[sdiy] Can we declare the math/language thread done?

[Scott Nordlund]

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Just as there were plenty of people happy to sell their analog synths=20
and spring reverbs once digital equipment became affordable=2C I can=20
understand why primitive noisemaker stuff can be difficult to appreciate
for those who experienced it new.

I guess being more or less forced to deal with certain technologies=20
can lead one to be easily frustrated with their limitations=2C while=20
people with an outsider perspective can appreciate their qualities=20
without really having to suffer their shortcomings.

I think part of the appeal of very primitive sound sources is that the=20

restrictions imposed can direct one's creativity in an interesting way=2C

also there's the appeal of getting hardware to do things that weren't=20

envisioned by the original designers (which can be seen in much of the=20

"demo scene" related stuff).

I have an appreciation for a great deal of stuff=2C including chiptunes=2C=
=20
noise=2C lo-fi electronics and circuit bending.=A0 I find=2C though=2C that=
 much
of the artistic potential as a sort of "folk art" is diminished by the
fact that many of the participants are apparently far too easily
impressed.=A0 Yes=2C it's completely trivial to add a feedback loop to some
amplification stage and make it squeal.=A0 It's not new=2C it's not=20
experimental=2C it's not exciting=2C and the fact that you can do the same
and much more with any cheap unmodified Behringer mixer means there's=20
no point adding a feedback knob to your SK-1=2C especially when you're=20
too dumb to use shielded wire and will get a bunch of extra noise and=20
interference as a result.=A0 There's still interesting stuff out there
somewhere=2C though.

Of course the boring/crappy factor isn't unique to this little sub-group
of stuff=2C probably most people here have noticed that the majority of=20
synth demos on youtube are pretty horrible.=A0 Big surprise=2C most people
just aren't very talented.


Or=2C in other words=2C why would anyone want a modular synth when it can
only play one note at a time?=A0 They totally incapable of making even
a passable piano sound.=A0 Who wants to listen to all those stupid bleepy=20
sounds anyway?=A0=20

----------------------------------------
> Subject: RE: [sdiy] Can we declare the math/language thread done?
> Date: Fri=2C 25 Sep 2009 17:45:56 -0700
> From: Barry.L.Klein at wdc.com
> To: lanterma at ece.gatech.edu=3B synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> CC:
>
> It's just that we older guys had many of these noisemakers first and most
> thought they sucked then. C64's=2C the Speak and Spells were on the shelv=
es
> at ToysRus=2C we played with 8038's=2C 555's=2C modified sound cards=2C e=
tc. but
> quickly moved on. What is it about them that people like? Especially what
> is it about them that people not playing them can sit there and enjoy
> listening to? Maybe it's just a new faster way to destroy one's eardrums
> while under the influence of many beers?
>
> They do not seem to have much in the way of accurate controllability=2C
> reproducibility=2C or sound range. I would think someone just starting wi=
th
> these would want to jump ASAP into modular synth design but instead they
> seem to stay with it. Jeez I hope it is not the next "big thing" but
> instead more of a stepping stone to something more expressive. Do these
> guys know we exist?
>
> I am not totally down on them - I keep listening to them hoping for new
> sounds but now I definitely have to wear headphones to protect myself fro=
m
> the family's evil stares and yelling.
>
> How come they can have these NoiseMaking get-togethers that are all over =
the
> country/world with many attending=2C and our synth-DIY meets are few and =
far
> between with few attending... Man I must be really weird like my girlfrie=
nd
> and kids say.
>
> Happy Friday :-)
> Barry
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> [mailto:synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Aaron Lanterman
> Sent: Friday=2C September 25=2C 2009 4:23 PM
> To: synth-diy diy
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Can we declare the math/language thread done?
>
>
> On Sep 25=2C 2009=2C at 7:02 PM=2C Barry Klein wrote:
>
>> Yeah. Why are most of the new things on Matrixsynth etc. sounding
>> like
>> crap?
>> Should I design crap and sell it? I am probably good at that...
>> You guys like these noisemakers?
>
> Me personally? No=2C I don't care for it. But if someone else digs it=2C
> more power to them.
>
> There was a thread on this on AH about a month or so ago=2C started by
> Paul Schreiber=2C posting about these "chiptune" and "bent circuit" sort
> of things=2C and wonder if he should do that. The answer is no - Paul
> should keep doing Paul's thing=2C you should keep doing your thing=2C and
> the chiptune sort of folks should keep doing their thing.
>
> The general conclusions is everyone should make what is true to them.
>
> - Aaron
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