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Thread started 10/31/20 3:43am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

did prince overuse drum machines live?

Listening to that sott utrecht show, which like most sound boards, is too sterile, so that doesn't help, it's not been properly mixed like the sott concert film (could just be I prefer hearing properly mixed live shows)so the nakedness is unavoidable

But I find it irritating sometimes listening to so many live songs with a drum machine running endlessly in the background

Listening to the npg perform purple rain or kiss, its clear you dont need the live versions to sound just like the records

I'm sure at one point having Bobby z hit pads rather than drums was innovative (it was great for the PR tour) but after a while it sounds like trying to recreate the records too closely. Pretty sure sheila could have done something interesting with songs like hot thing, sott, etc

For some songs I guess you need something electronic running in the background but often it just sounds weird, esp listening to bootlegs

Anyone else find this?
[Edited 10/31/20 3:43am]
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Reply #1 posted 10/31/20 3:53am

andymacfunky

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Agreed, I love hearing the music better re Utrecht, but prefer having the audience as that represents being there.
Re drum machines, I agree again. Songs like WDC won't sound the same live and the drum loops seem limiting. That said, Sign 'O' the Times is awesome as there's great guitar and the reveal when the band join in.
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Reply #2 posted 10/31/20 3:57am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

Yeah, hearing the sott film audio, it sounds brilliant, but elsewhere, it just sounds weird. Kiss on the 86 tour sounds weirdly limp.
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Reply #3 posted 10/31/20 5:23am

OperatingTheta
n

It was innovative initially and Prince certainly utilised the Linn in a very inventive and creative way; it's perhaps the most versatile and fluid drum programming I've heard, which probably explains why Prince continued to use the Linn well beyond its 'fashionable' phase.

In general though, I do prefer the organic, live drumming of the NPG onwards, though Prince did mix electronic drum loops in the 94/95 and 98 incarnations of the NPG. In 94/95 it was particularly effective as it was blended well.
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Reply #4 posted 10/31/20 6:27am

LoveGalore

I almost always prefer Prince with a mix. See Love & Sex, Strange Relationship, Walking in Glory, etc from SOTT SDE.
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Reply #5 posted 10/31/20 7:40am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

LoveGalore said:

I almost always prefer Prince with a mix. See Love & Sex, Strange Relationship, Walking in Glory, etc from SOTT SDE.


Talking about live performances,not recordings....
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Reply #6 posted 10/31/20 7:41am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

OperatingThetan said:

It was innovative initially and Prince certainly utilised the Linn in a very inventive and creative way; it's perhaps the most versatile and fluid drum programming I've heard, which probably explains why Prince continued to use the Linn well beyond its 'fashionable' phase.

In general though, I do prefer the organic, live drumming of the NPG onwards, though Prince did mix electronic drum loops in the 94/95 and 98 incarnations of the NPG. In 94/95 it was particularly effective as it was blended well.


On record he was amazing with it.

But even on the 1999 tour, or on the SDE DVD at least, sometimes it feels like he had the linn running non stop!
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Reply #7 posted 10/31/20 12:40pm

spoida

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if you like it strict like the record, drum machine, otherwise - live drummer.

i like the mixture, like on the lovesexy tour.

purple rain as a song doesnt need a drum machine, as maybe the tempo increases as the song progresses with the emotion but maybe 'alphabet st' relies on that strict tempo to groove.

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Reply #8 posted 10/31/20 8:29pm

lavendardrumma
chine

Yeah all his early tours had breaks where the drums would just go on and Prince was changing costumes or taking a breather. The funny thing is they're not that long in retrospect but I remember live they could feel like forever. But ten seconds of a drum machine going, with a light in the kick drum or something novelty like, with the band halfway trying to fiddle around..it does justify some criticism. He was trying to keep the energy alive though.

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Reply #9 posted 11/01/20 9:03am

thebanishedone

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First of all Linn drum live was totally different than the studio versions.So it was not used

to replicate drum patterns.

Nobody except Prince at that time went on tour with a drum machine.

In my opinion Prince should have kept using noth linn and live drums for live shows.

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Reply #10 posted 11/01/20 11:33am

lavendardrumma
chine

thebanishedone said:

First of all Linn drum live was totally different than the studio versions.So it was not used

to replicate drum patterns.

Nobody except Prince at that time went on tour with a drum machine.

In my opinion Prince should have kept using noth linn and live drums for live shows.


That definintely wasn't true about drum machines, even Gradmaster Flash was tapping out live drums, and that's without talking about Kraftwerk, and Devo.... but Prince was still a pioneer.

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Reply #11 posted 11/01/20 12:16pm

TheKid94

I love the sound of the linn so I'm not against his use of it.

The 1999 tour had some interesting patterns with Sexuality and Lady Cab Driver being notable favorites of mine. I also dig the combination of the two, especially with Sheila and Michael B, those are talented drummers who go more than enough features. For me it's just about including the Linn Drum sounds somewhere in the mix, I thought his ONA - Musicology band did that well with John hitting a trigger.

prince
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Reply #12 posted 11/01/20 3:52pm

LoveGalore

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

LoveGalore said:

I almost always prefer Prince with a mix. See Love & Sex, Strange Relationship, Walking in Glory, etc from SOTT SDE.


Talking about live performances,not recordings....



And I still prefer him with a mix? Like he used in every tour in the 80s.
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Reply #13 posted 11/01/20 4:34pm

JudasLChrist

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I have always loved his use of Drum machines. I would say no. It's sounds dope.

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Reply #14 posted 11/01/20 11:30pm

PurpleSullivan

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JudasLChrist said:

I have always loved his use of Drum machines. I would say no. It's sounds dope.

Ditto. The sounds Prince could get out of a drum machine were so innovative and still sound innovative. More drum machines more better IMO

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