Hardware
From DNBWiki
Hardware or outboard refers to the physical equipment used for music production. Early or "classic" hardware was typically analogue in nature, but over time a lot of equipment has moved into the digital realm.
[edit] Main types of hardware
- Monitors
- Mixing desk
- Controllers - keyboards or otherwise (Midi sax, MIDI guitar pickups, etc)
- Audio Interfaces
- Synths, Sampler, sequencers, multitrack recorders
- Effects
[edit] DIY hardware resources
[edit] What hardware shall I buy?
- This is a common question asked by people who feel that their software-only music production experience is lacking excitement, ease of operation, quality sounds, or the impressive look of a studio filled with racks of gear, and more keyboards than friends. There is no specific checklist of equipment you must have to make good quality tunes; awesome tunes have been made entirely with software by a guy who drew the notes in with his mouse. Lack of hardware is not a valid reason for making shitty tunes, but hardware can go a long way to allow better mixdowns, give more control over multiple parameters simultaneously, provide inspiration from being able to bang away on keys with presets loaded, or to allow one to really perform and give their track feeling. Old gear can also be significantly cheaper than software.
- A better question may be simply to ask a producer whose tracks you like, what gear he uses, or what he used to make a particular sound.
- One bit of advice, which is not well received by those on a budget, is to get yourself a set of studio monitors. As this is the last link in the chain before the music hits your ears, it makes sense to provide as accurate a representation of the signal as possible. Much like its difficult to paint with a blindfold on, its very hard to make music which sounds good, when you’ve only heard it through a set of 2” full range computer speakers.
