AKA computers, midi controllers.

I switched from all hardware to a laptop and a bunch of midi controllers last year (I still had my SP until recently though and used it away from the comp)

Im finding it very frustrating . . I have plenty of knobs/buttons/etc assigned to where i want them, but I still feel like I am trying to make music from the other side of a glass window to my tools. . I have no feel or 'contact' with my sounds


Has anyone been able to remedy this disconnected feeling of computer work through some kind of controller setup?

I cant afford to buy any hardware for a long time. . so Im desperate to solve my problem... I guess this frustration must be what its like if you had no mouth and wanted to talk

i find it the same. one of the reasons why im leaning towards an all hardware set-up. it obviously costs more, takes up more space and you can't do as many things with it as software but for me i actually enjoy making music with hardware and with software, even with MIDI controllers, i feel it's not as organic. although it all depends on your mood and what your into.

for me hardware is like weed and software is like caffeine.

another example is when you collect records or even CDs. i have lots of breaks records, old bossa nova records and sometimes i search torrents when im trying to find something. you can find pretty much ANYTHING online but at the end of the day i would rather own the actual physical copy with the cover art and everything.

amen!

Try setting up your setup so you can always work on stuff WITHOUT the computer being on. Think of the computer as a tape machine- that you only switch on when you're ready to record tracks.
Maybe a patch bay would help-
I have an SP normalized (plugged in) to my speakers, so I can turn in on and play around, then when it's time to track I switch the inputs to go into my Computer, but I don't start with the computer on.

Yeah, great idea. I've got a nearly all hardware setup. The only time I use my PC is when I'm gathering samples--most of which are field recordings rather than online searches--and tweaking them so that they're ready for the SP's or whatever, and when I'm done and want to publish something online or back it up. I still do a fair amount of recording and processing on the PC, though. I have a big voice acting project coming up where I need to come up with several dozen samples. I may just keep the raw unedited files on the PC and use my 404 for resampling with effects.

I dont have anything to use besides the computer remember!

I guess, that's your problem right there. I'm serious, a lot of people buy MIDI controllers to get the hardware feel of making music. But in my opinion it doesn't work.

I had a MPD24 for a while, tried to make music with various software programs. Sure, it's possible to make good music, but the feeling of making music is very different. Hence why I bought an SP and so on.

word to the glass window analogy
there's a distinct lack of immediacy with software

yeah i have this arguement with my buddies claiming its all the same. @ that point i think its the doe thats striking them. software is taking over and its very very ez to do poop beats because of that lack. i owned reason 4 for over 4 months and havent touched it since i went back to my sp 2mnths ago. now again ive heard some dope shyt come from it but i think it takes a certain kind of cat to extract the "feeling" from software!

p.s if u look in most mags the pros are using live instruments and software to keep that feeling alive.

I don't know ANY pro that makes beats with Fruity Loops or whatever other software-only program. They at least use MIDI controllers to operate the software, which is quite ironic if you think about it. But the real pros use hardware.

No doubt. "I have an Idea. Lets make a thing that LOOKS like a musical instrument so we can get more hands on feel from the computer and play it like an intrument."
Why not just get a musical instrument?

Ever heard of 9th Wonder?

http://remixmag.com/artists/remix_little_feat/

in mags like RECORDING you see cats that work with artists combing the best of both worlds. theres always someone whose reliant but not well named in the industry. yes there are plenty of "one man armies" but as u grow in the industry u find that its easier to either hire a drummer or use a really good drum program. we would never really know which is which cuz most lay outs can be done live or sequenced. hebie hancock uses an OASYS which has its own software hardware layout. dj babu uses reason but still has a shyt load of keyboards. 9th wonder whose done commercial and underground music uses fl studio. and ive seen plenty of acoustic bands that lack a good drummer use software to fill that void. its being done more than we think. its not bad cuz not all of us can afford a drummer for a session or a guitarist. id rather use hardware myself but as technology progresses everything (even guitars) will eventally have a usb plug. look @ dj jazzyjeff who initally hated SERATO but learned to enjoy it after cn it in action. it kinda sucks cuz it boils down to someone wanting to make money by inventing an alternative to hardware but would we all have been able to afford some of the hardware we have had not the comp from software been so tough?

check out some demos on ezdrummer @ www.toontrack.com and see if u can tell the difference or youtube

He makes good music, no doubt, however I know for a fact that he uses a whole bunch of keyboards, MIDI controllers, samplers and external recording hardware a lot. He samples his sample stuff straight from vinyl records, you can't do that without proper hardware.