Tech Sessions
Virtual Vs. Hardware
Anyone who has come into production within the past 10 years is familiar with this debate. It's become as played out as 'what came first the chicken or the egg?'
Most of the younger cats love their plug-in virtual synths like Arturia's replication of the Yamaha CS-80 and stand alone programs like Reason. To them, it's what separates them from the older school that grew up physically sampling sounds off of vinyl or using the actual pieces that the virtual ones are modeled after.
So in today's urban climate, be it hip-hop, r&b, house, pop whatever, is virtual or hardware getting the job done? The answer simply is…both.
I got serious with gear in 1998 and found myself getting down with Propellerheads Software's first edition of their classic Rebirth drum machine/bass synth.
It was easy enough to manipulate/sequence and I could quickly press beats to CD. It was modeled after the old Roland machines so it sounded like I needed it to sound even if it was a bit to dance-oriented. I just found ways to flip it up to sound nice and grimy and I was good.
By 2000, Propellerheads changed the world and dropped their program Reason which to this day continues to improve with each pass. In one shell, there was a loop player, a drum machine, two samplers, two synths and over 500 MB worth of stock sounds.
"Rewired" to Cubase for mixing, effects and physical sequencing/recording that program was instantly dangerous and over time hundreds of other "virtual" instruments have come out that sound ridiculous.
And then… I got a MPC 2000. Long story on how it happened but, needless to say, I played with one during a session a couple of years ago and I was hooked.
I mean Pookie in New Jack City hooked. It wasn't just the feel of the pads or the ease of use because the MPC is a very in-depth piece. It was the way it colored the sound and added a certain quality to a beat that is hard to describe. It's the difference been hearing a beat and feeling one.
I've heard all of the arguments as to why you can make Reason, Battery or the LM-4 do the same thing as a physical drum machine/sampler. And there is some truth to that.
My only thing is why go through a pig's ass to get a ham sandwich? Neither the MPC 2000 or the MPC 2000XL is as expensive as it used to be; so why waste time that could be spent tricking out the creative side of your track?
If you only swear by the sounds your computer can bring you then you are limiting yourself to always trying to pull off the feel that a MPC or any other solid piece like the EMU SP-1200 can bring to the table.
And as most of us know the swing option in many of these virtual situations can be limited at best and the overall feel of the entire sequence can be light in the ass. Which is fine for techno or electronica but for hip-hop? Nah…that won't due.
But…
To flip the shoe on the other foot if you limit yourself to whatever patches you yank from your Korg Triton then you are missing on some amazing tools such as Steinberg's Hypersonic or X-Phrase units.
It's not as cut and dry as drums for hardware and virtual synths for everything else. Besides Reason, Sampletank is another catch-all scenario which when teamed with Pro Tools is simply ridiculous.
Then again, who I am I to say when I still use it all? My set-up starts with hard synths that I MIDI sequence using the MPC. After everything has been "dumped" into Pro Tools continues onto include many virtual synths, samplers and whatever else will make a noise that is relative to the key of the song.
And on occasion, I still find myself playing with compression and eq's to fatten up a beat that I made in Reason "just for the hell of it."
So all of this has been said to say this, if it makes a sound…use it. Just don't limit yourself. I expect to get some heat off this from both sides of the fence so get at me and let me know what you think.
Glover is one half of the Atlanta, GA based production squad The Audio Assassins which are founding members of The Elements. You can find them both at Audioassassins.com and theelementsinc.com
Message Glover with your virtual or hardware setup and the advantages you get from it
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The 2-Way
Replies: 6
posted by: Larry Love @ 05/18/04: 03:03 PM EST
That's some stuff right there, Glover. I'm rocking a MPC 2000XL, Korg Triton LE-61 and a Zoom 8-Track digital recorder. No experience with computer based systems to compare with, but I love the way beats hit coming off of the MPC. Also... 16 chanel Mackie board, Crown Amp, roland monitors and two EV-500's (house shakers.. literally) for the heavy stuff.
posted by: big family @ 05/19/04: 10:10 AM EST
I'm back and forth in regards to the virtual vs hardware. I create tracks using the ASR-10& MPC2000. Dump this into Cubase, add some Synths.Import theses unto a pro-Tools session for Vocals. It's a lot of work, but it helps when you're working with someone halfway around the world.
posted by: Audio Assassin @ 05/19/04: 03:03 PM EST
I hear you big. PT's is the best for editing and vocals. I love the VST's for Cubase though. For PT6 I think there is something called a wrapper that will let you use VST's with PT. Would def save you a step.
posted by: fastlance @ 05/19/04: 03:03 PM EST
Glover man, I don't even have words for how great your doing your thing man!
As you know I personally prefer everything virtual, as big audio companies are now just starting to come into the softsynth game(KORG, Novation, AKAI, etc..)and it's getting real interesting. I’ve used both hardware and software sequencers and i find that software is way better and easier wether you have hardware or software, it's great to have a visual aid while you also rely on your ears. I have yet to find a hardware sequencer to challenge cubase SX or Nuendo.
I agree somewhat to your conclusion on the MPC v.s. Virtual drums. But every time I think of that argument I go to listen to some little brother tracks(which were made on fruityloops) and there hard as hell and were made on the computer so it's to each it's own, I own both a MPC20000xl and battery and I will agree the mpc has a unique sound simply because of the digital audio converters and that it was made geared to drum percussion, but all can still be emulated on a computer. It's all really to each his own to me. Great article.
posted by: Audio Assassin @ 05/19/04: 05:05 PM EST
Thanks Lance...why don't you throw up some of your secret layering techniques? Everytime I check your stuff I hear a lil something new...
posted by: MightyMaestro @ 05/27/04: 02:02 AM EST
The argument presented isn't really an argument as far as I'm concerned. Instruments are simply tools. Analog, Digital, Virual--It's the soul of the person controlling the tools that makes all the difference.
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