KVR Audio

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 8:48 am

In a recent Thread in this Forum, folks felt strongly that "more" gear is not better, but the "right" gear is essential.

What are the few tools that made the most difference to you, and why?

For me, the tools that change how I think and what I do are:

MuLab/Mux, because it enables me to use my own recordings, from single-cycle waveforms to longer samples, in a modular synth environment to freely evolve ideas.

Izotope Iris, which makes it possible to get my hands into every detail of my recordings to both hear and see exactly what I am doing, and understand sound at new levels.

Alchemy, because I am learning through this synth and its sound designers how to layer and modulate recorded sounds to produce richness and beauty.

I have an endless amount to learn using those tools.

Those are my few, what are yours?

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:06 am

Celemony Melodyne. I haven't used it for ages but I always know that if a part needs some fixing, I have the technology to do it perfectly. That is a great comfort.

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:16 am

I don't think that any of these qualifies as "gear", "gear" refers to physical devices.

Doug1978 · Post by **Doug1978** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:32 am

At the risk of turning this thread into yet another list your favorite 23 products, for me the gear that matters is:

Hardware - my laptop (though I have some tasty outboard effects and synths back in my real home in England).

And I accept DJ Warmonger's point about gear above, though if we are including software then U-he synths, Kontakt, Nebula and Ableton Live are the most important for me.

I'm tempted to add that speakers and an acoustically treated room, which you trust, should easily be the most important of our gear considerations.
(But I'd be a phoney if I said those applied in my case, because I'm currently renting in an untreated Japanese flat until I return home later this summer...)

ps, this is pretty important gear too:

NAD · Post by **NAD** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:35 am

What Gear DOES Matter?

The gear between your ears! :hehe:

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:41 am

DJ Warmonger wrote:I don't think that any of these qualifies as "gear", "gear" refers to physical devices.

Well to be geeky about it, software is defined as gear or equipment in accounting when the software and hardware (eg midi controllers) are interdependent, so in this case "gear" refers to both.

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 11:10 am

Hardware, not much. PC, interface, speakers, headphones and microphone on the one hand, my double bass and bow on the other. The rest I can do without and not lose any gigs.

If gear includes software, then the hardest ones to replace would be FL Studio (I'd have to learn a new DAW), Plogue Sforzando (I put a lot of work into making sample libraries using some fancy opcodes not supported by other SFZ samplers), Harmor and Massive (just cause they're really powerful synths that would be tough to replace in the tracks where I've used them) and maybe CamelSpace (it would take some big chains of multiple effects to replace it).

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:17 pm

The gear that matters to me is whatever I decide to use at that point in time.

ApexAudioTech · Post by **ApexAudioTech** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 1:20 pm

1. A means to create patterns of rhythm/harmony/melody
2. The creativity to create said patterns
3. A means to record said patterns
4. A means to expose other to said patterns (live or recorded)

So basically: a guitar, respectably large balls, and a decent social network.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 1:28 pm

Anything I can get a tune out of ...

Armadillo · Post by **Armadillo** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:07 pm

What are the few tools that made the most difference to you, and why?

Omnisphere, Cubase, Kontakt (+ a bunch of libraries).

Omniphere cause it gives me every synthetic sound I want.

Cubase cause I know it so well.

Kontakt cause it provides me with all the sounds I can get from Omnisphere, like strings, piano, drums, guitars.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:08 pm

+1 for Kontakt

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 6:43 am

ApexAudioTech wrote:and a decent social network.

Good point about the social network.

If it wasn't for all the singers I know, I probably wouldn't bother producing, and would just stick to DJing and making sample libraries. Can't produce a track if there's nobody to sing it.

Lotuzia · Post by **Lotuzia** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 6:50 am

Every sound you put in your tracks do matter. As a consequence everything you use to produce these sounds do matter.

rp314 · Post by **rp314** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:10 am

NAD wrote:
What Gear DOES Matter?
The gear between your ears! :hehe:

If that's where 'musicality' exists, why not? At least unless one is just starting out and gaining the required musical foundation.

I think it was Hindemith who said that he didn't compose at the keyboard and actually wrote many works while riding on trains. Nowadays, of course, some of the cool toys can be taken along on trips, but back in those days that meant having the ability to compose 'in your head'.