Mellotronists

> Okay, let's try an experiment... bring a musician into a room with a
> digital sampler and a VCS3.  Have him stand in front of each and
> measure his heartbeat.  That would be the Touring Test for musical
> instruments.  (I'm kidding.  Well, maybe not.)

If you stick me in the same room in front of a set of bagpipes and a
Casio SK1 sampler, I'd go for the sampler. I hate bagpipes.

> Y'know, I'd sure like to say that a digital sampler doesn't belong on
> the Musical Instrument list, but therein lies the issue.  Why bother
> with the low end so much?  Why be so concerned about what legitimizing
> questionable stuff when you could be making better musical
> instruments?

Did you really just say 'legitimizing questionable stuff' on a mailing
list dedicated to Mellotrons?

> I'm interested in the high end.  Where is the research
> to make instruments that are truly cherished by the musician?  Where
> is the develoment of something that will enable and inspire the next
> Hendrix or Coltrane?

Probably waiting for the next Hendrix or Coltrane to pick them up.

> There is no Hendrix or Coltrane of the digital sampler, and it's
> really difficult to name a truly great solo played on a digital
> machine.

So why dopes that have anything to do with the instrument? Not all
instruments are built for soloing (mercifully). Are you trying to
contend that if you cannot weedly-weedly away on play an instrument
whilst waggling your tongue at the audience then it mustn't be *an
instrument* that you're playing? This really is the most wacked-out and
bizarre argument I've heard in years!

> Compare that to the way we on this list gush over the intro
> to "Watcher of the Skies".

Er...*some* of us do. I think it sounds out of tune.

Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/