Re: Is the Karma any good to... Let's avoid a "Gear War"...

Thanks, Greg.  That's fairly well how I think too.  I remember 
experimenting with an old piano.  I put thumb tacks into the hammers 
and dropped aluminum foil behind the strings where the hammers hit 
and I even detuned strategic strings. Added a few beers to the belly 
and stayed up all night recording to an old wire recorder.  What an 
experience.  But when synthesizers came out (I started with the old 
Juno 6), it was amazing. I found my new toy. I didn't want to 
replicate real instruments.  I was in love with synthetic sounds.  
Now that doesn't mean I won't or can't appreciate virtual 
instruments.  They have their place in my scheme of things, but they 
are not the here all and end all.  Finally, nothing replaces 
strapping on an old worn Honer accordion and jamming away seated 
facing into a corner for stereo effect while playing long 
minimalistic passes - intoxicating....LOL
Cheers,
Eric



--- In [email protected], Greg Krouse <gkrouse@s...> wrote:
> Hi
> Eric you are the consummate even voice on this.  The deal is 
pretty 
> simple.  It is about what you plan
> to do with the music.  If you are trying to mimic traditional 
instruments 
> then going to an instrument that
> has great samples makes sense. But for me the name of the 
instrument tells 
> all: synthesizer.  I have had the
> wonderful opportunity of hearing composers who take their 
instruments to 
> new depths because they understand
> as traditional performers that you have to find the means of using 
a voice 
> appropriately.  My first exposure was listening to
> composers who made music for modern dance and it enthralled me.  I 
have 
> never forgotten the personal deep space I found myself in .
> Meanwhile good old Eno came out with Music for Airports. I have 
gone to 
> different planes on his repetitive music. It is like the 
simplicity of
> say music of a great vocalist with a minimalistic band.  At the 
same time 
> one might seek complexity.  The key is
> to step beyond the thrill of so many voices and develop a musical 
image of 
> what one wants and then to go for it.
> For me the synth is about taking unnatural voices (not generated 
in a 
> traditional way) and finding a new path. Clearly
> we will go down similar paths of rhythm but there are new sounds 
to be 
> found.  It is again the difference between
> a great composer of synth sound and one who applies it to 
traditional 
> music.  Pat Methany has created a synth sound
> that is unique but can be compared to elevator music for those who 
are not 
> listening. His music is so tight one can say it
> was programmed yet it is not other than arranging Midi postions to 
move 
> through.  I have seen art that looked like paper bags crumbled. 
The art 
> teacher told a student tap the bag. It rang as it was ceramic.  So 
what you 
> might say, why not get a paper bag.? It is about being able to do 
it. The 
> fact that Metheny and others can create that music right now 
anywhere is 
> impressive to me.
>           I have heard Digeridoo players who play traditional and 
others 
> who go elsewhere with the instrument.  That for me is what a synth 
is 
> capable, yet it is also an incredible tool for realizing a 
compostion or 
> hearing something that would take lots of rehearsal or could not 
be heard 
> without lots of great musicians.  I am anxious to hear the music 
that has 
> flutes that sound like flutes but frankly, for this medium, this
> only minorly impresses me as I have friends who play flute, guitar 
and 
> pianos that well sound great together.
> But each instrument has its unique way of pushing it, making it 
ambient, 
> stretching a note, adding vibrato, bending it down, plucking it 
etc. It is 
> all about what you want to do with your Synth.  For me personal, 
it is 
> about realizing music in my head that is traditional but I do not 
have
> musicians clamoring at my door and it is about exploration down 
the new 
> voice and new application path. If I can give my friends a window 
to the 
> music in my head through a synthesizer so they can get close to it 
without 
> the hand waving and replays, that is what it is for me. Imagine 
what it was 
> like to pick up a new instrument, like the saxophone or the flute 
before 
> anyone used it? That is what this instrument is about to me.
> Yes I understand the timing, the percussion, the standard bass, 
etc but for 
> me it is about surpassing that and exploring to do what?
> Make novel music, become the new wizard of tunes or just to 
explore? For me 
> it is the last.
>          Finally, I do not understand what you are trying to do by 
> comparing the other keyboards here. We all got our instruments 
because we 
> like them.  It is like coming into a Mormon church and trying to 
convert 
> everyone to become Jews.  Why? Obviously those who are Mormans are 
settled 
> in their church.  One might get a few who are not settled but why 
disrupt 
> the rest who are content? I am settled in my synth.
>          Thanks however for giving us sites to listen to.  This is 
> inspiration, to hear different ways these instruments are used.
> Greg




 
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