eJamming: Skype For Musicians

Elliott · 02-11-2008, 12:59 PM

Implementing this concept has been complicated enough using an extremely fast ISDN connection between the performers but now they're attempting the same thing with skype. I'm not sure if this will catch on or not, but as technology increases the speed of our connections, this might indeed become a new phenomenon. I really like the social networking angle. Imagine getting to jam out some metal tunes with guitarists in sweden and norway!

Quote:

eJamming: Skype for musicians
Posted by Rafe Needleman | 7 comments
eJamming, which makes software that enables people to practice music together if their instruments are Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)-enabled, is announcing a service that works for non-MIDI instruments too: drums, guitars, voice, violins, etc. The idea is to let musicians practice together even when they can't get together physically, or to let students and teachers work together remotely.

There are really interesting technical challenges to making this work. Not only do you have to transmit very high quality audio, but you have to do it with extremely low audio latency. The eJamming founders, Alan Glueckman and Gail Kantor, told me their audio processor and peer-to-peer technology solves these issues, and they're going to demo their new product on Wednesday at the Demo '07 conference.

But eJamming can't break the laws of physics or go faster than the network it's running on, and it's the first online service I've heard of with geographic constraints. Even with a fast connection, Glueckman and Kantor don't recommend the service for people separated by more than a few hundred miles.

Glueckman says he had his cousin, Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, in mind when he built this product. The idea being that Aerosmith can still have rehearsals when one or more band members are out of town. Kramer hasn't yet tried the product, Glueckman told me. I also ran this idea by my wife, who plays in a string quartet. She scoffed at it, since so much of performing, rehearsing, and teaching, she said, depends on subtle visual and personal cues that can't be transmitted over a network. The eJamming team hopes to add video to the product at some point.

I can see this working, though, for occasional rehearsals and for informal jamming. There's also a social-network angle to the service, which helps musicians find each other.

The service will go into beta in a few weeks. However, the cost of the service may limit its uptake: It's $15 a month. Per band member. That means a four-member band will have to shell out $720 a year to use it.

Are you a musician? What do you think of this idea?

By the way, at last year's Demo, iGuitar showed off a cool USB guitar [see video].

In other Demo 07 news from CNET's Webware blog: Eyejot launches a simple video e-mail service; and Trailfire shows off more-evolved
eJamming: Skype for musicians | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Jonesy · 02-11-2008, 01:04 PM

Welcome to the joy. We gamers have been experiencing the wonders of latency for a decade+.

ThetaBurst · 02-11-2008, 11:05 PM

Interesting for group rehearsal.

For recording, I use Guitar Port by Line 6 and a multitrack recording software called Magix Studio, and do laybacks back and forth with my friend via email or FTP or even PM.

guest1234567 · 02-12-2008, 12:40 PM

I don't think this could work real time. I have two tv's that are on the same directv dish, and they don't even send out signals to the two tv's at one time.

I would like to suggest that musicians
1) decide on a piece - maybe use a fake book for consistency
2) record their part
3) allow a "moderator" to mix the music and post the mix for others to add to.

guest1234567 · 02-12-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThetaBurst

Interesting for group rehearsal.

For recording, I use Guitar Port by Line 6 and a multitrack recording software called Magix Studio, and do laybacks back and forth with my friend via email or FTP or even PM.

I should have read this first!!!

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