Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

Enjoying the "What A Sequencing Mess" discussion and couldn't stand 
just sitting there so I thought I would throw in my two-cent theory 
in the mix with hopefully an interesting side-line topic so as not 
to clutter Michael's discussion.…….

I think there are times as musicians when we tend to psychologically 
fool ourselves and give ourselves some sort of "live" playing 
credibility because we have a synthesizer unit and programmed 
sequencer accompanying our "live" performances. I would think we 
could all agree, however, that is one of the primary purposes for 
the existence of synthesizers with on-board sequencers. It certainly 
took our talent to create, arrange, play, and program the sequences, 
but…..once that is accomplished, we have nothing more than pre-
recorded keystrokes within designated patches initiating sounds or 
music. There is no difference, bottom line, between that and a CD 
player playing a pre-recorded piece of music during a "live" 
performance. And getting to that word "psychologically" again, I do 
definitely think that audience members would react very differently 
if they knew you were using a CD player verses an on-board 
sequencer. From their perspective, I think they would throw much, 
much more scorn toward the CD player. But I also think that is 
because they don't, for the most part, have a clue as to what a 
sequencer is or what it is really doing anyway. So then…..if and 
when you come to terms with that, you can move on to what may or may 
not be more reliable.

Let me first say with regard to my performing, I have been a "single 
act" for most of my "live" performance career. There is considerable 
difference between that and a band when it comes to equipment 
failures such as those we are speaking about. I don't think that 
anything can be more reliable, as Jay has previously mentioned in 
the previous topic, than a CD player with pre-recorded material with 
selection and playback as easy as hitting a button. I have owned my 
VFX and SD1 for almost 15 years and dearly love them both but I 
would never get on stage with the dependability of my performance 
riding on either one of the units, especially the VFX. I have 
experienced that failure a couple of times. That's my choice of 
course. I use computer software to accomplish my sequencing these 
days anyway so all my VFX and SD1 sequencers do is collect dust. 
Although I no longer play live very often anymore, if I did I would 
have to have a laptop accompanying me and all that goes with that 
set-up or……...a CD player.

Someone might say….."Well why don't you just record the whole 
performance and lip-sync it or whatever. "Well, unfortunately to the 
demise of a "live" performance, you could do exactly that and some 
folks out there do. And when you use sequencers or drum machines to 
accompany your performance you are doing just that, just in a 
limited way perhaps. You are going to hit a button on the sequencer 
or drum machine and play the same sounds you would play if you hit a 
button on a CD player containing your pre-recorded material. In both 
cases "you" are not playing any of it at the time of your "live" 
performance.

So therein lays the choice you have to make in my opinion. If you 
think programmed sequencers playing during "live" performances is 
different in the end than pre-recorded music playing on a CD player 
during "live" performances, then you will have to put your trust in 
the sequencer and all that goes with it. All things considered and 
with a choice, it seems to me the CD player would be the more 
reliable and the easiest to back-up.

Smiley Face – Smiley Face – Smiley Face,
Alan