Im sick of Computers.

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
jesso
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Post by jesso » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:24 pm

Yes an mpc is worth considering for defo.
Wont be feasible for a while though, not if I buy this machinedrum thingy im considering...

jamester
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Post by jamester » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:32 pm

I'm kinda sick of computers also. More specifically, I'm sick of sitting by myself for hours on end in front of a computer trying to be creative. In the past 5+ years I feel like I've gone from "musician" to "lonely computer tech who used to be a musician".

I'm not blaming the computer of course, and in fact I love the power and possibilities available now. But I also realize that for me, it is not a means to an end for creative output.
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EgAD
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Post by EgAD » Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:54 am

dbolt wrote:Hey EgAD, have you been able to upgrade the internal ram on your 1K? Im maxed out at 128mb and find this to be somewhat limited. I also used to use the autoload feature but after building a track in the MPC I would run out of internal memory especially if I start recording audio straight into the MP. I would try and purge but I had so many programs auto loaded that I didn't use and that made me go and delete those and so it turned technical and thats why I tend to always go back to LIVE for its unlimited restraints.

So back to the original post I would rec an MPC any day if your wanting to get away from seq with a computer, especially the 1K and don't forget it is hackable with the latest JJ OS which is sick. I won't name all the new features but it now has ADSR for filter and volume.
dbolt what it be like, the 1000 maxes out at 128 megs from all I know but that's been enough for me, just think about the millions of records that were made with mpcs that only had 32megs 8O haha and I haven't had any internal memory issues either but I know where you're coming from. basicly I don't try to use it as a daw, its just an instrument for me for instance I don't try to do full recordings on the audio tracks i just use them to get a vocal idea down, any way you might want to trim your autoload folder down sounds like you put alot of stuff in it.

in my auto load folder I've just got some basic sounds like, a copy of the ez drummer vintage rock kit, some synth sounds from arturia and minimonsta, som basses and keys, all of it takes up hardly any of the memory.
I'm not fuckin with os 2 yet but it looks amazing. the jj os 1 still kicks alot a ass

Panoramica
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Post by Panoramica » Fri May 02, 2008 10:39 pm

@jesso - have you seen this?

http://www.openlabs.com/neko-lux-overview

Not cheap, and it does contain a computer (and a touch screen), but everything you need is right there..

annadyne
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Post by annadyne » Fri May 02, 2008 11:02 pm

to avoid that 'stale-computer-onforhalfa-day-skeeze-feeling' i've set my screen to go to sleep within 3 mins of non-use.

works when trying to just write notes or tones. not so good for turning knobs. guess that's a good reason for having at least one piece of hardware. just turn it on and write some patches. then doodle some music with those patchs.

yeah.. that pixellated feel... was why a friend and i talked about having a 4-track cassette project so we could go back to just FEELING the music and not seeing it.

seems the seeing it sometimes takes the magic away. not always. just sometimes.
errr. seemtimes.

musicmachine
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Post by musicmachine » Sat May 03, 2008 2:16 am

I comp mostly on hw these days and once i've developed an idea i record parts into live and then start to arrange.it works really well.I'm a lot happier with the music i'm producing now than i've ever been.Hardware rocks,simple as that really :)
Dell Inspiron 1525|Live 8.03|Akai MPC1000|Waldorf Blofeld||NI AK1|Event TR8s|

forge
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Re: Im sick of Computers.

Post by forge » Sat May 03, 2008 6:26 am

jesso wrote:Well not really, but sometimes, when my eyes hurt from looking at the screen, and I feel like im not getting anything done, I crave some other way of recording.
I wanna be able to play all my synths and stringed instruments.... and sing to come to think of it.
Maybe I should just set up a live set to record everything, and turn the contrast down on my laptop so I cant touch it.
Any thoughts?
actually I'm looking at putting in a proposal fro a masters for exactly this reason - I want an excuse to literally spend a year working on the PERFECT setup that I can use to just make music without any of the bullshit

seeing as Ableton are hell bent on cluttering up the interface I might need to design my own, but ultimately I want to just get to a situation where it;s all controlled with hardware and I don't even need the monitor, or if I do it gives me SIMPLE feedback

I've had Live since 2002 and I still haven't managed to build a proper Live set with it - mainly because it really needs a lot of time and thought

xzusa8ky
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Post by xzusa8ky » Sat May 03, 2008 8:55 am

get the BCD and a BCR and your running software on your hardware....

hands on the faders!!!

I just F.... like them! Best buy i did in years! I use them for all other apps too......Feels like heaven! Mackie mode....I love Ya! :lol:
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Khazul
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Post by Khazul » Sat May 03, 2008 12:30 pm

jamester wrote:I'm kinda sick of computers also. More specifically, I'm sick of sitting by myself for hours on end in front of a computer trying to be creative. In the past 5+ years I feel like I've gone from "musician" to "lonely computer tech who used to be a musician".
I would blame computers actually :)

One thing I find alot when i have ther folks in here is they have alot more patience for me fiddling around on a physical mixing desk and physical patch bays, and physical knobs on hardware etc than they ever have for poking around in cubase or live with a mouse.

Just from my point of view it requires alot less concentration to re-organise 20+ tracks of hardware audio routing and sends, fx chanins in hardware than it does to just add another couple of audio tracks and route them in live.

