KVR Audio

setAI · Post by **setAI** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:34 pm

the more I keep hearing these 'testimonials' from musicians saying they miss the raw sound and physical interface of their hardware- and how they are tired of the coldness and distant complexity of softsynths- I have to wonder if maybe computer-music should still be left to us futurist sci-fi nerds and all you less-nerdy types should have kept your comfortable meat-space interface

baby-steps- stick with the keyborads and leave the computer music to the geek-elite

dr. orange · Post by **dr. orange** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:40 pm

kuniklo · Post by **kuniklo** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:44 pm

setAI wrote:the more I keep hearing these 'testimonials' from musicians saying they miss the raw sound and physical interface of their hardware- and how they are tired of the coldness and distant complexity of softsynths- I have to wonder if maybe computer-music should still be left to us futurist sci-fi nerds and all you less-nerdy types should have kept your comfortable meat-space interface

baby-steps- stick with the keyborads and leave the computer music to the geek-elite

Autechre claim to have done their last album almost entirely with hardware instruments. In fact, just about all of my favorite musicians seem to use at least some hardware.

Feel free to keep revisiting 80's-era Parmegiani with all your algorithmic Max/MSP wheezing though.

Ildon · Post by **Ildon** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:45 pm

You know, I feel much closer to Ravity, SFZ, Edirol VSC, my new Hyper Canvas, and LFX1013 than I ever did with my hardware synth. Also, I've never used a hardware sequencer, but I honestly can't think of anything easier than opening up Cakewalk and hitting "record."

I mean, the only thing I use to make music these days, aside from my computer, is the Hyper Canvas with my XP acting as a MIDI controller. I can do so much more with software than I could with hardware. My hardware synth felt like a really distant stranger that I HAD to work with. Ravity, Hyper Canvas, SFZ, etc. they all feel like my best mates (as my Australian friend puts it, hehe.)

dr. orange · Post by **dr. orange** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:48 pm

Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Five years later? Six? It seems like a lifetime, or at least a main era - -the kind of peak that never comes again. San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.

sovietpop · Post by **sovietpop** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:50 pm

I used to own lots of hardware but right now im using almost exclusively a latop with softsynth. Why did i sell my yamaha ex5 ? Mr Ray 73 ! I was using that keyboard only for the exellent rhodes on it but it was too heavy and (imho)Mr Ray 73 sounds better and its free. Same thing with some of my analogue gear (akai ax60, juno 106, ms 20) I prefere using software. no wire, a small portable setup where i can gig everywhere without any prob. Just one crash during a gig ! I think it is ok for me right now to use a computer on stage with a bunch of midi controlers.
There is some also some amazing free stuff out there, my favourite: Antti stuff, synth1, Mr ray and Mr tramp, xship and severals other.
Anyway , never been happyer in my life.

bambooman · Post by **bambooman** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:55 pm

@setAI

true words

i don't need any hardware synth(s),
used to have 3x but got rid of them.

the only hardware(instruments)
i have are flutes and other small
wood instruments

still need to get a xaphoon, this summer

Blue Wind Project · Post by **Blue Wind Project** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:55 pm

I once had a hardware synth...an AKAI AX-80..
also had a Alesis SR-16 drum machine...
but I never payed for the synth...just the Alesis
SR-16..this was back in the early 90's.

Other than that...this is all I ever owned harware
wise...if you asked me a year ago..if I thought I would
own as many synths as I do now...the answer would have been a big fat laugh in your face.

Then last summer, I discovered VSTi..softsynths..
and my life has been transforemed...

What would have cost me 10's of thousands of dollars to buy
harware..I have bought for less than a thousand..and the soft synths..IMHO...do far more..what I mean is..
let's take H.G's Protoplasm TS...came with over
a thousand patches...and what was the price ???

Need I say more ? I know there will those that
will disagree with me..and I respect that...
but the softsynths have aloowed me to do..
what I could never afford in hardsynths.

> DiGiT < · Post by **> DiGiT <** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:57 pm

kuniklo · Post by **kuniklo** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:59 pm

system20 wrote:What would have cost me 10's of thousands of dollars to buy
harware..I have bought for less than a thousand..and the soft synths..IMHO...do far more..what I mean is..
let's take H.G's Protoplasm TS...came with over
a thousand patches...and what was the price ???

Need I say more ? I know there will those that
will disagree with me..and I respect that...
but the softsynths have aloowed me to do..
what I could never afford in hardsynths.

Has it actually made your music better? Do you actually *need* all these instruments and all these choices? Art benefits from constraints and, let's face it, you can get most of the timbres you need for most electronic music from any decent synth if you know how to use it.

Blue Wind Project · Post by **Blue Wind Project** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:25 am

kuniklo wrote:
system20 wrote:What would have cost me 10's of thousands of dollars to buy
harware..I have bought for less than a thousand..and the soft synths..IMHO...do far more..what I mean is..
let's take H.G's Protoplasm TS...came with over
a thousand patches...and what was the price ???

Need I say more ? I know there will those that
will disagree with me..and I respect that...
but the softsynths have aloowed me to do..
what I could never afford in hardsynths.
Has it actually made your music better? Do you actually *need* all these instruments and all these choices? Art benefits from constraints and, let's face it, you can get most of the timbres you need for most electronic music from any decent synth if you know how to use it.

It satisfies me..so I suppose that is all that matters.

kuniklo · Post by **kuniklo** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:51 am

system20 wrote: It satisfies me..so I suppose that is all that matters.

True. Unless you're doing it for money all that matters is whether you enjoy it or not.

bugs · Post by **bugs** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:51 am

I went from an old somewhat out of tune upright piano, a scoring table with architectural drawing tools, turntable with AR speakers and amp and an overstuffed chair--that was my studio.

Now, ten years later, I have two computers, five displays and a projection system, highend monitors, lots of software--sequencers, notation, audio editor, VST instruments and effects. Things are different.

I skipped the hardware instruments, tape decks, mixers, etc phase.

I don't miss the tedious process of inking scores. I don't miss the expense of having to hire musicians to do readings. I don't miss the very restrictive real sound environment. I do miss the simple ambience and may rebuild it as an "ideation chamber". I haven't adapted completely to the new environment as of yet, either musically or physically, but this I expected.

I love being able to hear what I compose in final form virtually "instantaneously". I love the auteur aspect of complete control over the entire process.

The rest of society has yet to make this leap, however. There are significant shortcomings in the new paradigm with which I struggle. We have a long way to go and it has nothing to do with hardware v software, it has to do with people.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:06 am

bugs wrote: The rest of society has yet to make this leap, however. There are significant shortcomings in the new paradigm with which I struggle. We have a long way to go and it has nothing to do with hardware v software, it has to do with people.

Ah! Amen to that!

lowercase · Post by **lowercase** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:10 am

kuniklo wrote:Autechre claim to have done their last album almost entirely with hardware instruments. In fact, just about all of my favorite musicians seem to use at least some hardware.

They did it all on a Monomachine and a Machinedrum, with some Max/MSP patches.

When I saw them live all they had was the elektron hardware and a mini disc player that one of them would hit play on, which had stuff recorded from their max/msp patches. I saw them twice on the Untilted tour and they were doing it all live pretty much, both shows were different so they weren't just going through presets that could have been potentially made on max/msp. I guessed their equipment after the show and hung out with them for a while after the Austin show.

So have we gone all soft?