| PettyCash, i totally agree with you. I've been making beats for 3 years now. My first piece of equipment was a motif rack. I thought if i'd buy some hardware, my skills would drasticly improve but it was a big disappointment. Over the years i've learned it's not even about your hands and playing techniques but about what's inside your brain (on a creativity level). So i've been practicing the piano since a few months, studying other pieces of music to understand how instruments are naturally played. And i have to say it is really paying off. I do think hardware plays a significant role for the quality of production. The sounds from the motif rack for example are all pre-mixed and when you're a novice when it comes to engineering, you don't have to worry so much bout the mixing part. I also own an se1x and no softsynth could come close to the strength of that beast. To me hardware is like something that only will improve your production if you use it right. It's something you have to be ready for. But when you're ready for it, it will help you out.
So yeah, it does matter what you use, but only when you're at a certain level. |