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Yeah I mean a camera pretty precisely fits his definition of a tool. Not sure what your point is here.

My point is the line between tool and automation is a pointless line to draw that is about effort not output. This same logic was used to critique photography as an art form.

Do DJ's make music? Why don't they play all the instruments themselves and become "experts"?

Judge the product, not how difficult or easy it was to create it.

One can argue that the instrument DJs master are the discs and the mixer. DJs have to know a lot of songs, know which keys they are in, know which tempo it is in, know the range of tempos two songs sound good together, know which keys sound good together when switching songs, etc. etc. Good DJs are indeed experts. If they wanted automation they would just pick a Now record or a Spotify playlist and play it through.

Is it not possible the spotify playlist is better than the DJ set? I agree DJ's are experts! In fact thats my point! They are just as much experts as musicians playing instruments just different kinds of experts. That being said just because work was done to it does not make it good.

Anyway this is getting a little too involved for a HN thread and it's unlikely I'll move your position but I appreciate the dialog.

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