Steve Vai talking to Thomas Wendt from OpenNote about the implications of computer technology for today's musician, and about the opportunities that new media such as CD-ROM, DVD and the Internet have to offer to both musicians and their fans.

Steve: Oh really, how come? Computers are absolutely everywhere today, and they're there to help you be creative. In this respect, I'm constantly exploring new avenues.

ON: When was your first actual contact with computer technology?

Steve: Well, computers had become so popular that I really thought it was time I got to know something about them. So I went to the library and borrowed a book!!

ON: What was your first computer?

Steve: Believe it or not - a Commodore 64 8 (smiles)

ON: So what did you actually use it for?

Steve: Mainly for writing letters, and generally playing around on. But there was already some software that you could use for very basic sequencing.

Steve: Far too many to mention individually, but basically some graphics stuff, word processing of course, and I'm really into email. When I'm on tour I can keep in touch with my family, management, studio and friends. But I think most important for me is the MIDI-sequencing side. I have synths and samplers in the studio, and I sync the computer up to my tape machine.

ON: At what stage in the composition or production process do you start to use the computer?

Steve:Well that depends on the basic concept and sometimes I start working with the computer right away. With the computer it's possible to achieve things that a human can't! Composing and experimenting on the computer often provides inspiration for playing on traditional instruments. And of course it's a great tool for being able to quickly write down ideas and give them to the band to work.

ON: Does the computer and the software have any direct influence on your own creativity?

Steve: Absolutely! This is particularly true when I'm creating melodic and harmonic ideas which are not guitar-related, and I want to experiment with different sounds and samples. Here the computer provides an acoustic medium for letting me translate the basic thoughts in my head into real sounds, which in turn inspire actual musical ideas.

ON: How do you decide whether and when to use the computer or live musicians? On all your solo CDs they seem to be used in equal amounts, and often combined.

Steve: Hm - that's not so easy to answer. Sometimes it's determined by the song itself, for instance a powerful drum track generated on a sequencer just cries out for loud sampled sounds. At other times it's a case of laziness, and sometimes it's down to budget. (very big grin)

Steve: To be honest, that the pure, 'clean' sound of digital recording isn't really to my taste. It lacks the overall warmth and breadth, and the fullness you get in the bass with analog sound. What's more the high frequencies often sound over-emphasized, grainy and hard. But that's just as far as direct recording of instruments goes. I actually use hard disk recording techniques myself a lot during production for both arranging and editing. Hard disk recording lets you do things that aren't possible with an ordinary tape recorder! For instance I can easily move instrumental parts, copy them, load them into the sampler etc., etc.

Steve: Well, today's electronic music tends to originate from a digital source anyway, so for loss-free recordings, digital recording technology is the answer. On the other hand, the tape saturation which you can get from using an analog machine, can give a completely new character to a digital instrument. I've been looking closely at what for example the Hip Hoppers, Rappers and the new Drum&Bass guys have been doing with samples and drum loops. This is a great example of the creative combination of digital and analog techniques. I really regard these two techniques as equals, which can result in the creation of a new 'instrument' with its own characteristic sound. It's the situation, or the song itself which is the decisive factor behind the choice of medium.

ON: How important for you is the actual mastering process? Do you consider the effects of the mastering process already at the mixing stage? Or is it more a case of: Let&039;s not add too much overall punch or compression to the mix and leave that for the mastering stage.

Steve: I rely on the fact that during mastering the whole tonal picture will be completed with the optimum loudness and appropriate compression added at that point. The right compression is very important and that's best left to the mastering people themselves.

ON: Some time ago you announced the publication of a CD-ROM. What's happened to this project in the meantime, and when can we expect its release? Is it Martian Love Secrets in electronic format? (Martian Love Secrets was Steve's column in the American Guitar Player magazine - tips and tricks for approaching various guitar and music-related issues.)

Steve: Well, the CD is still in preparation, and I'm hoping it will be turn out to be really interesting. It is based on the Alien Love Secrets music, and contains all the actual Alien Love Secrets backing tracks combined with video performances. Sync'd to both the music and video you have tablature and the complete musical manuscript. You can loop passages and keep jamming over and over to these, or you can actually learn the original parts. I hope it's going to be really entertaining, and it should be available in the stores during the upcoming months.

ON: For some time now you've had your own web site - www.vai.com. How important do you think the Internet will be as a means of communication and promotion in the future? For instance I found out about your Hamburg concert via your homepage.

Steve: It's growing at an incredible rate, and I guess it'll soon be the main source of communication. The more people such as musicians and music fans who come online, the faster and better the whole system will work. But as you've seen, it works pretty well already!

ON: Can you tell us something about your plans for the future? Are we going to see Steve Vai, guitarist and composer 'reincarnated' in other new formats?

Steve: Well, keep your eyes and ears open - I'm always looking for new areas to explore.
A really exciting project is DVD version of the Alien Love Secrets video. That technology really has something, and I think DVD is going to be very successful in the future. In addition to the concept of surround-sound video on a CD, DVD also offers incredible opportunity to produce top-quality multi-channel audio. I find the idea of being able to fly my guitar around the room over people's heads really cool!