[sdiy] Modular - sound or song

[David G. Dixon]

> I think the biggest distinction between digital and analogue, hardware and
> software is in the playability.  A modular is slow to patch, hard to
> expand, but once set up every parameter is available right there for
> realtime tweaking.  On the other hand those tweaks can be difficult to
> automate, so it has to be played by a human.
> 
> Digital synths tend to be quicker to patch, but usually only a subset of
> parameters can be tweaked in realtime as knobs tend to be overloaded with
> multiple functions.  On the other hand the playing of the instrument and
> the tweaking of the knobs can be recorded, played back and generally
> automated as much as you like.
> 
> This difference in how they are played is the crux for me rather than the
> sound capabilities.

I think you've nailed it!  Analogue is more spontaneous; fleeting, even, and
thus lends itself to improvisation, while digital demands more planning, and
thus lends itself to composition.  I think digital is more "professional" in
the sense that it offers the busy musical professional (and all that
connotes) the fastest and most efficient bang for his production buck.
Analogue is more of a toy, in the best sense of something which invites and
inspires play.