[A6] What I do with my A6

[Chad Gould]

> I use it as a 3000 dollar midi controller for my collection of many 
> incredible 100-400 dollar softsynths that I got into after I picked up 
> the Andromeda when it was first released. Sad but true. The first 
> thoughts of selling it entered my mind about 5 months ago when I 
> realized it was getting almost no usage in my music. 

Well, personally, I'd keep it if you are thinking of playing live soon or
even later. Let's face it, when playing out, seeing someone noodle on a
laptop is about as boring as watching paint dry. Even most dance /
electronic bands seem to go DAT, and then add *something* to watch (singers,
videos, e-drummer, guitarist, naked fetish freaks, whatever) so people don't
get bored. A keyboard that you actually play (or at least mime) I would
think helps.

And, of course, without a true keyboard, you won't be able to perform in any
style that emphasizes the self-contained band (blues, funk, rock-n-roll, emo
/ punk, indie, etc), for the most part. Until the PC and keyboard is
integrated, I'm afraid you'll never be able to get the same sort of
expression you can get on hardware, with software. Well, at least I can't,
and I have heard few softsynth examples in the mode of even a simple
Weezer-style Moog lick, so I think this is a common problem with users.
Perhaps not a big deal for dance, but a big deal for other stuff.

What I do now, again: I am currently in a cover band called Fromage
(originally mainly 80s New Wave covers, but we're expanding to hit a few of
those 70s Rock-N-Roll standards so we can play the oh-so-numerous local
biker bars). Recently I joined a horror-punk original band called Boney
Fiend - a good comparison band to our style is the Groovie Ghoulies, but we
have more songs about beer. My current setup for both: Andromeda for the
analog, a Roland JV1010 for piano and other "standard" samples, and a Roland
VK-8 that's used as both a second Andromeda controller and for B3 sounds.

In the past, I noodled with the A6 to produce some ambient (under the name
Forbidden Star), that was drifting in a nice Tangerine Dream direction
before I got too busy with the above projects to record much. :) 
__________
CHAD GOULD