Re: [microsound] dsp micro and humanity

[Christopher Sorg <csorg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 25 Jul 2001, scott allison wrote:

> Ok, so what, not everyone making micromusic uses computers, why are you guys 
> becoming such dorks? who gives a rats ass about how well you can write a 
> patch? I think alot of we are getting caught up in is the technology, maybe 

I think you've described *exactly* the problem.  It's difficult to not get
caught up in the technology, if that is *all* you're doing to write the
music.  I don't want to catch myself thinking, "oh, they're using a
fractal algorhythm there", I want to be absorbed by the feeling of the
music.

> If the only thing your thinking about when making music, is how different 
> sounding your backwards patched fuzz msp fuzz box is going to sound compared 
> to someone just using a fuzz pedal, then you really should reconsider your 
> point of veiw.  I dont care if someone spent 5 years writing a fuzz patch, I 

The point is, these are *not* just fuzz box patches,
unfortunately.  People (like Autechre) are using algorhythms to make
decisions about what is melody, rhythm, etc.  So the music *is* the
patch.  And if the patch is bad or obvious, or straight out of the box,
then it sucks.  I don't need to hear another obvious use of a granular
synth any more than I need to hear a guitarist rely on distortion or
phasing to cover up for poor playing or plain uninventiveness.

> also someone said you have to be one of two things, able to write good 
> patches no one has ever heard before or be a good musican, well personally 
> if thats the case than maybe If your a good patch coder, then you should be 
> writing patches for musicans to use.

I agree with that.  In some ways, the history of music reflects this.  You
have a composer (the algorhytm writer) and then you have musicians who
perform it.  We're just in a place now where people are trying to do it
all, and perhaps that is where you're web design analogy works so
well.  You don't have to be a great musician to compose well, and vice
versa.  And so rarely do the two come together.  So you need good coders
(again) and good users.

Just a side thought, are any of the coders of Max/MSP (Miller Pluckette or
David Zicarelli for example) or Photoshop or any other creative software
also great artists as well?  Be interesting to hear about it.

> -scott

- Chris