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Looper's Delight
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At 02:41 PM 2/6/98 -0600, Liebig, Steuart A. wrote: > IF someone is noodling with a guitar (or any instrument) without >processing, it can be just as annoying (or more so) than any IC chip. >But I have to go back to situations that I've been in where people were >so hung up on their processors that they couldn't react to a group >improv situation. As far as my experience goes, the micro-processors in >these machines can't react as quickly as I can to someone else's >playing, particulary where change of tonality is concerned. I guess I'm >bugged when I feel that people are abdicating their musical flexibilty >or decision-making to whatever tool it is that they use. So it seems you are bothered by the people and not so much the tools they use? > Lastly, with all this talk of the human/instrument interface >also being a "limitation" . . . my question is this: What is more >capable of nuanced performance people or machines? For example, the old >tech of Violins, etc. has been developed for many thousands of years, >try to get a MIDI instrument to be as nuanced both from the hardware >side and the performance practice side. I don't expect machines to >perform as well as people, I use 'em and think that they're great tools, >but I understand what I consider to be their limitations and uses. I always find it remarkable when people perceive the newer, electronic devices as "technology" in preference to older things. I think the piano is one of the most stunning technological accomplishments humans have ever made. The amount of knowledge and invention that had to happen before the modern piano could exist is simply amazing. That to me is one of the finest examples of technology I can think of. Just because it's been basically finished for a hundred years doesn't lessen the technical accomplishment. Now, ICs are no slouch in the technology department either, but knowing what goes into them, I just don't see it as so amazing. It always strikes me as odd when people express an emotionally driven bias against the bits of technology that happened recently, but are accepting of what happened before some arbitrary date. It's luddite hypocrisy. (hmm, I should send that to Ted Kaczinski...) As you noted, some instruments have been in development for hundreds or even thousands of years. A LOT of people spent their entire lives on these, passing it on to generations of developers and inventors who spent their entire lives. Electronic instruments have a few decades on them, with most of the work happening in the last two. Maybe the refinements are still going on and have a ways to go? Really, I don't see any point in getting bent about that. It's like hating a four year old for not have the maturity and wisdom of his grandfather. Give it time, they'll get there. and there are certainly a lot of people making expressive, nuanced music with existing electronic instruments. Perhaps you just forced these instruments into an inappropriate context, and expected what they weren't really capable of? It seems like you developed your entire bias from playing in a group improv situation with somebody using a midi controller! And let me guess, was it that least developed of all midi devices, the guitar synth? A bit circumstantial, isn't it? The people who create remarkable music with electronic instruments use them for what the can do, and place that in service of their music. And a lot of what electronics can do isn't possible any other way, so for a lot of people it opens possiblities they could not have had otherwise. Some of them do pretty good stuff. And some people just play with the knobs and make goofy noises and never do anything remarkable other than enjoy themselves. You can't really fault them or the electronics for that, can you? kim ________________________________________________________ Kim Flint 408-752-9284 Mpact System Engineering kflint@chromatic.com Chromatic Research http://www.chromatic.com