Alastair Couper wrote:
> The technology is interesting, to be sure. But what does it say about
> the state of artistry these days ? I recently read an interview with
> David Crosby, decrying the rise of autotune plugins and the like. He
> spent his energies on learning to sing on pitch. These days performers
> don't need to sing at all, they just mouth tracks that were autotuned
> in the studio. And another interview has James Brown saying: don't use
> a drum machine, learn to play the drums. The best music comes from the
> mastery of an instrument or vocal skill, not from editing.
>
> I have watched as I try various tools to bang my playing into shape,
> and am finally deciding that this is the wrong way to go. Spitiual
> death is around the corner. Live music is best. Music is meant to be
> PLAYED after all, not worked. Or worked over.
>
> A minority opinion from a nobody. Given the state of the "industry"
> though, it's going to be like Photoshop for audio, where there is no
> physical point of reference anymore, and anything can be morphed into
> anything.
This is kinda what I was hinting at earlier... this kind of stuff tends
to sound over-produced and manufactured, IMHO. I think the life and
breath of music gets taken away by trying to make it too perfect sounding.
But as for using a drum machine, some of us have no choice. I don't
have the money to buy a full kit, let alone have the equipment to record
one, let alone have the time to take lessons to play at a skill level
high enough for the music I want to play. :-)
But I would never use a drum machine live. I'd hire a real drummer for
that. :-)
--
Rule of Feline Frustration:
When your cat has fallen asleep on your lap and looks utterly
content and adorable, you will suddenly have to go to the
bathroom.
