Software vs. Hardware

I'm curious as to how many people depend quite a bit on software based synths and other packages. Would you depend enough on them to use them in a live situation with just a keyboard controller?

The reason I'm asking this is I've been fooling around with Logic Studio and a couple of VST soft-synths and quite frankly I find it kind of buggy. I'll load in Mainstage and that seems cool and all, then like pull in the Jupiter 8 VST from Arturia to Mainstage and will fool around with it a bit...then BAM, the whole program just crashes. Same goes for other things. Doesn't crash all the time and there's no rhyme or reason as to why it does it.

Now, not sure if the synth software on the system I'm using it on is just unstable (a friends borrowed Macbook Pro with his programs.), or if this is somewhat normal when you're taking one manufacturers software and pulling in another manufacturers software to use with it as with the VST's. Just seems like everything is over-reaching itself.

I couldn't imagine taking something like that out on a gig and actually depending on it.

I rely pretty much exclusively on software synths at this point. Massive, Pro-53, Absynth, Battery, the stuff that comes with Logic, and a few other cheap or free AUs.

Would I take them live? Maybe, but I'd have to do a lot of stress testing first. I'd also want to have something significantly more powerful than the 2.0GHz Core Duo MacBook I have now, especially since Massive is one of my favorite synths.

For the record, I haven't had any crashes with Logic. It's stalled a few times and it occasionally botches playback (Logic 8's System Overload error still pops up from time to time) though. I haven't tried MainStage enough to tell whether it'd be a good alternative or not. Again, I'd have to at least be using a MacBook Pro to trust it on-stage.

Personally, I'd love to go the NIN route and use Xserve racks.

There's an interesting video about NIN and their use of MainStage here. They seem quite enamored with it.

Edit: I can't remember where I read that NIN used Logic on Xserve racks. The video seems to suggest that they're just using a MacBook Pro. Well, it still seems like a good idea.

Softies are highly dependent on your system's setup. It's why people pay a lot for their audio computers if they're going to a software setup. At the end of the day, the software is still running on hardware, and the hardware dictates everything.

Anyone else feel like the software users have migrated away from this forum? I blame DLP, exclusively.

Well, in case your softsynths are that kinda trouble for you, why don't you go the V-Machine way? It might save some annoyance and it's really compact.

I myself don't use soft at all. I prefer having something that I can lay my hands on. Actually the only software I use is the managing devices for my hardware products.

I suppose I'll have to get into DAW's at some point. That's the simplest way of recording and sequencing, I guess. It's just that purchasing computers and such isn't as fun as buying a new keyboard. Right now I'm dealing with a deadbeat computer and lots of latency. Somebody suggested Asio4all, but I couldn't get it to work properly.

Yikes. I really DO dislike software.

I still use all vintage hardware synths myself. Even in a studio environment I don't care for softsynths all that much.

i like software for sound design but not for writing songs. i would play live with Ableton Live version 3 running on an old version of OS X on a G4, not even kidding. Reason is also extremely solid but not real convenient for live use. definitely wouldn't trust MainStage, i've had the same results as you. i'd rather have an MPC on stage at the end of the day.

I couldn't imagine gigging sans hardware, as a punter I get turned off a little whenever I see a laptop and as a performer i would feel like I was cheating somehow, not to mention the spectre of system crashes overhanging. Of course a laptop would be useful for stuff like visuals if you were providing a backdrop for the show.

All I use in the studio atm is wavelab and soundforge on a slow ass pc from 2k with no spare memory to really record anyhting substantial. Will be aquiring a macbook pro with live + Logic in the next few months for all my DAW needs. Very curious about certain softsynths but am a total greenhorn in that department unless you count rebirth. If it were monetarily viable i'd never go near a computer at all and just reel2reel it, can't really beat the convenience and pricepoint though.

My impression is that KSS is primarily a hardware synth forum for players with an interest in synthesis or synthesists with an interest in playing ...

Software has a place here, particularly DAWs, the big (orchestral, etc.) sample libraries and megasoftsynths without direct hardware counterparts. But even so, I don't think that's where the passion is ...

MainStage is really nice though, but I just couldn't get over the crashes.

Yet the marketing hype on it is high. Go to Logic's main sight and they're saying that all of NiN's recent tour is all controlled via MainStage...which could be possible as something that size would have backups of backups...but still if a computer crashes in the middle of a song, it still crashes.

I... I just had this overwhelming sense of pride. Gosh.

Yes, provided that I get to choose and configure the computer.

The mouse must die.

I use both. Too much great software out now. As far as crashes, I stick with what works. OSX 10.4.11 on a Dual 2.0Ghz PowerMac and a 1 Ghz 15" G4 Powerbook.

My studio is hardware core, software supplemented.

Enjoy wearing out that datawheel when you're cutting samples to size or naming them .

There's a good reason they included a port for it on the back of several samplers, including the venerable S760.

as long as it works for your music no big worries about either hardware or software...

