Re: [microsound] Getting started

[craque <craque@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I have such a huge problem with music software being so expensive.  
It's among the reasons why I have shied away from using Live any  
more, and barely use many other expensive packages.

When you learn to play the trumpet, you buy a trumpet. You might  
upgrade, or you might even start learning on a pro model. But once  
you know the trumpet, you know any trumpet. The quality of the  
physical instrument itself will affect how you're able to interface  
with it, but basic use and musicality never changes.

Perhaps this is an antiquated ideal. Any amount of expense might get  
you a primo instrument, but no amount of money will ever  
fundamentally make you a better player.

It seems like the cost of music software equates to the cost of being  
able to use someone else's imagination. And not because a user asks  
around for tips, but because the user can so very easily default to  
the loops shipped with the app, or the way default plugins make echo/ 
delays sound, or whatever. Harkens back to that question of plugin  
presets that's shown up here before.

I guess what I mean to say is that to 'start' in microsound shouldn't  
necessarily mean finding the right software package first. Is this  
too idealistic of an approach to creating music?

Maybe this has nothing to do with the original question (surely,  
there are many more answers to be questioned when starting to make  
this kind of music than just what software is in use), but I just  
have this uneasy feeling in my gut when it comes to music software  
these days. Everything is trying to be everything to everybody, which  
is probably why stuff like max, sc and pd are in such large use with  
people on this list (at least), because they are programming  
languages, not software packages.

The point was hit home with me when I was (thoroughly) enjoying a  
listen to Download's new album, "FiXeR", with a friend of mine. In  
the middle of some really cool section or break or something, he  
pipes up "HA he's using Live for that, i've used that same exact  
pattern" and it kind of ruined the listening experience for me at the  
time.

My buddy isn't at fault for this, but it proves there is a certain  
approach to listening to electronic music these days that is more  
"how did he do that?" than just plain listening. My friend personally  
knows better, but I think there are a lot of people that just want to  
replicate what they hear instead of being inspired to create  
something new. Folks too often seem to want to know why 'technically'  
something was done instead of what creative process on the back-side  
inspired that something to be done.

-m


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