[sdiy] Control Interfaces (was Wakeman)

[harrybissell]

Don Tillman mused:

>    But is a "one man band" really a good thing?  Do you really want the
> electronic equivalent of playing an accordian, with a kazoo in your
> mouth, cymbals on your knees, and a bass drum on your back?  I sure
> don't.

woah-kay....

As someone who "resembles that remark" I'll play 'counter-point' to this
opinion.

I play the guitar, bass, synth, and drums live as well as sing.  This is
part of a two-piece
ensemble with my wife Dana, who plays MIDI Theremin, percussion, and
sings.

There is a definite sense of 'musical overload' in some ways with being a
'one man band'...
I play guitar (also doubled with polyphonic synth - actually an advanced
hex fuzz instrument)...and the bass is synthesized from a low-note
priority like system on the lowest
three strings.  The drums are played with two pads, one for each foot.

This takes both hands, both feet, and all my concentration.  I cannot
suddenly launch into a
monophonic solo... or the 'band' disappears.   If you make an error in any
of the instruments... you probabally mess them ALL up at the same time...

The up side to this... musically... is that one person is in sole control
of the major parameters
of the group.  You can change keys, time signatures, tempo, rhythm, etc...
without a means
of 'informing' the other members of your intent.  That can make the
composition and arrangement quite interesting.

It eliminates the down side of multiple players competing for the same
niche... stepping on
each other's toes, being too loud, complaining that 'they' cannot be heard
in the monitors...

It can allow the performer to appear in circumstances that would not
normally allow for a 'band'
per se...  small coffeehouses, etc.

The sound can be mixed very easily and any volume level can be achieved.

You do not have to rely on other menbers to be present (show up for
rehearsals etc...) ...
but if you break an arm or leg you are dead (musically).

This does not replace the joy, and synergy possible with playing in a
group of similarly-minded
musicians...  it does however eliminate much of the pain of playing in a
group of absent-minded
musicians  ;^P

BTW I'm reading the proceedings of the NIME conference... absolutely
fabulous. Maybe I'll
go next year.  My wife could attend (or, otoh... could go shopping :^)

H^) harry