Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Discuss your workplace, instruments, amps, and any other gear.

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

What gear does your Linux music making setup include?

virtual software synths and/or samplers
30
30%
real hardware synths and/or samplers (keyboards or rack units)
18
18%
acoustic instruments (including electric guitars/basses)
25
25%
human voice
23
23%
other (please specify in a post)
3
3%
 
Total votes: 99

tux99
Established Member
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:42 am
Contact:

Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by tux99 »

I thought it might be interesting to find out how many of us use only software to make music and how many still prefer external hardware synths and how many play and record acoustic instruments.

Please click all options that apply to you.

Feel free to give further details in a post.

Personally I still prefer hardware synths (all bought second hand for very little money) connected via MIDI as they 'just work' unlike software synths which can be affected by any issues the PC might have (bottlenecks, latency, lock-ups, setup issues).

Edited to clarify category for electric guitars/basses.
Last edited by tux99 on Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
raboof
Established Member
Posts: 1855
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:58 am
Location: Deventer, NL
Has thanked: 50 times
Been thanked: 74 times
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by raboof »

I mainly use acoustic instruments and virtual synths.

The only instance where I use a hardware synth is when playing my yamaha wx11: not many softsynths have good support for the 'breath control' aspect of that MIDI instrument (OK, you can simply map it to 'volume', but it's not the same). The VL70 synth has some nice sounds that take that into account better.
danboid
Established Member
Posts: 1327
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 11:28 am
Location: England
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by danboid »

I would add that if anyone picks 'other' please explain what the hell it might be - what music making equipment falls outside of those categories?

Apart from my real instruments (that includes my voice) I'm only using software synths and samplers because:

a) I don't have the money for good hardware synths etc although I do a have vintage synth and a couple of old keyboards here

b) I don't have the room to have loads of hardware permanently set up

c) I find instrument plugins much easier to manage than using hardware or using session managers
posscakes
Established Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by posscakes »

Both. I have dabbled with hydrogen but i haven't taken the time to learn it completely yet - definately on the todo list but. I rather like the default drum sounds that load when you open it up.

Years ago i bought a guitar with a midi pickup on it, I bought the guitar b/c i really wanted the guitar never really paid much thought to midi aspect of it, it came with a module and an interface (A Roland JV-1010 and GI-10) So i recently retrieved the JV-1010 from my mums after it had a 4 year stint in the wardrobe, its a nice piece of gear actually tethered to my keyboard controller, also considering my options with the expansion port. I haven't recorded anything with it yet but in theory it should be easier cause i'm just sending an audio signal to my daw.

My only gripe is my Roland A-PRO keyboard it connects to the computer via USB or to the JV-1010 via midi. Problem is when the USB is connected on the A-PRO shutdowns the midi port so it appears i can't assign my rotary encoders and sliders to functions in my daw whilst i'm using the JV-1010.
User avatar
autostatic
Established Member
Posts: 1994
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:26 pm
Location: Beverwijk, The Netherlands
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 104 times
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by autostatic »

danboid wrote:I would add that if anyone picks 'other' please explain what the hell it might be - what music making equipment falls outside of those categories?
Non-acoustic instruments like electric guitars?
User avatar
Capoeira
Established Member
Posts: 1321
Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 1:01 pm
Location: Brazil
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by Capoeira »

AutoStatic wrote:
danboid wrote:I would add that if anyone picks 'other' please explain what the hell it might be - what music making equipment falls outside of those categories?
Non-acoustic instruments like electric guitars?
well, the sound is generated acousticly, so for me it would be in the acoustic category in this cas.
danboid
Established Member
Posts: 1327
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 11:28 am
Location: England
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by danboid »

Yep - I automatically mentally classified electric guitars under the acoustic instruments myself. If these are classified as 'other' then I should've also ticked other too and I'd imagine the same would apply to many others so if thats the case we'll see a lot of 'others' now too.

IMHO electric guitars and basses are too common to be classified as 'other' - hence my question/ suggestion.
tux99
Established Member
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:42 am
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by tux99 »

Capoeira wrote:well, the sound is generated acousticly, so for me it would be in the acoustic category in this cas.
I agree, for the purposes of this survey at least I think we should consider electric guitars part of acoustic instruments.
I have clarified that now in the survey options.

I only added the 'other' choice just in case, I also can't think of what could actually fall under 'other' here.

It would be interesting if whoever selected 'other' could say what he/she categorized as 'other'.
Or was it you, AutoStatic, for the electric guitar?
User avatar
khz
Established Member
Posts: 1648
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:29 am
Location: German
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 92 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by khz »

I Select All.
Other: Hardware -Sequencer -Filterbank.
. . . FZ - Does humor belongs in Music?
. . GNU/LINUX@AUDIO ~ /Wiki $ Howto.Info && GNU/Linux Debian installing >> Linux Audio Workstation LAW
  • I don't care about the freedom of speech because I have nothing to say.
tux99
Established Member
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:42 am
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by tux99 »

khz wrote:I Select All.
Other: Hardware -Sequencer -Filterbank.
You mean this?
http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/sherman.php

IMHO that's either not part of the survey (since it seems an effects unit, not a sound source itself) or else should belong to the hardware synth category.
Last edited by tux99 on Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
khz
Established Member
Posts: 1648
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:29 am
Location: German
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 92 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by khz »

Like this, yes.
Ah OK. Sry.
. . . FZ - Does humor belongs in Music?
. . GNU/LINUX@AUDIO ~ /Wiki $ Howto.Info && GNU/Linux Debian installing >> Linux Audio Workstation LAW
  • I don't care about the freedom of speech because I have nothing to say.
tux99
Established Member
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:42 am
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by tux99 »

khz wrote:Ah OK. Sry.
No problem, one wrong categorization doesn't affect the survey.

That Filterbank looks very interesting BTW. :)
User avatar
khz
Established Member
Posts: 1648
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:29 am
Location: German
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 92 times

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by khz »

:-)
Hmm correct, the Filterbank´s i use are ~effects http://www.effectsdatabase.com/type/filter/rack
. . . FZ - Does humor belongs in Music?
. . GNU/LINUX@AUDIO ~ /Wiki $ Howto.Info && GNU/Linux Debian installing >> Linux Audio Workstation LAW
  • I don't care about the freedom of speech because I have nothing to say.
User avatar
autostatic
Established Member
Posts: 1994
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:26 pm
Location: Beverwijk, The Netherlands
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 104 times
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by autostatic »

tux99 wrote:Or was it you, AutoStatic, for the electric guitar?
No it wasn't me, otherwise I would've clarified it in a post. I am a guitarist, yes, and when I read "acoustic instrument" I think as a guitarist and immediately make the distinction between acoustic and electric instruments. But in this context that doesn't fly.
Now we're at it, what about the Optigan?
tux99
Established Member
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:42 am
Contact:

Re: Survey: do you use hardware or software synths or both?

Post by tux99 »

AutoStatic wrote:Now we're at it, what about the Optigan?
Hmm, hard to say, I'd say it an early form of a ROMpler :wink: , so should go in the hardware synth category. :D
Post Reply