In Praise of a DAW...

[SoulReflection]

I have had my experiences with bad guitarists, drummers, problem singers, late nights, personalities and venue pay problems. As much as I loved to play live, I have found my ultimate solution...

A home studio with a DAW. I can play along (using the Moises app) with real musicians and fire (erase) them if need be, without hassles. I can add tracks for vocals, keyboards and other instruments at will.

I can add countless bass amps and cabs without physically having any and record tunes by collaborating with other musicians over the internet.

Anyone else feel the same or have additional uses for a DAW?

 

[EvilJ]

I am 100% at the same point. Guitar players and their ego's plus drummers that don't know what calendars,clocks and sobriety are. I just found a drummer in the UK to do a track for me that was a bit beyond my drum skills. No drama and done in 24 hours.

 

[DirtDog]

I'm lucky to have relatively balanced band mates. We don't gig and are more of a recording project. DAW is our friend. I spend most weeknights trying to compose new material. I love my DAW! (Logic user here). Since I play both bass and guitar and dabble with keys, the only assistance I need at home is Mr EZ Drummer.

 

[SoulReflection]

I am 100% at the same point. Guitar players and their ego's plus drummers that don't know what calendars,clocks and sobriety are.

We don't gig and are more of a recording project. DAW is our friend. I spend most weeknights trying to compose new material. I love my DAW! (Logic user here).

Great to hear from you two!

Things have really changed since I last gigged (late 60s). Today's tech is amazing when I consider dropping needles on records to learn songs. COVID, health issues and social media have really changed the gigging experience. I am happy to have this alternative and enjoy playing bass.

 

[DirtDog]

Great to hear from you two!

Things have really changed since I last gigged (late 60s). Today's tech is amazing when I consider dropping needles on records to learn songs. COVID, health issues and social media have really changed the gigging experience. I am happy to have this alternative and enjoy playing bass.

Cool! I retired from a gigging band in 2018. I've done a total of two gigs with different units since then and nothing on the horizon.


The pandemic kicked my creativity into overdrive. Got into analogue synths and that's been fun. No way I can easily replicate some of that material live so I've been working on creating samples that I can trigger in MainStage.

Also started dabbling in video production. Got into cameras and Adobe Premier/AfterEffects pretty heavily. Still VERY amateur in they department. But I'm enjoying myself and my collaborators seem to like what I'm producing.

Now, if I could only get rid of this pesky day job, I'd have more time for this fun!

 

[SoulReflection]

Cool! I retired from a gigging band in 2018. I've done a total of two gigs with different units since then and nothing on the horizon.


The pandemic kicked my creativity into overdrive. Got into analogue synths and that's been fun. No way I can easily replicate some of that material live so I've been working on creating samples that I can trigger in MainStage.

Also started dabbling in video production. Got into cameras and Adobe Premier/AfterEffects pretty heavily. Still VERY amateur in they department. But I'm enjoying myself and my collaborators seem to like what I'm producing.

Now, if I could only get rid of this pesky day job, I'd have more time for this fun!

Yes, those day jobs can be very limiting! I was heavily involved with video production just before everything went digital and that is a very close parallel to the evolution of digital audio. Digital editing makes everything easier and less costly, not to mention the increase in resolution.

If I had all the money I spent on old video gear, going digital would be cheaper, quicker and I would have money left over .

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I've always preferred live performance. For me, recording is too sterile. I like the performer/audience interaction. That's were much of the fun is.

 

[SoulReflection]

I've always preferred live performance. For me, recording is too sterile. I like the performer/audience interaction. That's were much of the fun is.

I agree completely with you, Dave. In my case, health and age dictate my level of involvement.

That said, even if I was playing out, I would still be working with a DAW for learning new tunes, collaborating with others and experimenting with effects.

 

[YeahDoIt]

I can't believe the tools that are available today. These DAWs, some are free, are more capable than what professional bands used years ago.

