Right ON!! Great suggestion!! If you want to see the difference between pure performance and enhanced performance w/arrangers and MIDI, the next time you are playing a gig and folks are swaying or dancing to your music, do this: Turn off the (midi or arranger or beat box) drums. Turn off the (midi or arranger) bass. Turn off the (midi or arranger) congas…Turn off the (midi or arranger) strings. That’s it - turn EVERYTHING off until it’s just what YOU are doing with your hands. I bet the swaying stops. Cause then you are playing cocktail music. Then, many of the folks who came to hear the “music” will wonder where the "music" went.

I have nothing against “performers” wanting to make sure everyone recognizes their skill. But the minute any one of us uses an automated tool, we need to come from behind the shroud of “it’s all me and nothing else but me making this music”. You can’t really have it both ways folks, if you use any kind of automation whatsoever, you are part of the “using a tool to sound bigger than I am” mindset. Because even if you skinny it down to just you and the drum machine, you can bet $100 there will always be that guy in the crowd that says “Look – there’s no drummer and I hear drums – it’s KARAOKE!”… So my advice to you is either go totally acoustic, or you should accept the fact that you are using automation to enhance your sound. And get over it.

R/I