Or they could approach a TV or film composer, say "Here’s a couple RMEs. Let us buy one of your short outtake cues.
Map the separate MIDI channels to the wall of RMEs and have a 15-30 second spot where it’s highlighted what a professional composer can do with the modules.
For that matter, get Chris Stack back in there and Amos, Steve, and Cyril can program the instruments they know intimately and have their own Moog jam session.
Speaking of fake synthesizer equipment, the dance duo Justice have a fake modular synthesizer they haul onstage with them as a prop. They actually don’t use anything analog… I’ve seen a couple pictures of their live setup. Two laptops, a couple of microKorgs, digital this and that… Really disappointing.
Same as guitarists and the “Wall of Marshalls”. I really don’t get it. I guess they fool most people, but the ones they don’t it really seems retarded to them. At least to me anyway. It’s pointless, bunch of junk you’re hauling around when you could bring actual functioning gear.
It costs more to bring real Marshall stacks.
Eight speakers each with heavy magnets, electronics with transformers.
Multiply it many times and then consider the gas for the trucks or airlines would be a lot more.
And if they did use them, there would more maintenance, soundcheck time and other costs.
As for Emerson, I admit he’s not using that modular to a fraction of what it could do, but it’s a programmable system designed to switch patches quickly that he played on albums.
It’s overkill, but it has a purpose with the way it’s configured.
There’s no purpose to use that many stacks from a sound reinforcement perspective. Or a huge modular. Or a Voyager with backlights or different woods. But musical performances are almost always about more than music. There is the performance art aspect that makes a performance a show. Flash is an important thing until it gets in the way, which can happen with complicated gear.
There are always going to be implements and ornaments, both important, because all of our senses are interconnected.
See? Now if any of you would get your butts to Asheville for Moogfest, you’d be able to play with at least a portion of that wall of devices.
Last year, we had part of it available to everyone in the Moogaplex.
The thing that is staggering about it is the simple fact that the Voyager RME is powerful enough that the diversity of sound it is capable of almost makes the rest of it unnecessary. Now, I know a lot of you are saying “What are you TALKING about?” But seriously. Moogerfoogers are largely effects. It’s not like you’ve got a bank of oscillators, a bank of filters, etc. While one part of what is often called “the Abominatron” is incredibly fun and incredibly useful, it’s not like a modular.
That being said, Moogfest attendees seemed to have a lot of fun with it, if the settings I had to reset every hour or so was any indication!
Anyway. If you come to Asheville for Moogfest, there is the possibility you’ll get to see for yourself.
I wish I could go to Asheville to the Moogfest. But the 36 hours drive, to and from, is more time than I can afford. Or the $400 round trip air fare is also more than I can afford financially right now.