roland mc-909 ???

[TechMouse]

and there's this overwhelming sense of "if you don't use Ableton you don't make good tunes"...

I don't feel that at all.

There are a few people who will swear blind that hardware is the only way to go, for sure. I'm not sure I've heard any software evangelists, certainly not in the sense that they would suggest you can't do anything decent with hardware.

The plain demonstrable truth of the matter is that there are people doing great stuff with hardware and people doing great stuff with software.

The choice is largely an individual one, and different people will be more at home with different configurations.

As a rough rule of thumb (and this is just my opinion) hardware tends to give you better results "out of the box" at the expense of flexibility. Software gives you complete flexibility, but the trade off is that you have to work harder to get great sounds.

[tocsin]

As a rough rule of thumb (and this is just my opinion) hardware tends to give you better results "out of the box" at the expense of flexibility. Software gives you complete flexibility, but the trade off is that you have to work harder to get great sounds.

Yep. It's a learning curve issue on one hand, and a financial issue on another. There's not a chance in hell that I'd be able to buy a new piece of gear right now. I just don't have that kind of disposable income anymroe at the moment. However, it seems like every week, there is some new piece of cheap, and often free, software to experiment with. Personally, I think it's worth exploring more than hardware, as the software is constantly evolving, and is easilly replacable. When you buy a piece of hardware, what you see is what you get. Though, if you're in a position where you can afford to do both, that is by far the most fun option, and the most beneficial.

[massplanck]

I don't feel that at all.

There are a few people who will swear blind that hardware is the only way to go, for sure. I'm not sure I've heard any software evangelists, certainly not in the sense that they would suggest you can't do anything decent with hardware.
.

Well I certainly dont jump onto VST plugin threads and suggest that people should go out and buy an Access virus because VST plugins are shit. You have a thread here where some guy with a limited budget wants to buy a piece of hardware, and gets told to just use abelton & a controller. Then you have people who "have used more hardware than I have seen" saying this is shit & that is shit when in fact they dont actually own the aformentioned piece of kit (and actually liked the sounds from it).

If someone wants to spend money on hardware. Encourage them dont discourage them. If someone want to use a wholly software setup the same goes. But please let them experiment.

[TechMouse]

Well I certainly dont jump onto VST plugin threads and suggest that people should go out and buy an Access virus because VST plugins are shit.

Never said you did, but I've definitely heard more people espouse a "hardware or nothing" attitude than a "software or nothing".

You have a thread here where some guy with a limited budget wants to buy a piece of hardware, and gets told to just use abelton & a controller.

Limited budget is the point though.

Your bang:buck ratio with a cheap laptop & controller pisses on anything you will get with a hardware sequencer.

I don't doubt for a second that if you have the cash to buy a drum machine, sampler, synth and mixer then you can do mad stuff with hardware - and I've seen it done on many occasions by all sorts of people.

But compare that with bog standard laptop & cheap controller pound for pound - especially if you have a laptop already as many people do.

Buying all that specialist hardware is a spectacularly expensive way to find out that it's not your thing after all.

Then you have people who "have used more hardware than I have seen" saying this is shit & that is shit when in fact they dont actually own the aformentioned piece of kit (and actually liked the sounds from it).

Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

In my experience the Roland Grooveboxes are pretty poor unless you want to make generic trance. (And who doesn't? :D)

You can get good sounds out of anything if you try hard enough, but you need something decent to be the backbone of your system. Something like an RS7K will do the job, but you'll be needing more hardware on top.

If someone wants to spend money on hardware. Encourage them dont discourage them. If someone want to use a wholly software setup the same goes. But please let them experiment.

Absolutely agree, but I still believe that for someone making their first forays into electronic music the computer route is the sensible entry point. Just my opinion of course.

[massplanck]

You can get good sounds out of anything if you try hard enough, but you need something decent to be the backbone of your system. Something like an RS7K will do the job, but you'll be needing more hardware on top.
.

Now is probably the time to be buying second hand hardware as lots of people are flogging off their old kit as they move over to software. I just got an Access Virus for 500 euro (370 sterling) (never ****ing used as the guy didnt like the sounds on it!).
I dunno. I know there is a cost issue. But there is alot to be said for saving up for something by eating beans for a year. Hardship usually end up meaning better music :)

[RDR]

Now is probably the time to be buying second hand hardware as lots of people are flogging off their old kit as they move over to software. I just got an Access Virus for 500 euro (370 sterling) (never ****ing used as the guy didnt like the sounds on it!).
I dunno. I know there is a cost issue. But there is alot to be said for saving up for something by eating beans for a year. Hardship usually end up meaning better music :)

Not sure about beans man... for a YEAR!... oh thats harcore ;)

But a superb point about the much cheapness of hardware.

PS - A Virus TI does beat loads of software synths its true..! amazing synth.. sadly VERY expensive though.

@Pete... those speakers were bang on ;) as IQ - he tested em.

[acidsaturation]

I don't feel that at all.

There are a few people who will swear blind that hardware is the only way to go, for sure. I'm not sure I've heard any software evangelists, certainly not in the sense that they would suggest you can't do anything decent with hardware.

OK maybe I'm being a little harsh, but I do hear a certain amount of insistence that laptops and software are the only way, and there is a bit of "I don't like it therefore it's shite" at times from both sides of the debate...

That's what makes me sad...