tools don't matter

[BONES]

I like some music that was recorded shittily on a shitty 4-track tape recorder but the composition is unique and beautiful - nothing compares to the composition, putting me in awe of the melody and not the actual sounds.

I can only think of one example where that holds true for me, and even then its only partially the case. I love the bass-line in New Order's Chosen Time from their first album. The production is diabolically bad but that synth-line is extraordinary. The reason I say it only partially holds true is that despite the poor production that particular synth sound is nice and chunky.

[deaf dunderkwac]

Great compositions with bad production have one advantage over great sounds with poor composition...
they can be re-produced with positive results

[Feelter]

I came into this thread while looking for reviews on monitors...

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

For example, it would be wrong for me to have the unrealistic expectations that a set of monitors are going to improve my compositions. At the same time it would also be wrong to say that a pair of monitors would make no difference at all. It always comes to what YOU are doing with the tool.

So it is not a "tools_VS_craftmanship argument", both are important.
There is more danger however of producing bad art when focusing on tools rather than on craftmaship.

I could spend ages on a synth testing its arpeggiator and trying to find where it lacks compared to others, while another guy comes up with a beautiful arpeggio made on the piano roll of his sequencer. Tools matter, because he also used a sequencer etc, but while I got lost on my tools` capabilities he just used his tools for some result he wanted.

Don`t let the tool loot your creativity!!

Thanks for the article kuniklo!

[The Chase]

I came into this thread while looking for reviews on monitors...

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

For example, it would be wrong for me to have the unrealistic expectations that a set of monitors are going to improve my compositions. At the same time it would also be wrong to say that a pair of monitors would make no difference at all. It always comes to what YOU are doing with the tool.

So it is not a "tools_VS_craftmanship argument", both are important.
There is more danger however of producing bad art when focusing on tools rather than on craftmaship.

I could spend ages on a synth testing its arpeggiator and trying to find where it lacks compared to others, while another guy comes up with a beautiful arpeggio made on the piano roll of his sequencer. Tools matter, because he also used a sequencer etc, but while I got lost on my tools` capabilities he just used his tools for some result he wanted.

Don`t let the tool loot your creativity!!

Thanks for the article kuniklo!

Good point, and welcome to KVR.

[vurt]

I'm not really into experimenting for experimentations sake anymore.

I never was and that kind of indulgence has always put me off.

I don't think anyone has ever accused you of experimenting Bones.

indulging with cake perhaps but experimenting nope.

[Meffy]

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

Durn tootin'. Hi, welcome, good post.

[DWb]

For the composition/timbre arguement

I like some music that was recorded shittily on a shitty 4-track tape recorder but the composition is unique and beautiful - nothing compares to the composition, putting me in awe of the melody and not the actual sounds.

On the other hand, I also like some music that isnt a very good composition, but was produced so well and sounds clean and tight, featuring some sick bass/pad/drone/lead/percussion that I appreciate because of the timbre and not the melody/composition.

I think another point is that 'timbre is important' and 'a perfectly clean recording on super expensive kit is important' are two different things. There's a whole load of music that sounds grimey and lo-fi but sonically amazing - a lot of garage psych / proto punk, a lot of early techno, early jungle, some old jazz and so on.

[BONES]

I don't think anyone has ever accused you of experimenting Bones.

I experiment heaps, I just don't indulge myself by letting anyone else hear the results. I think a lot bands, particularly early Industrial bands, grew up in public to a great extent. Eventually, when their skill levels improved, bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Die Krupps and SPK ended up doing fairly conventional music because they could and I wonder if their early stuff was an attempt to do that which failed becuase they weren't good enough to pull it off at the time [or the tools available to them weren't]?

[Amberience]

Everything evolves. I started out making very conventional music - trance, techno, drum and bass. Then I drifted into experimenting, first with 12 tone music, then with other types of alternatives (synthesis, sampling, recording odd sources)

At the moment I'm making a transition into frippertronics.

[advaya]

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

You raise a good point there, but that argument treads dangerously close to 'preocupation with theory hinders creativity'...

If you want to see this place explode, that's one topic that'll certainly ignite the fuse...

[the_nihilist]

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

You raise a good point there, but that argument treads dangerously close to 'preocupation with theory hinders creativity'...

If you want to see this place explode, that's one topic that'll certainly ignite the fuse...

Oh, bollocks. I read this sentence seconds AFTER I decide to post a long topic about whether theory is interfering with my creativity.

Where's the emoticon for smacking my head into a wall?

Edit: Thanks dunder

[advaya]

The arguement in the article should not be read as "tools don`t matter, only talent does", but rather as "tools help, but too much preoccupation with them hinders creativity"

You raise a good point there, but that argument treads dangerously close to 'preocupation with theory hinders creativity'...

If you want to see this place explode, that's one topic that'll certainly ignite the fuse...

Oh, bollocks. I read this sentence seconds AFTER I decide to post a long topic about whether theory is interfering with my creativity.

Where's the emoticon for smacking my head into a wall?

I was just going to say something about that post!

[deaf dunderkwac]

Where's the emoticon for smacking my head into a wall?

here ya go...