In cubase its actually alot easier as I have a bunch of macros for doing alot of basic stuff like that and actuallyy for tracking, you can set it up with pretty good workflow - but of course I much prefer Live as a creative tool.

I wish Live would support remote controlable quick adds of pre-configured tracks - ie the plugins allready there, the audio routing allready there, and simple things like being able to 'add midi track to synth', for eg, if you have a multi-timberal plugin and you want to add a midi track on midi ch2, then you should be able to and not have top go through all the routing set up every time.

Such little things, but they tend to be the kind of things that take you away from the music and the people your are working with and somehow even 5 minutes spent doing a huge re-org of hardware rouiting and fx etc seems to be far less intrusive than spending that same down poking around in a daw.
Nothing to see here - move along!

WaveRider
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Post by WaveRider » Sat May 03, 2008 4:51 pm

jamester wrote:I'm kinda sick of computers also. More specifically, I'm sick of sitting by myself for hours on end in front of a computer trying to be creative.
yeah I remember the good old days of electronic music where you did not HAVE to stare at a screen while composing!

I am sick of this too, Live can do anything but like all the other computer based sequencers we have nowadays, they have graphic (only) GUIs and require you to constantly use a mouse, so they keep your hands and eyes busy all the time....

I remember using hardware sequencers where everything was done BY EAR and it is the way to do it! So until I find a computer based sequencer that can be operated with the monitor closed, I am back to hardware for composing midi sequences.... :) ...well not quite, I have to find the money to get that hardware! :lol:

I agree that I will always use a computer to record, mix and master, but while composing I want to stay free of looking at timelines and hi-res graphics.... and not having to touch a mouse (cause my hands are busy making music remember?) something about visual GUIs brings me out of my composing mood -some left/right brain issues I suppose.

And no, do not reply me that you can use midi remote to operate live without a mouse and screen. You haven't tried! it is impossible.

Panoramica
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Re: Im sick of Computers.

Post by Panoramica » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:06 am

I have a Sony PCMD50 audio recorder. Quick start up. Great for recording your own personal instrumentation of melodies (humming) / beats (tapping) / speech (context) in a hurry. USB transfer of WAV files back to the PC. I have the memory card expansion so I've got 8GB of MP3 to listen to and 8GB of recording space for whatever crops up during the day. The 5 second pre-record buffer is handy too if you don't know when inspiration will strike.

The thing with computers is that you have to be in the mood to sit down and really realise the idea. But if you don't feel like having a big computer session (or it's sunny outside), it's better to just capture the idea when it happens and come back to it when you are ready.

Then you slice up your WAV ideas and use midi to replace them with something from your sound library later.

Oh yeah, and to this end I'm hanging out for Celemony DNA ;-)
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UKRuss
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Re:

Post by UKRuss » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:29 pm

Lo-Fi Massahkah wrote: This weekend I sat down on a stool in the bathroom and got some arpeggios going.
-M
AC Slater'd?

musicmachine
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Re:

Post by musicmachine » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:06 pm

WaveRider wrote:
jamester wrote:I'm kinda sick of computers also. More specifically, I'm sick of sitting by myself for hours on end in front of a computer trying to be creative.
yeah I remember the good old days of electronic music where you did not HAVE to stare at a screen while composing!

I am sick of this too, Live can do anything but like all the other computer based sequencers we have nowadays, they have graphic (only) GUIs and require you to constantly use a mouse, so they keep your hands and eyes busy all the time....

I remember using hardware sequencers where everything was done BY EAR and it is the way to do it! So until I find a computer based sequencer that can be operated with the monitor closed, I am back to hardware for composing midi sequences.... :) ...well not quite, I have to find the money to get that hardware! :lol:

I agree that I will always use a computer to record, mix and master, but while composing I want to stay free of looking at timelines and hi-res graphics.... and not having to touch a mouse (cause my hands are busy making music remember?) something about visual GUIs brings me out of my composing mood -some left/right brain issues I suppose.

And no, do not reply me that you can use midi remote to operate live without a mouse and screen. You haven't tried! it is impossible.
NI must have seen this. :lol:
Dell Inspiron 1525|Live 8.03|Akai MPC1000|Waldorf Blofeld||NI AK1|Event TR8s|

aburgener
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Re: Im sick of Computers.

Post by aburgener » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:24 pm

I found myself in a similar position... sold my laptop and bought a Little Phatty & I'm not looking back. It's been infinitely more fun and I'm actually excited to go home and tweak. Looking at sequencing it with the Future Retro Orb next... :)

hurlingdervish
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Re: Im sick of Computers.

Post by hurlingdervish » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:57 pm

i have been turning to my hardware to get most the song done. and its 100000000 times more fun. its much more relaxing and everything is always saved
i get 32 one bar loops of drums on my kp3
running into my sp 555 which is the RESAMPLING KING (it even has a a resample button)
where i mangle all my audio, which is the most tedious part for me in ableton. then i record tracks into ableton after a day of messing around then all i have to do is arrange them or maybe make a few clips to glue it together.

i suggest everyone here go listen to "She turned Ampexian" by Prefuse 73. hes done with computers too and is making new music with unique textures all on hardware and real instruments

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