Re: [microsound] barcode MIDI -- was Re: Sv: [microsound] toplap_manifesto

[Kassen <kassen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

tobias c. van Veen writes;

> However I don't tend to privilege performativity over careful laptop
> codework; radio-art taught me that the performativity of an event is not
> necessarily related to gesture. Which is also why I think Ableton LIVE
> bashing, although understandable, is misdirected. It's essentially the
best
> software mixing desk / equivalent of a radio station at-your-fingertips
ever
> made, and one thing I miss in doing audio collage live is having the giant
> radio station at one's beckon and call, with all 36 channels, tapeloops,
CD
> players, turntables, minidiscs, microphones, etc .. an open source
> equivalent would be preferrable, but I think Ableton should be given
credit
> for simplifying the performativity of electronic music and turning the
> laptop from complex code machine to an instrument.

Yes, I fully agree. I would like to add that as I see it, there are actually
two Live´s. There is the simple program that some people use to playback
complete tracks because it looks better than Winamp and there is Ableton´s
masterstroke in unifying the sequencer with the instrument, a program I
think is most closely related to the Serge TKB sequencer if to anything.

Since use of the first is indeed worthy of bashing (not because I don´t
think tape performances are bad but because I think pretending in that sense
is bad) and anybody who stands up to defend it is likely defending the
second, any discussion on this is bound to deteriorate quickly.

What I admire about Live is not only how it simplified the process of
building complex structures from simple building block, interface wise, but
also how it is build around granular resynthesis without bugging the user
with the complexities of this. Of cource we here like the complexities of
granular resynthesis but I don´t think the world in general does while I
believe there are many usefull aplications where the world in general would
benefit from a good easy to understand interface to this.

On a more social level, Ableton´s process of public beta testing with a
direct, publicly accessible, link between future users and the programers is
IMHO a nice compromise between some of the benifits of open source and some
of the strengths of comercial software. I comend them for having the
confidence in what they think is needed instead of following convention.

Oh, and i have no shares in Ableton, honest.
:¬)

Yours,
Kas.



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