I hear what you're saying, and appreciate the idea, if not the tone.massenmedium wrote:But "serious problem" is relative and I think partly to do with attitudes to creation and tools. Maybe it's "serious" compared to not being able to find matching socks.Or use what you have access to for it's strengths. But yeah - of course if you really absolutely have to have certain kinds of effects in your track and you find you can't get that then use something else. Durr.Akshara wrote:if it does, then it's a deal breaker, and you should invest in the right tool for the right job. It's really as simple as that.
It's always been like that - if you think those kinds of timing errors are something to contend with you've probably never used a hardware MIDI rig. You work with it, work it. Delays and latency are everywhere in sound, digital or not.
For me, it is a genuine problem to contend with, and has cost me time and money, on my own projects and with clients, which is a much more serious problem than with matching socks. I ran a midi hardware rig back in the 90s, out live and in the studio, along with outboard effects, patch bays and elaborate word clock chains, and tape reels synced with hard disk recorders and ADATs. I know what it takes.
Rank 1's Airwave is filled with timing drift, and that is still a classic track. Yet the genre has evolved, become far more complex, and what worked all those years ago isn't always applicable anymore, especially when a client wants a certain sound. What we are talking about is a modern problem created by a unique application of modern tools, which didn't exist a decade ago.
Some artists and producers rely on tempo synced effects and automation throughout their production process, as a key element to their sound design and composition, across dozens of tracks. Jimi Hendrix wouldn't have created a generation defining sound with an acoustic guitar, his sound and creativity relied on the processing - while he played the guitar, not in post-production afterwards.
If Ableton can't handle the job, then fine. But don't make it out that it's a problem with one's attitude toward creation.
If my Yamaha 02R console drifted the automation by 1/128 beat intervals when inserting an auto pan or a delay, Yamaha would say that it was broken and to send it in for repair, not to change my attitude. They certainly wouldn't suggest that consoles twenty years older didn't offer built in effects at all and people were able to mix just fine.
I'm just not a fan of the luddite position. We should strive toward progress and excellence, both in our work and in our tools.
*Edited for clarity and focus