Re: Tape looping/sequencing (Negitiveland)

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

Hey,

Digital is great, but there are still things that do not work as well in
the digital domain.  Mainly this is due to processor speed and
resolution.  When you get right down to it, tape "is" a digital domain in
the fact that you're changing the magnetic properties of an atom of some
metal.  It's just REALLY HIGH resolution.  This is what quantum mechanics
is all about.  I'd love to get into DJ'ing for the "scratching" element of
it, but I don't have the room for the turntables or the vinyl I'd need.
My Korg KAOSS pad kind of let's you "scratch/shuttle" through a sample,
but IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME.  I played with a yamaha DJXIIB the other day
and it seemed to do a decent job at faking a record scratch effect, but it
was hard to tell through it's cheezy speakers, and my fiancee was very
embarrassed by my playing with it and dragged me away.  She dragged me to
the Roland guitar synths, so it wasn't that bad.  Anyone have one of
these?  I should probably just buy a turntable.

A few months ago I saw Negitiveland play in San Francisco and it was one
of the best performances I've ever seen.  TONS of looping, most of in
analog.  Negitiveland is mostly about the content, and I don't think it
would have mattered if they were using slick digital samplers and digital
video setups, except for the SHOW.  It was amazing to watch them flail
around with tons of tape loops and 16mm film loops.  Watching people push
buttons on black plastic just don't cut it.  When I perform, I use MIDI to
control video clips via a Macintosh.  I started doing this because people
always commented about my horrible stage presence!  I'm looping guitar,
vocals and bass!  I don't have time for that Davey Jones/Axel Rose dance!
The video is my dancer.  I've actually taken video tape of my audience
with and without the video show, and I've proven that people stay longer
with the video.

Mark Sottilaro

Bowerbird@webtv.net wrote:

> Rich-
>  I can totally understand where you're coming from- why spend so long
> making a tape loop when you can easily do it in one second with a
> sampler? I like the imperfections of analog equipment versus the
> perfection of digital equipment. This goes for synths, analog delays,
> and also sampling/sequncing. I'm basing this on my personal experiences
> using digital and analog equipment and especially listening to records
> that use analog versus digital equipment. To me, a simple tape loop is
> much more stimulating to listen to than a computer-sequence. I'm not
> knocking anyone who uses computers or hardware sequncers, this is just
> my personal taste. Besides the aesthetic part, it's more economical for
> me to do it with tape, it's hundreds of dollars cheaper than a computer
> or hardware sequencer, and like I said- I prefer the (imperfect) sound
> of analog versus digital.  One more thing- in a live setting you don't
> have to wait for a tape sequence to load up.