Let me give you some advice if you are unsure about going the hardware route

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3D Beats

3rdstop.com
First, I love hardware but I love it less and less. I love software and I love it more and more. Assuming your hardware or software does most everything you need, it should work. Unless you are having major issues with work flow keep what you got (I don't consider workflow totally time related, it is mostly how many things frustrate you, which usually eat up your time).

If you have $1000 or more to spend, spend every dime of it on new monitors. I see so many people here in this delima but when you have a great playback system and everything sounds right, you just don't really care about the details until you have some cash to burn.
 
The hardware-software topic is still interesting but is somehow nonsense. And I'll tell you why. The best think that will work best for you is whatever YOU LIKE to work with.BECAUSE this will give you the needed inspiration,and this inspiration will give you the needed ENERGY to enter in the magic world of creation.Whether it will be the smell or the look of your MPC or your brand new synthesizer,whether it will be your three 24 inch monitors,or the brand new look of the newest version of some DAW,or a new killa pack of sounds,or the feel of the vinyl and it's packing,or some dusty library of breaks and drums ... man you just have to have the love - no matter what is the object.EVERYTHING that stimulates your need of creating is the best thing for you.So don't loose your time in nonsense thoughts "Should I like this,should I like that ... " Go deep and create with love.
 
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inow use both hardware and software, igot an mv and soon to have a pc3k. for me ilike having the feel of hardware to make music, ialso like equipment that grows with u as ulearn more about it. ihave an old copy of reason 4 and until now inever knew how powerful it was i'd say the possibilities are endless, idnt like using my mouse to tweak parameters so igot a korg nano control. now as far as hardware and software goes its better to use both because quite frankly u'll never get the feel of hardware in software, hardware is like the basic platform of creating music whether it be an old sampler keyboard guitar etc, bt software has so many possibilities that hardware just cant do, just like hardware slutz ugot the software slutz who just wait for the next best thing and hope they make their music better which is quite time consuming learning new things let alone expensive, isay use both to ur advantage and also get a piece that you are comfortable on to do basic operations like sequencing tracks etc, and also that same piece should be somewhat advanced so when you work and learn it over time you could be more creative with it, the secret is not in the tool or instrument its in the musician.
 
Ill be honest, cuz I have noticed when it comes to this issue honesty is null and void....what you use is based on your budget, if you can afford to expand between the two then I say DO IT....master it all, the ability to go from hardware to software only builds the creative process....its like an asassin I can assure you that none of them posess 1 gun although they all have the same end result. I started with reason, then I incorporated Logic, I did well enough to get a Mac Pro...incorporated pro-tools....then I became infatuated with using hardware so now I run logic and reaosn with a axiom49, and a korg padkontrol, and after about a week of hit a miss I now run my mpc2500, korg triton studio, and fantom x6 all together.....but it all gives me a different feel....its like the asassin i just feel like "what do I want to kill this track with today" i love hardware and software....but money is an issue and I completely understand it...its all in the creator! I have fantom sounds and triton sounds in my software but it just dont feel the same for me I like the chance to bounce between the two but I have been blessed to be able to have it. My best advice to someone starting out is to go the software route
 
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Agree more and more seems pointless

I think whatever gives you the feedback the quickest in regards to effort versus results makes most sense. If I have to spend 10 minutes for 2 minutes of producitivity then that set would frustrate the hell out of me. That said,my MPC4000 provides me that level of feedback versus effort.
 
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reason 4 is so quick n sound so good but as man said whatever clicks with u, at different times its good to try different things.


when it comes to sequencing /arranging computers is quicker recording audio (tracking can be kinda slow)

but with jjos the mpc1k is quick to use the bottle neck is loading sounds thats where having a pc is dope.


but the love for software is growing reason 4, albeton r real quick but all of the software is capable of getting good **** down just a case of what sparks ur interest and gives easy access to the tools/features u need.

logic, n pro tools used to seem over complicated but the latest versions have smoothed out interfaces so that aint an issue no more.


also dont spend a G on speakers thats crazy, not needed at all
 
Jpeg said:
reason 4 is so quick n sound so good but as man said whatever clicks with u, at different times its good to try different things.


when it comes to sequencing /arranging computers is quicker recording audio (tracking can be kinda slow)

but with jjos the mpc1k is quick to use the bottle neck is loading sounds thats where having a pc is dope.


but the love for software is growing reason 4, albeton r real quick but all of the software is capable of getting good **** down just a case of what sparks ur interest and gives easy access to the tools/features u need.

logic, n pro tools used to seem over complicated but the latest versions have smoothed out interfaces so that aint an issue no more.


