Hartmann Neuron

[Martin Naef]

Tony,

Tony Hardie-Bick wrote:
> I have a nagging suspicion that the whole synth industry is a rather beautiful 
> smoke-and-mirrors, for algorithms that lag behind pure software to a rediculous 
> degree.

I think pretty much any industry feels like smoke-and-mirrors once you 
understand enough of how they work. That's the beauty and the curse of 
being an engineer...

Having said that, I don't care much if something is "state of the art", 
meaning it reflects the latest knowledge, or not. It has to be usable, 
enjoyable. Just over a week ago I spent a good amount of cash on a Boss 
GT-10b bass processor, totally knowing that I'd get very similar 
features and a lot more amp models with NI Guitar Rig for just over half 
the price. But guess what? The pure physicality and immediacy just feels 
so much more inspiring that I couldn't care less about the rest. The 
integrated looper, which is ten times less powerful than Ableton Live, 
got my attention immediately because I could stamp on a switch and have 
fun - I'm even tempted to spend the same amount of money again just for 
a dedicated looper pedal. Heck, even the Zoom B2 I had before was more 
fun than Guitar Rig (trust me, I know - I used the demo extensively 
before I decided it sounded great but didn't inspire me).

Smoke and mirrors? Hey, if people are happy to pay money for them 
because they feel they get something out of it, more power to the 
manufacturer!

Martin