[sdiy] MIDI isn't musical : Flame bait?

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Don Tillman <don at till.com> wrote:
>   Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:30:21
>   From: Scott Gravenhorst <music.maker at gte.net>
>
>   I will say that perhaps it's an issue of a poor workman
>   choosing to blame his tools as opposed to using it
>   in a manner that is conducive of a better result.
>
>Huh?  This is synth-diy, we're *building* the tools. 

Yes, and some of them are MIDI related.

>   A real artist can make art with the crudest of tools as well as the 
>   most refined.
>
>No problem; you take the Casio, I'll take the MOTM, and we'll both be
>happy!  :-)

I don't believe that I said I preferred to use Casio over MOTM.

In fact, I didn't say that any one tool is better than
another.  *This* point is where we differ.

As far as "great solos" might go, for what they are worth,
it is again a matter of choosing a tool that fits the job
for the artist in question.

I, personally, wouldn't attempt to _do_ a Hendrix solo on 
a keyboard.  I also believe that there are other problems 
that would get in the way of that aside from MIDI.  IMHO, 
guitar solos are probably best done on, well, guitar.  But 
guitar solos or whatever you pick, are not the only 
worthwhile solos, nor are they the only worthwhile music.

There are forms of musical art that can be implemented using
MIDI.  One might even find certain methods for which MIDI
is particularly well suited.  So, I disagree with the blanket 
statement: "MIDI is unmusical".  Certainly it is not for 
everything, but then neither is a palatte knife the only tool 
for visual art.

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