What would it take for you to drop your PC/Mac for music making?

[IncarnateX]

Just curious. I used to be a dedicated Reason user and equally dedicated Orion user but in 2014 I suddenly had enough. Too many options, too massively menued DAWs, too many VSTis and RE (though I've never owned THAT much compared to standard KVR member's arsenal). Too much mouse clicking and too little hands on control. Too much unfinished configuration of PC and time spend to set up my control keyboard to each and every synth. Too much glaring at photo realistic guis imprisoned behind a screen testifying that the synths are 2D miniatures with no tactile surface at all and that adding a controller doesn't really change the essence of that. And the GAS of course. Having more synths than finished tunes doesn't have a particular motivational effect on my creativity, on the contrary.

So I grapped a Roland MC909 and made it the hearth of my otherwise humble hardware studio. As far as using software goes, I only use Auria Pro on iPad for recording and mixing. iPad synths and stuff are sometimes used for ideas, which is converted to my hardware synths, and other times for some sound generation in Auria or exported as samples to the MC909. So far I am quite satisfied. No PC shit at all like reinstalling loads of third party stuff, hazzles with dongles, endless options and whats not.

I really feel........free

Of course this only concerns my needs, but what about you? What would it take in the development of e.g. hardware workstations or tablet for you to drop the PC and the massively clustered DAWs?

Cheers

[chk071]

What would it take in the development of e.g. hardware workstations or tablet for you to drop the PC and the massively clustered DAWs?

Weird question. What if i don't consider it the most desirable thing to work with hardware?

[IncarnateX]

What would it take in the development of e.g. hardware workstations or tablet for you to drop the PC and the massively clustered DAWs?

Weird question. What if i don't consider it the most desirable thing to work with hardware?

Hardware or alternatives to PC like tablets. It is just a thought experiment. If nothing could get you off your PC ever, you obviously cannot answer the question.

[Aloysius]

Money would help. Then I'd have options.

[chk071]

What would it take in the development of e.g. hardware workstations or tablet for you to drop the PC and the massively clustered DAWs?

Weird question. What if i don't consider it the most desirable thing to work with hardware?

Hardware or alternatives to PC like tablets. It is just a thought experiment. If nothing could get you off your PC ever, you obviously cannot answer the question.

It seems so, yeah. Maybe "If you wanted to go all hardware, and you still use software for the one reason or the other, what would it take for you to drop software for music making?" would have been the better way to ask then.

[ghettosynth]

I've been there, I have two RS7000s that I used for years, recorded into an AW-4416. The problem with hardware is that while it frees you in some dimensions, it constrains you in others. It's just a case of the grass is always greener.

[Karma_tba]

The ability to play a traditional musical instrument (guitar/piano) really well. I would drop the PC and all DAWs and VSTs ,let someone else record and mix/master my output, and never look back.

[Zombie Queen]

Hardware sequencer + pad? Never, if I could choose a desktop computer. All those are just tools, I find desktop much more flexible. But, whatever works for you.
(Reading topic title, I though you want to record the process of actually dropping a PC onto something.)

[Hink]

I am one of those who started with tape, went to digital hardware then computers..I'm really not sure there is that much of a difference between my old HD recorder and using the computer I had built just for audio recording by PC audiolabs. I use it for nothing else, it doesn't go online, it doesn't play games, I dont use it for word processing. It's the second dedicated audio pc I have had and really the main difference is I can keep my peripherals, my recording platform and just change the brain as it were. I guess the only answer to the question I can think of is a reason why

[V0RT3X]

Nothing, I love being able to take my entire studio with me wherever I go.

[foosnark]

I don't see myself ever moving away from a DAW-centric working style.

[IncarnateX]

It seems so, yeah. Maybe "If you wanted to go all hardware, and you still use software for the one reason or the other, what would it take for you to drop software for music making?" would have been the better way to ask then.

But I don't mean going hardware only, it could be going to alternative platforms with software like the iPad or maybe even hardware VSTis hosts like the Rhizome groovebox

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/rhi ... box-238962

Question is if development in such areas could replace a PC daw for any of you.

[Robmobius]

Having dabbled (a little) with hardware sequencing back in the 90s - I'd never go back to it. I just found it too much hassle. I can't see anything (personally) being able to take me away from a dedicated DAW.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I started making multitrack music dubbing between cassette recorders (and even two vhs recorders)
Then Casio porta-keyboard into atari ST
Then 4-track, drum machine
Then Midi studio, into 16-track tape
Then 16-track digital recorder, sampler, hardware synth, Atari St
Then Pc exclusively
Then mac, with Ipad in the flow

I can make good music, while enjoying the process, with anything. The difference, for me, is I can only create the music I WANT to make with a full daw setup

Currently, the only thing I see changing is if I go full-on traveling again. Should this happen, it's got to the point where I would drop everything for an ipad studio. I'd have to update my ipad 3 first, though

[D-Fusion]

For me it would be a roland fa-06 with 8 midi in/out and 8 stereo audio inputs.
Or 4 more midi tracks on my JD-XI so i don't have to loose the built in synths when using the built in sequencer.

Until something like that happens my pc will be the sequencer and audiorecorder.