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What is your opinion on the developments concerning the music itself
Originally Posted by jads57
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06-27-2024 02:44 AM
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I am just old enough to mention round wound strings for bass
which is sort of pseudo invention as I think round wound strings had been in use for pianos for some time.
In my lifetime: Development of modulation and time based effects and the use of transistors in small signal amplification are probably the most important inventions.
In my time as (amateur) musician: Weight reduction and portability (not really an invention but super nice). For bass I am really happy with class D power amplifiers.
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For me, the biggest improvement has been in synthesizers. We're in the midst of a golden age right now. It's really quite amazing in comparison to the early 90s.
Analog synthesizers have made a resurgence. They're more reliable, more consistent, and easier to manufacture. There are clones of classics (the Moog is the new Fender, etc) that can be had for not a lot of money.
The Euro-rack format lets you put together your own system. Small manufacturers are able to develop modules in small batches, which means more creativity and uniqueness.
Digital synthesis has evolved from the shadow of analog into its own. The manufacturing has also become a lot better as DSP chips have advanced and become standardized. Digital can do things analog can't and vice versa.
One can also do amazingly powerful synthesis with free/paid programs on desktop computers. There are really creative synths for smartphones and tablets.
My feeling is that world of guitar equpment hasn't advanced as much as become more refined, and that's ok. Guitar is still about how one plays it, to me. As far as pedals, I honestly don't think there has been anything really new in a long time. The Freeze pedal does something genuinely new, but everything else is just different ways to do the same things.
Guitar equipment really matured in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Most of guitar equipment today is mostly a refinement of that time.
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I would say desktop amps.
Before you needed amp + interface + microphone to record demo CD.
Nowadays you just plug USB cable into desktop amp and you can record whole guitar CD for 250$.
I would say that for sure must be biggest improvement I've seen in my life.
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Huh? AFAIK wrap wire was always round (or some approximation thereof) until fingernoise became an issue (presumably because of amplification). There may have been an improvement in how perfectly and consistently round the wire used for winding is, though. Originally Posted by teeps
I am just old enough to mention round wound strings for bass which is sort of pseudo invention as I think round wound strings had been in use for pianos for some time.
I think this thread was about guitars, but yeah ("midst" may prove to be incorrect though Originally Posted by supersoul
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When one of my favourite bands from highschool days came back together (Ultravox) I bought their live DVD and read the linernotes. It has a remark about them marvelling at the fact that they could now do with just a few laptops computers (maybe not yet exactly of the starbuckable kind
) what required a room full of synths back when they made their first recordings.
I've been wondering: are current-day Moogs still really analog? They (used to) provide a free iOS app that sounded close enough so I'm not certain if we'd still be able to tell the difference!
Re: that DVD and its linernotes: the loss of the latter due to a move to different sound carriers is definitely not an improvement in my book (pun intended).
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CNC machines
some of the cheap mass produced guitars that are sold for a couple hundred pounds/bucks are amazingly good …. (with a bit of a setup !)
(also there’s some good amps
out there for really cheap these days)
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Talking about amps: how much of a development is the Vox Nutube really?
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In the early 80’s I had an ES175 and a SS amp. Today I have an ES175 and a SS amp. (Well, to be honest, I have several guitars and several amps.) So not much has changed.
It is true that the average or beginner player can access a guitar and amp of far better quality than what was available 50 years ago. Most if not all famous guitarists of the 60’s/70’s started out on cheap Japanese or German guitars, or possibly a mass-market Harmony, none of which could compare to a current Fender or Epiphone or Ibanez.
What has changed is the internet and access to music and performances. Back in the day there was sheet music and listening to records. Now there are detailed versions of songs famous and not famous with the click of a button, in whatever key you want. You can play an accompaniment through your iPad or iPhone. You can look at live performances of those songs.
It’s like trying to find a rare record BITD. You would visit the used record store for weeks, months even, to see if that record would show up in the bins.
Nowadays, you type it in search, and voila it’s there.
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I'm happier with my older amps, while not feather weights they sound as good or better as any thing recent in side by side comparisons. In fact my newer class D amps have had circuit board issues and with those it is replace rather than repair. My modern hand truck is great!
Gear wise Id put the biggest improvements in the digital category in regards to computer recording and effects/synthesis.
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The only reasons making a circuit board (economically) unrepairable are its design aspects: size, level of integration and the way components are mounted. I would expect that some of those can apply to tube amps too (they don't have only tubes inside, after all)? Originally Posted by Cavalier
(your hand truck??)
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Easy to install compensated nuts.
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All of the above, it is straight forward to replace a board however. My old Fender and Ampeg tube and Yamaha and Barcus Berry solid state amps are accessible for the components, but have never needed work. Originally Posted by RJVB
The hand truck folds.
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Never thought I'd hear myself say it but the contemporary SS offerings from companies like Henriksen, Quilter, and Fender (Tone Master series) are outstanding.
Last edited by jumpnblues; Yesterday at 06:46 PM.
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Yep they are alright but don't sound any better, I've run them side by side. For myself I'm looking for more of a full range sound because of the violin and guitars so some things that are guitar focused don't quite work for me.
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Fractal Audio Systems. That's for me personally.
