Re: Pay attention

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

On Tuesday, June 11, 2002, at 08:13  PM, Mark Hamburg wrote:
>
> I think there's probably also a big difference between playing a drum
> machine and using a drum machine as an automated accompanist. As 
> someone who
> is primarily worrying about guitar playing, I've been looking for 
> something
> that strikes a nice middle ground between "start drum machine and let it
> run" and "interact semi-constantly with the drum machine".
>
> Mark
>
>
Here's what I've found works the best.  Regardless of what people on the 
list have said, the Roland "Groove" boxes give you tons of stuff to 
tweak live.  Bring drums in and out, switch patterns, add filters, 
effects, change BPM, ect.  I've just sat and "DJ'd" with the MC-307 and 
it  can be pretty fun when used in conjunction with something like a 
KAOSS pad or AirFX.

One problem.  I find that the amount of attention I need to pay to the 
box to make it sound not canned (as opposed to not machine like) is more 
than I like to give it while I'm playing the guitar.  So... the 
compromise I've come up with is to automate a "song" of changes.  
Sequence out a long pattern.  Then, do my loop schpiel.  When I'm 
inspired to play the drum machine, it's there and tweakable.  However, 
if I forget about it, it won't linger on the same unchanging pattern 
either.  It's also kind of nice to have a bit of a random change happen.

I'd like to find someone in the SF Bay Area that's interested in this 
aspect of electronic music.  Someone who doesn't play an instrument, per 
se, but would like to tweak drum machines, play samples, scratch. (would 
really love to find a DJ that can *really* scratch, I'm so tempted to 
buy that high end Pioneer CD player and do some myself!)

Mark Sottilaro