I think that until you step away from ANY machine involvement in the music, it is still pretty much the same thing, Ian. As much as we like to ridicule them, a happening bass player and drummer make FAR more difference to the sound of a combo, rather than an arranger rhythm section, than adding horns or guitars, etc. to an arranger OMB.

Money, sure... but is it REALLY supposed to be about money?

Don't get me wrong, you all know I have an arranger, use it for EVERYTHING, and know how to work it. But 'playing' music with an arranger is no more 'playing' than karaoke is (I'm going to get Katoushka'd for this!). It's 'manufacturing' music, or 'producing' music. But in my mind, until EVERY part is played by a human, it's NOT 'playing music'.

But I'm crazy like that... I simply think that to remove ALL human interaction out of music turns it into something different. Call it what you will, but for me, it AIN'T 'making music'. Imagine yourself watching an act that was a drummer and a bass player, but everything else was recorded. Do you honestly think that constitutes 'making music'? Really?

Because them looking at you doing the same damn thing probably brings up the same emotion.

More and more of us are finding out that the audience doesn't give a damn if we use arranger mode, SMF's or outright karaoke. But it OUGHT to make a difference to US... We DO consider ourselves musicians, don't we?

I'm not saying anyone should stop doing what they are doing (I know I'm not!), I simply feel that perhaps we should be a little more honest with each other, and especially ourselves about what we are doing.

I have been very fortunate to have played with many great musicians (and drummers ) over my lifetime. No matter HOW good I think any arranger sounds, I have the memory of playing with combos that sounded MUCH, MUCH better, could change it up on a dime, and could push me to playing better than I thought I could. No machine is EVER going to give me that, and I'm sorry, but THAT is what I call 'making music'...

The rest is 'making money'

(I just moved house, so if your rockets are zeroed in on my old address, I'm afraid I'm not there any more!)

Happy New Year... [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/smile.gif[/img]