were will hardware production stand in the future?

I've seen some of your savvy types do it but I think some of the older not as computer literate guys are probably scared to. If I was playing out live an 88-key controller, MBP and MainStage would definitely be a nice option.
I could understand that. Though its weird to think about because a workstation is a computer.
I consider myself computer savvy and still wouldnt go with a controller and laptop as first choice. I would be willing to try, but I would be looking at things like reliability also. Workstations don't tend to freeze, reboot, etc, and some keyboard setups are just easier to use on stage, then a controller/software.
Get the right software and it won't freeze, reboot, ect either. That's actually why I mentioned Reason because in the almost 10 years I have used it I can count on one hand how many times I have had real issues with it stability wise. I can understand that povthough.
I'm actually going back to an MPC after taking 2 years off and sequencing in my DAW. I could get by w/o it, but it just feels all uncoordinated like a right handed pitcher trying to throw with his left hand. Its all personal preference, I grew up on the MPC so of course that is what I"m most comfortable with.
Yeah it really takes some getting used to both ways. When I was using all hardware it felt awkward at first to do everything on just the hardware then I grew to love it but missed some of the things that were just easier on software based tools like sample chopping for example.
these workstations are kind of overrated but they aren't. they teach you all aspects of music production. it's completely different from pointing and clicking.

synthesizers are where its at. and workstations and mpc's and all that will always have value because it's like a classic car.

sure there are plenty of electric cars on the market, and eventually we'll get solar cars, but there are some people who will always stick to classic "Muscle cars" because you can't put a price on feel.

that's why an mpc will always smash on these mpd's and maschines. the mpc 2500, 1000 and 5000 series with the direct record takes your music to a different level. i went from about a five to about an 8 in terms of how i see myself musically.

tens are timbalands, neptunes, kanye's

elevens are michael jackson, hendrix, quincy jones, curtis mayfield., dilla
im pushing for an 11. ive got some bonafide nines and even a few tens, but i wanna be an 11.

it's like playing an rpg and finally leveling up.

why pay 2000 for a macbook when you can get a pc for about a quarter of that price.

computers get outdated every two months.
I've owned and worked on both hardware and software workstations. They aren't that different to be honest. Software forces you to learn how to match that sound u get from hardware by doing it by hand with your own layers and fx but hardware really makes you learn how to use what you have unless u have money to own a lot of different synths, samplers ect. I think software offers some things that are great and so does hardware but I sold almost all of my hardware off and the stuff I kept I don't even use. I am making more and better music with software for the most part.
 
Hardware to the end!!!!!

Naw, real talk, at times I wish I was on software when you have multiple boards/racks and the routing gets difficult. I do like the stock Maschine sounds so I think I would like Komplete. Ironically, at times if i find myself trying to do most of everything in 1 workstation even though I have multiple boards and racks. I may try doing some all software stuff. I still like to have at least one board around just to fire up and play. Truthfully I don't need full blown stations since I have a MPC to sequence/sample.

I may just give software a go. It wouldn't be totally foreign, as I use to sequence in Cubase, but used hardware for the sounds. Now it would just be sequence in Cubase using plugins for the sounds.
 
I think if you like sequencing in Cubase already then you probably would like plug ins. Its very load and go if you get the right libraries.
 
The main difference is that a workstation is a computer with a low latency real time operating system and zero latency monitoring.
I haven't had an issue with latency since like 2003. Honestly never felt the difference between hardware and software as far as that is concerned. Even so we are talking fractions of milliseconds. When I was on all hardware it didn't feel much different if any. Definitely not enough worth talking about.
 
I haven't had an issue with latency since like 2003. Honestly never felt the difference between hardware and software as far as that is concerned. Even so we are talking fractions of milliseconds. When I was on all hardware it didn't feel much different if any. Definitely not enough worth talking about.

I think you meant to say fraction of a second but I get your point, if you can't feel any difference then it's a non issue for you, however that does not mean that everyone feels the same way, for example if you are playing live you don't need to be adding unnecessary latency to that of the speakers.
 
I think you meant to say fraction of a second but I get your point, if you can't feel any difference then it's a non issue for you, however that does not mean that everyone feels the same way, for example if you are playing live you don't need to be adding unnecessary latency to that of the speakers.
There is a difference just not enough to make a valid argument imo. To each his own I guess but I don't see how this could affect your performance.
 
People aren't in the crowd like damn this guy is so terrible he is playing off by 2.4 milliseconds lol
 
There is a difference just not enough to make a valid argument imo. To each his own I guess but I don't see how this could affect your performance.

Often when I play I experience Tachpsychia and my concentration is so intense that I can perceive more delay with software as opposed to monitoring hardware but the slight latency of software is not going to be a big deal to everyone, but it just happens to be one of the few advantages that hardware really does have over software......the funny thing is that a lot of guys who use hardware such as an MPC tend to quantize their shit just the same as folks who use software.
 
Lil side note/fun fact, even a Workstation keyboard like the Motif or fantom and drum machines like the MPC give 3-5ms of latency. Once upon a time computers gave more than that, but technology has come a long way. It's equivalent playing grounds.
 
I think the future is machines where you can just mumble your melody and the machine will record it.
And the software will detect the pitches and make it automatically midi for your synth.

It's to hard to recreate exactly what's in your head. What i said will be the future and i know it can already be done in FL Studio's Edison i think.
I'm still gonna figure that out.
 
Lil side note/fun fact, even a Workstation keyboard like the Motif or fantom and drum machines like the MPC give 3-5ms of latency. Once upon a time computers gave more than that, but technology has come a long way. It's equivalent playing grounds.

