Why i prefere software to hardware

**Isaac Rife** · 08-02-2012

+1 for hardware

only down side is how freaking expensive it is!!!! This vid captures the analog nature rather well, thought i would share!
Some Vsts/RTAS get the job done just fine tho!

**StreetPushasEnt..** · 08-02-2012

since i sold my mpc 1000 in 2010 im kinda contaplaten gettin 1 again the hands on feel is sumthin unmatched trust u can click beats all day but sumthing wit hands on approach i love fl studio but jus that hands onn feel is dope for drumming ONLY i love doin triplet drops on this bi aswell

**SUPERBANANABOMB** · 08-02-2012

Originally Posted by stillfunkin

everything you said here about hardware holds true for software... i never map a midi controller... i use ableton live with oxygen 88 and apc20/40... they come pre-mapped...

you could live jam with software too... i do every single day... laid down a drum track... jam with that with a bassline... then jam with that with some keys... then jam with that with some solo instruments...

let say you wrote a tune with hardware a year ago... how do you recall that tune today? what library management system do you use? or you just have to remember what preset you used? with software... you just open the file!!!

That's not true. Even with automap, nothing is ever set perfectly and you do not have enough realtime control over EVERYTHING you're doing. Also, it's really easy to forget what you have mapped to a certain knob unless you use tape or make overlays. With hardware it's right there in front of your face - no guesswork. I guess if you're just making hip-hop like most people on this board, software is just fine. However, I produce various styles of electronic music and there is a lot of live improvisation involved. Programming drums on the fly, muting and unmuting parts, controlling effects, etc. Plus, if you have multiple hardware keyboards you can move from one to the next easy, which is great for doing solos, tweaking parameters, etc. An APC40 + Oxygen combo simply does not offer enough control for me, not to mention it feels boring in comparison. I own an Oxygen midi controller myself, and I've used the APC40 at my friend's house. Like I've said before, I find doing things "in the box" utterly boring. The only exception to this is that I prefer to edit samples and mix with a computer. I record my gear through hardware effects from my mixer to my interface. Once I have the tracks recorded, I like to do final mixes on a computer, but I use my mixer to for volume and EQ adjustments. Occasionally I will use software effects. Most of the time I don't even mix and (attempt to) master my music.

With hardware you don't need a "library management system." My drum patterns are saved on their respective drum machines, and the bulk of my sequence / program data is stored in my MPC. All you have to do is label your patches/combis/multis on your keyboards and it's not hard to recall what you're doing. (I don't use presets... *shudder*) If you're using a keyboard without a detailed display, you can always write down notes in a notebook. If you use a sampler with disks, just label the disc. With analog synths you are basically screwed unless you make detailed notes of knob settings and patch configurations, but that's the magic of analog. For me this isn't inconvenient. Besides, I rarely if ever go back to something I did a year ago. What I do is put something together in a couple of hours, jam with it for a while until I know what I want to do, then record. Once it's recorded, I'm done with it and moving on to something else. I will admit that there is a convenience factor involved with producing on a computer, but for me convenience isn't nearly as important as inspiration. I have a super-fast laptop with a ton of software and several midi controllers, but the only way I'd go back to being PC-based is if I hit hard times and had to sell off my gear.

Besides, if you know the gear market well, it's not hard to find good deals. I always buy stuff at cheap prices and if I don't like it or wanna get something else, I resell. I almost always get more than I initially paid, or at the very least I break even. If I sold all of my gear tomorrow, I would get significantly more than what I paid, and I'd still have a computer and midi controllers to fall back on. Software instruments and effects have become a lot better-sounding than they used to be, and if you're on a budget, that really is the way to go. However, I spend ALL of my free cash on gear. I haven't bought myself new clothes in almost 4 years because I'd rather have a new piece of gear... I don't go out to eat, I don't have a cell phone... I don't waste my money on anything but necessities, and the rest goes towards gear. If there wasn't something special about owning it, I wouldn't go through that hassle. Hardware may not be for everyone, but there's something about the analog realm... even digital instruments are transmitted through instrument cables into a mixer or preamp. A lot of my favorite music producers have switched to software and I can hear a difference... I don't like it.

**YoBanyon** · 08-02-2012

I have some essential hardware pieces that i rely on for all of my music and i really couldn't get anything done without them. But i also rely on a lot of software as well. Probably more so software since its the brain behind the process. I would have to say the software is more important because after i write the initial instruments, all the production is done in the software.