Will Daws Eventually End Up As Hardware ?

[jancivil]

"Any device that run software is computer."
true story

[jancivil]

well, cool stories all, but mine is I paint realistic pictures of musical performance; & tools to achieve thus only began to exist around 1983, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and for most of the decade were kind of dinky-sounding. RAM was extremely dear, and advances in that, w. the attendant market forces knocking prices back, only came with implementation of samples, all significantly before faking full-on realism was even achievable. I could foresee it circa 1990, but everything was a compromise including for millionaires, you spent those millions either way and probably you're recording an orchestra if you want orchestra 'for real'.

so the state-of-the-art has continually evolved. So we go over to computer configurations sub-forum and find people wanting to sort what 32" display to buy, because they're probably doing a number of things which need a very detailed GUI, or a wide-ass mixer visible.

the cute little device in original picture #1 is swell, I think great, more power to all of us with such nifty things in the marketplace, and nowhere near as dear as things were when i was 30 during the age of copper. But as to the overarching nature of <is this going to be a seachange>, and all cyclically necessary like that, one guesses not.

[pixel85]

With outgoing miniaturisation and simulation of everything, it's hard to imagine that in majority, DAWs would go hardware route. There's always market for that kind of stuff but smaller and smaller with every generation which is familiar with smaller and easier to use computers.

I must admit that I was jealous of graphic designers when I went to study game development.
Me and other sound designers:
- microphones, recorders, instruments, effects, tons of cables and computer. The older like me, the more hardware.
Graphic designers:
- tablet / laptop / computer

Mobility of the latter is 100 times more efficient. They didn't had to walk around with a backpack full of mics, recorders and cables.
I can only guess that for younger generations, such mobility and no need to have tons of heavy hardware is more convincing. Of course, iPad can't replace quality mics and recorders for Foley or ambience recordings but who knows what future will bring. Maybe one day iPad will have 32bit recording and multi-pollar pattern mic with 500dB SNR

Even more I can't imagine younger people born with DAW in iPad where they can make full songs which hit charts lists, would want to have hardware DAW in a meaning as a huge workstation with 61 keys, faders, knobs and 10kg weight.
But from other hand... Garage Band/iPad is hardware DAW

[jancivil]

I find a 49-key keyboard irksome. I've gone years and the entire studio is an MBP and maybe a minicontroller, the power I have in the hardware called the MBP is insane. I don't need knobs to twiddle, it's like arguing being a telephone operator is an art gig.

[TribeOfHǫfuð]

I am just happy that I now a days more efficiently can play/drum lines into my seq compared to 5 years ago, even if the lines get quantised anyway. Latency reduction seems to have improved since too. This with instant mapping of VSTi functions I would had to set up myself then (and therefore did not waste time on). My Nektars are miracles in this regard. The mouse and click approach can be replaced to a large extent by the surface of Nektar P4 and a to a somewhat minor with Impact LX25+. What is left is quite tolerable. My Alesis samplepad and some sticks are part of the system as well. The hands on makes a great difference to me.

[jancivil]

well, I tried to do something from bed penciling in notes, too tedious/too tired/too addled but since this albatross is just across the room I guess I know what it's specifically for. it's a truly basic one, by Nektar. like one knob. pitch wheel not the tool for all pitchbend but for a long one, very nice. I like levers, flick a lever for a whammy bar kind of a deal.