In the future, Zildjian is extinct...

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2002-12-31 10:21am

I think this perfectly sums up the Federations overuse of high tech devices when low tech if not only just as good, but better. I was watching Nemesis again last night (It wasn't my fault! My girlfriend wanted to see it!) and the wedding scene happened. I noticed this before, but now that I look at it, most of the instruments being used in the wedding scene were hightech synthetic versions, most notably the drum set, which even sported bright green plastic cymbals. When struck, it made a cymbal noise like you'd normally expect.

Tell me which is better, a high tech synthetic neon cymbal or one made of bronze? If you know how to use your sticks, you can get every bit as good a sound out of a metal cymbal as a computer can generate. And you need no computer, no pick-ups, no power supply, no speakers. Just a wooden stick and the cymbal. Considering the space they were playing in, a drum set is loud enough to be completely unmicced, in fact, if the drummer wailed on it, too loud.

And if you want a different sound for your cymbal, there are all sorts of different shapes and sizes and consistancies. Hell, this is StarTrek, they can replicate proper cymbals depending on what they need.

In my mind, it's like using a laser to cut your vegetables. I mean, really... you don't need synthetic instruments to play East Berlin or any of the classical music they dig in the future. You use synthetic instruments and synthesizers for special effects and sounds that you can't get with an acoustic instrument. If you want an acoustic sound, which they did, use a freaking acoustic instrument. This is actually a step-back from TNG, where instruments shown were actual instruments, not synthetic knock-offs (I suppose that it's because it's cheaper to buy the instruments than to make futuristic props and then pull some audio wizardry to make them sound normal).

I suppose I'm just nitpicking, but hey... I can't imagine a world where acoustic musical instruments will ever go away, even if they have computerized versions they can replicate their sound.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-01-01 01:25am

Cars with fins. I rest my case

Seriously, I totally agree. Acoustic beats electronic 100% of the time in my book.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2003-01-01 01:52am

What can you expect? These are people who have computer control pads on asprin bottles.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-01-01 03:51am

I just got the mental image of someone on the Enterpise being unable to sleep because the guy in the quarters next door is playing his replicated drums...

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2003-01-01 10:48am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I just got the mental image of someone on the Enterpise being unable to sleep because the guy in the quarters next door is playing his replicated drums...

And he can't do anything for the resulting headache because he's too bleary and frustrated to work the computer pad control on his asprin bottle.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-01-02 03:44pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:This is actually a step-back from TNG, where instruments shown were actual instruments, not synthetic knock-offs (I suppose that it's because it's cheaper to buy the instruments than to make futuristic props and then pull some audio wizardry to make them sound normal).

Oh yeah? What about the lame folding piano that Picard's girlfriend had when they were playing with his ocarina-like thing? That's got to be the worst, most uncomfortable to use piano in the world.

The only real instruments I remember are those used in the Holodeck.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-01-05 06:12am

Riker's trombone was real.

Baron Mordo · Post by **Baron Mordo** » 2003-01-05 10:56am

But he gave it to his evil twin.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2003-01-05 11:58am

That couldn't be a real trombone. You can't use the slide and keep the same pitch like he does whenever he's performing (when he's not performing it sounds like a cross between whales humping and chronic flatulence). It operates on the same principle as future guns, which have you slide and cock all manner of things solely for effect, when actually all you have to do is just push the button.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-01-05 05:20pm

Sonnenburg wrote:That couldn't be a real trombone. You can't use the slide and keep the same pitch like he does whenever he's performing (when he's not performing it sounds like a cross between whales humping and chronic flatulence). It operates on the same principle as future guns, which have you slide and cock all manner of things solely for effect, when actually all you have to do is just push the button.

I don't remember that. Do you have any examples? I just watched Conundrum on my computer and it sure sounded like the notes matched the positions.

FYI, 1st and 5th position can both be used for Bb, 1st and 6th for F... ever heard of 'alternate positions'?

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2003-01-06 01:38am

I played a little trombone actually several years back, so I know what you mean. What I mean is that he moves the slide to change positions and while it's moving he maintains the same note. IOW, he can go from 1st to 6th position F while holding the same note during the entire move.

I can't remember the episode(s) I saw it at (we're talking about six years ago) but my roommate commented on it as well while we're watching. He laughed and started bowing going "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-01-07 01:56am

Hmm. Maybe they dubbed in the trombone in that episode for some reason, and they didn't try to have it match what was on screen.

Solid Snake · Post by **Solid Snake** » 2003-01-07 10:41pm

Howedar wrote: Seriously, I totally agree. Acoustic beats electronic 100% of the time in my book.

Heavy distortion gives me a stiffy...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-01-07 10:47pm

SolidSnake wrote:
Howedar wrote: Seriously, I totally agree. Acoustic beats electronic 100% of the time in my book.
Heavy distortion gives me a stiffy...

Congradulations, you've just killed this thread.

How the hell is someone supposed to go after something like that?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-08 08:20am

SolidSnake wrote:
Howedar wrote: Seriously, I totally agree. Acoustic beats electronic 100% of the time in my book.
Heavy distortion gives me a stiffy...

Urge to kill... rising!

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-01-08 08:48am

Remember- this is a civilization with LCD touchscreens on DUMBELLS.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-08 09:21am

Vympel wrote:Remember- this is a civilization with LCD touchscreens on DUMBELLS.

I always thought flying a shuttle using touchscreens was a silly idea, but dear lord!

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-01-08 06:39pm

Vympel wrote:Remember- this is a civilization with LCD touchscreens on DUMBELLS.

Why not?

Seriously. Why waste space and energy on having a full set of dumbells when you could have just a few? I'd guess (pure, total speculation) that the touchpads were to set how much they 'weighed', and that they operated by interacting with the ship's gravity system.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

In the future, Zildjian is extinct...

In the future, Zildjian is extinct...

Re: In the future, Zildjian is extinct...