[kj] In Defense of Hosannas

[Leigh Newton]

Stuff like editing and pitch-correction has been happening since people started making records. Programs like Pro-Tools just make it easier. So, in a sense, it can be a bit of a crutch, especially if you aren't a great musician or a tight band or whatever. 

On the other hand, that's kind of what making an album is all about. It's not necessarily about the performance and only that. It's all about the final product. If you nail a perfect drum take except for one damn kick drum accent that you missed, the only thing keeping you from copying and pasting the kick drum from the previous bar and sticking it where the missed one is supposed to be is your ego. Work smart, not hard. Work smart, not hard. If the band or the album is a sucky one, you'll hear it whether the drums are in perfect time or not. 

I find the only people who are down on the whole Pro-Tools/Nuendo/whatever thing are either analogue purists who are going for a certain asthetic or people who really don't understand the technical side of music and assume that, because you're using a computer to record your shit on, it's "fake". 

Leigh


----- Original Message ----
From: T.B. <Partyslammer at socal.rr.com>
To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 6:13:53 PM
Subject: Re: [kj] In Defense of Hosannas


"B. Oliver Sheppard" wrote:



> To be honest, I had to wonder myself, in the KJ 'o06 Electronic Press Kit, 

> when Jaz was boasting about "primitive," "analog" etc. set up -- 

> yet the camera shows a flat panel computer screen in the studio box, what 

> was going on. I have also heard the Bad Brains say their new album is "the 

> real deal, not some Pro-Tools affair," etc.

>

> Myself, I would love to have a copy of ProTools. Why is everyone so down 

> on it? (I do have Apple Logic Pro but have no idea how to use it.)

>

> Having said all this -- changing my feeling about whether ProTools or not 

> is Satan -- I'm still going with songs like "Tribal Antidote" being really 

> good. What others see as a sludgy mess I justs ee as a very powerful, 

> churning, juggernaut of a song.


It's very easy for a band or producer to become basically a slave to doing 
*everything* on a music production software like Pro-Tools.  In stead of 
getting a good performance in the studio by the band or singer, you can just 
cut n' paste samples of *anything* to create a song. Singer out of pitch, no 
problem.  Guitarist can't nail a solo, no problem. Drummer can't keep 
perfect time, no problem.  You start adding all that up, it leaves far more 
room for mediocrity and little for actual spontinaity in the studio. Throw 
in a lazy or inexperienced producer and you get 95% of what passes for music 
these days.

While KJ '03 is by far my favorite album from the band, I don't hear a live 
band on that album.

T.B. 


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