The Hardware Megathread

#2575

In the past I know that MCU and HUI were both if-y in FL Studio. If you want to check that’s cool, but don’t do it on my account. I bought a new toy recently and it has more or less sat in its box in my studio so far lol. I appreciate the offer.

#2576

How interested would any body be in a “one box beat” project that happened like…every two months to start.

I imagine restrictions being: a single groovebox/sampler in hardware land. Tablet and phone apps ok. I’m not sure what a proper limit is in DAW land but would like to open it up to these folks. Maschine et al. would be OK as well.

Don’t care how you arrange (song mode, live jam, recording audio to your DAW) but the only FX can be master FX for polishing.

There would otherwise be some kind of theme or genre restriction every cycle.

Trying to get another long term community project started. Looking for a co-pilot. Am open to suggestions.

#2577

I don’t think that recording audio into a DAW to arrange ,should be an option, as kind of ruins the one box point. Only the final mix should be recorded. It might be a good idea to have some kind of limit to the hardware as well, just to level the playing field a bit. might be a good idea to see who’s interested and what they’d be using, The ARQ gives me 32 tracks, although it does get somewhat less if the samples are long in pattern mode. In loop mode time doesn’t mater.but I’d be interested.

#2578

I think it’s a cool idea. The way I’d handle DAWs is to make it like a tape recorder - no post-processing, no manipulation ITB, no MIDI from the DAW, just record your tracks in and arrange. Maybe allow for some master EQing and limiting if ya want. The hardware is the sound source, the DAW is the multitrack.

That allows people with limited hardware to make complex tracks by building things up, and folks with more advanced setups can stay ‘pure’. You could limit it to 16 or 32 tracks if you want parity with people staying completely on hardware.

#2579

Good point about arranging in the DAW. That is a huge advantage.

Seems like a good DAW solution would be 16 tracks one sample or synth per track and 2-3 send fx? Master FX same as everyone else.

#2580

Daws are a problem, unless you say things like 1 internal synth/sampler only, so for example Live with just the wave table synth, nothing else. But then what about something like the Akai MPC and Force? They’re pretty much daws.

I would limit it to one hardware as sound source and only sounds from that hardware can be used in daws. So you could your fav synth and multitrack/one shot.

Or a groovebox challenge…
I’d be game for all of the above, it’s how I make music anyway

#2581

Just chiming in to say I would really enjoy that and you could count on my participation.

#2582

It sounds like a beat battle

#2583

I’m probably just being dense but for a DAW you mean one instance of synth or a sampler and then 16 mixer/arranger tracks? I’d really like to figure out rules for DAW-only participation even though we have quite a few hardware people these days.

@IO_Madness it does sound a little like a Beat Battle–there won’t ever be a restriction like a sample pack though. Think of it more like a netlabel VA Comp in terms of what kind of restrictions we would use.

Also, in the Beat Battles can you not use the full power of your DAW in every given round? Sorry, I honestly don’t follow it that closely.

Edit: as for myself I’m looking forward to trying a different instrument each time and I have a fair few groovebox style iPad apps. So between apps and actual hardware I’m good for like a year of One Box Challenges.

#2584

I have looked into the last few beat battles, but either the samples aren’t clean, by which I’m talking about long strings of stuff, where there isn’t a decent gap to get a good sample without a horrible click at the end of it. Or the rules completely rule out someone who is hardware based, like you can kontact, but not a synth.

It would be cool if someone, just put up some nice vocal samples, which had to use and keep recognizable, but apart from that use whatever you have. That’s why I’m interested in this, something that the hardware guys can participate in that is centred around hardware.

#2585

I think there’s quite a few here rocking some kind of hardware box, even if it’s something small like a digitakt, samples or digitone. That’s why I said about hardware restrictions to level up the playing field. The ARQ has a few, like each drum sample has to have it’s own track, you can only have a insert effect on 4 of the tracks (bit crusher, phaser, flanger ring mod) in any pattern, but sends can go to all, but that’s only like reverb and delay. DAW’s have non of these. That’s why I said you need to have an idea of what people will be using, and try and aim for the median.

#2587

Yea. I mean we are probably not all ever going to agree on a proper restriction in any sense. And as Auto and you said, if you are talking a new MPC you might as well be using a DAW where as with the ARQ (not heard of that one!) or a Model:Samples we would be much, much more limited.

I guess I should have said I’m also not looking at this as a contest with a winner. I suppose that might shed a lot more light on matters. If people are going to use a DAW or something like a new MPC or Maschine+ I’m happy to leave it up to the musician on how to limit themselves for a particular challenge.

I just want an excuse to challenge myself, use the gear I have and actually make some music which I’ve not been doing at all. I’ve been using hardware for about 10 years now and this is the only time in my life where I wish I had proper dust covers for everything because it is all quite literally collecting dust.

I know I was the one that brought the whole idea up and the restrictions but now I kinda feel like why get lost in the details of a project that doesn’t even have any momentum yet.

I think at some point today I will start a thread for this in Community Projects and lay out some basic ground rules and we can adjust things along the way as needed. This can morph into whatever or it can die a quick death due to lack of interest : )

#2588

I might be biased because I’m a recent Maschine+ owner and would plan on using it but I see devices like that, force included, to be way different than a daw due to the input method and playable interface. No way am I going to be able to fire up machine+ and come anywhere near what I could do in a daw. Maybe after a year or two of owning it with consistent practice but still not even sure after that.

One restriction I could think of for devices like that which could work would be no arranger mode allowed. Any pattern changes must be done manually. Same would go for song mode on other devices. If you want to participate you have to do your best to actually play the device throughout the recording.

I guess though that would leave out anyone using a DAW but I suppose that’s what the beat battles are for.

#2589

How are you liking the +?
There are still some restrictions on it that are keeping me undecided. Specifically the single time signature thing.

#2590

I have only had a small amount of time with it actually. My last time allotment was blown by gathering samples from my various drives and importing them to the user content section. That said, I don’t really feel I have had enough time to accurately be able to form an opinion that would mean anything.

I have had time to mash some loops from the factory content and mess around with FM8 and Massive on the device. I can say that the sounds are awesome. Best I’ve heard on a groovebox. Very modern if you’re into that kind of thing, which I am.

Getting a loop going and looping a group of sounds and synth patches live as if the box was a looper though is super fun, quick and easy. The time signature thing isn’t really an issue for me because I use hardware just to do simple jams and whatnot . Not looking to be too creative with the unit so to speak.

Edit: oh and the time stretching on the device is stellar.

#2591

I didn’t even know this Behringer 2600 existed now my brain wants to make space for it on my desk :frowning:

This is revenge isn’t it Auto? :stuck_out_tongue:

#2592

Yes. It totally is.

#2593

Pfffft lol.

#2594

Personally I dont own any hardware…but I will get that korg midi controller…man that thing is xyxyxyxy

My abbreviation for sexy…

I need to be more of a gearhead myself…
Software is too limiting.

Dont get me started on the loudness wars.

#2595

I think this is one of the first times I’ve seen that said. Usually it’s said the opposite XD