Original Message 1/48                 Date: 14-Mar-01  @  08:03 PM   -   Software VS Hardware

speedload20

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I'm doing a report for the local university about the strengths and weeknesses of using either software or hardware or a combination in your studio. That is basing your studio on either software or hardware.

I would appreciate all thoughts on this topic! Please don't say "Software sucks" or something like that. Tell me WHY it sucks. WHY doesn't it sound/act like hardware? Will software close up on hardware once the computers can start handeling more and more voices/realtime effects?

Thanks!

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Message 2/48                 Date: 14-Mar-01  @  08:44 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

gb

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One of the major tradeoffs for software is the lack of dedicated hardware control surfaces. Using the computer mouse or sharing an external surface between the various components is really very flexible and really a pain in the ass to use.

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Message 3/48                 Date: 14-Mar-01  @  10:03 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

speedload20

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Yeah... But I don't really call my midi keyboard which has a few limited midi controlled sliders hardware.

I understand what you mean though.

But I also think that the computer mouse is one of the best tools for draging and copying music parts.

I will need arguments from both sides.

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Message 4/48                 Date: 14-Mar-01  @  10:33 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

gb

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Assuming you know how to play on a keyboard, it's a LOT more effective for getting notes into your sequenser than a mouse.
As for the lack of sliders on your keyboard... If you don't have any knobs or sliders on your hardware, you can't really use your hardware for comparing hardware to software. You'll have to compare a hardware synth to a software synth, a hardware delay unit to a software delay unit and so on.The mouse is good for drag, copy and other software sequenser related stuff. It doesn't really seem relevant to the questions you were asking, tho.

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Message 5/48                 Date: 14-Mar-01  @  10:38 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

dance, rummy!

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software is cheap.



I have a kickass software sampler (gigastudio) for $500. it beats
ANY hardware for ease of use, hands down.




the downside is, using software takes precious computer resources that could be used somewhere else....




for example, I could probably incorporate some VSTi software synth sounds, but my computer is too busy running the sampler alongside a sequencer....




once I've recorded all the tracks, then I turn the sampler off to do the mixing. during mixdown, I wish I had 32 digital outs from my PC and a hardware digital mixer, so I could offload some of the tracks' dynamics processing, EQ, and fx to it, and give every track the treatment it needs.....





my PC can't handle all of that processing for 32 tracks....






also, in general, hardware is more reliable. software has trouble because there are so many things it needs to be compatible with.....

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Message 6/48                 Date: 15-Mar-01  @  07:26 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

damballah

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Both. With software you can get an approximation of top-notch hardware results at a fraction of the cost. Hardware lends itself to 'playing' by virtue of being so hands on. I tend to work stuff out with the hardware, similar to an artist with a sketchbook. Software lends itself more to a 'programming' approach. I tend to use it more for the production part of the cycle than the composing phase.

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Message 7/48                 Date: 15-Mar-01  @  08:08 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

speedload20

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What about the sound? Does software really sound the same as hardware? That is if you forget about those little things only other composers hear.

Are the software effects as good as the hardware boxes? Reverb, delays, phasers, compressors, eqs?

How will the future be like? Will the X000 MHZ computers be able to sound exactly the same as hardware synths in realtime?

Thanks for your thoughts!

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Message 8/48                 Date: 15-Mar-01  @  08:27 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

speedload20

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Hmm... By the way... gb said something about hardware being more reliable than software in most cases.

I've heared about hardware freezing or causing unexpected things to happen just like the pcs. Though, I guess they should be a bit more stable since pcs are so much more than just a synth/mixer/effect unit. PCs have to do lots of things and weren't created to do music/edit in the first place.

Would anyone bring their PC to a live gig? I think not... But why? Is it only because of the size, the unreliability and the lack of knobs and sliders?

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Message 9/48                 Date: 15-Mar-01  @  09:19 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

Technosis

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I would bring my PC live... anything else and your fooling the audience and yourself... what kind of live performance uses DAT? (thats a rhetorical question smart ass ;)

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Message 10/48                 Date: 15-Mar-01  @  10:04 PM   -   RE: Software VS Hardware

gb

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One thing in favor of software : I'm sure it's possible to make software components doing the same as hardware with the same quality. As the source sounds are already digital the software will not add noise.The only way hardware can do this (digitally) is by using digital interfaces which adds a lot to the price tag, if it is at all possible.

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