Why do producers still use hardware ?

[waiting man]

mostly, it all starts from a concept.
software is for nerds. nerds can't be right.

[whyterabbyt]

Okay, apparently you never have. I have.

They have a couple 20k protools systems that they use solely for recording and touching up recordings. All the major effects, instruments and console are analog.

http://warehousestudio.com/

Sure about that?

- ProTools version 10
- Waves Platinum v9
- Reason 6

- KURZWEIL K-2500S Mstr Keyboard
- ROLAND JP-8000 Keyboard


- EMT 250 Digital Reverb
- EVENTIDE Orville 96k Quad Processor
- EVENTIDE 949 Harmonizer
- ROLAND SRV - 2000 Digital Reverb
- TC ELECTRONICS Fireworx Digital Effects
- URSA MAJOR Space Station
- EVENTIDE H3000 SE/B ULTRA HARM
- EVENTIDE DSP4000 ULTRA HARM
- LEXICON 480L Reverb V4.0 / Classic Cart
- LEXICON PCM-81 Reverbs/Effects
- LEXICON PCM-70 Reverbs/Effect (V2, V3)
- LEXICON PCM-42 DDL
- (3) ROLAND SDE 3000 DDL
- YAMAHA D-5000 Stereo DDL
- YAMAHA SPX 1000
- YAMAHA SPX 990
- YAMAHA SPX 90 II
- YAMAHA REV - 500
- YAMAHA REV - 5 Digital Effects

[whyterabbyt]

Software crashes

Even software in a hardware box.

requires an OS to run

Oh, teh gods, no!

and will typically become useless if it's key-protected and the company goes out of business (effectively)

I ,love the way you imply that that (a) happens all the time and (b) instantly causes the software to stop working there and then.

or if it becomes to old to be supported by latest DAW or OS kernel

because updating a critical system for its own sake, without any means fo rollback is such a sensible thing to do if your livelihood depends on that system.

And again, is somethign that happens instantly, without warning.

Also, it's much easier to lose and/or damage a CD-ROM of a program (or forget a login, run out of download credits, some similar bullshit, etc.) than misplace an actual fx box or tangible synthesizer.

and again, because keeping track of, or backups of things critical to your livelihood is just such a waste of time. and since they cost so much compared to their hardware equivalent, replacing them is utterly unfeasable.

and of course actual fx boxes or synthesizers dont get lost or damaged, ever. noone drops them, pours drinks down the back, stands on them, the power supplies dont surge, caps dont leak, in fact they're absolutely invulnerable to ageing or anything else. yadda yadda yadda.

That should be enough reason for most people to use and prefer hardware.

Well that's convincing. especially if they're one of the half-dozen people in the world still recording to tape. I mean with all those things that are obviously about to go wrong every second preventing every bit of software they might own evar from working, they'd never be using PT, or Logic, or Live or whatever, now, would they?

[vurt]

clearly theyre the analogue versions...

[IncarnateX]

Sure about that?

Yeah..eh..uh...you might have a point there but since these are digital units they resemble software much more than hardware and bla bla bla!

[whyterabbyt]

Hello I'm beginner in music producing so I don't understand why do the producers still use oldschool hardware to produce music when all the softwares like cubase, fl studio, logic pro have already built-in sophisticated synthesizers and sound manipulators, instruments, etc...Though I understand the usefulness of a midi keyboard while producing, the other stuff that I see in studios I don't see their purpose.. what is it that they have and pc audio producing softwares and plug-ins don't ?

Just for the record, the assumption that 'the producers' all do the same thing, and that same thing is rely on 'oldschool hardware' is completely false.

Some producers use all software. Most will probably use both.

Everyone has their own preferences. Sometimes those preferences are based in a rational subjective choice ("I think this compressor sounds better", "I find this device easier to work with"), sometimes its a pseudo-religious subjective choice (nae comment on "XXXX is intrinsically better"), sometimes there are other factors like genre/nostalgia (eg "must have a 303").

All mileages vary. But I'd suggest you read a couple dozen Sound on Sound interviews with big name record producers (ie not just 'dance music producers') of the 'how we did this album' type. You'll very quickly pick up the fact that in reality, the premise that software doesnt get used by anyone is false.

[whyterabbyt]

clearly theyre the analogue versions...

Analogue Reason 6 FTW.

[Aroused by JarJar]

To those of us who were using hardware synths and effects before the majority of KVR users were born, and are primarily acoustic musicians to boot, the whole "hardware electronics" mythos is just comical, the stuff of "facepalm".

You want to get all organic and real and olde schoole and shit. Learn the f**king cello or saxophone, LOL.

[Gamma-UT]

Cello? Pah. If you want to kick it oldskool, you need a shawm and a lyre.

[faun2500]

To those of us who were using hardware synths and effects before the majority of KVR users were born, and are primarily acoustic musicians to boot, the whole "hardware electronics" mythos is just comical, the stuff of "facepalm".

You want to get all organic and real and olde schoole and shit. Learn the f**king cello or saxophone, LOL.

Shouldn't you be in an old peoples home then?

[vurt]

To those of us who were using hardware synths and effects before the majority of KVR users were born, and are primarily acoustic musicians to boot, the whole "hardware electronics" mythos is just comical, the stuff of "facepalm".

You want to get all organic and real and olde schoole and shit. Learn the f**king cello or saxophone, LOL.

:facepalm and eye roll:

[whyterabbyt]

To those of us who were using hardware synths and effects before the majority of KVR users were born, and are primarily acoustic musicians to boot, the whole "hardware electronics" mythos is just comical, the stuff of "facepalm".

You want to get all organic and real and olde schoole and shit. Learn the f**king cello or saxophone, LOL.

Shouldn't you be in an old peoples home then?

I would think so; AFAIR polls on the age of KVR people have consistently shown that the biggest age group seems to be about 35-45.

[spaceman]

Any producer/mixer "this is how we did song X for famous artist Y" video I have seen in the last 5 years always clearly showed a mix of software/digital and analogue gear, with a list of software plugins usually as long as my arm. The analogue gear usually being compressor units or the likes.

[Gamma-UT]

The thing that strikes me about the engineering interviews is that they have the gear, but the description of what they did (on anything recent) is very plugin-centric. When it comes to dance producers, you get a bunch who claim to have seen the light on hardware and avoid software and, as if by magic, start to suck really badly. I doubt it's the hardware, it's just the problem of coming into money just at the point the creativity dries up.

[Mushy Mushy]

The thing that strikes me about the engineering interviews is that they have the gear, but the description of what they did (on anything recent) is very plugin-centric. When it comes to dance producers, you get a bunch who claim to have seen the light on hardware and avoid software and, as if by magic, start to suck really badly. I doubt it's the hardware, it's just the problem of coming into money just at the point the creativity dries up.

Or they just waste hours and hours twiddling knobs instead of being creative

I can't even recall the last thing I actually recorded from my hardware synths.
However have spent many many hours playing with them.