Repetition
Degradation Vs. Infinity
Published: 1/27/2021
Edited: 2/4/2022
By: Andrew Neyer
Infinity is a strange concept.
Usually, we jump to thoughts of the eternal or “infinite lives” if you ever used a Game Genie in the ’90s. But, the idea of infinite repetition is a fascinating filter to apply to our lives and interests.
I remember as a teenager being captivated by the distinct guitar sounds of U2. The simplistic notes saturated with delay blew my mind. I had never experienced sounds with so much flavor. I was new to playing electric guitar, and I saved up my grass-cutting money for months to buy a delay pedal (Boss DD-3). It had four knobs: Effect Level, Feedback, Delay Time, Mode. The first knob mixes the volume of the pedal's delay effect with the dry signal of the guitar or instrument. The second knob controls the amount of repetition, and the last two changed the time between the delays. After naively making tons of awful noises, I began to realize that simpler patterns, with more repetition, were more pleasing to my ear. I spent more of my time learning how to play into the rhythm of the delays vs. mastering more complex fretting arrangements.
The feedback knob, which controls the amount of repetition, produces an interesting effect when turned up to MAX. Instead of producing an infinite repetition of the note(s), it creates a feedback loop that continues to grow with each repeat and turns to noise. This phenomenon makes for an interesting illustration. As we approach endless repetition (or infinity), the output can gradually overtake the source. The result is a total distortion. On the other side, with the feedback dialed back, the repetition is always in a state of degradation. Too much, and it self-destructs, and in any different setting, it fades away.
I love how well this applies to our habits and investments in life. Infinity is a balancing act, not a setting. If we sense we are fading from our disciplines, we must dial-up to recover, and if we become too obsessed, we erode out the rest of our life. This realization can sound defeating, but finding balance between them is a challenge worth accepting.
There is a terrific scene in Pixar's, Soul, where the main character, Joe Gardner, witnesses 'lost souls' wandering below those in 'the zone', a place where individuals perform at their best across all mediums. Rather than the 'lost souls' portrayed as depressed people, not knowing what to do with their life, they are reframed as individuals in a feedback loop of their own obsessions.
"The zone is enjoyable. But when that joy becomes an obsession, one becomes disconnected from life." – Moonwind (Soul)
This shows up in different areas of our life and work. For a business, the main objective is to prevent your expenses from exceeding your income. When successful, this shows up as profit. How much profit a company needs is the feedback knob. Turn down profit too low, and the business eventually closes, or turn up to MAX, and profit for profit for PROFIT for PROFIT for PROFIT for PROFIT can implode.
The worst consequence of increasing success, or dialing-up, is the risk of becoming disconnected from life, and out of tune with the needs of others. Profit is merely a tool to leverage change in our lives. At home, we try to build up a margin (profit of time) to spend it with our family. But the pursuit of creating margin can turn obsessive and become an obstacle to spending time as a family.
Get in the zone, but do not get lost in it.
Dial-up generosity. Giving to others does not happen accidentally.
Always be generous.
Always be generous.
Always be generous.
FunFact™
Edge used an Infinite Guitar to create some of the most iconic sounds heard on tracks like “With or Without You”. The instrument was invented by Michael Brook, a Canadian composer.
Origin Story
By: Mathew Kahansky
The infinite guitar, as it’s called, came together almost by chance.
The instrument’s inventor is a man by the name of Michael Brook. Brook is a Canadian Grammy- and Golden Globe-nominated composer, but he invented the infinite guitar as a young musician after a musical encounter in Toronto. Brook saw experimental rocker Bill Nelson play with his band at the El Mocambo, and was entranced by a device that Nelson was using. The gadget, called an Ebow, was allowing Nelson to electronically bow the guitar’s string, removing the sound of plucking. Brook was a fan and sent an order to the creator of the Ebow – but the guy lost the order! Brook still wanted the sound and was in the middle of recording an album, so he used his interest in hobbyist electronics to recreate the Ebow’s sound using a guitar itself.
The prototype ended up working exactly as he had hoped: the guitar’s note would sustain itself indefinitely on its own. Brook even accidentally left it on in his basement studio one afternoon, and returned three days later to find the infinite guitar’s coils still humming to themselves. Brook’s unique invention ended up catching the eye of several collaborators, including producer Daniel Lanois, musician Brian Eno, and eventually U2 guitarist Edge himself. Lanois and Edge ended up asking Brook for infinite guitars of their own, and together they are the only owners of the three infinite guitars in existence.
Edge’s version of the infinite guitar is the one you hear on U2’s “With or Without Me”, which turns 30 this year. When the band was originally recording the track, they initially struggled with the direction the song should take. But when Edge was heard noodling with his guitar in the next room, the choice was immediate: the delicate, haunting weeping anchored the band’s performance from then on.
Context
In the above audio clip, a Cm7 chord is played with the DD-3's feedback knob on the MIN setting. Next, the feedback is increased to show an increased repetition that gradually fades away. Finally, a Cmaj7 chord is played with the feedback knob at MAX to show how the infinite repetition quickly overtakes the original input and evolves into total distortion.
“Just a reflection of a reflection of a reflection of a reflection of a reflection…”
Repetition | The Playlist
Click here to listen
Thoughts
– What are things in your life worth repeating?
– How do you avoid degradation?
– What mistakes are you repeating?
– Is his name really The Edge?
