Audio vs Midi
Many of todays dance music producers have sold all their outboard gear and use virtually just a computer and a decent set of monitors. There are thousand of plug ins available to sequencing programs such as Logic and Cubase which emulate their outboard counterparts. Opinions are always split on the quality of these plug ins. Generally speaking many of them fail to sound identical to the original units they are trying to emulate.
The problem is that you have a digital machine trying to copy an analogue signal path. Something that is not possible. They may sound the same but more often than not they just don’t feel like the originals. This is the reason why a combination of both is ideal. A dedicated outboard channel strip may reintroduce the analogue warmth a digital system lacks. There are several decent channel strips on the market. Look for brands such as Focusrite, TC, TL Audio, Joe Meek, Manly and Avalon. Recording in to your computer through one of these units will greatly enhance the feel of your mix.
The timing of many computer based systems remains a contentious issue. It is all down to the power of the computer you are running. A computer lacking in power can cause severe latency and timing problems which is a major problem when writing dance music. Sometimes it is safer to keep your bass and drums and any other rhythmic parts via midi. Ensuring no latency or slack timing. Everything else can be sent to your computer to give your music that technological feel whilst keeping your rhythm tracks tight. This also enables better handling of swing beat rhythms, essential for that element of funk.
Some producers believe they can tell whether something has been written and produced entirely on a computer based system. They claim that the complete digital rendering of a tune makes everything feel sterile or lacking in human feel. This may be due to the digital format being so perfect and clean. Introducing some midi and or analogue outboard gear will ensure this is not the case.
Thanks to Davide Carbone from www.bs1records.com for this article - See his great Sample collection at Loopmasters today.
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