KVR Audio

QuestionAsker · Post by **QuestionAsker** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:43 am

On a PC, could I still create great singer-songwriter recordings (and Sade-type instrumentation), with Ableton?

Eventually I want my songs to have similar instrumentation as Sade... like to use that sound as inspiration. Use the same instruments / etc.

Would it be way more beneficial to switch to a Mac Mini M4, to run Logic Pro on it, to achieve that sound?

Or is it still pretty doable with Ableton on a PC?

(The reason I ask is I need to use a PC for many programs, and wondering how much more difficult it would be to achieve that sound if I stick with a PC + Ableton).

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:54 am

Neither

Harrison Mixbus/ Ardour
https://store.harrisonaudio.com/all-pro ... bus-11-daw

And a solid state logic interface
https://solidstatelogic.com

See:
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... test-taboo

Also, for fun:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLxYOiXT2c

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 6:29 am

Wrong expectations.

The studio gear of that time is inferior to any DAW paired with a $100 audio interface.

Instruments do not sound as they do because of a DAW. It's all due to skills of the player and the recording engineer.

Having said that, I've heard good stuff like that coming out of a Roland JP-8000 module.

MrJubbly · Post by **MrJubbly** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 7:10 am

QuestionAsker wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:43 am On a PC, could I still create great singer-songwriter recordings (and Sade-type instrumentation), with Ableton?

TL;DR = Yes!

If you are capable of producing the kind of music you want to make, then it makes very little difference which DAW you choose.

A DAW after all, is just a tool and virtually all DAWs today are more than capable of assisting you to achieve that goal. If you already own Ableton and know or would like to learn how to use that, then just stick with that for now. You'll find no discernible advantages/disadvantages opting for Logic Pro as a beginner, until you're experienced enough to weigh the pros and cons of each DAW yourself and switch to those you personally prefer.

You never mentioned whether you intend to record live instruments/band members, or if you are going to be recording MIDI and programming the instrumentation yourself. If it's the latter, then it's even less of an issue, as the main task will be learning how to compose music for the particular genre you want to create and sourcing the right Instrument/Percussion samples/libraries or software synths. I don't use Ableton personally, but it likely comes with some basic sounds to work with (which can always be upgraded/substituted for better-sounding equivalent acoustic instruments later on, if required.)

Whether to use PC or Mac, makes even less of a difference and is almost entirely just a personal choice of which Operating System environment and workflow you prefer. Of course, if Logic Pro is the DAW you're considering switching to, then there's really only one choice of OS. But If you already own a PC, stick with that and Ableton for now.

So to summarise, if you already own Ableton and PC. Congratulations! You have everything you need to get started and achieve your stated goal. Now comes the hard (but fun) part. You just need to "get good!" But the trial and error process will help you to hone and improve your skills as you become more experienced and learn which things work and which don't for your particular sound. If you have the required drive and talent to achieve the type of music you wish to create, you will eventually succeed in that endeavour. If not, you will probably give up, or be drawn to the dark side ... A.I. prompting.

jules99 · Post by **jules99** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:21 pm

Nooo, it's all wrong! You only get that Sade sound with a specific Linux built called FreeBSD:
https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?sade

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:29 pm

No. It's a well-known fact that Sade type sound is only doable on a Mac and Logic Pro.
Similarly, Nirvana type sound is only doable on a Mac with GarageBand.
If you want Duran Duran type sound, then obviously you stick with your PC, but you'll need ProTools.
Yazoo type sound will need PC with LoopyFruits, preferably pre-v8.
If Kraftwerk type sound is your thing, then absolutely you need the PC and only Cubase.
I've heard rumours that Propaganda type sound is achievable on a Mac with Cubase but that sounds dubious to me - it's well known that the 1s are OK but German zeros are quite different when translated into the Apple OS.
Half Man Half Biscuit gives you no options but for Bitwig on Linux.

Sorry, but there are no alternatives.

enroe · Post by **enroe** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 1:48 pm

kritikon wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:29 pm No.

--- It's a well-known fact that Sade type sound is only doable on a Mac and Logic Pro.
--- Similarly, Nirvana type sound is only doable on a Mac with GarageBand.
--- If you want Duran Duran type sound, then obviously you stick with your PC, but you'll need ProTools.
--- Yazoo type sound will need PC with LoopyFruits, preferably pre-v8.
--- If Kraftwerk type sound is your thing, then absolutely you need the PC and only Cubase.

