Anyone given up with their DAW and gone back to hardware?

[Glyn Darby]

Hi all, as per title anyone done this and thought, should have done it years ago or regreted it. I seem to be forever sorting out sync, start problems ect, with my current setup (Windows 10, Live 9, various softsynths and hardware synths) and keep thinking about going to a modern multitrack recorder setup! Cheers Glyn.

[IncarnateX]

Yes, I have. Only using Auria or Cubasis on iPad for recording, but no PC for me anymore.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=459868

[BertKoor]

What if you just record those hardware synth on audio tracks in Live? Then you can work on the project with all HW synths switched off (except ofcourse for the one you're currently tweaking).

[Glyn Darby]

Yes, I have. Only using Auria or Cubasis on iPad for recording, but no PC for me anymore.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=459868

Thanks for the link, some intresting views in it. Thanks Glyn.

[Glyn Darby]

What if you just record those hardware synth on audio tracks in Live? Then you can work on the project with all HW synths switched off (except ofcourse for the one you're currently tweaking).

Thanks mate, its not the proccess of recording more the incompatability of stuff and the dreaded Windows 10 updates. I have some Softube stuff, it does`nt work because of problems with iLock, even running in Windows 8 compatability mode. Got a copy of Cubase 8LE, softube works but Modular will not load up in a saved session! Sometimes after an update I have major problems with my Virus Snow VST, have to uninstall/reinstall ect, getting external effects to work in time ect. It`s this sort of thing really and it seemed so easy years ago when I just switched all my gear on and started to make music. Cheers Glyn.

[foosnark]

I started out with a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and Yamaha QY-21 MIDI sequencer, with some crap hardware synths and worse effects. It was awkward, noisy, annoying and I didn't really do very much with it.

I went through a phase of using an awkward combination of Acid and Sound Forge, with soundfonts and MIDI synths. Slightly better.

Moving to FLStudio and VST plugins changed everything. Shit, as they say, got real. Switching to Maschine brought me some more inspiration and options.

In the last couple of years I've added on some oddball synths and the occasional guitar pedal. It's still very much centered around Maschine though; I just also usually have one or two hardware instruments as part of the project alongside software. I can easily see getting rid of the hardware and going back to 100% software. I can't imagine taking the computer out of the equation, replacing everything I'd miss and not hating it all.

[tehlord]

I've moved away from softsynths almost completely as I find them completely uninspiring, but I do love using Live still. Saying that I'm on W7 still!

Perhaps you could consider using a mixing desk, some outboard FX and only using your DAW as a digital multi track? Once it's all bounced as audio your other problems will be less relevant anyway.

[RichieWitch]

I've moved away from softsynths almost completely as I find them completely uninspiring, but I do love using Live still. Saying that I'm on W7 still!

Perhaps you could consider using a mixing desk, some outboard FX and only using your DAW as a digital multi track? Once it's all bounced as audio your other problems will be less relevant anyway.

Same here. I use nearly all hardware, instruments and FX, through an analog mixer, and just record the audio into Live for mixdown. But--still on Win7 because there are no updated drivers for the Firewire interface in my mixer.

The thing that pushed me in this direction was the constant stream of updates for all the software I was using. Just about the time I got my studio working the way I wanted, someone would release an update that would break something again. I spent more time chasing patches and work-arounds than making music. With a (mostly) hardware setup, that is rarely a problem.

As for Live, I've learned to wait a couple months before patching to the newest update, and forget the beta releases. The down time to creating music just wasn't worth it.

[foosnark]

I really have no idea what the big deal is with software updates. I've never had anything broken by an update... but then I also don't grab every single update of everything unless it fixes something I've encountered and/or has new features that sound good.

[masterhiggins]

I've moved away from softsynths almost completely as I find them completely uninspiring...

You should put that quote on your soft synth patch site. lol.

[Uncle E]

I seem to be forever sorting out sync, start problems ect, with my current setup (Windows 10, Live 9, various softsynths and hardware synths) and keep thinking about going to a modern multitrack recorder setup!

What are you syncing? External sequencers? Clocks of external synths? What did Ableton have to say about it? This is actually one area where Ableton is quite strong compared to other DAW's (given that its original intention was for live use), I would be surprised if they can't help you solve it.

[chk071]

I've moved away from softsynths almost completely as I find them completely uninspiring, but I do love using Live still. Saying that I'm on W7 still!

I thought a couple of times about buying a Blofeld, but then, having to bounce everything, and having to work on a limited display with loads of tabs and pages seems pretty uninviting... i do get the appeal of hardware... but software does have so many advantages. Especially if you basically have the same synth in software (Largo), i find it pretty hard to convince myself that that hardware appeal would be worth double, or three times the price. And with really appealing hardware synth like the Virus, and i don't mean the Snow, because that's basically the same issue with the Blofeld, only few knobs, and having to work on a very limited display, or, even on the plugin, the issue is mainly the price here. Much too expensive for me. Almost get a used car for that price...

[RichieWitch]

I really have no idea what the big deal is with software updates. I've never had anything broken by an update... but then I also don't grab every single update of everything unless it fixes something I've encountered and/or has new features that sound good.

You obviously don't use Waves Audio plugins, Native Instruments, or Ableton Live.

I have had catastrophes (and by that I mean where the product lost major functionality or would not function at all for months) while waiting for updates that fixed previous updates.

These forums are full of similar stories. These are top-notch products and I'm not going to give up on using them, but all three of these companies have caused me to lose days or weeks waiting for them to fix their previous fix.

[foosnark]

I use a ton of NI stuff; I just don't bother to update it more than about three times a year, and I've never had any problems when I did (other than the download failing about 6 times in a row on bigger updates )

I don't use Waves or Ableton stuff.

[RichieWitch]

I use a ton of NI stuff; I just don't bother to update it more than about three times a year, and I've never had any problems when I did (other than the download failing about 6 times in a row on bigger updates )

I don't use Waves or Ableton stuff.

Yeah, I'm thinking specifically of NI's Replika. Worked for a couple weeks and was completely amazing, then Ableton changed the way Live handles plugins in one of their major updates, and for some bizarre reason, Replika would crash Ableton by just being in the plugins folder. And of course, any project containing the plugin was unsalvageable. NI eventually came out with a patch that fixed all that, but it was about 6 months before it was released.

Works great now tho.