Writing Berlin School Music Within a DAW

[vurt]

Yeah, there are ways. With "real instruments", you won't be able to operate everything at the same time either.

I have a feeling this thread is about something else than rational decisions on in the box workflow.

well other than that, turn the lights off and put your back to anyone in the room.

[GaryG]

Only issue I see is having all the GUI's open when you want to tweak the synths.

well that's the point. Besides which switching between them and using mouse and keys to alter parameters woiuld be, to say the leasat, fiddly!

Takes a bit of configuring but you can get a controller pretty integrated into Reaper for this kind of thing. I've a setup with an akai lpd8 (eight pads and knobs) where I can use the pads to select an effect (pad 1, first effect in chain etc) then the SmartKnobs script to assign the knobs to whatever parameter you want. I use this mainly for guitar effects, hit a pad and twist a knob, no mouse etc needed.

[chk071]

Only issue I see is having all the GUI's open when you want to tweak the synths.

well that's the point. Besides which switching between them and using mouse and keys to alter parameters woiuld be, to say the leasat, fiddly!

Just to pick that up: I think you'd be surprised how fiddly a hardware workflow is... I tried it, and quickly ran back to in-the-box...

Back in the days, they simply didn't have an alternative to hardware. Nowadays, I think it's rather about what inspires you more. But, there's a lot of inspiration needed to really go the hardware route. Not just about room space, loads of cables, connections, and plug connectors, but also about the amount of cash you spend.

I know, those Youtube videos with lots of hardware synths look cool, but, you really have to like it to go that route. The only reason you don't see a lot of soft synths jams on Youtube is because it isn't that spectacular too watch.

Also, beware that the synths which are the most fun to tweak, i.e. give you the most control in form of lots of knobs and sliders are also the most expensive.

[El°HYM]

Tangerine Dream actually still 'exists' as a Group, not with the original members (as time goes by) but those still made the transition to Digital. I remember concerts with huge screens showing Massive and then tweaking it live. Lets say you can easily spot in their discography when the Magic in Sound just left. Happened to quite a few Groups in those Days and also not saying that 'Magic' cant be done in the digital world. Ever thought of going Hybrid, or re_amping your digital synths?

[vurt]

they were the earlier days of vsts, things have come a long way sonically since then.

[El°HYM]

Since when are you using vsts, my vurt?

[chk071]

Tangerine Dream actually still 'exists' as a Group, not with the original members (as time goes by) but those still made the transition to Digital. I remember concerts with huge screens showing Massive and then tweaking it live.

Interesting.

Lets say you can easily spot in their discography when the Magic in Sound just left. Happened to quite a few Groups in those Days and also not saying that 'Magic' cant be done in the digital world. Ever thought of going Hybrid, or re_amping your digital synths?

Not sure if they see it the same way, considering they went that path.

But, yeah, Massive 1 sounds like shit.

[vurt]

Since when are you using vsts, my vurt?

since about 2003.
i don't only use hardware

i do only have a few these days though, whittled down over the years from 100s like anyone
reaktor, absynth, zebra, ace.
then my samplers are kontakt and noises.

[chk071]

Since when are you using vsts, my vurt?

since about 2003.
i don't only use hardware

i do only have a few these days though, whittled down over the years from 100s like anyone

That's the big issue with software: As it is so cheap (compared to hardware), and easily accessible, you hoard stuff, instead of digging deep in a few devices.

But, there are cures against that as well IMO. All a matter of your mindset.

[vurt]

Since when are you using vsts, my vurt?

since about 2003.
i don't only use hardware

i do only have a few these days though, whittled down over the years from 100s like anyone

That's the big issue with software: As it is so cheap (compared to hardware), and easily accessible, you hoard stuff, instead of digging deep in a few devices.

But, there are cures against that as well IMO. All a matter of your mindset.

the other thing was, there was lots of more experimental instruments being released, lots of weird things you might use once or twice....
but over the years, each time i get a new computer, i now just install what i know i will use.
looks much nicer in drop down menus too.

even my reaktor ensembles folder only has about 30 in it these days.
there was a time i could download and try that many in one day

[chk071]

I try to concentrate on a few soft synths that I know I will get good results from as well. Of course, I get bored from time to time, and still buy, install, and use some others one or two times, and then they catch dust in the VST folder. But, most of the stuff which is in there at least gets some use from time to time.

[ghostwhistler]

Only issue I see is having all the GUI's open when you want to tweak the synths.

well that's the point. Besides which switching between them and using mouse and keys to alter parameters woiuld be, to say the leasat, fiddly!

could do with multiple controllers, transmitting on different channels
mouse is gonna make it sound stilted as you can only do one control at a time

you could get away with one controller and program the bass for example using piano roll, then play along to that for each new element, then redo the bass in the same manner.

don't be afraid of mistakes, just keep playing, cut the audio up later, remove them, td used backing track tapes too.

That's what I have been doing. I don't know if there's a better workflow. I don't have multiple controllers so doing it that way is out of the quesiton, and probably a massive midid headache anyway

[ghostwhistler]

Yeah, there are ways. With "real instruments", you won't be able to operate everything at the same time either.

I have a feeling this thread is about something else than rational decisions on in the box workflow.

No. that's exactly what it's about.

[chk071]

Ok. I somehow thought that you'd want to get into hardware.

[chk071]

Only issue I see is having all the GUI's open when you want to tweak the synths.

well that's the point. Besides which switching between them and using mouse and keys to alter parameters woiuld be, to say the leasat, fiddly!

could do with multiple controllers, transmitting on different channels
mouse is gonna make it sound stilted as you can only do one control at a time

you could get away with one controller and program the bass for example using piano roll, then play along to that for each new element, then redo the bass in the same manner.

don't be afraid of mistakes, just keep playing, cut the audio up later, remove them, td used backing track tapes too.

That's what I have been doing. I don't know if there's a better workflow. I don't have multiple controllers so doing it that way is out of the quesiton, and probably a massive midid headache anyway

Frankly, the gripe I have with controller is the lack of feedback which parameter I'm tweaking anyway. And, when you have that, on a screen like on the Komplete Kontrol S keyboards, you will have to switch pages, because there are only 8 knobs on the device.

I don't know. I rarely use the controls on my keyboard, and do most stuff with the mouse. I don't think there's a better workflow for that, unless there are controllers which have screens for every of the (hopefully) many controls on the controller. I don't really think something like that exists though.

I had the Novation Launch Control once, but, again, it simply lacked the feedback which parameter I'm tweaking. It can easily become confusing, when you have more than 8 or 16 controls, and no visible indicator what you are controlling.