Re: Real instruments vs. electronic instruments

["James Winger" <jdwinger@hotmail.com>]

You bring up some very interesting points.
(though the scratching of the drum might be a war cry in cricket talk ;-)

I tend to find the interface with acoustic instruments often 
counterintuitive (like fingerings on a woodwind).  In fact, the battle for 
the control of interdependent parameters is the challenge I find (I tend 
to 
gravitate toward acoustic instruments myself).
I think with many intruments we practice our technique (bowing a viol, 
blowing a horn) until it becomes SECOND nature (ok, I'm not sure MY bowing 
will ever become second nature). We have come to terms with the process by 
altering ourselves

We forget that we have altered ourselves. Your point about establishing 
"tradition" is very interesting from this perspective - we alter ourselves 
as individuals AND as a culture in this regard (cultures with tonal 
languages tend to have a much higher incidence of perfect pitch, which way 
we hear an "infinite scale" tends to vary with the dominanat tonal center 
of 
local speech).

Attached is a cute example of how we sculpt our perceptions (MS word doc 
format).

I think the inface of some instruments (violincello is my chosen favorite) 
allow astounding control and expression, but one does have to meet the 
instrument on it's terms.
It reminds me very much of motorcycle racing -- You have put yourself in a 
different energy level..pretty much all your "gut" survival reactions are 
the wrong move.


I think the repeatability in electronic instruments tend to be (for good 
or 
ill) design desicions.
RLC circuits tend to feel very physical to me (they even used to be used 
to 
model auto suspensions...caps are springs, resistors are linkages, 
inductors 
are shocks).
It's the work of the designer that introduces (over)stability, let the 
circuit ring and drift.
I like the fact that my synthesizer, like my cello - is thermally 
sensitive.








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colors.doc