Hardware Snobs

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:11 pm

Perhaps the trick is to do like politicians do ... Teleprompter style

That is basically a mic stand, a piece of plexiglass and your laptop with the screen facing upwards and the image inverted.

Maybe that combined with some more physical triggering instruments than keyboards ... fingers pressing keys has always lagged behind drummers or lead guitar histrionics for audience impact.
No, Keith Emmerson doesnt count!
. I've been using the voltage inputs on my doepfer to various things, also and a really cheesy Yamaha dd55 midi drum trigger.

It gets away from the "plays chords over a sample loop " angle.

dangerous though

kidtronic · Post by **kidtronic** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:00 am

i use a mix and just picked up another akai s900 because they have a nice whallop. $50, why not. I am more interested in flowing all this into LIVE (still in version 3.04) and suprised at the number of bug fixes to 4.1. I agree LIVE does lots. But I see its limits. Operator doesn't look interesting to me and I still use a dx-7 as well as all the usual analog suspects. But if someone wants to work exclusively with a ferrari red laptop and call the other cats hardware snobs, why not<g>! Its what comes out the speakers that matters.

blakbeltjonez · Post by **blakbeltjonez** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:21 am

the supreme irony is that in general used hardware has never been cheaper....as people trip all over themselves for the latest greatest software some excellent gear goes for dirt in the used market.

4rest · Post by **4rest** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:23 am

There is a technical term for this: Showboating !!!

If you're truly playing live (personal def: performance will not go anywhere without user involvement) then you should be so busy up there that you'll be showboating by default ...

so very well said....no matter what "gear" you are playing!

i come more from a guitar based up bringing from the '70s and the samething applys with "real musicians" as it does with "electronica guys".......you got the real deal and then you got the "yeah man i play bass....or the yeah man i do live techno" guys who should really just be roadies

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:16 am

blakbeltjonez wrote:the supreme irony is that in general used hardware has never been cheaper....as people trip all over themselves for the latest greatest software some excellent gear goes for dirt in the used market.

Things are getting slightly silly, yes. You'd think we'd see some sort of backlash soon, but unlike japanese gears in the 80's, it seems the kids aren't buying into the cheaper option this time round...

-Paws

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:11 am

noisetonepause wrote:
blakbeltjonez wrote:the supreme irony is that in general used hardware has never been cheaper....as people trip all over themselves for the latest greatest software some excellent gear goes for dirt in the used market.
Things are getting slightly silly, yes. You'd think we'd see some sort of backlash soon, but unlike japanese gears in the 80's, it seems the kids aren't buying into the cheaper option this time round...

-Paws

yes they are, warez

altho buying is not the right word...

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:16 am

hardware vs software is a tough question.

for the playback and manipulation of pre-existing audio, there is no question about the superiority of software.

however, i have never heard a "soft" synth that can match the real thing.

that's not to say i don't use soft synths. In fact, i love them for their convienience. But given the choice, i'll pick a true analog hardware modular over the DSP version anyday...

lm

ikeaboy · Post by **ikeaboy** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:39 am

[/quote]If you're truly playing live (personal def: performance will not go anywhere without user involvement) then you should be so busy up there that you'll be showboating by default ...

Maybe Jasefos, but maybe that element of showboating by default may only involve a zoned out look of concentration on your face and the arse wiggling to match, not much for the ladies in the audience to latch onto. (Unless you go mad when your in flow, punching the air...bouncers... setting fire to control surfaces)After reading these responses i recon being more animated in the box or on the stage is a pretty good way of hyping your audience a bit more.
Thing is my mates will all take the piss but most of them think they're past dancing so sod 'em. They can't get past old fashioned techno stereotypes ie "i dont dance, i nod"

p.s if anyone has any cheap broken keyboards PM me I might buy them to smash up at a future gig

ikeaboy · Post by **ikeaboy** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:40 am

Not sure how i put myself in a quote box last post

sorry

elektrovert · Post by **elektrovert** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 12:14 pm

blakbeltjonez wrote:the supreme irony is that in general used hardware has never been cheaper....as people trip all over themselves for the latest greatest software some excellent gear goes for dirt in the used market.

Amen to that!!!

I just cant wait till the day I can pick up a Korg Z1 for €100!!

one can dream

I love hardware and software.
I think hardware outboard gear does a better job than software though.
I use both.

nosuch · Post by **nosuch** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:05 pm

I had a funny conversation with a guy who lives and produces in liverpool. his thesis is that programs like live pushes people to produce very organized musik, whereas using analogue gear levers a more spontanious approach.
he said the sounds have more balls too (he was referring to some vintage compressors more expensive than my car).
i agree to a certain point - for me, playing the guitar is more spontanious than playing the computer and if the mouse is your only interface, there is not much real time control.
but....
I used to promote concerts - once an artist loaded samples from sloppies for hours before soundcheck. did not look that sponatious to me...

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:08 am

Although my Powerbook can do my Live audio live, my desktop Mac isn't up to doing the video side. So I'm giving up the Powerbook and G4 desktop combination for live use, and doing both on a new G5. No more MIDI sync (although that's a doddle in Tiger), and less stuff to carry around.

The visual thing is interesting. With enough control surfaces/planning/rehearsal, you don't even need to see the screen any more. So my G5 will hide under the stage, with a small TFT screen hidden from the crowd's view for 'emergencies' (such as checking my e-mail!)

As a drummer, triggering stuff from pads is a cool option. But I don't feel like dragging an entire electronic drum kit around, either. Hence watching for a Roland Handsonic on eBay now.

No matter how arty-farty you look at it, this is SHOW BUSINESS.

Sorry about getting off-topic and rambling... need more sleep...

DJRetard · Post by **DJRetard** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:01 am

ikeaboy wrote: And how do non-scratch Dj's win crowds visualy with such basic physical movements?

They dont and this is a big problem.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:05 am

Times, technology, and people are changing. This is a multimedia world of cellphones, PDAs, video games, the web, iPods, etc...

In my opinion, for what little it's worth, the visual impact can come from places other than antiquated (yet occasionally talented) turntablist showboating.

Video, percussion, interactive MIDI controllers, etc.

The future is now.

stiefelmusik · Post by **stiefelmusik** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:12 am

well, like most people these days i use both software and hardware for music production. each has it's own advantage/appeal, etc. and it just depends on what i'm trying to do, what mood i'm in, etc. as to which i prefer. HOWEVER there is ONE MAJOR ADVANTAGE to hardware that is particularly significant to me, especially as a macintosh computer user: hardware (synths, FX, etc.) generally LASTS a lot longer! For example I'm still using synths and other gear that I purchased OVER 20 YEARS AGO. But how much software am I using for that long? None. Software is just that: SOFT! I have a case full of CD's of "obsolete software" ... but I do not have the equivalent in "obsolete gear". In fact, obsolete gear still has more potential/appeal than obsolete software.

For me, buying software is like renting a car: I pay to use it, but I never think of myself as "owning it" ... not like a piece of hardware