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Certif1ed · 12-23-2010, 05:38 AM

A computer is as much a musical instrument as anything else.

Except in many ways it's better than other instruments - it can be anything you want it to be, except naturally acoustic - so it's not an acoustic instrument (unless you count the case, which you can hit and produce a sound from).

It's an electronic instrument no different essentially to other synthesisers that also use software to manipulate audio digitally (and there are a lot that do that - the days of analogue synths are now a misty memory, except among revivalists).

The big difference is that a computer can not only synthesise digital or analogue synths via software, and be controlled by a keyboard, you can also hook up acoustic instruments to it, and manipulate the sounds of those easily through software.

You can even imitate specific guitar amplifier models, so if you don't own a Marshall or a Mesa, you can simply buy a cheap piece of kit that pretends to be one, and crank up your axe and get into your favourite pose before sounding exactly like your favourite guitar hero. I said "sounding exactly", not "playing exactly"...

By running a DAW, you can be an entire band without actually owning anything other than a cheap guitar and a microphone - and it's possible to synthesise both of those too, so neither are actually necessary any more.

I agree that the software is the equivalent of the strings - it's the strings that make the actual sounds, but without the instrument body, the strings are pretty useless - and the instrument body is responsible for not only amplifying the sound - as well as making actual musical sound possible, but also adding timbre and nuance.

With something like a flute, it's the hole, not the air that is the equivalence of strings. No hole, and there's nothing for the performer to connect with the instrument with, like strings. With a sax, it's the reed, with a trumpet, it's the mouthpiece.

So with a computer, it's the software that the musician interacts with in order to get the instrument to make music.

That's my take on it, anyways...

12-23-2010, 05:38 AM	#158 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	A computer is as much a musical instrument as anything else. Except in many ways it's better than other instruments - it can be anything you want it to be, except naturally acoustic - so it's not an acoustic instrument (unless you count the case, which you can hit and produce a sound from). It's an electronic instrument no different essentially to other synthesisers that also use software to manipulate audio digitally (and there are a lot that do that - the days of analogue synths are now a misty memory, except among revivalists). The big difference is that a computer can not only synthesise digital or analogue synths via software, and be controlled by a keyboard, you can also hook up acoustic instruments to it, and manipulate the sounds of those easily through software. You can even imitate specific guitar amplifier models, so if you don't own a Marshall or a Mesa, you can simply buy a cheap piece of kit that pretends to be one, and crank up your axe and get into your favourite pose before sounding exactly like your favourite guitar hero. I said "sounding exactly", not "playing exactly"... By running a DAW, you can be an entire band without actually owning anything other than a cheap guitar and a microphone - and it's possible to synthesise both of those too, so neither are actually necessary any more. I agree that the software is the equivalent of the strings - it's the strings that make the actual sounds, but without the instrument body, the strings are pretty useless - and the instrument body is responsible for not only amplifying the sound - as well as making actual musical sound possible, but also adding timbre and nuance. With something like a flute, it's the hole, not the air that is the equivalence of strings. No hole, and there's nothing for the performer to connect with the instrument with, like strings. With a sax, it's the reed, with a trumpet, it's the mouthpiece. So with a computer, it's the software that the musician interacts with in order to get the instrument to make music. That's my take on it, anyways...