WTF! The End must be nigh.

[Danny Mitchell]

It seems nothing is sacred

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=221682

[Barry]

Not for me, I'm too traditional.

[Jif]

Sounds pretty authentic Danny, but I reckon you can't beat the real thing

I've just gone the other way and mounted my Fishman Tripleplay midi guitar pickup onto the MSA, can only play 6 strings but works very well, so can play samplers, synths, VSTi etc from the steel.

I'll stick up a demo once my poisoned right thumb has cleared up as I can't play a note at the moment

[Haddock]

You’ve got to laugh! What a completely pointless thing to do. To my mind, the purpose if there even is one, of playing instrumental cover versions over backing tracks is as a practice tool to help learn technique and possibly share that with other players. Perhaps the part of playing any instrument that is least interesting to the bystander and I would never dream of sharing it outside of the cult of steel. Now there is software that lets you sound like you’re playing a cover over a backing without even having to put on your picks! What a waste of time..... Perhaps the idea is that you can make it sound like you’re busy practicing while actually watching the telly?
Cheers
Grumpy

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

Danny
Get your guitar out from under the bed and sit behind it instead of filling your head with this nonsense!

My resident sound engineer uttered similar words to Geoff but didn't hold back, " it sounds a bit tinny and very harsh" we're her comments!
Can it be used as a new version of watch and learn with an easy to follow video showing the neck positions as the song is played?
No wonder Captain Haddock is " grumpy " with all those years of practice and expertise replaced by a little knob on a screen!
I'm going back to re inventing the wheel whilst rebuilding one of those old fashioned pedal steel guitar thingy's.
Danny stick to lannie, as WTF it's depressing us all!

[Jif]

I guess music producers could use it to add a bit of steel sound to a composition, also the sound is only as good as the samples and for me as good as any sampled instrument might be it never sounds quite as good as a real instrument.

Also there is the matter of technique, if we go back to the start of soft/sampled instruments, the drum machine, it was predicted that it would replace the need for real drummers. This has proved not to be the case, one of the reasons is that you might be able to play a keyboard very well or be a good programmer, but if you don't understand drum technique it's always going to be a simulation. The same applies to all other sampled instruments, i.e. if you want a violin sample to sound close to a real violin, you would have to involve the technique that a violin player has spent years learning and developing. Also a lot of the technique is inherent in the instrument being played which can only be simulated on a keyboard up to a point.

I use sampled instruments myself so it would be hypocritical of me to say that this particular instrument simulation won't have it's uses for someone who wants a casual piece of steel in the background, but to get the best out of it you would have to be a pedal steel player with a knowledge of technique, so why not just play it on a real pedal steel.

As I said, I have recently fitted a 6 pole midi pickup on my steel, but even if a 10 pole or 12 pole midi pickup was available, I wouldn't use it to play a sampled pedal steel, what would be the point. It is fun to use it to play other sampled instruments, I am however aware of the limitations.

[Haddock]

You know the main difference between a drum machine and a drummer of course? With a machine, you only need to punch the data in once........

[mick hearn]

Very nice and a great deal of work has gone in to this. However as has already been said a midi is only as good as the sample. Those of you who have the latest version of Band in a Box will know that some tracks are real instruments and others are midi. You can tell the difference straight away. I prefer real instruments any day.