Quote Originally Posted by Patch View Post
I know the answer to this.

We are perfectly familiar with guitarists being expressive when they play. And we do not call them silly because, guitar players that have reached such a standard that they CAN make huge expressive movements without looking silly and without missing a note are in most cases, massively talented individuals. They've been playin for so long, and they are so familiar with the guitar, that the instrument is practically an extension of their body. Sounds a bit corny, but it's true.

Guys that swing a Midifighter around the room after 3 weeks practice look like knobs because they are NOT familiar with their instrument. They look uncomfortable, and awkward. And there is nothing wrong with that. If a guitar player with 3 weeks experience starting wailing, he too, would look uncomfortable and awkward.

Inexperience shows through, and sync makes it easy for a controllerist of 3 weeks experience to think he is the shit.

And that, friends, is why a controllerist with 3 weeks experience, believes that he looks cool when swinging his instrument around his head.

True expressive movements are almost subconcious. They come about when exitement meets unconcious competance.

A little personal hate of mine, actually, is these people that make huge hand gestures when mixing. Tweaking a knob by 0.5mm then retracting the hand like it was burned makes my blood boil. All this banging a button and withdrawing the hand to the shoulder is laughable.

Please don't do it.
Sometimes it's unconscious when I (and others) get really into a set to start mixing with a little more emphasis. Adjustments that aren't tempo/beat-sensitive are still made in-time and with exaggerated movements because nobody is watching me and I'm into it, loving it, just doing my thing. I don't flip out like Steve Angello would but I still have fun. It's like accelerating in a car faster than you need to: it's fun, exciting, and even if it is a little more unconscious work it still gets you to the same destination.