Thinking of selling up?

[djstyleee]

I have been debating for a while weather to sell my hardware and go completely software based, personally I much prefer the sound of hardware (old skool). However some of the new software is so flexible and sounds great (very digital though). I was wondering what other peoples opinions are and if you have followed same route, best thing you ever did or your worse mistake ever!

[griffin avid]

Why do you have to choose? - can't you buy some software to get the flexibility and those great digital sounds and use whatever hardware you love at the same time? I don't see why this is such a dilemma.

Aside from starting a software and hardware debate, what kind of feedback could you expect from people who don't know you, your music, your history/discography-- h**l, I don't even know how long you've doing the hardware thing and what hardware you're talking about selling...

Or what software you're planning on 'switching to'...

[sequentialsoftshock]

sell everything and download audacity and tal uno.

[djstyleee]

Sorry I was rather vague there, yeah very true I do utilise both but just been on my mind recently what to do. The thread was mainly aimed at people that have sold up and possibly regretted it I have spent a long time collecting hardware and do not want make the wrong / rash decision (like people do lol). That was why I did not see the need to list equipment or specify what style / genre. However, I generally produce uplifting trance however, I dabble in all forms on electronica. kit list, Roland JP8080/8000, TR909, JD900, 106, JV1080. Novation KS, SN II, Waldorf Pulse+, Q, Korg MS2000, Aceess Virus TI2.

[djstyleee]

sell everything and download audacity and tal uno.

I like it lol

[cartesia]

I'd keep the analogue stuff + the virus + the Q.

[Alex E]

I don't think I'd ultimately ever sell everything but, in the end I'd be happy with only a couple pieces of good hardware.

[101 Force]

I'd say it depends on how you use the gear you've got now. Take your TR-909 for example: do you use the onboard sequencer? If you're just triggering it through MIDI you might as well use a VSTi or samples that closely match the sound, but if you're using the onboard sequencer you should keep it. Really, it comes down to how you're using your gear and if it's working for you. If it's not working for you perhaps you should try using it in a different manner, or for different tasks, but if you can't seem to find a way for it to work for you then you might as well let it go and find something to take its place -- software or hardware.

[portland]

Just make sure you test all the software for a while first. Use it until the wow-factor of all those presets goes away, and then decide. I'll sell my hardware sampler immediately when I find a comparable software sampler.

[stikygum]

If you were talking about selling up, from budget to high end synths, I would say yes. But selling all of your hardware for software depends. I have personally enjoyed the transition of getting more into hardware and now I find myself neglecting my hardware, even with nice analog synths in the studio. It's blasphemy! Joking... The main thing I found out is that I get a lot of work done by composing in software first (I still compose in hardware). Stuff like Maschine is the perfect balance between hard and soft. I really need both. One without the other would be boring. I hate the mouse and use a trackball, that feels like an instruments to me. If you are going all software, make sure you have a controller like a Novation SL or something to control the software like a hardware synth, otherwise you'll want your hardware back.

[speak_onion]

In what context do you use your gear? Do you make music for a living? Do you record music at home? Do you perform live? Do you just noodle with synths because making weird sounds rules? (It does.)

If I made music for a living, I would likely not use any hardware. Software is so easy and convenient and fast, I'd choose it if I were under deadline every time and really no one other than me will know the difference. If I played live (I do) I would not use any software (I don't). I find it boring and un-reliable. For recording stuff at home, I find it's best to have both available so you can do what's best for the project. For just having fun, well, chose whatever's funnest to you.

[glassofwater]

^ words of widsom.

[plikestechno]

I think you have to have a little bit of everything in the long run.

[djstyleee]

Cheers lads your comments have really helped, I have decided going be best to keep the hardware I most use, get rid of the 909 etc as I never really use it these days. I do produce music for a living, but also love creating weird sounds in my spare time (cannot be helped lol). The ease of use with software was one of the main reasons I was thinking of selling (other than being skint). I do use the SLII remote could not live without it for software, unfortunately I do not perform live (with synthesisers anyway).

[knolan]

On a musical level I'd say - never sell hardware. Computers still suffer from latency especially for players, and the 2D images of plugin synths is a con - they never, ever feel like real synthesizers. You will be disappointed with that 'dimension' (or lack of) with a software only solution.

If psychologically you need a complete break then pack all your gear up and put it away so as to make a clean break from it. Worst case scenario is that it remains neatly packed away to be sold for even higher prices in a few years.

But IMO the computer-only solution is a pale, shadow of a concept - it can never replace the tactile / instantaneous and interactive nature of hardware in electronic music. You'd be entering an entirely new domain - IMO only useful for 'media/generic-vanilla sounding' type work and not for actual playing of living, breathing music with character.