Hardware vs. software - some noob questions

[mitya33]

Hi guys

I apologise if this has come up a million times and I'm happy to be directed to existing threads where I can read up on this.

I'm a classical pianist who wants to get into electronic music production. And I'm at the point of choosing the hardware vs. software approach, or some combination of the two.

I should say I'm a web developer by trade so I'm at the PC all day, so actually the idea of leaving the PC to make my music away from it, for example at a keyboard, is very attractive. I just read this article (https://ask.audio/articles/music-making-decisions-hardware-vs-software), which left it very open-ended and down to user preference.

So with this in mind I wonder if you'll indulge a few noobie questions:

1) What are people's preferences re: hardware/software/combo?

2) If I did invest in something like the Korg Kronos or Yamaha Montage 8, is the idea that such complicated machines can serve the whole gamut of music creation and recording? i.e. I wouldn't (unless I wished) need extra hardware in the form of drum machines etc, or software to pull it all together - I can do it all on the board?

3) If I'm more interested in music creation than performing, is a synth like those mentioned above still a good choice, or does software become the better option? I ask because I understand that these boards have a lot of functionality aimed at performance - switching between presets, effects, etc. But performance isn't my goal, at least for the forseeable.

Many thanks in advance!

[muzines]

1) What are people's preferences re: hardware/software/combo?

There really are no formulae for creativity, everyone work differently. You will get hardware only folks, you'll get software only folks, you'll get people who use different combinations of the two. It comes down to how *you* want to work, and as you're new to this, you don't yet know how you want to work. This will happen as you do more music and start to understand the music you want to make, and how you best like doing it - it just takes time.

2) If I did invest in something like the Korg Kronos or Yamaha Montage 8 - I can do it all on the board?

Again, we have no idea of the music you want to make. If you want to record guitars or bands, or singing, and mix and master your songs, then no, a workstation type synth is not going to do it all. If however you want to make, eg piano performance tracks and flesh them out with bass+drums and other parts, then sure, a workstation will do these things fine. Whether a tool will work for you depends on what it can do, and what you want to do.

3) If I'm more interested in music creation than performing, is a synth like those mentioned above still a good choice, or does software become the better option?

As a rough guide:-

Workstation synth:
Pros
- One device to use/learn
- Lots of instantly available sounds
- Less screen focus (ie no computer)

Cons
- Limited resources (eg polyphony, how much stuff you can have going at once)
- Poor audio recording (can't really record singers, other non-keyboard musicians etc)
- All sounds will likely have a similar character (all from the same instrument)
- Limited palette - some sounds you won't be able to get (eg, top class orchestral libraries)
- Editing features will not be as good as a DAW

DAW:
Pros
- Can do everything
- Essentially unlimited resources
- Audio and instrument recording
- Audio editing
- Plugins, mixing and mastering

Cons
- Depending on the DAW, maybe less instantly available sounds (but you can buy plugins/libraries for more)
- You're at the computer
- Need an audio interface
- You still need a keyboard to record your parts

Anyway, the best, most powerful/flexible environment will likely be some combination of both, so I'd say, buy yourself an instrument, play it, record, make music, and when/if you start to hit limits, you can then *add* a DAW, and you have the best of both worlds to use.

[mitya33]

Thanks very much for your helpful reply.

Again, we have no idea of the music you want to make. If you want to record guitars or bands, or singing, and mix and master your songs, then no, a workstation type synth is not going to do it all. If however you want to make, eg piano performance tracks and flesh them out with bass+drums and other parts, then sure, a workstation will do these things fine. Whether a tool will work for you depends on what it can do, and what you want to do.

I should have been more clear. I am interested in creating electronic, IDM-style music purely with synths, not real instruments recorded in.

[muzines]

Just remember that IDM music is very production heavy - ie the sounds you generally use get heavily processed with plugins, and audio production and editing tricks are part of the sound.

Depending on your aims (the genres you mention are quite wide), you might not be able to get a contemporary sound just using synth sounds alone - even on synths with FX built in, you have to share those effects with all the parts, and it's not really the same.

If you want to do that, then getting DAW + a keyboard might be a better route - but you're back at staring at the screen again...

(To be honest, if you buy a keyboard, it's pretty cheap to get an audio interface for your computer and something like Reaper, so you might as well just get a DAW too, which you can use/learn as you need.)

I think at this stage, you need to get on down to a local shop and have play on some instruments, to see whether they're going to give you the type of sounds you want...

[OneWorld]

Personally I prefer hardware. It isn't that software isn't up to the task but mousing around does my head in. SO I came to a compromise, a few bits of hardware (Virus TI, MOX for it's integration with Cubase) +a couple of hardware control surfaces, one for transport controls and oft used DAW commands - delete, undo, bounce etc etc and a separate controller with 8 faders and loads of knobs/switches to control softsynths

There is a lot of messing about configging the hardware controllers, thought some come with templates. One thing you have to be aware of though is make sure you regularly back up your controller/synth settings. I did one the other day, working into the wee small hours and getting just so. Windoesnot updated a few day later and my setup file had vanished!!!!

[mitya33]

Thank you for the advice, both.

I think at this stage, you need to get on down to a local shop and have play on some instruments, to see whether they're going to give you the type of sounds you want...

I've been doing just that. Playing around with the Montage 8. I'll be going back this week to play with other kit.