From aschwartz@baaqmd.gov Thu May 13 10:42:03 2004
Subject:further on clone lust

I've really been enjoying the very collegial and informative
discussion spawned by the XK-3 here on the Tony & Mitch website (just
kidding! You guys are doing us all a valuable service). Even though
the "gear lust" discussion is mostly a recycling of old themes, what
better do we have to do whilst sitting at a computer? For myself,
sadly, nothing.

And so here's another (probably recycled) thought to keep in mind.
Yes, clone technology keeps getting better. However good the best
clone is right now, you can be sure it will be surpassed in 2 years,
which is the usual cycle for geometric improvement of digital
technology. But from the standpoint of the average listener, the
layperson, the person on the street (whom we are all trying to pull
into the clubs), how much will this matter? Hardly at all! At some
point, clone technology reached a stage where the average listener no
longer can tell the difference between that and the real thing. Or
more precisely, even if they can tell, they don't care. We could
debate exactly when that occurred, but clearly, we're now there.

I still sometimes have the experienc of going to a club and hearing
someone play organ riffs on an Alesis QS-something and I think to
myself "man, that sucks," and I imagine most of the audience, it it
was pointed out to them, would agree. Any of the clones developed in
the last 10 years cures that problem and gets us over that basic
hurdle. So, to what end all this gear lust?

The usual counterargument is that even if the hammondesque tone
doesn't matter to the listener, it still matters to the player, who
in turn will play in a more inspired manner, which should, in a
perfect world, make for a better listening experience for the average
audience member. And that's a valid point. But usually when I'm
playing in a band setting, there's enough going on that I can't focus
as much on the subtleties of my organ tone. Extreme shrillness would
bother me, but subtle variances in the chorus/vibrato are lost "in
the noise." Where these things matter most is at home when I'm
practicing. There are dozens of hours spent practicing for every
hour spent on stage, and its during those practice hours that I'm
likely to be very critical of the organ sound and whether its
inspiring me, because at those times there are no guitars or drums or
beer or friends or femmes fatale dividing my attention. The best of
all worlds is to have a real B-3 at home and a decent-enough clone
for the road, then maybe you don't fall prey to the vice of lust
every time a better clone comes along.

Anyways, there are no winning arguments here, just arguments.

Adan