hardware is more fun

[KungKrille]

Agree, plus software isn't still there

Really?

[keyman_sam]

Definately in the camp that says hardware is more fun.

I mean, software is all cool and whatnot - you can program godknowswhat in reaktor successfully - but you can't really touch it. And no, having controllers is NOT the same thing at all.

I love working with my hardware workstation because it presents the perfect environment for experimentation. Go ahead and dial that knob and see what happens. Put a mic on, sing something and mess with the pitch shifter and see what happens. Then hit a single button that samples what you just did in the past 30 seconds - that's brilliant! Now chop that sample and assign it to the pads and repeat the process. You want a quick jam? The built-in arp gives you a drummer to jam with instantly.

Unfortunately, the limitation is that I don't get the power of software in hardware. This is why I use simple programs like Energy-XT2 that more than anything, do not INTERFERE with music makin (or in my case -messing around). A point and click software interface like EXT, while still not perfect, gets me somewhat close to the hardware feel of everything within your control, and everything so accessible and simple to use. In other words, we need software that gives you the accessibility of hardware and encourages you to mess around the way MOST hardware synths and samplers do (not too fond of my akai S2000 ).

[theviirus]

You can destroy software on stage, but it is not as fun and no one cares.

[musikmachine]

That's why i mentioned maschine. You could do what you with the workstation once they add monitoring and destructive editing. Maschine has still got some way to go to be a complete hardware replacement but it's getting there. Ni have been great with the development and have really listened to the users when implementing new features.

[fac]

Agree, plus software isn't still there .

Where? My software is still there in my PC, right where it should be

[Zergling]

It seems that the non-musicians that visit you, have a tendency to think of you as a REAL musician if you have hardware. I don't know why, but this is the way I've experienced it.

(Btw I would have more hardware if i had the money and the space)

[daniel_baum]

Hi all,

I certainly agree that hardware is more fun in some ways. When synths went from analogue to digital, and then from hardware to software, what was lost was not, IMO, the sound, but the control.

Hardware VAs, and, to some extent, MIDI controllers like the Nocturn bring this back to where it was in the days of analogue. Some hardware, like the DX7, which only have obscure LCDs and a slider, are just hard work and not much fun at all.

I just made this piece of music using only hardware synths:

http://alonetone.com/danielb/tracks/short-and-sweet-2

It's mostly Korg Radias, with a couple of Access Virus tracks.

It was fun, but it was also quite difficult and time consuming. Despite how simple this piece sounds, it was actually a very difficult piece to make.

D.

[Sotiris]

It seems that the non-musicians that visit you, have a tendency to think of you as a REAL musician if you have hardware. I don't know why, but this is the way I've experienced it.

(Btw I would have more hardware if i had the money and the space)

Couldn't agree more.
A few years ago, i was surrounded by keyboards, racks full of effects, expanders, patchbays, etc. ("those were the days ...") and there was an instant "wow!" factor for EVERYONE that entered my studio. BEFORE they listened to anything! Pure "visual pleasure".
Fast forward a few years: hardware is gone, replaced by a top-spec PC, a pair of quality monitors and ONE keyboard. Result? When i invited someone, the reaction was (more or less) "Nice office! Where's the door to the studio?"
It didn't matter if i explained that inside the PC there was the equivalent of most of the top-class synths, effects and mixers that ever existed.
Time comes (a)round, as they say, and last year i started collecting used hardware synths and now i'm surrounded by keyboards again, and guess what: i enjoy it more than i expected. Yes, software can be automated easier and can have "total recall" and i still use software a lot, but when i want to have fun, i turn them all on, push "Record" on my DAW and start "playing". And by that i mean playing music and playing like a kid. It's play time!
It's so inspiring and fun, fun, fun!
Have a look here to see what i mean:


I missed this during the last years being "totally software based".
Best of both worlds. Both hardware and software.
They both have their place.
Combined they're heaven.
Happy new year to all!
(I know the date, is it wrong to wish early?)

