[NewMusic] acoustic vs. electronic

[Matt Davignon]

On 1/9/07, Barry Threw <bthrew at gmail.com> was like:
>
> Not a useful analogy.  These are useful for completely different purposes.
>
> I did not say that no instruments with acoustical or mechanical
> functions will ever be produced after a certain point.  What I did say
> is that all the instruments that we use now will be obsolete.  There
> will come a time when it will be hard to find a widely used instrument
> with no electronic components.  This is not to say that older
> instruments will not function, and be used, but they will be a niche
> fetish item...just like paper printed books are becoming a fetish item
> today.
>

Just to make sure we're on the same page, what day is today?

I don't see paper books becoming obsolete falling out favor for at least 10
years (if ever). That'll either be the result of someone finally inventing a
screen that doesn't give you a headache after a few hours, or the human
population getting too dumb to read, take your pick.

Sure, electronic guitars have electronics in them to a degree, but acoustic
guitars aren't going away anytime soon. Pianos to a degree have been
replaced by more portable electric pianos, but most of those folks would
much rather play a real piano.

Earlier today, someone described the difference between electronic and
acoustic instruments as being a matter of how they interface with the humans
playing them. I thought that was pretty insightful. Many electronic
instruments are still like playing an acoustic instrument with a 3 foot
stick, or a remote control. They specialize in all sorts of modulation,
sampling and layering that acoustic instruments don't have, but acoustic
instruments will always have the lead in immediacy. If you want to change an
aspect of the sound, you simply hold the instrument differently or change
your attack, whereas with electronics you usually have to assign a knob or
button to control that parameter.

I'll never give up on my small collection of acoustic instruments. I'm just
bashful about being seen in public with them because I'm pretty pathetic at
playing them.