Summary & Key Takeaways ​

• The author acquired an EP-1320 Medieval sampler, featuring unique medieval sounds.
• Its complex, mode-based interface is compared to learning programming and command-line tools.
• The machine's "stubbornness" and specific way of thinking required for its use are highlighted.
• Learning its unique language opens up new possibilities and ways of thinking, similar to programming.
• The article suggests that machines can program us as much as we program them.

Our Commentary ​

I love these kinds of reflections. It's easy to get caught up in the latest framework or tool, but stepping back to think about how we interact with complex systems, whether it's a medieval sampler or a CLI, is genuinely refreshing. The idea that "you program the machine, and the machine programs you" really resonates. It makes me wonder how much our current dev tools are subtly shaping our thought processes. Are we becoming more "mode-less" in our thinking, or just swapping one set of modes for another?