[robogone]

Agree, plus software isn't still there

Really?

There are a lot of hardware instruments that have nothing that comes close in a software equivalent.

[JediMind]

I'm very happy to find out that I'm not the only maniac filling up his entire space with old stuff like Z1, K5000, TG77, Wavestation, JD-800/990 and so on (no, I don't have these...yet )

I love synths for just the fact that you can bring a pair of headphones, plug the synth in and just mess around with it for a few hours (btw, the headphone jack on the Z1 is very conveniently placed )

So yeah, hardware (in some cases) may be somewhat outdated, but it's tons of fun.

[fac]

Agree, plus software isn't still there

Really?

There are a lot of hardware instruments that have nothing that comes close in a software equivalent.

There are also lots of software instruments that have no equivalent in hardware form. Does that mean hardware "isn't still there"?

[daniel_baum]

I'm very happy to find out that I'm not the only maniac filling up his entire space with old stuff like Z1, K5000, TG77, Wavestation, JD-800/990 and so on (no, I don't have these...yet )

I love synths for just the fact that you can bring a pair of headphones, plug the synth in and just mess around with it for a few hours (btw, the headphone jack on the Z1 is very conveniently placed )

So yeah, hardware (in some cases) may be somewhat outdated, but it's tons of fun.

You certainly aren't. As well as the above-mentioned Korg Radias and Access Virus, I also have an Emu Emax II sampler from about 1990, and a Roland JX-8P from 1985, both of which I bought recently, simply for the fun of it.

I also have a couple of Yamaha FM synths that I bought new in the late 80s.

[robogone]

Agree, plus software isn't still there

Really?

There are a lot of hardware instruments that have nothing that comes close in a software equivalent.

There are also lots of software instruments that have no equivalent in hardware form. Does that mean hardware "isn't still there"?

Not sure how turning it round the other way is relevant. The point was made that software still isn't there, not that hardware still isn't there.

[fac]

Not sure how turning it round the other way is relevant. The point was made that software still isn't there, not that hardware still isn't there.

The relevancy of my response is to show that "isn't still there" is a relative statement. I mean, software isn't still where? Where is it supposed to be?

I'm guessing that when someone says "software isn't still there" they actually mean that software synths do not sound like real analog synths (which is true, particularly at extreme settings). But what makes them think the whole point of software is sounding like analogs?

The most interesting advances in sound synthesis are happening in software, today, and they're not emulations of analog synths. So, no, software isn't there.... it's way beyond. And hardware will hardly catch up in that area. There hasn't been any truly innovative hardware synth in the past 5 years (the last one was probably the Hartmann Neuron). The most interesting things are currently happening in the modular market, but most of them are inspired by software modulars.

Sure, analog synths will always have their own sound, which won't be touched by software in years (if ever). But in a mix they're indistinguishable and most people couldn't care less. The only ones who say "software still isn't there" are those who love analog synths (me included)... for the rest of the world, their untrained, unbiased ears say otherwise.

Finally, please note that I'm an avid hardware user, but I don't think my HW synths sound necessarily better than my SW synths. I've made 100% ITB tunes which people on forums like this praise because they think I made it with my dotcom modular. I've seen lots of shootout posts where trained ears cannot reliably distinguish between a real synth and its emulation in a well-designed double-blind test. The differences are only obvious at extreme settings (high resonance, audio-rate modulation, etc), but for most sounds, software does pretty well.

[robogone]

Not sure how turning it round the other way is relevant. The point was made that software still isn't there, not that hardware still isn't there.

The relevancy of my response is to show that "isn't still there" is a relative statement. I mean, software isn't still where? Where is it supposed to be?

Emulating hardware was the what I assumed was implied - that did seem to be the general direction the thread was going.

"Still isn't there" might be a relative statement, but I'm sure there are plenty of people who would have no problem is agreeing that software still can't replace something like a trumpet without people saying "That's sampled".