I've heard rumours that Propaganda type sound is achievable on a Mac with Cubase but that sounds dubious to me - it's well known that the 1s are OK but German zeros are quite different when translated into the Apple OS.
Half Man Half Biscuit gives you no options but for Bitwig on Linux.

Sorry, but there are no alternatives.

Wooohaaa, nice to read - these are really fantastic findings!

crimsonwarlock · Post by **crimsonwarlock** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 3:03 pm

kritikon wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:29 pm No. It's a well-known fact that Sade type sound is only doable on a Mac and Logic Pro.
Similarly, Nirvana type sound is only doable on a Mac with GarageBand.
If you want Duran Duran type sound, then obviously you stick with your PC, but you'll need ProTools.
Yazoo type sound will need PC with LoopyFruits, preferably pre-v8.
If Kraftwerk type sound is your thing, then absolutely you need the PC and only Cubase.
I've heard rumours that Propaganda type sound is achievable on a Mac with Cubase but that sounds dubious to me - it's well known that the 1s are OK but German zeros are quite different when translated into the Apple OS.
Half Man Half Biscuit gives you no options but for Bitwig on Linux.

Sorry, but there are no alternatives.

I'm just waiting for the hardware guys to barge in and tell you that you are wrong on all accounts

jens · Post by **jens** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 3:55 pm

Michael L wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:54 am Neither

Harrison Mixbus/ Ardour
https://store.harrisonaudio.com/all-pro ... bus-11-daw

And a solid state logic interface
https://solidstatelogic.com

See:
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... test-taboo

Also, for fun:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLxYOiXT2c

Lol...

jens · Post by **jens** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 3:56 pm

BertKoor wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 6:29 am Wrong expectations.

The studio gear of that time is inferior to any DAW paired with a $100 audio interface.

Instruments do not sound as they do because of a DAW. It's all due to skills of the player and the recording engineer.

Having said that, I've heard good stuff like that coming out of a Roland JP-8000 module.

Exactly that!

jens · Post by **jens** » Sat Jul 12, 2025 3:57 pm

kritikon wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:29 pm No. It's a well-known fact that Sade type sound is only doable on a Mac and Logic Pro.
Similarly, Nirvana type sound is only doable on a Mac with GarageBand.
If you want Duran Duran type sound, then obviously you stick with your PC, but you'll need ProTools.
Yazoo type sound will need PC with LoopyFruits, preferably pre-v8.
If Kraftwerk type sound is your thing, then absolutely you need the PC and only Cubase.
I've heard rumours that Propaganda type sound is achievable on a Mac with Cubase but that sounds dubious to me - it's well known that the 1s are OK but German zeros are quite different when translated into the Apple OS.
Half Man Half Biscuit gives you no options but for Bitwig on Linux.

Sorry, but there are no alternatives.

legendCNCD · Post by **legendCNCD** » Sun Jul 13, 2025 4:16 pm

Need at least 9 cores of P and 22 cores of E to accomplish THAT

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sun Jul 13, 2025 9:16 pm

What no one is telling you is that it would have to be Windows 1.0, because you want that 1985 sound.

QuestionAsker · Post by **QuestionAsker** » Tue Jul 15, 2025 12:50 am

Michael L wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:54 am Neither

Harrison Mixbus/ Ardour
https://store.harrisonaudio.com/all-pro ... bus-11-daw

And a solid state logic interface
https://solidstatelogic.com

See:
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... test-taboo

Also, for fun:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLxYOiXT2c

Thanks - this is really cool. I had not heard about the Harrison DAW and Solid State Logic audio interfaces.

Will that be a huge step forward over using Ableton and a Focusrite 2i2?
(Even if I optimized those - would the Harrison and SSL interface be much more preferable?)

QuestionAsker · Post by **QuestionAsker** » Tue Jul 15, 2025 12:59 am

Thank you all for your feedback.

I understand it's more the live instruments, etc - rather than the DAW.

My focus is primarily on the lyric writing / melody / harmony / singing - I guess finding a producer to work with and musicians to collaborate with is perhaps the better path(?).

Though wondering how good my demos need to be to make it easier for a producer to want to work with me etc.

(Also, I decided I'll just stick to Ableton. Currently building a new PC for music production as my 2011 hackintosh finally gave out after 14 good years).

Could I get a Sade-type sound with a PC + Ableton? Or would Mac + Logic Pro be way better?