 

[SoulReflection]

I can't believe the tools that are available today. These DAWs, some are free, are more capable than what professional bands used years ago.

They beat the heck out of record players and tape machines...things that were "cutting edge" years ago.

The tools available, like plugins, make a one-man-band easy and affordable.

I remember those old days and how I used my DAW to keep playing during the COVID shutdown. I still prefer this to the current state of bands, personalities and gigging in general.

 

[The Owl]

I retired from live performing at the end of 2011. I didn't play a note again until late 2016. Got an updated version of Cubase, bought a 5 string bass and a Strat and off to one-man-band land from that point on. Added a drum loop library and a desktop MIDI keyboard. A long the way, I've found sites like Airgigs.com incredibly useful for hiring singers, horn players and such.

Even after health issues flared up in 2018, I'm still creating and it helps me stay sane.

Truth be told, I don't think I want to play live in today's landscape.

 

[SoulReflection]

I retired from live performing at the end of 2011. I didn't play a note again until late 2016. Got an updated version of Cubase, bought a 5 string bass and a Strat and off to one-man-band land from that point on. Added a drum loop library and a desktop MIDI keyboard. A long the way, I've found sites like Airgigs.com incredibly useful for hiring singers, horn players and such.

Even after health issues flared up in 2018, I'm still creating and it helps me stay sane.

Truth be told, I don't think I want to play live in today's landscape.

Thanks for the post, @The Owl! Looks like you are way ahead of me...what drum loop library and MIDI keyboard are you using?

 

[The Owl]

Thanks for the post, @The Owl! Looks like you are way ahead of me...what drum loop library and MIDI keyboard are you using?

I got most of my loops from The Loop Loft, some from YouTube, Wikiloops, Yurtrock and other sources.

My desktop keyboard is an Alesis V25 USB MIDI board.

I don't use physical amps anymore either. I use both Positive Grid Bias Amp and Amplitude 5, plus a Radial Bassbone preamp for my bass tracks.

 

[SoulReflection]

I got most of my loops from The Loop Loft, some from YouTube, Wikiloops, Yurtrock and other sources.

My desktop keyboard is an Alesis V25 USB MIDI board.

I don't use physical amps anymore either. I use both Positive Grid Bias Amp and Amplitude 5, plus a Radial Bassbone preamp for my bass tracks.

Thank you, sir. You have given me a lot of homework .

 

[MuseChaser]

At the risk of being the "odd man out," and with no judgement against those that revel in the admittedly huge capabilities DAWs have, I really can't stand them, but allow me to explain.

First, my opinion is not without extensive experience using them. I was actually a pretty early adopter, back when Sek'd's Samplitude first came out (I think my first version was 4.5). PCIe interfaces, 16 simultaneous audio channels were a challenge to all but the best high-powered computers,blah blah blah. Still use Samplitude to this day, although I stopped upgrading when AVID went to it's hideous subscription-based format. Anyway.. yes, I use daws.

What I dislike is how they are usually used, and (flame suit firmly engaged) the reasons given in this thread. As a lifelong (and primarily acoustic) musician first and audio/studio semi-pro (meaning, folks pay me but I don't have any degrees.on engineering and only record for folks occasionally) engineer second, music has a very special place in my heart. I've had lengthy discussions with my musician sons (all adults and two of the three are also serious players) about what music us.

Music, to me, is quintessentially human in nature, and stems from a desire to reach and interact with each other in real time, expressing things that words can not. The current nature of artificially, studio- and computer-generated and manipulated sound occupying such a large portion of what the masses consume as music today is a perfect analog to how social media has supplanted, and yes, hampered our abilities to empathize and communicate kindly as human beings. When we remove humanity from music, we lessen ourselves.

So.... Yeah... I dislike DAWs, at least when they're used to replace human players, human skill, human compromise, human interaction....

