MOTM

>Unfortunately today's synth climate isn't one where people want
> to put in the time or to learn to tap into that potential.  The
pioneering
> spirit died out decades ago. 

This attitude seems pretty dismissive of today's synth pioneers.
There's as much creative work being done in electronic music as ever,
imitative or not.

If you don't think there's pioneering synth work being done today, you
should consider asking list members for suggestions. You might find
some great synth music that you're missing. 

In terms of imitative synthesis, some of the most innovative work is
being done by Eric Lindemann at Synful. His work shows how the
synthesis of phrase articulation is at least as important as the
sounds themselves in creating realistic and expressive imitative
synthesis.

Imitating traditional instruments, though, seems to be a bit of a
Sisyphean task - the more realistic you make your imitation, the more
acutely you realize that it's an imitation.

Even if you could create a perfect imitation of an instrument, it
would be of limited musical interest, because it doesn't offer
composers or performers anything new. 

That's why the most creative synthesists aren't trying to imitate
traditional orchestral instruments. They're creating original sounds
and using these sounds in expressive ways.