I'd much rather use hardware in a live situation
Yeah, +1 to this. Computers can do a lot of things, which is both a pro and con -- they bring instability to the situation.
Network drivers cause DPC stalls, and hibernating viruses can wake up at any time.
Another big advantage of some (portable) hardware is not having to tote a computer and cables along with your controller(s) for on-the-go production.
HARDWARE: Take an MPC1000, some batteries, and a pair of headphones, throw them in a backpack, and you're set.
SOFTWARE: Take maybe a laptop, an audio interface, a Maschine Mikro, 2 USB cables, bring your charger as a backup (because laptop batteries die in a few hours), probably a mouse, find a backpack which will fit all of these alongside anything else you want to bring, etc. If you want a small set of keys, too, make sure there's enough room for them and be sure to pack yet another cable. At this point, you might also need to pack a USB hub. Been there, done that.
Producing on-the-go can be inspiring because you expose yourself to semi-random stimuli which might start your creative dabblings from a different entry point, thereby causing shifts in perspective. How's that for a mouthful?
With that said, I currently have an all-software studio setup with heavy tactile control -- MCU Pro, Automap for plugins, etc. That's what works out for me.
-Ki
Salem Beats
About the portability factor, one thing to keep in mind is that laptops are getting smaller and smaller.
So with a laptop like a MacBook Air or the new Windows touch laptops and a small keyboard controller you can have a very portable setup.
This usually can even come in a bit lighter than a workstation keyboard which can be pretty heavy.
in my experience... i cant see being productive on a bus, car or plane... too many distractions... i feel/think ios app is best for those situations...
in my opinion... making music on a bus, in a car or on a plane is showing off that one makes music... in those envirnoments i.e. bus, plane, car... listening to music is more productive... in my experience...
there is a difference... but i have notice you have to win every argument
good luck with that marketing strategy... i would love to see an episode of you on "Behind the Music" showing how you made it making beats on the city bus!!
question... where are you from? try pulling an mpc1000 out on a puplic bus here in the states you would be going home without it... both your inspiration and mpc1000 would be gone
oh Oregon... now i understand... the air is a little different out there
I don't find software to bring instability at this point depending on what you software you are using. A lot of people perform using software these days. Decide how you want to work and what kind of music you want to make and run with it.
I turned off auto updates and i don't pirate software. I haven't had any issues like that.As I asked in my edit, are people scared to whip out an iPhone 5S or a Galaxy S4 on the bus where you live? Would you be? Those are about as valuable as an MPC1000.
-Ki
Salem Beats
---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 AM ----------
It's not the music software itself, it's the other stuff going on with the computer -- automatic OS updates, WiFi polling, the viruses which the pirates get when they install stolen software, your antivirus software stalling RAM I/O while it tries to ensure that nothing is hooking into the OS, power-saving features (some of which you might not be aware of), etc.
You can optimize and hunt down these problems, but there's still a chance that you might've missed one or two.
Like you said, DAW software itself and plugins are generally stable.
-Ki
Salem Beats