Hardware vs. Software: 8 Reasons to Pick Software
When I first began on this journey of making music, I always saw in music forums that people got in heated debates on hardware versus software. The hardware lovers would look down upon the Fruity Loops users ( FL Studio), saying things like it’s for kids, it’s not for serious producers, blah, blah, and so on.
Still, today software is somewhat looked down upon even though successful producers such as 9th Wonder (who has produced for Jay Z, my favorite rap group Little Brother and Destiny’s Child ) who proudly admits to using FL Studio.
Other big producers have jumped on board with using software such as Reason. DJ Khalil, who has produced for Jay Z and 50 Cent, uses Reason, and in the link provided, he talks about how software has changed his whole beat-making process. Other producers such as DJ Troop and DJ Babu and countless others have used the Reason music software.
Even with these producers getting major placements, software alone is looked down upon.
4 Reasons Why I like Hardware
- No Audio Latency – This is what bugs me most about software. The delay of sound. This is when you push a key and there isn’t an instant sound. It takes a few milliseconds, or more, but it’s enough to drive me nuts. It makes playing keyboard complicated. There are tips on ways to fix these problems, but it’s never really accurate like a piece of hardware. Hardware doesn’t give you this problem. If you have a keyboard or MPC, the sound comes out instantly with no delay because it’s built for that purpose.
- Creativity - Sometimes my flow has been better working with a Motif keyboard. I pick a track, sound and play — no mouse clicking and sorting through folders for sounds. It’s faster sometimes and easier, which allows me to focus on the music alone and not an entire computer setup. Also, physically banging on some MPC pads allows me to feel the beat out, and get in the groove of making drum patterns.
- Less Options – When you have an MPC or keyboard, you know exactly what it is capable of. You can focus on those features and do your thing. You don’t have to pick out of 20 different softwares what to use. Too many options can be distracting.
- Something Physical – I’m not a fan of all the clicking you have to do with a mouse. I sit in front a computer for most of the day, and don’t want to come home and make music on my computer. That keyboard or MPC was built to do music and have a majority of the necessities to do what it needs to do. MPC pads or keyboard keys feel better than the clicking you do with a mouse. Because you feel it out, cause you’re actually playing it out.
8 Reason to pick software over hardware
- Portability - A laptop and a midi keyboard can be your entire set up. You can have thousands of sounds and a variety of software. You can take it with you anywhere and not be restricted to one place.
- Time and Convenience – When using software like Reason, you will have almost every instrument right in that one setup up. I’m not sure if you have had a set up like me, where I have a Yamaha Triton, plus an Akai MPC. I would load the drums into the MPC. I would have to set both devices to track #1 for example, find the sound on the keyboard, set the MPC to midi input and record. The process would repeat. After the track was done, I would save both instruments to their different storage devices. Sometimes both wouldn’t save right. But if it did, eventually when I recorded the beat into the computer, it would come out differently. It was a pain.
Software is more contained and gives you almost everything you want in one program, which makes it easy to edit and save.
- Easy to Edit - With midi you adjust every note you play from length, velocity and more. You can edit everything very easily. This can all be done with a click of the mouse and a big viewable computer screen.
Editing Samples is just as easy. You see wave forms and edit and chop up sounds in a number of ways. Add hundreds of effects. The possibilities are almost endless.
- No Tracking - Tracking is the process of recording the beat you made on a piece of hardware into the computer. This was always a pain. Because you have to record every track individually, so this could take a decent amount of time. Plus for me, it would never come out the way it sounded on the piece of equipment. With software, you pretty much just export your tracks to a wave form and mix the tracks down.
- Free Resources – If you follow my site, you will see that there are plenty of sites online that offer hundreds of free VSTs instruments, effects and other sound collections. In fact some of these VSTs are modeled after vintage hardware and carry the exact same sounds. They may even sound better.
- Share Ability - A lot of music software is now being built with some form of collaboration software in it. In FL Studio, you can export your beat as a zip file that will include every sample you used in the beat. Then you can send that to someone and they can continue right where you left off. Reason and Protools both have very similar features.
- Affordability - When dealing with music equipment, you really can’t buy just one thing. If you buy a key board, which can cost you up to a grand, you will also need a sound card in your computer to record your keyboard, maybe also a mixer, plus the audio cables and maybe some midi cables. And when hardware comes out, the time for software updates on the piece of equipment is limited. You may get a few updates, but the main focus most companies is that next piece of hardware, and some of the hardware can be pretty expensive. So it may not be easy to just upgrade often.
For software, almost every household has a computer. All you would need is some music software, a midi keyboard (not required) that you can get off Craiglist for cheap and some decent music speakers to hear your music. Free resources are always being put online, and your sound collection will continue to grow.
