What is your take on this...

So, I have a band, I'm the guitarist//synth programmer (for recordings)

My band tried to get a synth player.. but, it ended up working not so well.

At this point we have a drum machine...

but, what about also having the synth bounced to audio tracks set to play in time with the drums?

is that a terrible thing?

There are quite a few detailed synth parts and for all of the songs we do the synth is always playing, either a pad/atmosphere or a some sort of lead in sync with the guitars.

So, how do you feel about this?

and getting another synth player is not an option because nobody wants to play minimalistic/ambient/electro/indie music.

......... and the twisted irony........ nobody in my area but myself wants to play this kind of music.

Sorry I live in SW OH.

there is no wrong or right.

there are no rules when it comes to music... that's the beauty.

yeah.. but.. how would you feel if you went to go see a band and you hear all of this synth stuff... and nobody is behind the keyboard?!

I personally feel it's a bit.. eh.. cheating..

seriously. don't put yourself into a creative box based on what you're afraid other people will think.

i play in a band with 7 synths, a sequencer and a drummer. 50% is sequenced, 50% is played live, and it's {censored}ing awesome.

some of my fav bands use sequencers... that's what they're for... to sequence things for you. this is not cheating... this is making music in the 21st century.

now, if the most intricate and important parts to your songs are sequenced, and you're just playing bass notes with one finger... that might be kinda lame, but your music belongs to no one but you, do what ever you want with it.

keep looking for that synth player, but don't let that stop you from making the music you want to make. in fact, playing out with a sequencer is the best advertising you can do to attract that perfect minimalist synth player.

sleepykeith is right. At first I thought I was cheating by using the edit functions in Digital Performer, but then a quick change of perspective showed me that using a creative tool is absolutely in the bounds of 'legal' creativity. Besides, there's just no rules

Wear space helmets on stage and no one will notice.

I'm sure there are plenty of elitists who will denigrate you for using sequencers live, but they can be safely ignored as douchebags. There will also be purists who will feel that it's not really music, or not really live, but they can be ignored as old men. It's fine, you'll be fine.

Have one of the girlfriends stand behind an unplugged synth pretending she's playing. XD

Actually the use of sequencing in rock bands was pretty common throughout the 90s, so it's not even a 21st century thing.

Problem Solved.

maybe it's different on the east coast, but here in the PNW sequencing in rock bands is practically expected. i see bands plug their ipods into the PA's and solo over their own mp3's.

it's all about making due with what you have, and you don't have a synth player.

trying to hold yourself to some idealistic standard will just frustrate you... and 10 years from now you'll look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Thanks guys for your input.

: )

You're lovely and now I've got more confidence!

but.. this is coming from synth guys.

i wonder what i'd get if i posted this topic in the guitar forumm...

It's not even an mp3 player..

i have a laptop with a midi foot controller and i'll play the loops with that.

so at least i'll look SEMI-professional, right : )

and i guess. I'm used to seeing synth/ambient bands have these huge tangled messes of wires all of the place.

I just wanted to quote this in case ClavAnother missed it, it's what I was telling him to do for his originals live project

Guitar forum? They'll be too busy staring at their own bellybuttons or talking about Metallica to even care.

Screw midi- use a digital recorder. I used to tour with a Roland VS1880 playing back up vox, instruments, whatever...

I actually got really lazy towards the end and would fake the entire show- both synths and OUT IN FRONT GUITAR LEADS... Just let the VS1880 play everything. Gave me more time to press the smoke and bubbles on cue and look really cool as I pretended to play.

Nobdy ever knew- not even the band... But we would walk off stage and I would turn to the lead singer and say, " didn't play a single note tonight" and he would just laugh and walk away...

Never confuse performance with musical skill- they don't have anything to do with each other most of the time.

I'd put the drums and sequenced in the same recorded medium. Less to worry about. Let NOTHING stop you.

program away- then you can add producer to your resume

I was going to have the drums and synth on one audio track so there wouldn't be any syncing problems.

but likeee the way I have things set up is going to be odd.

on my foot controller i'll have various parts of songs that will play on command.. so that I could extend songs at will.

CONFIDENCE!

do you guys have a myspace page?

if i heard what you did i could offer a more informed opinion.

Obviously said by someone who has never been on tour... But then again maybe you aren't also the musical director. When money is involved, ego takes a back seat unless you want to fail and I never trusted the house to do {censored}. Not a house party or the house of blues.

But thats the difference between music and a show. I put on a show- screw music... I prefer money. If I play music its with friends/clients at the studio or a small club- otherwise screw em!

I think you can say that after 32 years... And if you knew how many did crap like that it would make you sad.

here's one of the latest songs.

rough version..

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ygzzxe5mkjj/

Obviously said by someone who has never been on tour... But then again maybe you aren't also the musical director. When money is involved, ego takes a back seat unless you want to fail and I never trusted the house to do {censored}. Not a house party or the house of blues. But thats the difference between music and a show. I put on a show- screw music... I prefer money. If I play music its with friends/clients at the studio or a small club- otherwise screw em! I think you can say that after 32 years... And if you knew how many did crap like that it would make you sad.

wowza!

And you're worried about sequencing THAT? I assumed it was something that required skill to play. Thats pure ambient backing synths with minimal key work- nobody cares if thats sequenced...

Get a family member to don a disguise and just act if he/she were messing with the synths *wink**wink*

And you're worried about sequencing THAT? I assumed it was something that required skill to play. Thats pure ambient backing synths with minimal key work- nobody cares if thats sequenced...

that's one of the less synthy songs!

We were trying to avoid technical synth parts when we did that song.

if you want something MORE synthy I can send you one of those too.

: )