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Again sure gear has gotten so much better overall. But what’s the point if the computer does the heavy lifting. It’s the struggle and synergy between the musicians that I love about music and Jazz mostly!
Add to that Facebook You Tube, and lowering the bar to enter the larger or even local arenas. Playing rehashed bad copies of the original gems. WTF? I never would enter music as a profession with all of the new technologies available today.
And I never did it to as a hobby or money making proposition.
I did it because I felt I had no other real choice
I have no ill will towards those hobbyists who enjoy it.But when it’s considered on the same level as the actual pros. I have to draw the line.. Sorry for the Rant!
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Wait. I just read this in terms of guitar. The DAW has been the biggest boon for me as a musician. Of course I’ve been building my studio meticulously since the mid 80s. This has allowed me to make demos of my music and in recent years to record and release my music professionally. The Fractal units allow me to quickly get my sound and play live without breaking my back.
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This crossed my mind as well. It just so happens that I have really been getting into the world of synthesizers myself. There is a healthy used market as well as new. I wanted to get into sound design from the ground up and was able to purchase locally a full Behringer System 100 (recreation of the 1979 Roland System 100), a whole pile of semi-modular stuff, as well as some fine analog synths from the likes of Erica Synths, Vermona, Make Noise, Dreadbox, and others. Then, of course there is plenty of Roland stuff around at very reasonable prices too. It is an endless world, but you can go as inexpensive or expensive as you wish. Originally Posted by supersoul
Tony
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Which synth from them do you have? Originally Posted by tbeltrans
I bought a Syntrx when they first came out. Most expensive piece of musical equipment I've ever bought! I've always wanted an EMS VCS3 but those are next to impossible to get. Having had it a couple years, I'm still really happy with it!
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I have the Perkons, the Syntrx II, and the Matrix Mixer to bring Syntrx II sensibility to my other modular and semi-modular synthesizers. I also have several synthesizers from Dreadbox, (Erebus v2 reissue, Nymphes, Typhon, Telepathy bundle) and a couple from Behringer (2600, System 100 modular, and Neutron) to cover the analog side of things. At some point, I would like to perform a live set consisting of the Perkons, Syntrx II, and Vermona Perfourmer. In my area there is a synthesizer meet-up and those who organized it put on a quarterly meet-up that features a kind of open mic for performers of electronic music (down tempo stuff) and whoever wants to can bring some equipment for a show and tell to expose folks to a wider variety of gear instead of just seeing it in an online catalog web site. Through this group, I have been able to meet others with similar interests and purchase equipment since among them, there is a local healthy used market. I just pick 3 or 4 items to connect together at a time, keeping it simple. However, I have quite a collection so I never get bored and will forever be learning new things with what I already have instead of constantly chasing the market. Originally Posted by supersoul
Tony
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The day I discovered the influence of high-end bridges on the tone of my guitars (viceversa the tonesucking effect of cheap hardware).
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For me it was probably getting a BF Deluxe Reverb in the late '70's. Because I finally understood what a great guitar sound is. Once you understand great tone, at least you know what you are shooting for with other gear, even digital rigs.
I was then able to go on to other great but different (Vox, Marshall) amps to get a variety of sounds.
In terms of developments since then, in terms of music definitely the invention of the DAW and being able to record professionally at home, which provided me with a lifelong professional career.
In terms of guitars, about guitars specifically, not much! Possibly boutique amps and pedals.
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No, it was for IP-theft reasons. Every year, the basement of NAMM would be loaded with cheap Chinese knockoffs of products that debuted in the US or Europe just a year or two before. I haven't been to NAMM in a few years now, but I would bet that this trend has not reversed. Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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I only once needed an amp for en electric violin that I'd borrowed, and discovered that the big amp (probably a Fender) of the bassist worked like a charm. Originally Posted by Cavalier
My reluctance concerning "made in China" predates the corona virus chronicles and has nothing to do with the fact it presumably came from there nor with IP theft. Covid-related lock-ups did probably boost online ordering habits and the invasion of Chinese products in our markets. Originally Posted by sgosnell
Reminds me of an old silly joke but still doesn't tell me what a "hand truck" is... Originally Posted by Cavalier
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I had a 1970s Simms-Watts Ike Isaacs 2x12 SS Combo (get one on Reverb for 850€ now!) which weighed an absolute tonne. I also had a roadie/van driver/would-be manager to lug it if he was in a good mood. I carried my Strat and pedals, thanks. The Roland Cube 80 I got a few years ago has probably almost as much clean headroom as that amp and I can do the "one trip" thing with it (archtop in the other hand + 4 optional pedals in a backpack).
Looper pedals. My favourite pedal, followed by the polyphonic Boss octave pedal. Incredibly useful devices for composition, arranging and practising lines.
Vast selection of string types and picks. Actually, this can be very time-consuming and I ended with just two brands that I use for flats and rounds.
Home recording: I remember a 2-hour studio booking for a demo cost more than a week's wages c. 1973. 15 years later I did a complete multitrack demo c/w double-tracked vocals (not mine!) on a Fostex 4-tracker. Remember ping-ponging? Yes, it generated noise. Remember Dolby? Now, .... I mostly use the looper!
I don't use tuners
- gimme an A
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