Steinberg Incorporates AI Into Backbone

Version 1.5 of the drum re-synthesizer can generate unique drum samples - 24/06/22

Steinberg has announced the availability of Backbone 1.5, the latest version of the company's one-of-a-kind drum re-synthesizer. This updated iteration includes a new key feature, DrumGAN, a recent development by Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) which employs AI-driven technology to generate unique drum samples.

Senior Marketing Manager Florian Haack told us, "The cooperation between Sony CSL and Steinberg is a great example of how AI can be used in music production to drive creativity while making everything easier. The ability to generate new samples with DrumGAN for kicks, snare or cymbals, or analyze existing samples and further re-synthesize and reassemble the components gives producers unprecedented flexibility to design new sounds. And, thanks to the user-friendly interface, Backbone users can now harness this new AI-powered technology in a straightforward way."

Here's more details direct from Steinberg...

Backbone is a virtual instrument which provides new ways to design primarily intricate drum sounds for every style of music. Users start off by layering up to eight samples, which can be split into individual tonal or noise elements. The individual layers can also be re-synthesized with easily accessible manipulation tools through the clearly laid out user interface.

By adding DrumGAN, Backbone 1.5 is now taken to a new level of individuality for creating sounds. DrumGAN uses Generative Adversarial Networks to generate new drum sounds with only a few smart parameters. Available samples can also be analyzed to create similar versions. With this latest AI-driven technology, Backbone users now have options to take their sounds into previously uncharted territory, creating a wide range of signature sounds that have literally never been heard before.

About Sony CSL Music team
Sony CSL is a fundamental research laboratory whose "Music and Artificial Intelligence" team, based in Tokyo and Paris, has a strong artist-centric vision: Tomorrow's production tools should stimulate creators' imagination, and offer new possibilities for interaction while fitting in the modern production process. Working hand in hand with Sony-affiliated musicians and content creators, they develop a new generation of music production tools based on Artificial Intelligence that will extend the scope of musicians' capabilities and push the boundaries of creativity.

Pricing and Availability:
Backbone is available through the Steinberg Online Shop for 149 euros or 149.99 US dollars. With the release of version 1.5, Backbone is currently available at a 40% special offer discount until the end of July 2022.

The update to version 1.5 is free for users who already purchased Backbone.

More information: Backbone

 

You have to wonder whether it was an AI marketing system that wrote that hype too.

And from the same AI research group - The Flow Machines project started in 2012
Now (this week) it's a free App for iPad users
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flow-machines/id1495767411
Crap that it requires Internet access to use it.

Press release https://www.sonycsl.co.jp/press/prs20220622-2/
Flow Machines is an app that assists the creator's music production process, with an AI that suggests melodies, chords and basslines in the creator's chosen style. To bring the creator's style to life, Flow Machines features a unique concept called Style Palette, which includes a machine-learning model that analyzes musical data. You can choose from the various preset palettes created by Sony CSL, or create your own original Style Palette right in the app. This allows the AI to generate melodies that inspire new ideas, while preserving your own distinct style.

So it's trying to compete with all the other style-based generators that have been discussed in lots of places in the forum.

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Current personal biased opinion...

If you're an AI-oriented software engineer you should be hugely impressed with these increasingly impressive techie AI achievements. The underlying complexity really is truly mind boggling.
however
If you're a musician you are fully entitled to piss yourself laughing at how musically incompetent these systems are.
But even incompetent generators can occasionally spit out something interesting that you can be intrigued and influenced by.
They can only get better.

 

Tutorial with Ayatake Ezaki | Flow Machines (English)

Official website: www.flow-machines.com/

 

Finally AI will gives us the cowbell sounds we always needed

 

It used to be called "clever randomizer" where you can set what to randomize and by how much.

This "AI"-sing everything is becoming tiresome.

 

Nope. It actually gives neat results.

Wrong.