jayjaydog8
New member
What are the pros and cons of both??
is DAW better than actual Hardware?
- Thread starter jayjaydog8
- Start date
901_Rice_Street
Rice AKA Clyde Drexler
DAW pros
__________
1. Editing is WAAAAAAAY better and easier and more advanced
2. Having access to instruments that would if they were hardware synths and effects and actual band instruments.....it would cost you...on let's say....a gazillion dollars.
3. Lots and lots and lots of storage. A gazillion sounds saved. a gazillion songs saved. Never lose data ever again as long as you use common sense.
4. Unlimited tracks........or 48 tracks.....still a lot of tracks.
DAW cons
__________
1. Staring at a computer screen. It may not seem like a con......it can be at times.
2. Having a ragidy computer.......then your DAW is no good. Nothing worse that a system hiccuping and studdering and all of that wait time looking at a frozen arrow, control + alt + deleting after an hour of wishing you had of saved that last thing you did before your computer acted up.
Hardware pros
_______________
1. Way more fun. You are pretty much limited and will force you to find your own personal way of doing things. No short cuts, you are going to learn....which is good for you anyway.
2. Even though you will have less tracks (unless you some rich guy who can afford more than 24 tracks of audio) you will find a way to make every bit of those 24 tracks work. You will be way more organized than having a computer DAW.....because you have no choice. A person with a DAW have tracks all over the place....they move fast. Faster is not always better.
3. Having vintage gear like "yes....yes that is a Moog.....a real one...." You are the man..you have gear collected as if they were muscle cars...and not just some toys on a computer.
4. Your studio looks like.......a studio. Not a bedroom studio full of toys.....but a real one. A bunch of gadgets everywhere. Wheels on your chair rolling from hear to there messing with stuff. You will sweat a little with a hardware set up.
Hardware cons
__________________
1.Staring at a tiny screen.....maybe no screen at all or some green fonted primitive looking screen...or even an overly colorful 2 in squared screen. lol!
2. Cost more money.
__________
1. Editing is WAAAAAAAY better and easier and more advanced
2. Having access to instruments that would if they were hardware synths and effects and actual band instruments.....it would cost you...on let's say....a gazillion dollars.
3. Lots and lots and lots of storage. A gazillion sounds saved. a gazillion songs saved. Never lose data ever again as long as you use common sense.
4. Unlimited tracks........or 48 tracks.....still a lot of tracks.
DAW cons
__________
1. Staring at a computer screen. It may not seem like a con......it can be at times.
2. Having a ragidy computer.......then your DAW is no good. Nothing worse that a system hiccuping and studdering and all of that wait time looking at a frozen arrow, control + alt + deleting after an hour of wishing you had of saved that last thing you did before your computer acted up.
Hardware pros
_______________
1. Way more fun. You are pretty much limited and will force you to find your own personal way of doing things. No short cuts, you are going to learn....which is good for you anyway.
2. Even though you will have less tracks (unless you some rich guy who can afford more than 24 tracks of audio) you will find a way to make every bit of those 24 tracks work. You will be way more organized than having a computer DAW.....because you have no choice. A person with a DAW have tracks all over the place....they move fast. Faster is not always better.
3. Having vintage gear like "yes....yes that is a Moog.....a real one...." You are the man..you have gear collected as if they were muscle cars...and not just some toys on a computer.
4. Your studio looks like.......a studio. Not a bedroom studio full of toys.....but a real one. A bunch of gadgets everywhere. Wheels on your chair rolling from hear to there messing with stuff. You will sweat a little with a hardware set up.
Hardware cons
__________________
1.Staring at a tiny screen.....maybe no screen at all or some green fonted primitive looking screen...or even an overly colorful 2 in squared screen. lol!
2. Cost more money.
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ego killer
New member
some hardware samplers sound better (some worse though) but you can just sample through the sampler and still use the DAW.
krushing
Moderator
"Hardware" is such a vast term...yes, I guess DAWs are a lot easier and flexible in most situations. Do they make better music? Does hardware make better music? It all depends on what you want to achieve and which way is the most inspiring and has the best workflow. And of course, DAWs and hardware don't rule each other out.
Biggest differences to me:
DAW's have recallable settings.
You can save in a DAW.
Hardware units make you feel like a boss.
Feeling like a boss can indeed improve your decisions
Hardware is more responsive in it's operation. Turn a knob... it happens immediately, no questions asked. A computer that can give the responsiveness of a hardware unit will cost some good money.
Hardware is probably more expensive.
Both use digital effects at this point. ... unless you're buying an old school all-analog board for a pretty penny.
DAW is more flexible and "unlimited". DAW's have VSTs.
DAW's have recallable settings.
You can save in a DAW.
Hardware units make you feel like a boss.
Feeling like a boss can indeed improve your decisions
Hardware is more responsive in it's operation. Turn a knob... it happens immediately, no questions asked. A computer that can give the responsiveness of a hardware unit will cost some good money.
Hardware is probably more expensive.
Both use digital effects at this point.
... unless you're buying an old school all-analog board for a pretty penny.DAW is more flexible and "unlimited". DAW's have VSTs.
ultra auris
New member
re
Depends on the guy using it more than anything. also many consoles have had automation and recall since the 80s.
Depends on the guy using it more than anything. also many consoles have had automation and recall since the 80s.
jlgrimes11
New member
I would think in a short answer yes because a DAW is more price efficient.
20 years ago it was practically impossible to get what you could get using one PC today with any modest DAW.
That said sometimes the limitations could make you more productive but that is a more discipline thing than anything else.
In 97 when I bought my Adat, I only had 8 tracks to work with one compressor and one multi effects unit.
I made great songs with that setup, some that sound better than what I am doing today but overall the quality of the stuff I am doing today with a modern setup is better.
That said with an unlimited budget my answer would be a mix of both.
A DAW as the main brain but coupled with several great hardware outboard gear and synths.
U dont neccesarily need to stare at a computer screen all day with the right DAW setup as well, using good control surfaces, and even using stuff like Maschine you can still have tactile interaction.
That said computer screens make editing samples/midi much more easier than hardware days.
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