Pribek

Have you heard of Zenph Sound Innovations?

Zenph® Studios is a software company that specializes in the algorithms and processes for understanding – and re-creating – precisely how musicians perform. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, a team of software engineers, researchers, and professional musicians has successfully accomplished what has been dreamed for years. Thousands have thrilled to re-performances® by famed musicians staged in large halls. From the data that describe these note-perfect re-performances, we make clear, modern recordings. Great-sounding new recordings can be tailored for any acoustic, for example, for the latest in surround sound or headphone listening.

Wow! Re-performance; what a great idea! Now, due to the magic of modern digital technology, performances by master musicians can be modernized and preserved forever.

Here is a clip explaining how it works featuring members of team Zenph discussing the re-performance of Glenn Gould’s 1955 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

As always, click pause on the music player located in the side bar before playing the YouTube.

Further insight on Zenph from Digital Music News…

At Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, dollars are now flowing towards Zenph Sound Innovations, a company specialized in music analysis technology. Intersouth Partners has just led a $10.7 million first round for the company, an injection that also includes participation from Capitol Broadcasting Company…

…The process allows a near-perfect reproduction by a virtual artist, and carries some potentially interesting applications. Instead of remastering old recordings, for example, Zenph noted that pristine re-recordings could preserve the original renditions without the lingering fidelity issues. Other possibilities are not hard to conjure up.

Hmmm…why would folks like the Capitol Broadcasting Company be interested in throwing $10.7 MILLION at a bunch of mild-mannered music “conservators”?

What are these “other possibilities” and “interesting applications”?

Follow the money Grasshopper. It’s all about an innovative way to screw musicians.

Lets say, for instance, that you are making a thrill-packed action adventure movie or beer commercial and to properly rake in the necessary consumer disposable income, you will need to feature Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” in said product.

Previously, you would have to go through the pesky process of negotiating with the corporate entity that owns the rights to the actual master recording of the Bon Jovi chestnut. Not only is this a hassle, it can cost a lot of money.

Now, you will be able to faithfully duplicate that master recording and hire some chump, some poser, to sing like Jon Bon Jovi. This way you will only have to pay the Bon Jovi camp mechanical royalties and bypass costly negotiated fees.

Undoubtedly, this type of scenario will be tested in court which, will garner mucho dollars for lawyers and we will see a rash of this stuff on a case by case basis until a set of parameters of what can be gotten away with will be established by precedent.