LOL. I knew I'd ruffle feathers with that post. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone, though.
We all have different views of what "music" is. What passes for multi-million selling "artists" today would not have gotten out of their garage back in our day. If music is a balance or mix of melody, harmony and rhythm, by common consent of definition, alot of what passes for music today is noise. Now, people have come to redefine music, and noise counts as music. So be it.
To that end, as cool and interesting, fascinating, mesmerizing, mentally challenging, and stunning as the one man band concept is, which floats (I never intended to imply it can not), and it being a new genre itself, it will never sound like different musicians playing their instruments. Now to the end that synths do what they do, and I love them, no one would ever say a synth will ever replace a full sized, living, breathing orchestra. But, yes, synths do what they do and lots of people make livings using them. Although, to be honest, as near as I can tell the holy grail for keyboard players is a realistic piano. So, to that end, drummers who want realism from edrums are certainly not alone. I would say the vast majority of edrummers want realism to their acoustic drum sounds and companies keep raising the bar to achieve that standard. And that would also include breath synths, like the Yamaha WX5, etc. Those guys want real saxophones, trumpets, and flutes, etc, along with their synth sounds they have access to.
If I am correct, the whole idea of synth technology was to simulate acoustic instruments, and give someone a wide array of those instruments. Moog came upon his thing and Emerson made Lucky Man come alive. But no one expects these timbres to sound like acoustic instruments. They are electronic sounds, which make up a very large share of current sounds in modern music. There can be no argument there.
While each drummer is different, and even their approach to time can be a little different, they strike their instrument. Because of that, alone, every piece of synthesized music they play will have that nature to it. It creates a limitation. If they want to, or do not mind that limitation in creating the music they play, that's all well and good. But until I behold a one man band playing creative 4 limb drumming, creating the kind of bass lines Jaco played, while doing a piano solo or other instrument solo, a la the very talented people out there, the concept remains a "novelty" to me. Stiff. And, as you say, there are lots of novelty acts out there making their livings. And you and I can go way back to Carl Palmer's days of wearing a hot mask all night, and the Beach Boys employing a Theramin. It all ends up getting a piece of the pie. It's a big world. And I am certain the possibility of playing something a three piece rock band plays is quite doable in the sense of employing simpler musical passages. I just have not yet beheld the one man band drummer pulling off the kind of stuff that involves that interaction of different musicians in a convincing way. It is strike and pause, strike and pause, strike and pause type of sound. Unless a Pad sound weaves in and out, of course.
Guys like David Arkenstone do their thing and it sounds great. I own some of his CDs. And others. They make CDs. They make a living. They may even play out live with all their mechanics and technology. But what he does still sounds like one musician to me. It's a novelty. To me. I do not think the one man band will ever threaten the existence of groups, not that anyone has set out to do that. I know they haven't. They see a new field of expression with new technology. Just as the invention of synths has not threatened full size orchestras. But I do believe the one man band concept will someday crest and reach its limit. I may be very wrong, and it may be a ways into the future, but given human nature, I believe I am correct. Human beings like interaction. We are social creatures. It's why from ancient times to now, in every single society known to man, groups are formed, organizations, clubs, societies, fellowships, bodies of one kind or another. People will grow weary of watching one guy "do it all," or listening to the same. Doesn't mean one cannot make their mark, though.
Ah, well, a little controversy here on the board is healthy, I think. And Orb, your points have not fallen on blind eyes. What you do is very good. I'm not saying it isn't. Not at all. It's very inventive. And for eight years you have made a living doing what you do. Vince has. Tony Verderosa. Maybe Ed Uribe. I don't know much about him. Others out there. One of the guys playing malletKAT does solo gigs for a living. I've watched all his posted vids. Heck, I even did a semi-one man band thing for the contest. I am not saying it isn't fun or interesting or viable in the music industry. I know those who do it are very serious about what they do. As Vince says, even in a band concept, the edrummer can bring alot to the table. But, it will never be able to recreate what individual musicians bring to the table in a band or group, orchestra, or whatever. That is the limitation I see.
No offense meant, at all.