- Space- I’m not sure how much space you have available just for your music equipment. But it can take up a lot of space. When I only had one room to myself, I had my bed, dresser, TV, keyboard, computer and other necessities all in one room. It was pretty cramped for me. Plus, I had a lot of down time when I wasn’t making music and that equipment was taking up space.
But with software you can pretty much have everything on your one computer. Get a midi keyboard and you’re pretty much set.
In Conclusion
Software is the future. If you don’t catch up, you will be left behind. I agree that hardware has its own characteristics that cannot be replicated by software. But software saves me time, money and closet space. You would be a fool to try and not take advantage of all the free resources out there, such as VSTs and sound fonts that can easily boost your sound collection up to a thousand quality sounds with out paying $1,500 for a keyboard. In addition, you can buy midi hardware that is pretty close to that physical item that you may be attached too.
Overall, it’s not about the equipment you have. It’s about the music you make with it. You can have a big studio and suck, or have FL Studio and rock! It’s up to you.
28 Comments
Eyetel on November 26th, 2008
Software rocks and i’m sticking to it
sMoKe on November 28th, 2008
i choose software for 1 reason, affordability! there iz nothing like free
Winchell on December 1st, 2008
I agree with smoke and eyetel…
Software is taking over. Over time hardware can eventually need repair, maintanance, cleaning. Software you just reinstall, update, and your good. The only thing you need to clean, repair, and maintain is your controller!
And lets face it. In a world with more junk being thrown into landfills and stuff. Less waste in the end. For all the green people out there.
And the versitilty of being able to have every thing you need to produce in one laptop! Now thats kicks a$$
It just pi$$es off the big record companys and producers because it opens a window for EVERYONE to make great hits in there own home.
PEACE!!!
Agargara on December 2nd, 2008
Software is great for making music. For me, it wins over hardware any day. However, when it comes to live performance, typing on your keyboard or clicking your mouse just isn’t going to impress anyone. That’s why I think the best solution is a combination of software and hardware controllers, such as a midi keyboard, monome, lemur, etc.
Sai on December 2nd, 2008
First of all what a great site! I have to agree with the other post its all about money. The hardware lovers still look down on software users
Ha Nguyen on December 2nd, 2008
Yes, I’m software lover. In this decade, we ‘d be a fool if we don’t take advantages from them. Fredman, who is fantastic engineer, is also switch to In-The-Box solution! You could listen to some of In Flames, Firewind stuffs to see how software kill hardware devices nowaday.
Veli on December 2nd, 2008
I am all for software! but still have that feeling that i have to own an MPC!
Document 02 on January 27th, 2009
Love this post, even though I would have added a 9th reason… It’s always time to use hardware later in the studio. I mean once your track feels good, say if you need that extra gritty saturation on the bass line, you can just export your MIDI track and record the one instrument you want.
I occasionally replace a Reason Thor by an MS-20 this way. You don’t loose time, you don’t loose much space as it allows to keep your hardware synths to the minimum.
Peace.
Dwayne on February 23rd, 2009
I use both, always the best of two worlds, and if anyone finds something negative to say about either of the two, it is based on a lack of knowledge or money. Therefore, don’t trip over your pride,learn all you can at any cost.
J-Beatz on March 4th, 2009
software doesn’t have a soul like hardware does
Melodisc on April 25th, 2009
Software is good with the open labs miko or neko loool
SoundsAndGear.com on May 3rd, 2009
I’m like you bro, I sit in front of a computer for most of the day, so making music on a computer isn’t the best situation. Nothing like turning on the mpc, and just going to work.
That said, software is much better than it has been, the options are crazy and with the hardware controllers available and different interfaces, you no longer have to feel like your working on a computer.
The one thing that has really made me consider software is the OpenLabs joints.
I know peeps say it’s just a computer and midi controller all together, but man…as a hardware dude, those joints are sexy. Something about having everything tweaked to just work, gives you that “hardware feel” with the unlimited options of software.
I know there are peeps who will say all they need is an mpc and a turntable, and that’s true…they can make it happen with that.
I’m always one to say use both, hardware and software together is a killer combo.
Jim Bond on July 10th, 2009
Interesting stuff.
Xola X on July 28th, 2009
I think one shouldn’t be prefered over the other because each has their own unique characteristics that make it a great choice. See, all I have is Reason 4 and FL 8 and once I can afford hardware I’ll buy hardware. I believe it’s a war out there and all the other producers are your competitors and the knowledge you have about either is your weapon. The more you know the more you are armed. As much as I prefer software I don’t limit myself to software and believe no producer should.
Xola X
Deuce on August 9th, 2009
Wait… Something physical? So there is no such thing as a midi controller when this article was made? This list is highly misleading.