I use my DAWs to edit and master live to 2-track orchestral or small ensemble recordings, or to mix and master multitrack jazz and funk studio recordings. One of my studio rules is that I don't pitch correct and don't allow punchins. I'll record folks playing, and mix and EQ to make folks sound their absolute best, but the music has to be played. I won't fix things. A lot of my clients appreciate that approach, and the ones that don't have plenty of other options. I AM open about it, and everyone leaves happy.

 

[Gabu]

I have had my experiences with bad guitarists, drummers, problem singers, late nights, personalities and venue pay problems. As much as I loved to play live, I have found my ultimate solution...

A home studio with a DAW. I can play along (using the Moises app) with real musicians and fire (erase) them if need be, without hassles. I can add tracks for vocals, keyboards and other instruments at will.

I can add countless bass amps and cabs without physically having any and record tunes by collaborating with other musicians over the internet.

Anyone else feel the same or have additional uses for a DAW?

It has its place too, but for me... the live show is the reward for the work that led up to it.

 

[SoulReflection]

At the risk of being the "odd man out," and with no judgement against those that revel in the admittedly huge capabilities DAWs have, I really can't stand them, but allow me to explain.

First, my opinion is not without extensive experience using them. I was actually a pretty early adopter, back when Sek'd's Samplitude first came out (I think my first version was 4.5). PCIe interfaces, 16 simultaneous audio channels were a challenge to all but the best high-powered computers,blah blah blah. Still use Samplitude to this day, although I stopped upgrading when AVID went to it's hideous subscription-based format. Anyway.. yes, I use daws.

What I dislike is how they are usually used, and (flame suit firmly engaged) the reasons given in this thread. As a lifelong (and primarily acoustic) musician first and audio/studio semi-pro (meaning, folks pay me but I don't have any degrees.on engineering and only record for folks occasionally) engineer second, music has a very special place in my heart. I've had lengthy discussions with my musician sons (all adults and two of the three are also serious players) about what music us.

Music, to me, is quintessentially human in nature, and stems from a desire to reach and interact with each other in real time, expressing things that words can not. The current nature of artificially, studio- and computer-generated and manipulated sound occupying such a large portion of what the masses consume as music today is a perfect analog to how social media has supplanted, and yes, hampered our abilities to empathize and communicate kindly as human beings. When we remove humanity from music, we lessen ourselves.

So.... Yeah... I dislike DAWs, at least when they're used to replace human players, human skill, human compromise, human interaction....

I use my DAWs to edit and master live to 2-track orchestral or small ensemble recordings, or to mix and master multitrack jazz and funk studio recordings. One of my studio rules is that I don't pitch correct and don't allow punchins. I'll record folks playing, and mix and EQ to make folks sound their absolute best, but the music has to be played. I won't fix things. A lot of my clients appreciate that approach, and the ones that don't have plenty of other options. I AM open about it, and everyone leaves happy.

Well, @MuseChaser, I agree with with you 100% but, with one clarification.

What I dislike is using a DAW to create music that is not realistic and cannot be reasonably reproduced in a live environment with real people. Manipulation of music and vocals to that extent is just wrong and, unfortunately, very common with today's recordings.

My personal clarification is what I primarily use a DAW for. For age and health reasons, I cannot carry equipment or stand for an extended period of time. Being immunocompromised, I cannot afford to catch any bugs, so I avoid any that might be out there. But, I can continue to enjoy my bass playing and collaborating with others in my home studio. My DAW does that for me.

 

[SoulReflection]

It has its place too, but for me... the live show is the reward for the work that led up to it.

I would love to be in a position to do live shows!

 

[Josh Ryan]

I would play live, and in a band again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I think at my age though (early 50's), people like to talk about it more than actually do it. I get it, we are aging, some of us are tired, we've done it, etc. but I actually enjoy it as a source of stress relief, instead of yet another thing that causes stress.

I basically screw off with Reaper, write and record and post songs with the sole purpose of just improving myself at this point, with no expectation that anyone cares or will ever listen outside of my immediate family and friend group, which is almost enough. I'd still like to play out, just for fun.