I'm not meant to start a war, but I'm just curious how you guys produce in this day and age. I'm becoming sort of a dinosaur working with synths, controlled by midi, mixing them on a desk and recording them playing all together into a stereo mixdown.
Call me lazy, but I really can't be asked anymore to record as wav, chop it to loops and polish and mix it all ITB. I just like working OTB with the PC off.

Now, others will work fully ITB, some use only VSTi's and other use a combination of VSTi's and samples (i.e. Maschine) again others predominanty use samples (loops and 1-shots) to lay down a track and add i.e. Only a lead and bassline with a VSTi

Then there are guys who only use samples, they cherrypick what they like and put it all together like a collage, slice and dice it, one shots, loops, riffs it doesn't matter as long as it gells together to a bigger whole than sum of parts.

How do YOU produce these days?

___________________
Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear

I'm still primarily using Reason. It still works pretty much how I want it to.

___________________
-~-

I'm in renoise, everything else I use is free stuff. I'd prefer to replace renoise with something free as well, but the free options are a bit lacking in the automation and control department. I am mostly sample based, though lots of those samples come from softsynth recording of my own patches.

For 2014, I'm trying to find a way to sound different without it being unappealingly weird.

I'm 100% ITB and try to keep my setup as minimal as possible, because my career has had me moving around a lot over the past few years. I don't see myself buying another hardware synth again, regardless of my career circumstance. I've just become accustomed to recalling entire projects without needing anything but my laptop and always found recording hardware a total pain in the ass.

I switched to Studio One about 18 months ago, after being a Cubase user since SX1.

I've also cut back the plugins I use significantly. I own Komplete, but only have Battery, Massive, FM8 and Kontakt installed. The Korg Legacy synths are the only other instruments I use. For effects, all I have beyond my DAW plugins is the Cytomic plugins and a FabFilter bundle.

I use samplers a lot more now than I used to, but thats a consequence of my musical preferences changing. I'd say the average song is 50/50 synths/samplers.

After 10 or so years of doing this, I think I'm approaching the point where I really know my tools inside out. I don't even try out new gear unless I have a really specific reason for doing so, whereas in the past I would demo every flavour of the month plugin.

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox I've never had a problem with FLs tech support till this day. (I've actually never used it till this day)

quote:

Originally posted by floyd741 i think echosystm is a pretty cool guy. eh pwns robby rox and doesn't afraid of anything.

Well I've no bought a plugin for ages now, apart from Alchemy come to think of it.

I realised in 2013 that mixing, and all the options that come with a modern DAW setup actually hampers my creativity so I'm trying to simplify that workflow.

A recent switch to Live has gone some way to achieving that, and also massively sped up the process of getting a track started.

Ultimately I'd like to take a lot of the mix process OTB and keep all my options hands on. I may even go down the Cirklon route too. But I definitely see a multi channel desk to run my hardware through being the main route to composition, with software as a backup to that.

___________________
Soundcloud

A mixture of hardware and software synths, software effects and samples, all mixed itb

___________________
hearthis
soundcloud
youtube

my way of working now has change a lot i use mainly samples ie working with audio i think its because i cant make them big porfessional tunes so i like to throw shit at a brick wall and see what sticks

I'm ITB (Sonar, PT, Logic, Live, soft synths, etc.), OTB (Kurzweil PC3X, Tetra, channel strips, compressors), and hybrid (Virus TI2, Maschine). Pretty much every one of my tracks have vocals, guitars, bass and/or other recorded parts (including my h/w synths), use my Virus and/or Maschine, and are all recorded, mixed and mastered in my computer using software hosts, synths, processing plugins, and audio editors. I don't discriminate.

___________________
cryophonik.com | facebook | soundcloud

Sonar Platinum | Ableton Live 9 | Logic Pro X | Access Virus TI2 Keyboard | Kurzweil PC3X | Nord Lead 4R | NI Maschine

Making sounds.

Sidechaining my donk with cowbell on it,

At home, I'm now nearly entirely ITB with Logic (and a little of PTHD when I can be bothered to look at it's hideously uninspiring interface), with exception to my Electribe ES1 that I just use a step sequencer occasionally for drums (via battery).

I probably will end up dropping the 'Tribe soon though as battery is a bit flakey and I've gotten more in to just placing samples in the arrange page.

I am however starting consider playing with Live as I'd love something quick and cross platform......that is, if I can get over the fugliness of the sequencer.....

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN if I can get over the fugliness of the sequencer.....

If I can get used to it......

___________________
Soundcloud