T on January 22nd, 2010
hardware sounds better. that’s what’s up.
tuch215 on February 1st, 2010
I am blessed to have come from the analog age and I have a huge reverence for pieces of hardware such as the MPC 2000(which I still Own). I have seen through the years the emergence of the digital age along with the software instruments and DAWS and I must say that I am now a true fan of software. Software simply gives you MUCH more for FAR less, all across the board and the pros far out weight the cons. How many of us can afford to purchase ten keyboards, let alone have room for all ten plus four or five compressors, Eqs, Reverb machines, mixing consoles, etc. Having a studio comprised of the hardware needed to build a suitable studio for composing, recording and mixing can be VERY costly, and not to mention you need the space for it! With software you can have as much equipment as the memory on your computer can handle. That means literally hundreds of instruments and effects at your command at a very small fraction of the cost. You can produce an album from start to finish in your bedroom! Believe me, I know cats in the industry who are doing it!!!!!
D.j Pharoahgahmoe on February 8th, 2010
Wow you dudes are so crazy……most of the dudes who make money selling beats are using hardware with there software……Why would you sell your mpc when you can run logic as a rack or Live 8 and still record in your DAW.Best of both worlds.And most of you guys got slow computers a couple of racks can replace a few vstis …mo phatts going for $100 or Emu protus or A roland jv2080 or an Xv 3080 just like knock squared plug in your N.I Machine
shorts on February 9th, 2010
I have been stressing lately about switching to software, but the truth is that’s where the future is at. I have spent way too much on hardware only to have it break down on me. I recently went in guitar center to look into purchasing Rolands MV-8800, which I have had my eye on since it came out. A worker there gave me his advice and sat me down and showed me how reason worked with a midi controller. I was very impressed, and he told me I could all that with another recording program for the same price I would spend on the MV-8800. I got converted, what can I say. For the same price I can do much more and I’ll still have a controler with drum pads to lay the drums down. I refuse to use the mouse for that.
Rupicolous on February 9th, 2010
I just ventured into REASON straight from a piano and couldn’t be more proud of the results. Delay from the midi controller does take getting used to and never really feels right although you will edit every note with the software eventually anyways so ………
Robert on March 24th, 2010
Latency on software? :-/ I hope you heard about ASIO. Any decent Creative, M-Audio soundcard has it. You can then select the output through ASIO driver (and NOT directx or “default sound device” BS). You’ll have a latency of MAXIMUM 5ms, which is about 99,99999% REALTIME. :-D
Loïc Robin from France!!! on April 27th, 2010
FL Studio 4 ever!!!!!!!!!! No matter hardware users moking!!!!!
naya romerez on April 29th, 2010
hey bro…. u said hardwear has its attributes that cant be replaced by softwear…. like what? i would like too know thanx……. facebook =
naya morrenito romerez
REASON on August 31st, 2010
I’M IN BOTH WORLDS. MPC 2000XL FOR MY DRUMS AND LOADING SAMPLE CHOPS I PLAY OUT ON THE PADS. THEN PRO TOOLS 8 AS MY DAW AND VST HOST WITH A MIDI CONTROLLER. ITS A PREFERENCE BUT ITS SOFTWARE N CONTROLLERS THAT CAN DO WHAT A MPC CAN DO NOW
dynamicwayne on January 24th, 2011
I say hardware
Typo Co. on July 20th, 2011
I use almost all software…and have for years. The ONLY thing that software CAN’T do that hardware can is ANALOG…any master engineer can tell the different between analog and digital. It’s been proven that digital sound causes more ear fatigue. Othern than that MINOR little detail, which most people don’t care about…software is way more efficient…and the ones who knock software are just intimidated by new technology.
Navarre on August 31st, 2011
I’m new to producing, but I have been doing it long enough to make my mistakes and form a workflow. I tried going all hardware, and it expensive and inconvenient. The slow sample load times and learning curve for every piece of equipment was really restricting what I was hearing in my head from getting out.
What I think some aspiring producers can benefit from is a hybrid setup. Software is great for sequencing and controlling, even sound design. There are software effects that cannot be achieved with hardware economically, or at all. However, one should also recognize that certain pieces of hardware have unique character, effects, bit sampling rates, filters, and other biases that cannot be replicated by software. In an era of McProducers where anyone can learn the techniques, one shouldn’t lose passion for the quest of sonic identity, of having a signature sound, of exploring new interesting sonic textures (see Theo Parrish). Otherwise production will go the way that DJing has, where easy-to-use software with ultimate power and instant gratification has made life easier but also undermined the quest for finding one’s musical identity.
That said, people should do what allows them to get the music in their head onto a track with the least resistance.
David on November 25th, 2008
all modern music producers need to read this blog!!! although i will say nothing adds grit to a track like samples played from an mpc2000.