Motifs, Fantoms and MPCs are just computers themselves anyway.
 
Lil side note/fun fact, even a Workstation keyboard like the Motif or fantom and drum machines like the MPC give 3-5ms of latency. Once upon a time computers gave more than that, but technology has come a long way. It's equivalent playing grounds.

If you can consistently get 3-5ms of round trip latency playing virtual instruments then by all means use the software.
 
I think the future is machines where you can just mumble your melody and the machine will record it.
And the software will detect the pitches and make it automatically midi for your synth.

It's to hard to recreate exactly what's in your head. What i said will be the future and i know it can already be done in FL Studio's Edison i think.
I'm still gonna figure that out.

This is already possible with a Sonuus G2M, midi cable and a dynamic microphone.
 
Hardware will always be around. Some people simply just prefer hardware.

lol yea.. this is just me, but i cannot find myself to dig deep into a software synth, like i cannot take them seriously. Sure they can be capable, but i just can't.. i just end up fiddling with random things then exit out of the program. When i have hardware, a nice piece of work, in front of me, i find myself actually trying and learning to utilize it.

edit: talking about synthesizers more specifically
 
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Hybrid is where it's headed

Hardware will always be around. Some people simply just prefer hardware.

I have been into music production for close to 9 years now and came in at an interesting time. Reason may have been in its 2.5 stage and FL was at 3.0. At the time, it was all about hardware with the argument being stability and reliability. Computers were still seen as incapable of managing the load needed to produce quality music and at the time both RAM and Hard Drive capacities were still low. As a result of this, the argument for hardware was sound even with the understanding that even hardware workstations still rely on some form of computing and an operating system.

Fast forward a few years and suddenly computers are more stable, have seen significant increases in RAM and HD space and can multitask like nobody's business.

With this in mind, I believe the direction music production is headed in is more of a hybrid environment. Companies can offer more flexible workflows, better updating capabilities and still address the fact that a mouse is the worst way to make music. Great examples are:

  • Ableton and the Akai partnership on the APC 20 and APC 40
  • NI Maschine
  • MPC Renaissance
There have been other unique controller/software systems like M-audio and Pro-Tools a few years ago, Cubase and Yamaha, etc.

Ultimately, this conversation is comparable to a carburetor vs. a fuel injector. They both are vital to making a car run. One is the old school way and the other is the current way. Ultimately, they both make something happen that is desirable. Music production is no different.

I like the hybrid approach. It extends the life and usefulness of your investment. Limitations are only reached when companies miss opportunities to be forward thinking with the design and construction of their hardware control devices.



---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 PM ----------

I think the future is machines where you can just mumble your melody and the machine will record it.
And the software will detect the pitches and make it automatically midi for your synth.

It's to hard to recreate exactly what's in your head. What i said will be the future and i know it can already be done in FL Studio's Edison i think.
I'm still gonna figure that out.



Actually...you need to take a look at Ableton Live 9's new features! Audio to MIDI homeboy! It's already been done - well...not yet exactly. It totally blew my mind when I saw the video demonstration.

Check the video at 6:45...and get ready to change yo drawls! LOL!

 
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I run a mix of both. My only nag with some hybrid solutions is that they will not be usable 10 years from now unless you have a legacy system to run it. Which means somebody is going to drop $1200 on a MPC Ren only for it to not work 10-15 years from now because you can't logically expect Akai/Numark to be providing update for the unit 10-15 afterwards. This goes the same for other similar solutions.

Nothing wrong with best of both worlds though.
 
I run a mix of both. My only nag with some hybrid solutions is that they will not be usable 10 years from now unless you have a legacy system to run it. Which means somebody is going to drop $1200 on a MPC Ren only for it to not work 10-15 years from now because you can't logically expect Akai/Numark to be providing update for the unit 10-15 afterwards. This goes the same for other similar solutions.

Nothing wrong with best of both worlds though.
I think they will. I expect these companies to update their controllers perhaps and you may have to buy a new controller every 5 or 6 years but software solutions are really what its all about now and unless these companies decide to go the tablet route (also a large potential there that i think a lot of companies are sleeping on) Akai cannot honestly think that releasing a new hardware mpc will sell in 2012 or 2025 its silly thinking but Pro Tools, FL Studio, Ableton, Reason, Cubase ect have been going strong for years with just updating their software and getting people to latch on to the solution of their choosing. I expect to see this happen more so with the Mpc Ren and Maschine as time progresses
 
That's the point I was getting to. You will end up having to buy/upgrade for future compatibility which make absolute since for software but for a hardware MPC it that costing you $1300 it is something to think about. When you buy software you buying knowing that this software(code) will eventually be incompatible. Hardware is purchased with a slightly different expectation, at least standalone hardware (non-hybrid for lack of a better word).

Owners of Maschine 1stGen were gratefully included with the 1.8 upgrade. From a business standpoint can you expect this on every update?

Trust me they would have still sold hardware MPC's in 2012. Not too many people beyond FP really focus a whole lot on the hardware vs software argument. It sort of generally understood thing that there are some things that software just can tackle faster than click-twisting on hardware with a micro LED screen. I would have actually been open to buying a MPC Ren that at the cost of $2500 to $3000 if it had the ability to work standalone including what it already does.

Don't get me wrong. Coming from a hardware to software there are things I will NEVER want to do on hardware again. Software makes all of our live easier. But there are some things that always prefer hardware for even though it is more expensive. For that reason I just don't see it going away. My only true concern is paying for a piece a hardware that is tied to software that I will not be able to use in the future without buying a new one or paying for an upgrade.
 
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