkeley.EDU (Vance Maverick) writes:
> >To reverse the decay of comp.music into rec.music.synth.backup, Greg
> >Sandell proposes chasing all the synth people away, and then says such
> >researchers as he have no time to contribute.  I think the latter is
> >
> Hmmm...This is getting confusing.  The above paragraph implies that this is a
> -computer music group- (which I thought it was).  I recently recieved mail
> from a reader of this group claiming it was a -music theory group-.  If it
> what to do?
> 
> 1) rename this group comp.music.theory 
> 2) form a new group comp.music.technical
> 3) use rec.music.synth for technical/hardware topics.
> 
> Don Maghrak 

A reminder:  the charter to comp.music says that it is devoted
to *research* questions pertaining to the use of computers in music.
(At least, this is what I posted previously, and Stephen Page did not
contradict this.)

I think Steve Smoliar's response and some of what I say incidental to
music theory in my Timbre Perception posting discourages option no. 1.
What is usually called music theory may not be inappropriate
material for comp.music, but the fact is, it's hardly ever 
discussed here.  (The guy who said that comp.music is a -music theory 
group- was off base.) 

Option no. 2 is a little better, but it still neglects to indicate the 
research premise of the group.  How about comp.music.research to get
to the point?

As far as option no. 3 is concerned, I think that technical/hardware issues
per se are by no means inappropriate topics for discussion on comp.music.
Discussions of synthesizer system architecture, or questions about
synthesis algorithms seem appropriate to me.  A query about the Wavestation's
MIDI System Exclusive message, however, does not...it belongs in rec.music.
synth.  Queries about DSP boards for Macs or SPARCs fall within the 
cracks between these two groups, I think, but comp.dsp is the best place
to get a sound reply on that subject.  It is hard to draw the line, but if
the question concerns a particular commercial product exclusively, it
just doesn't belong on comp.music, IMHO.
-- 
Greg Sandell
sandell@ils.nwu.edu