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Looper's Delight
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i know exactly what you mean. i'm still fairly new to this kind of equipment as well and love hearing the input that this list has to offer. i spent about 10 years as JUST a bassist (or as frank zappa puts it - a composer whose main instrument of composition happens to be bass)...sure i spent some money on some gear that seemed good at the time, but never really got into the nitty gritty of what it was all about and what you can actually do with this stuff (and in turn, had several pieces of crap in my rig that i barely used and barely got beyond facotry installed presets). i've taken midi classes and gotten in and out of caring about it, but now i've come to a point where it is the next logical step (to start embracing the technology available to musicians as opposed to scoffing at it as i had done in the past). i've started checking out people using the gear and i've even gone to one open NY loop thing (and plan to attend and perform at these in weeks to come) and the main dissappointing thing that i've noticed amoung musicians who use the gear is the lack of musicality. to me, it seems that people are more concerned with what gear they have then the actual sounds that they are producing and this is pretty upsetting to me, because i was under the impression that this was all about using the tools available to get the sounds in our collective heads out to the public (although i guess the sound in some folks' head is just chaotic loops). obviously, there are a bunch of people doing mind boggling things with this gear, but the majority of what i have seen is people getting wrapped up in turning nobs and pushing buttons...not even taking the gear out to what it is capable of. the big problem with equipment like this and my major former gripe about technological advancements in musical equipment is that the basic functions of these tools can make anybody sound pretty good. the problem with that is that people tend to shy away from digging deeper into the power of these tools and are satisfied with its basic features. an echoplex and a repeater are not just tools, they are actual instruments and when used properly or perhaps i should say creatively, they can really expand your capabilities as a live and studio musician. i probably would have been better off not saying anything...especially since with my comments, i was more pushing my views and goals in your and other list members' directions, but i just don't buy into the whole fix a limitation with one piece of gear with another. to some people, a guitar is just something to strum chords on and the only way to do something unique is to add effects, but pioneers like hendrix showed us that there are not limits to the sounds that one can create with just a guitar. just trying to offer some of my personal feelings on the subject, and again, this is just how i feel...i do understand the addiction associated with gear acquisition (and battle it myself to a degree), but for a group like this who uses this cutting edge technology to create music, i'd like to hear more people doing ground breaking stuff...and maybe i haven't been exposed to enough music that is being created by members of this list, but i've checked out a bunch of links to list members' music and seen some of the gear in action and most of what i've heard can easily be done without this gear and with just more focus on the actual instrument going through the gear. anyone care to share their views on the age old (for me at least) debate of musicality vs. equipment? loopfully yours, e va n|s sa b --- Michael LaMeyer <m.lameyer@verizon.net> wrote: > understood! i'm not really looking for sure cures, > one right > way, or anything like that. i was really just > asking to get a > diversity of ideas, in whatever context people feel > like talking > about. i understand that compensatation for > limitations is a > part of anything we do, but how various people > compensate with > their own systems is what interests me. > > taking your example, i compensate when looping my > wavedrum by > varying tones, usually a boomy one, a middy one, and > a really > snappy or belly one work well enough together, > although i can > still bury things this way, i learn what works well > together. > it's very subjective and all that. > > thanks! > > mike > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Evan Meyers" <evanmeyers@yahoo.com> > To: "Michael LaMeyer" <m.lameyer@verizon.net> > Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 8:59 PM > Subject: Re: loop mud > > <snip my stuff> > > > > as with all things, it really depends on what you > are > > trying to do. as a bassist who loops, i tend to > try > > and vary the sounds of my loops by playing them in > > different registers, throwing effects on certain > loops > > and even changing the style that i'm playing to > > produce different sounds. instruments are very > > versatile things and learning how to play any > > instrument, including machines (which i view as > > instruments since there is certainly a connection > > between creative and technical aspects when using > > them), involves learning about the actual sounds > that > > you can create from them. for example, from a > bass, i > > can play slap, finger style, tap amoung other > various > > techniques to produce sound...and within these > > different styles, i can play in different > positions > > and alter certain things about my fretting hand to > > create slight nuances in my overall sound. all of > > things add up to create unique tones for looping. > > > > to me, it is very important to have my loops not > get > > lost in the mud. even when playing with a rhodes > or > > some synth patches, i find that my frequency gets > > stolen, but rather then get lost in the mix, you > learn > > ways to keep your ideas flowing without trading > the > > integrity of your ideas or having them mesh into a > > glob of sound. obviously, the decision is yours > for > > how you want to handle this problem, but rather > than > > getting new equipment to cover for the > shortcomings of > > the original equipment/instrument, you can take > the > > steps to adjusting your playing to meet your needs > > (and you'll probably walk away a better musician > for > > it). which brings up that age old question, > was/is > > michael jordan really that good at basketball, or > is > > it really what's in the shoes? > > > > are we musicians or are we engineers? > > (although, if memory serves correctly, i think a > > little of both for many of you guys), > > > > as always, > > e va n > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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