if any one listens to a great guitarist or pianist what makes them sound great ? I went to Ronnie Scotts in Birmingham England (before they turned it into a strip club !!) and listened to a a band playing live( i forget their name) they had a guitarist and a saxophonist, a vocalist who was very good and a guy on the bongos. But what blew me away was the guitarist. He was playing lead , rhythm, bass and percusion all at the same time on the one instrument. This was just an ordinary guitar. But what made this one of the most amazing performances that i have ever seen was the guitarist. The technology does not make us better musicians neither does its progression or not, limit our own creative ability and expression. Only our imagination ( or lack of it ) limits us.Sometimes the messing about with the technology and its endless possibilities actually gets in the way of playing great music. I have lost many hours creating really interesting sounds that have limited practical use, or playing with digital effects within the mix of a complexsequence just to see what it sounds like ....