I'll elaborate, though I've said it before. I write software for a living. Keyboards do not look like computers. This is a good thing for me

For the ultimate irony, I'm of course using teh intarweb now, but having to manipulate software knobs and weird interfaces is a major buzzkill for me that keeps me from turning the stuff on.

The same goes for synths with lots of menus too.

This.

I've been all software live for a couple years; a homebuilt rackmount PC and a couple controllers. My rig never crashes...

ew

I'm running Reason 4 with an Axiom 49 on a Mac Book Pro 17"

I don't have crashes, but when I"m using my Firestudio as my audio card the audio occasionally drops out. Only since Presonus's last driver patch however <_>

So I'm thinking if I can find a nice interface, just to avoid using my computers inbuilt soundcard, then I'll be a happy chappy.

I'm worried that one day I'll update some driver or something and it'll all collapse however.

But that's a concern in the studio and in a live setting.

Setup for live shows this year.

Wife (singing)

Me (playing guitar, synth, and piano)

Ipod (loops, backing tracks, atmospheres, synth parts that don't need played: 16th note lines, textures, ect)

New Macbook (running Ivory and possibly absynth)

I want to keep things in the realm of physical instruments in every case possible. I've had FAR too many issues with software and crashing over the years to ever trust it fully live. I have a virus TI and the laptop will mostly just run rompler type stuff that I can't do on the virus. Even when I record I print as soon as possible, save the preset I made, and delete the instance of the soft synth from the session. Once it's audio it's safe

People let the entire family internet and play games on their audio PC, which means you need spyware and virus protection. Congratulations, you're a muppet, and you should get the wife and kids a Wii and a cheap Asus netbook or something. All the crashes you get are those you deserve. Since Macs don't have games and are too weird for 95% of the viruses out there, those are a solution for you.

Or they're really unfortunate in making hardware choices, which means a lot of reading (which sucks, let's be honest), which means that a preconfigured box aimed towards performance is going to be better for you (which means you also listen to the Mac! Mac! Mac! folks).

There's a last, important factor, which may be the absolutely wonky power you get at the club. That's what they've invented uninterruptible power supplies for. Since a laptop runs on batteries, those are sort of protected by the grace of that, but pretty much all PC laptops come with a stack of crapware that makes them run like molasses, to the point where IBM and Sony offer you special services you have to pay for where they simply reformat and reinstall everything minus all the useless software they've put on it themselves.

It's not rocket science to build something stable; I don't think the kind of perverse software that would make your rig crash on stage but not in the studio has been invented yet, and if your rig crashes on stage like that, you're not getting any work done at all in the studio, either.

yeah it's a shame about MainStage. i'm sure there are people out there who are getting along fine with it but a quick glance at Apple's discussion boards will show you that there are a huge number of people who are not. i think it just needs a bunch of work at the development level. lots of bug fixes and optimizations needs to be made. the concept is great and it's real pretty to look at but i don't think it's ready for prime time, for people without million dollar road rigs anyway.

I'll elaborate, though I've said it before. I write software for a living. Keyboards do not look like computers. This is a good thing for me For the ultimate irony, I'm of course using teh intarweb now, but having to manipulate software knobs and weird interfaces is a major buzzkill for me that keeps me from turning the stuff on. The same goes for synths with lots of menus too.

yeah i worked I.T. for the past 2 years and it pretty much killed the entire vibe on the computer for me. when you come to associate computers with work and stress, they become less appealing to sit down at after a day at the office. i went completely old 90's hardware for the past few years and while it was fun and cheap, it was a bit annoying. SCSI, zip disks, taking a coffee break while something is timestretching. i think going forward i'll be going back into the sampling business again so i'll be on the puter a lot for that. for sound design it really opens up a lot of doors and can be more productive. i'll probably still use old ass hardware for my own music though. it's just fun.

I use both. Hardware includes everything from analog and digital synths and workstation and outboard effects, down to an acoustic piano (with lessons), an embarrassingly large collection of electric and acoustic guitars, amps, and pedal effects, and a couple of mandolins. Software includes Cubase 4.5 and Ableton Live 7 plus an additional embarrassingly large collection of VST instruments and tools (and a few effects too).

The forum title is "Keys, Synths and Samplers. There are software synths and samplers. As far as I am considered, the software is fair game here.

Right now I am using a hardware MIDI knob box to control the parameters of a software sequencer (AlgoMusic Atomic) running in Cubase 4.5 on my DAW PC connected to a MIDI UNO and playing a Moog Voyager. Software + hardware = fun.

Perhaps it's my computer. I've downloaded the demo of Aturia's Jupiter-8 VST and it works fine by itself with no crashes....and I've been sitting here trying to make it crash. But when I use it as a VST in something like Live 7's demo or MainStage or even Plogue Bidule it crashes the VST and the host program.

Yeah, I know it's demo programs but should demo programs actually be MORE stable since it's trying to sell you on the program?

Exactly.

Software synths ARE synths. What's a "virtual analog" hardware synth but a really well integrated MIDI controller and a soft synth? It's still digital.

You need both worlds if you want a wide (and modern) palette.