Why use software to produce?
why use software? by some nice analog and digital hardware synths and drumcomputers, a good hardware sequencer, a nice nakamichi tapedeck, and start hammering out those tracks! 
twitch
are you serious ?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha .
For anybody starting and has a mac, I think garageband is perfect. Pretty much any DAW is great, in a way.
Hey no one laugh at this 
!
I have a Microkorg and I love it to death. Haha actually I really like it though, hardware synth sometimes pwns software synth only because I still have trouble trusting computers for everything… but that’s all changing…
And sometimes it’s nice to be able to jam something out without turning on a computer. Just me I guess…
For alot of the same reasons we dont mix on vinyl… theres a hell of alot more you can do in the digital world you couldnt hope to do on analogue equipement.
wow, don’t be so quick to judge. I’ve been producing music in my project-studio for quiet some time, even mastering and cutting them to vinyl, and i can tell you they both have their merits. And the sound of a well-kept vintage minimoog, oberheim, korg or roland are really something special which you cannot reach easily or even never with software.
But even more important: workflow. Using a good hardware sequencer like the mighty yamaha RM1x or RS7000, or an akai MPC with some good hardware synths with direct control really gives very different results and instant acces than compared to using software.
Not to say there isn’t room for both, i’ve been using Cakewalk, Steinberg Nuendo, Reason (been a beta-tester for propellerheads from the days of Rebirth) and now ableton Live, but also the yamaha RM1x sequencer, Cubase on the old Atari ST, i use plugins, digital modulars and synths (especially love my Nord micromodular) but also analogue (just playing the roland juno 6 gives you instant mr.fingers house basslines 
…
Anyway, i guess what i am trying is that you also have to look at hardware stuff to produce, don’t go right away at the software path. Different horses for different courses. Imho one of the reasons why this entire minimal sound got quiet boring and repetetive is that you can hear all the standard ableton live plugins and presets over and over again, it all comes from the same DA-converter, it’s all getting so stale and predictive soundwise.
Even running your seperate plugins or tracks through different outboard pre-amps, effect-units etc and re-recording them again in software will make your mix sound much better because some “organic” quality is added.
So, don’t count out hardware, you can buy an fully expanded Yamaha RS7000 for little money these days, add a microkorg, or a nord micromodular, or a moog little phatty, or a dave smith mopho, and you can make amazing sounding music away from your computer.
just my 2cents
Olaf
Even a RS7000 is a good engine to start to create, You won’t get the smashing sound with it un less you 've got a full studio behind, assuming you’re a killer programmer to make the box sound loud…
Start to buy Computer Music, read about the DJs/electro producers setups. You’ll see that everybody uses different combinations of analog/digital/virtual
It depends on the budget first then on your workflow.
For exemple, On the january issue, you’ve got 2 interviews : Laidback luke wich only uses Fruity loops, a few selected VSTis, samples and a simple audio card. At the opposit, Chris Lake’s studio is a good balance between digital/virtual/computer and analog gear. ANd he uses Logic.
Many people here will talk about Ableton… Indeed, its good for musical ideas, loops and so on, I can’t use it to finalise songs >reaper, ardour, logic, Cubase - the classic daws, are much more convenient for construction/structure purpose.
So explore the forums, use google and youtube to define precisely what you want to do
And then, you’ve got to work a lot.
The whole analogue over digital arguement is so dead in my mind, just because you have troubles getting phat rich organic sounds on software doesnt mean everyone else does.
Anyway this is getting off topic, if you want to have a conversation about analogue vs digital gear take it into a new thread as this is about production software and nothing to do with analogue gear.
i don’t have trouble with it, i don’t mind using hard- or software, the thing is that it’s important for people to know that software isn’t the only or the preferred way of making great music
Olaf
wow, very interesting all these reactions. It feels a littlebit the same as showing midi-controllers for DJĂng with Traktor for a vinyl-fundamentalist crowd. Practice what you preach guys
I agree with the comment about stock ableton plugins. Definately need to buy some decent ones to give you some freshness.
I find ableton ok as a DAW but I dont really have heaps of experience in anything else. I think I will just continue with it cos its what I know.
Right… seeings how the previous thead about production software thread has been successfully highjacked about analogue gear ive moved all the posts into a new thread.
Now you can feel free to continue this discussion.
Yes some of the users reactions were a bit harsh, you get a vinyl artist come in here and talk about how users as you put it “have to look at hardware stuff” and you will get the same reaction - those comments really strike a soft spot for the community because many of us do our productions and djing entirely digitally.
Statements like:
“you can hear all the standard ableton live plugins and presets over and over again”,
“it all comes from the same DA-converter, it’s all getting so stale and predictive soundwise”
“running your seperate plugins or tracks through different outboard pre-amps, effect-units etc and re-recording them again in software will make your mix sound much better”
“And the sound of a well-kept vintage minimoog, oberheim, korg or roland are really something special which you cannot reach easily or even never with software.”
are very demeaning to purely digital artists - infact it almost sounds like the same arguements a vinyl artist makes about digital artists.
We can we be like Depeche Mode, they use the best of both world, Analog & Digital!
Hey Olaf, as long as you respect the skills!
~insert DJ Jean youtube vid here.~
Or Underworld.
edit: grumpy hungover post removed
Back up mister… It’s quite okay, if you look at his other posts in this topic, so please rephrase that.