Hilarious bit of synth click bait

[ProfD]

On 9/26/2024 at 12:12 AM, Baldwin Funster said:

Anyways, time for the latest episode of Bad Gear

That guy is hilarious.🤣

 

Maybe Espen Kraft is purposefully being provocative in order to bring humor but can't stick the landing.

 

OTOH, Kraft could just be another gear geek with a YouTube channel making money with it.

 

Manufacturers release products fully aware of what the market will bear. There's always room for inflation and cost correction if necessary. 

 

We see rebates and sales on gear. We've also on seen new gear prices go up too. Don't get me started on vintage gear pricing.😁

 

It applies everywhere. Planned obsolescence too. Musical Instrument (MI)  is one example of disposable income fueled by nostalgia. Thank 1st world economies for the privilege to indulge in it.

 

Otherwise, there's old and new gear at different price points.  One thing musicians, noise-makers, hobbyists, etc., cannot afford to claim is a barrier to entry when it comes to gear and making a joyful noise.😎

[Jim Alfredson]

7 hours ago, DroptopBroham said:

 

He's probably 98% right. The people buying these synths are the boomers with their nostalgia pure and simple. Producers now are all in the box and using VSTs, musicians in bands are using workstations or nords for their synth sounds. Very few people actually using a one trick pony live (Bernie Worrell did along with Hammond and clav but how many other Bernies are out there; they broke the mold with him). The vast majority of these synths are sitting in the spare bedrooms of recently divorced boomers in a failed attempt to recapture their youth.

I've seen Oberheim OB-X8 used live quite a bit, including Peter Gordeno with Depeche Mode, Greg Philliganes with David Gilmour, Boy And Bear, and others I can't recall now. I've used mine live as well and it's fantastic. But yes, the main market for big, expensive analog polys is mostly older dudes with disposable income. So what? The most popular musical instrument is the guitar and most are sold to people that can't really play or don't play music for a living. So what?

As far as the "VST in a box" argument, when the Waldorf Quantum was released, that's what I thought about it. It was just a VST in a box, why so expensive? Well, I agree that it is very expensive but once I sat down and played it, I understood why they made it. It's a real instrument instead of a simulation on a computer screen.

For many people, including myself, there is a creative roadblock when using a mouse and clicking on parameters to design sounds or play an instrument. Maybe younger musicians don't have such a roadblock because they grew up with plugin synths, though I would argue that the majority of them are just using presets and not really delving deep into said plugins. Which is fine. I'm not arguing that only using presets is bad. But there is a certain level of experimentation and happy accidents that happen with hardware and twiddling real controls. You connect with the instrument on a visceral level rather than feeling like you're just toying with a simulacrum of an instrument. You explore and discover new things. All of this is possible with a VST for sure but for me at least it's difficult to connect with a plugin the same way.

And hey, having a big, honking Oberheim sitting in your studio space is inspiring! Not only does it sound incredible, it looks amazing. 

[ABECK]

17 minutes ago, Jim Alfredson said:

 But yes, the main market for big, expensive analog polys is mostly older dudes with disposable income. So what? The most popular musical instrument is the guitar and most are sold to people that can't really play or don't play music for a living. So what?
 

And this isn't limited to synthesizers.  There's a reason PRS is referred to as the "dentist guitar."

[ElmerJFudd]

42 minutes ago, ABECK said:

And this isn't limited to synthesizers.  There's a reason PRS is referred to as the "dentist guitar."

Cars!  1970s Porsche are hot these days with guys that couldn’t have them when they were younger. 
 

Computers - they’re collecting 20th Anniversary Macs, the first iMac with the arm, IBM 5100, Commodore, Radio Shack TRS80

[David Emm]

4 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

For many people, including myself, there is a creative roadblock when using a mouse and clicking on parameters to design sounds or play an instrument. Maybe younger musicians don't have such a roadblock because they grew up with plugin synths, though I would argue that the majority of them are just using presets and not really delving deep into said plugins. Which is fine. I'm not arguing that only using presets is bad. But there is a certain level of experimentation and happy accidents that happen with hardware and twiddling real controls. You connect with the instrument on a visceral level rather than feeling like you're just toying with a simulacrum of an instrument. You explore and discover new things. All of this is possible with a VST for sure but for me at least it's difficult to connect with a plugin the same way. 

 

Well sure. Different approach. However, I started with hardware, so I can easily relate to the idea of happy accidents. That's how I developed the creative tools I use with VSTs. There's a subjective line that seems easy to follow, because when I'm massaging CA's Synthex, it involves the same moves I learned on my early Moogs, Rolands and Korgs. I (mostly) know where the vital levers are, so its easy to experiment.      

 

Because I have a piano-shaped brain, I also want the action to happen right when I hit a key, so most of the synth-ier performance gestures sit quaintly to one side for me. its a hybrid mindset that grew organically. I program with that in mind, so where's the difference between mousing it and tapping up/down buttons while you peer into a workstation's display? I'm still going to hit a note on a keyboard as I go, sculpting my way along. I feel lucky to be so focused on the sound. I'm too old to go into debt buying six flagships and all of the accessories now.    

[ElmerJFudd]

Growing up in the 80s and 90s I really enjoyed hardware and making music with hardware.  And I enjoyed working within the limitations of hardware.  I only owned this or that piece and so I had to make music with what I had.  I think a lot of great songs, arrangements and recordings from the generations before us also benefited from limitations.  Having every synth, amp, patch, sample, pedal, fx, etc. modeled in a DAW capable of 100s of tracks, channels, sends is amazing - but also distracting.  
 

I’m not really sure if younger music makers feel that way.  But a lot of music makers bring their arrangements to an experienced mixing engineer and/or producer and have half of the material in their project tossed for the sake of space, clarity, balance, etc.  

[ProfD]

10 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

And I enjoyed working within the limitations of hardware. 

Absolutely. I believe limitations forced folks to learn how to use that gear inside out and sparked creativity.

 

 

10 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

 I think a lot of great songs, arrangements and recordings from the generations before us also benefited from limitations.

The gear became iconic because folks pressurized it and got diamonds. 

10 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Having every synth, amp, patch, sample, pedal, fx, etc. modeled in a DAW capable of 100s of tracks, channels, sends is amazing - but also distracting.  

Analysis paralysis is real.  Folks can get bogged down in a modulation matrix of hardware, VSTs amd plug-ins.😎

[ElmerJFudd]

 

[J.F.N.]

This disillusioned norweigan troll has for years now been evangelising his 80's hardware workflow and throwing shit on everything else. One day he announced selling a great part of his machine park, and now he's probably trying to convince himself it was a good idea too and that VSTs is not that bad after all (what the rest of us has been aware of for 25 years) with this ridiculous emotionally driven rage-bait video.

 

Could never stand his persona, with this at least it's no doubt, he's showing his true colors, and this channel is definitely going down.  

[ABECK]

3 hours ago, J.F.N. said:

disillusioned norweigan troll

 

Please, somebody use that for a band name.

[nursers]

1 hour ago, ABECK said:

 

Please, somebody use that for a band name.

Noted - DNT is a cool acronym as well