About Keyboards with Thierry
Nothing is more subjective than the ‘sound’ of an electronic instrument. In the realm of guitars, beyond differences in taste, everyone can pretty much agree on the quality of a particular instrument (for example: the ‘clarity’ of a Fender, the ‘warmth’ of a Gibson, etc.), but when it comes to synthesizers, it’s quite different! Opinions are very diverse, with one person describing a particular sound as fabulous, and another finding it completely horrible.
In this domain, due to the long history of electronic instrument making, the multiple uses it has been made of in popular music, personal tastes of course, but above all the influence of fashions, doing an objective judgment is not particularly easy. The most telling example is undoubtedly the fate of analog instruments in the early 1980s:
At that time, and without appeal, these were suddenly described as “old-fashioned” in the face of the arrival of the first digital instruments (DX Yamaha in the lead). They were soon relegated to consignment sales in the cellars of music stores, at ridiculously low prices.
Then, from the mid-90s, we saw them come back in force and find a special place in the hearts of musicians, undoubtedly tired of the somewhat artificial richness of the instruments of the previous decade.
“Vintage” instruments then became increasingly rare and expensive, and are now even being “emulated” by digital computers, or even completely remanufactured (Moog, Korg). As such, what is true at one moment is no longer true the next.
Another side of the problem is that we too often forget that a sound cannot be judged alone. A sound only expresses itself within a given musical context. The typical example is a sound rich in harmonics which sounds great on its own, but becomes very tiny into the mix, while another sound, simpler and well-placed can have an extraordinary presence. All this to say that I have ended up not paying much attention to the opinions of others on electronic instruments and sound choices, including my own. When it comes to opinions, I have heard everything and anything…
Which is not to say that my own choices were, or still are, always the best, far from it! On the other hand, it is certain that these choices have always been made in a particular context, for a particular use, and at a particular time. They are sometimes off the mark..
… By taking a quick look at some of the instruments I have had the opportunity to hold in my hands, I offer you in this section my personal comments, and therefore perfectly subjective and assumed, on the qualities and defects of the little toys that follow:
