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Re: [microsound] Performing "Live"



> some may argue it is more
> entertaining watching someone play a guitar than
> watching someone stare into a laptop. i myself have
> seen enough gyrating rock bands that the novelty of
> four guys jumping around still doesn't outweigh the
> final product.

ya I agree with that.  BUT I don't think I'd find four guys jumping around
in front of theremins to be any more entertaining than four guys jumping
around with guitars.  But I figure any animated antics that happen on stage
is for the benefit of the performer, to keep himself interested, and if he's
interested he's more likely to keep me interested with the music.  As a
performer I'd prefer using a guitar or a theremin over a laptop running one
of those modular DSP programs.   Guitar or theremin is a far more expressive
controller.  I particularly dislike the 'cable' patching you have to do in
programs like Audiomulch and Reaktor (never seen MSP but I assume its
similar).  Modular synthesizers with patch cords were never all that
expressive but at least they made sense on a physical level.  But patching
cables on a screen with a mouse is painful.  You have to click just the
right tiny spot to connect a cable from one module to another, and its not
always obvious which are inputs and which are outputs.  I also find turning
'virtual knobs' with a mouse to be a pain, whereas moving 'virtual sliders'
with a mouse is not bad at all.

I find it hard to believe that anyone is using these programs as
improvisationally as claimed, in a live situation.  Setting up a bunch of
patches before hand, then controlling them with knobs on an external
controller is a pretty good idea, just like prepping a sampler with a bunch
of samples for a performance.  Or, even hitting play on your DAT machine
(and hey if you can turn it off and on via midi, you can even set up an
'environment' for it in Logic!).  But if anyone expects me to believe that
they get any enjoyment, or even decent results out of  making new modules
and patching them together with little lines on the screen while managing to
keep anyone entertained, well.. I'd have to see it to believe it.  Judging
from the various DSP debates and the recent contact mic debate, I'm inclined
to believe there are more illusionists than magicians in this field.