also dont spend a G on speakers thats crazy, not needed at all
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not all speakers are equal. I agree that the speakers should be the most important part of the studio. Spend what you can afford to get the most you can. I get by on my Rokit 5s but wish I had a better pair. Ive been drooling over the HS80s by Yamaha since they came out lol
 
Medellin said:
The hardware-software topic is still interesting but is somehow nonsense. And I'll tell you why. The best think that will work best for you is whatever YOU LIKE to work with.BECAUSE this will give you the needed inspiration,and this inspiration will give you the needed ENERGY to enter in the magic world of creation.Whether it will be the smell or the look of your MPC or your brand new synthesizer,whether it will be your three 24 inch monitors,or the brand new look of the newest version of some DAW,or a new killa pack of sounds,or the feel of the vinyl and it's packing,or some dusty library of breaks and drums ... man you just have to have the love - no matter what is the object.EVERYTHING that stimulates your need of creating is the best thing for you.So don't loose your time in nonsense thoughts "Should I like this,should I like that ... " Go deep and create with love.
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Co-sign 100%
 
Spend your money on helping yourself become a better musician, it transcends whether you use hardware or software. The tools are secondary to your abilities and skills at all times.
 
get some cheap speakers long as u can hear with no distortion and u learn u speaker ie can tell how ur speaker colour a mix then u should be fine if ur doing some a/b reference mixing.

look at madlib in a hotel **** hi fi speakers making dopeness, same with 9th wonder and look at illmind mixing bangers on some cheap ass headphones.

if ur gonna spend money ur most important thing is ur sounds and the tool u use to put ur music together be it a keyboard, sound module or drum machine.

but u dont need to spend much these days at all i would not say u need to spend a g on anything in this day and age but if u got it and wanna spend go for it.
 
Axxe said:
Everybody needs an MPC IMO....You CANNOT make bangin drums without it...naah meeen...
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COsign on that one!!!

Anybody else see the part in the Gucci Mane "Lemonade" video where Bangladesh is banging on an MPC being held by a bomb shorty... Classic
 
hardware uses software. software needs hardware to run on. I don't even understand the point of this thread. Your production hardware, e.g. the fantom, MPC, triton, fusion, etc all use software. Your computer software (e.g. Pro Tools, reaper, whatever) is running on a piece of hardware called a COMPUTER. Your computer is a piece of hardware. It runs software. That software needs some kind of hardware to run. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
 
Analog synths don't use software.

But anyway, I do agree that most musical instruments use software of some sort, but there are serious differences in sound quality and intuitiveness when using hardware over software.

And you really don't need to spend a grand on speakers, of course it doesn't hurt. Right now I do everything on a pair of headphones because I gotta keep shit quiet! haha. But I used to have a pair of KRK Rockit 8's and I think they sounded great and really thumped. They are so clear and loud that I literally used to throw house parties with them... but they aren't the most accurate monitors in the world for critical mastering.

Anyway, I know I'll catch a lot of sh1t over this, but I think there's basically four paths that people are going to follow when it comes to getting what they need to make/record music:

1. The ultra cheap route is going to be the person who downloads a bunch of software and vst's, and maybe invests some money in a midi controller. Of course having a decent pc is necessary.

2. The next option is going to be people who pay for software and most likely have a midi controller, audio interface, mic, and basic things necessary for home recording.

3. Next we have people who have the ability to invest a sizeable amount of money in gear. They might not have everything you need for a studio, but probably quite a bit of gear.

4. Then, finally, we have the complete gearheads who have nice jobs and can afford to spend thousands of dollars on really nice gear. They probably know what they're doing, although not necessary, but if they do, their music is probably going to sound better than anyone from the first 3 categories because of quality of gear and obsessive love of making music.

I'm personally in group #3, but I've decided a long time ago I am never having kids and I live fairly cheaply, I don't go out and buy new clothes all the time or waste gas money driving around or going places and spending money when i could just stay at home, save money and work on music. Eventually I'll have a pretty nice home studio setup, and I doubt I will ever stop buying gear!
 
SUPERBANANABOMB said:
Analog synths don't use software.
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This is true, and it is worth mentioning this exception. I don't think a lot of people use true analog synths on FP because of the general complexity/price of using one. I think a lot of people are confused and see it as "you only use one, or the other."
 
btownpro said:
This is true, and it is worth mentioning this exception. I don't think a lot of people use true analog synths on FP because of the general complexity/price of using one. I think a lot of people are confused and see it as "you only use one, or the other."
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most people on FP dont understand that most of the hardware they talk about and most hardware since say 1985 has been digital. All the samplers, all these motifs, tritons, fantoms ect and all of the newer synths are digital even VAs are just meant to act like analog but they are really digital they see all synths as the same
 
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