[sdiy] harmonics & vibrato

[Robert Kent]

On Wed, 18 Dec 2002, Richard Wentk wrote:
> >Randomize the quantisation of drum machines to get a human touch ?
> >As if a good drummer would play around the beat at random!
> Agree with you on that one. That approach has always been really - uh -
> random. :)
> But be fair - it is a great way to simulate a really bad drummer. :)

  I remember the thread on this a while back. Perhaps a more
productive approach might be to slightly vary the amplitude of
the impact, rather than (or along with) the tempo. I suspect
that timing is more of a matter of psychology and coordination
than physical ability, and that a competent(!) drummer may be
better able to keep on tempo than to ensure that each beat
sounds the same; muscle fatigue, small changes in position,
and many other factors can affect the speed and force of the
impact. Maybe it's a bogus theory, but I believe that's a
significant "humanizing" element electronic drums lack.

-- 
--Robert Kent
  hanuman at ccsi.com