Logic Pro and Other DAWs

[stephenm52]

I'm a happy Genos and Korgpa4x owner.  Genos has become my go to board for the gigs I play each month.   My question is this I read quite a bit about players using Logic Pro and other DAWs, for the life of me based on what I play and do, I can't figure why others use the software programs.  Maybe I'm just too old to understand?   

[Craig Schiller]

They are used for composing more complicated arrangements that usually involve a considerable number of tracks with different instruments - impossible to play live.

[stephenm52]

Thank you for the reply 

[panos]

As Graig said they mainly used for composing.
They are virtual instruments plus a virtual studio.
Only thing is missing yet, is a virtual realistic human voice.
At these videos you will get the idea.
They are short and the guy explains what he is doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC8eaGJlGcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjOHFFxeyOI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQnb8-fGzwY

If you want to use them to play music live with your keyboard then you can play the sounds that those DAWs can provide through your pc.
No limitation to sound guality for a medium pc. 

[markstyles]

If you are satisfied with the Genos sound, and your brain can navigate all the button pushing, menu selecting while playing.. You don't need to look further.

If you want to create more complex arrangements, a DAW is useful.. I use Logic Pro (for 28 years now).. I use the Genos as a 'music composition tool' in my studio.
I might start the song in Genos, record tracks into Logic. I clean up, and/or alter the left hand chords, and send back out to Genos as a new 'chord detect' track.

I use a technique Prince often used. He played all tracks on many of his songs. He would record all the parts, then re-do the bass part, then re-do the piano track, to reflect the new bass, then re-do the guitar part etc. He would go round and round, until the end result was sometimes nothing like what he started with.

For me, I like to 'explore the possibilities' of a song.  A DAW lets you easily do that.  I can try different ideas, keep or just mute them. 

I might make up a registration just for a bass overdub.  I may have several styles, and the 4 mains. So I re-record a new bass parts. I now have up to 32 different bass riffs I can use in my new bass part, instead of 4.  Truth is you don't need that many different riffs.  But it is easy to dress up the bass part (put in walking notes, etc).

Now I sometimes record a bass part, and study it, and try to re-create playing by hand..  Genos gives me ideas I normally would have never thought of by myself.

DAWS can be quite complex, most are geared toward an easy way to use, and then you can get deeper into it, as you go along..  I myself, would not want to have to learn a new DAW at this point..

Since Yamaha also owns Cubase, that makes it a strong contender for use.. Most DAWS are pretty similar, some have features unique to them..  They are like cars, certain people will swear by certain companies.. And studio session performer, will be versatile in a couple of them..

It all depends on what you want to do.. For instance, if you just drive to the deli down the street, you can use a cheap Subaru, or a Mercedes Benz.. They will both do what you need.

I have always enjoyed the challenge of dealing with new technology, hardware, and software, and getting them all to work together.. As I get older (be 70 soon).. I'm more interested in getting my musical ideas into audio, than struggling with a new unknown (hardware, software, Operating system, etc).. I have far less patience in chasing down bugs, or figuring out why something doesn't work as I THINK it's supposed to.. Even the 'Genos' was a little challenge. Took 2 months to be totally in love with it..

Some of the DAW companies have a stripped down free version, or 30 day trial.. You can check things out, and decide if you 'need to have it in your life', or perhaps your life is already complicated enough.

[stephenm52]

Mark,


Thanks for the in-depth explanation, it was very helpful.  To answer the question I'm happy just playing and button pushing while playing, it works for what I do.


I guess age is just not a factor, I'm a couple years younger than you, but no much younger 


Someone once told me "KISS"  aka Keep It Simple Stupid and I tend to keep things as simple as l need them to be, no need to complicate any more than necessary.